Education
My name is Monica Trent and I am happy to be your child's High Five Teacher. I have been teaching since 1992 and have worked mostly with preschoolers and kindergarteners in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
I graduated in 1992 from Michigan State University with a degree in Child Development and Teaching and Elementary Education. I also received a Masters Degree in Curriculum Instruction and Design from the University of St. Thomas.
Philosophy
I believe that children should inquire and do project based learning. My classroom is a combination of center (or station) based learning and free choice. We have show and share days every Wednesday that allow each child a time to speak and be heard in a large group. I also send family involvement activities each Friday. I do this as a way to make learning fun and interactive. We share that as a group on Monday.
Ms. Trent's Free Choice
When I am not teaching, I enjoy biking, cooking, playing games, reading, traveling and hanging out with friends and family. I am married with two children. I also have two cats.
Contact
You can contact me via phone at 668-2500 and/or email me at monica.trent@mpls.k12.mn.us.
Your child will be read to every day. A good question to ask your child daily is- What book did you read in school today? Learning to read and write is easier if children know and use lots of spoken words in their daily lives. When kids have good book experiences every day, they learn the wonder of books, a powerful motivation to learn to read. Books make our lives richer!
Routines are important for children. Try to read to your child each night after they bathe and brush their teeth. Twenty minutes of reading per day is a good time for kids this age. Books can be read in English and/or your native language.
Screen Time should be limited to one to two hours a day. Excessive screen time leaves less time for active, creative play.
Sleep is very important for all of us. Children that are 4 or 5 should sleep 11-13 hours per day.
Visual Thinking Strategies
This type of questioning is open-ended and develops higher order thinking in children of all ages. Good questions to ask your child when you are looking at art or reading are:
What do you see?
What do you think is happening?
What do you see that makes you say that?