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The Goldberg Montessori School is the oldest Jewish Montessori early childhood program in the southwest region of the United States. It combines a rich Judaic Studies curriculum with the motivational Montessori guidelines set down by Maria Montessori over one hundred years ago. Dr. Montessori believed that, “The most important period of life…is the first one, the period from birth to age six, for that is the time when man’s intelligence itself, his greatest implement, is being formed.” For this reason, the child’s learning environment is designed to facilitate the learning process in an integrated Montessori and Judaic environment. Students work individually and cooperatively with materials as they develop their independence, coordination, sense of order, self-discipline, and concentration. The objective is to foster a love of learning, a love of Judaism, and joy in work.

Montessori classrooms have six main areas of learning. Judaic content is intentionally infused throughout each of these six areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math, Geography, and Science.

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Practical Life activities are based on the ways in which people in our culture relate to each other socially as well as the ways in which they complete everyday tasks. Exercises involve real-life activities using fully functional objects matched to the size of the child’s hand and strength. They provide children with endless opportunities to imitate the everyday behaviors of people and in the process gain independence, develop concentration, and build determination. Examples of this include pouring ‘grape juice’ from a pitcher to Kiddush cups, ‘cutting’ a wooden challah, and practicing table setting for Shabbat.

Sensorial activities invite children to use their senses in order to master their learning. These exercises are based on sets of graded objects with design specifications as precise as those of scientific instruments. Each set of objects materializes, isolates, and grades one quality including texture, color, volume, mass, length, temperature, shape, sound, and smell. For example, students make and smell b’samim for Havdalah, pin punch Jewish symbols, and match different Jewish rituals with the senses they involve.

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Practical Life activities are based on the ways in which people in our culture relate to each other socially as well as the ways in which they complete everyday tasks. Exercises involve real-life activities using fully functional objects matched to the size of the child’s hand and strength. They provide children with endless opportunities to imitate the everyday behaviors of people and in the process gain independence, develop concentration, and build determination. Examples of this include pouring ‘grape juice’ from a pitcher to Kiddush cups, ‘cutting’ a wooden challah, and practicing table setting for Shabbat.

Sensorial activities invite children to use their senses in order to master their learning. These exercises are based on sets of graded objects with design specifications as precise as those of scientific instruments. Each set of objects materializes, isolates, and grades one quality including texture, color, volume, mass, length, temperature, shape, sound, and smell. For example, students make and smell b’samim for Havdalah, pin punch Jewish symbols, and match different Jewish rituals with the senses they involve.

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Language development, according to Dr. Montessori, is intertwined with the development of movement. As a child’s ability to move develops, the field of activity expands and so does the need for language. Movement and manipulation are features of the way that children use the Montessori language materials. Activities began with early language and progress to reading, writing, and early grammar. Both the Hebrew and English alphabets are part of the Language program. For example, students trace Hebrew letters in sand, just like the sandpaper letters used to teach English.

Math activities work with the array of intriguing objects the Dr. Montessori designed in order to materialize abstract mathematical concepts represented in the form of concrete objects. When children use the Montessori mathematics materials, they explore mathematical concepts using movement and their senses. Included in the Math exercises is the counting of Judaic objects as well as counting the days of the Omer.

Cultural activities use maps and other materials to learn about landforms, continents, countries, and states. Students learn spatial directions as they learn about the tent of Avraham and work with topographical maps of Israel. Within Geography, students also learn about Jewish and Israeli cultures through activities such as tasting different foods.

Science activities introduce students to an array of scientific units that include biology, weather, nutrition, electricity, and ecology. Science experiments are performed in the classroom. For instance, students learn about the concepts of floating and sinking in relationship to the story of Noach and about the life cycle of a plant in preparation for Tu B’Shvat.

Cultural activities use maps and other materials to learn about landforms, continents, countries, and states. Students learn spatial directions as they learn about the tent of Avraham and work with topographical maps of Israel. Within Geography, students also learn about Jewish and Israeli cultures through activities such as tasting different foods.

Science activities introduce students to an array of scientific units that include biology, weather, nutrition, electricity, and ecology. Science experiments are performed in the classroom. For instance, students learn about the concepts of floating and sinking in relationship to the story of Noach and about the life cycle of a plant in preparation for Tu B’Shvat.

Why Choose Montessori

Judaics/Hebrew at GMS

Goldberg Montessori School began as part of United Orthodox Synagogues. Judaics are an essential component of daily life and education at GMS, with the goal of fostering a love of Judaism and a sense of Jewish identity from a young age. At GMS, Judaics include observance (learning and saying brachot, davening, celebrating Shabbat, Havdalah and other Jewish holidays); Chumash (weekly discussions of Bible stories); Hebrew (incorporating Hebrew vocabulary, learning to read and write Hebrew); Middot/Mitzvot; and identification with Israel. We follow the traditional Jewish calendar (two days of Yom Tov; eight days for Sukkot and Pesach).

Kashrut
We follow HKA guidelines for Kashrut. All snacks are Kosher and are provided by the school. Parents have the option to pay for kosher pizza on Wednesdays and cookie cakes for birthdays. Children bring their own dairy or pareve lunches; no sharing is allowed and no other food may be brought in to the school.

Houston Kashruth Association

Davening

The Judaic teachers in both Toddler and Primary classrooms lead a regular circle time. In the toddler classrooms this takes place one or more times/week. In the Primary classrooms, this takes place daily and includes morning t’fillah. This circle time also may include:
• Review of Parshat Ha’Shavuah (Primary)
or a story from the Torah(Toddler)
• Fulfilling different mitzvot and collecting tzedakah
• Learning about Jewish holidays
• Introduction to new Judaics work materials and Hebrew words
• Singing Ha’Tikvah

Infusion of Judaic Content
Judaic content is infused into the regular Montessori materials, i.e. Judaic teachers create work materials that are true to the Montessori methodology and philosophy. These materials are on the shelves for children to use in the different Montessori areas. As with other Montessori materials, the Judaic work materials rotate in and out of the classroom during the year, matching the cycle of the Jewish calendar.

Some examples of ways in which Judaics content are infused into Montessori materials are as follows:
1. Practical Life: pouring grape juice from a pitcher to Kiddush cups; setting the table for Shabbat
2. Sensorial: making and smelling besamim for Havdalah; matching Jewish rituals with the senses they involve
3. Language: matching games that use pictures, words, or trinkets relating to parsha’ot and holidays; ordering the story of a parsha; tracing Hebrew letters in sand
4. Math area: counting Jewish objects; counting repeats of 7 (Shabbat happens every week), 8 (days of Chanukah/Pesach) or 10 (days from Rosh HaShanah to Yom Kippur)Geography: topographical maps of Israel; pin punch map of Israel; holiday observance, music/songs, flags
5. Science: floating and sinking in relationship to the story of Noah; studying the life cycle of a plant in preparation for Tu B’Shvat.

Hebrew
The Hebrew teacher leads circle time once every week in each Primary class. This time is theme-based. Some themes may be: family, the body, animals, holidays. During this time, children are exposed to and learn Hebrew vocabulary (through movement, song, and games).

We also offer a unique advanced Hebrew program. Children who are blending sounds in their English reading (Montessori Reading Level 3) are pulled out individually or in small groups to work on Hebrew reading and writing. The Hebrew teacher works with these children to develop their writing and reading in Hebrew using Montessori techniques such as sandpaper Hebrew letters as well as games and other activities.