Morningschool by Lyndal Betterton September 1983 marked the start of the Morning-school Program in Stelle. At present there are five mothers with their 4 to 5 1/2 year-olds enrolled in Morningschool. It has three purposes: 1. To prepare children in the Motherschool for Stelle’s elementary school by enabling them to work alongside their mothers in a classroom structure instead of in their own homes. 2. Create a learning environment which embodies the advantages of group teaching (children are motivated by observing their friends working) as well as the advantages of individual teaching (each child can work at his own rate as his mother designs and implements a program especially for him). 3. To serve as a transition school, where young children who have just moved to Stelle can be brought up to the third-grade level before beginning elementary level in the Stelle School. There are 20 min. periods of academic work which are modeled on and preparing for the elementary schedule. Activities are broken up with snack, physical break, and special presentations by the teacher or a mother. Weekly conferences for each mother with the Morningschool teacher help her plan her child’s curriculum. Mothers and children both appreciate the external structure, like having bells rung at the start of each period. It reduces conflict if the child doesn’t happen to be in the mood for the next subject. The ten minute exercise period has been evolved into a brain stimulation program with the help of Stelle Group Member, Psychologist Ann Guinn. The children like their exercises best of all!
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