Week 7, Term 2 2026
We can sum this up in two sentences; the first actually said by the child to his teacher - “Help me to do it by myself”. The other is one we gave - “Every useless help is an obstacle to development”
Maria Montessori - Citizen of the World
THIS WEEK’S TOPIC
Scaffolding
The definition for scaffolding is to provide temporary support. For children it is to provide that support they need as they master a new skill. Life is full of a succession of temporary support for us all as we learn new skills.
In the case of our children we need to break down the skills into manageable steps each step building on the previous one. This however requires a degree of balance. It's not helpful if there is no scaffolding but it is equally unhelpful when we forget to remove or adjust it. Children grow from dependence to collaboration and finally to independence.
The child under one is so dependent on us for everything but with each month, even each week their skills grow. Think back even a month and marvel at what they have achieved.
GROSS MOVEMENT:
First there is involuntary movement and we offer mobiles to support eye movement and focus.
Next comes tummy time with the support of a mirror. When on their back they can have different mobiles and maybe the addition of something to grab at from hanging.
With rolling we need to ensure the surface they are on does not hinder the movement and consideration is given to the clothes they wear.
Observations by us allows for reflection on what is or isn't needed.
We can encourage sitting by allowing the child lots of free movement on the floor to strengthen the necessary muscles groups.
Next there comes pulling up to stand. To scaffold for this again we consider clothing, freedom to move and secure objects to pull up on.
All the time we consider the safety of the environment which becomes even more significant as our little moves to cruising and then to walking.
As you can see we are not teaching them to progress to walking, instead we are supporting each stage of development by providing the appropriate environment (scaffolding) and constantly monitoring it to ensure it is not removed too soon or too late.
This will be the same for ALL subsequent learning and by breaking it down into steps your little ones will progress smoothly from progression to refinement and on to independence.
Recipe of the week:
Broccoli Quinoa Drop Biscuits
https://www.theconsciousplantkitchen.com/broccoli-quinoa-drop-biscuits/
Ingredients
¾ cup broccoli head grated or finely chopped
⅛ cup chopped spring onions
¼ cup roasted red pepper chopped (jar or homemade)
½ cup of cooked quinoa (if you make a bigger quantity you can freeze and use next time)
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
Black pepper
⅛ cup vegetable or coconut oil
½ can coconut milk
Method
Preheat the oven to 200c. Line the baking tray with parchment.
In a large bowl combine chopped broccoli, spring onions and red pepper.
Fold through the cooked quinoa.
Add flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder (optional). Mix well to coat all the ingredients.
Pour in oil and coconut milk - combine to form a stick dough and don't overmix.
Use a ¼ cup to scoop up dough and “drop” on the baking sheet leaving some space between each biscuit.
Bake for 18-25 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown on top.
Leave to cool slightly before serving or storing.
Will keep for a week in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
