This is the 105th year for the annual Christmas Bird Count. “In the 105th Count now under way, winter is arriving like a lion, and it appears that the stars of the show in some regions will be owls of the tundra and boreal forest. How far south will this invasion reach? Counters in the 105th Count will help document this apparently major flight. ”
You can even participate with your family or school for the Great Backyard Bird Count “NO BIRD LEFT BEHIND! THE “GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT” RETURNS: The 8th annual GBBC will once again be sweeping the nation during the weekend of February 18 through 21. This year’s theme is “North America’s Great Backyard,” chosen as a way to celebrate the beauty of birds found across the continent.”

PBS has great help for parents from reading readiness tips to stages of your baby’s development.
Visit PBS Parents for daily activities and insights. Is Your Baby a Copy Cat?
is a great article for parents understanding how their baby learns.

Where do Montessori classrooms stand about using computers in the classroom? Dr. Peter Gebhardt-Seele wrote extensively about using computers in the prepared Montessori environment in his article, The Computer in the Montessori Class. Also another good article, Work with computers for 4-9 year old children by Eva Valentine is helpful if you are using computers and software in your classroom. Computers in Education by Valdemar W. Setzer has good comprehensive ideas regarding the use of computers in the elementary level.

There are at least six colleges or universities from Florida to California that offer Montessori Education Graduate Programs in the United States. Montessori is becoming part of the main stream of public education. There are magnet Montessori schools in the public school system, even in Colorado Springs (School District 11). I would call your local school districts to find out if there are any free public Montgessori schools near you.

You can use base 10 for the golden bead material. Here is one that can be printed on gold or yellow paper and glued onto blocks of wood or cardboard. This one has another base 10 print out and well as a base 5 printout.
You can also use these printouts for older children as extensions for the golden bead material to introduce higher quantities of 100,000, millions, and billions.

The Red Cross/Red Cresant has a web site to donate money for
Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and other countries that were devastated by huge tidal waves that resulted in thousands of lives lost and loss of homes, food and water. Tsunamis are usually caused by eathquakes that occur in the seabed. Tsunamis can affect any costal region in the world. Our thoughts and prayers go out to our friends.

My children and students loved the golden bead material. It is base 10 material that you can make or even buy at your local school or educational store.
It’s a wonderful foundation to the decimal system. Most currency is based on the decimal system as well. If you want to use money, use 110 pennies, 10 dimes, and a silver dollar to introduce the decimal system. Just substitute the money for the golden bead or base 10 material. You can introduce a child as young as three to the first golden bead presentation!