Ms. Gennica

Children have so much potential inside them! Bringing out that potential and allowing it to grow is at the heart of why I do what I do. I started working with children in high school and realized childcare was so much more than just a job for me. How children grow and learn really interests me – and when I discovered Montessori I became even more inspired! My home daycare program follows many Montessori methods – we encourage independence and do a lot of hands-on activities and learning. It is simply amazing what children are capable of when given time, space, and the right materials and support. There is nothing that makes me happier than seeing that ‘I did it!’ expression on a child’s face after an accomplishment. Every single one of these moments is important and special, and I feel thankful that I get to be a part of them.

Children learn in great strides in the right environment. We follow a schedule that begins with a morning greeting, followed by a block of time where children focus on specific activities around the room. Concentration is the pathway to learning, so we work hard to establish a calm, organized, and engaging environment during this morning ‘work period.’ Children might choose to paint at an easel, work on learning sounds with sandpaper letters, write letters and words with our moveable alphabet, count with cards and counters, or use golden beads – a Montessori math material that children love to explore. After this busy period, we have outdoor time and a shared meal - outdoors if we can. Children might nap after lunch, explore the classroom further, or head outside to play. We have fun with monthly themes and special activities for holidays. The children in my program are busy, and happy! Practical Life: Children delight in doing activities from everyday life that are scaled down to toddler size. Examples include peeling and slicing bananas for snacks, pouring own water or juice, flower arranging, and practicing zippers. Fine Motor: We have variety of manipulatives, such as puzzles, shape sorters, and stringing beads. Language: We offer language objects, pictures, songs, books, poems, and flannel board stories. Art: The Montessori philosophy is “process oriented, not product driven” and we have all kinds of media for children to explore including paint, clay, finger crayons, and chalk. Outdoors: Weather permitting, we spend a lot of time outdoors in our spacious playground equipped with a play structure, gigantic sand box, tricycles, water table, basketball hoop, balls of all kinds and an ever popular parachute. Lunch: We have a group lunch at 11:30. or children can bring a packed lunch from home if parentsprefer that. Weather permitting, we eat our lunch on the benches under a large shady tree. Toddlers set the table, pour milk for themselves and clean up afterwards. Montessori day children go home at 245pm Nap: Children start napping at 11:50, 12:00pm Afternoon: Toddlers eat a snack, go outside again or continue exploring the classroom until their parents pick them up. The montessori school day ends at 2:45 pm and after school care ends at 5:30pm Toileting: Using the toilet is part of the routine throughout the day. To facilitate toilet learning, all children wear pull-ups or underwear, no diapers,minus infant. We help with toilet training.

Children learn many different skills in my program – social, emotional, cognitive, and physical. They also learn lots of ‘life skills.’ Practical life is a Montessori term for things like peeling and slicing food, pouring water, flower arranging, setting a table for lunch, or tidying up. Children really gravitate toward these activities, and I’ve had parents who are amazed when their child sweeps up after dinner at home without being asked! We also have plenty of other materials to choose from that center around fine motor skills, language, art, and math – like puzzles, shape sorters, stringing beads, and books. We get outside as much as possible - my backyard has appropriate toys for them to play with, sand box, tricycles, a water table, a basketball hoop – even a parachute! My goal as a home daycare provider is to offer many different types of opportunities for children to learn and grow.