There is much love and peace spread among all of us in the world as families and friends come together in the spirit of celebration.  Every year, in our last newsletter, I try to convey to parents to avoid buying electronic gifts for their children however, this year, I would like to write about something different.  Something in a line of giving and receiving.  It was a conversation that I had with the older children in our classroom Thursday aft

Choosing the best preschool option for your child is a tough decision. 
From private schools, parochial schools, and mom-and-pop daycare to homeschooling, there are many options to consider what’s best for your family and child. Still, is there another choice that will help us understand what should three year-olds be learning? 

Daycare Benefits

   I recently had the opportunity to read a great book by William Doherty entitled "The Intentional Family: How to Build Family Ties in Our Modern World." Establishing rituals or traditions is a key to building a strong family.  Doherty gives these four main reasons why families should develop rituals or traditions:

Sometimes, after an extended break, it can be challenging to get back into the routine of things.  The first day of school after a long vacation can bring about a re-occurrence of separation anxiety for some children. Sometimes, your attitude as a parent can play a deciding role in the child's outlook and approach to starting school.  Remember, separation anxiety is a phase, it is perfectly natural, and it will pass.

As a parent and a Montessori educator, praise versus encouragement comes up often in the classroom and my home. I remember when I was a child, and even a young adult, the best thing that anyone could say to me was "You're such a good girl." I wanted people to be proud of me and I craved that external validation until one day someone simply asked me, "But, are you proud of me?"           

    I wanted to briefly discuss the Sensorial area of our classroom since that is an area that many of our children are engrossed in right now.  Sensorial comes from the words: sense or senses. The purpose and aim of Sensorial work are for the child to acquire clear, conscious, information and to be able to then make classifications in his environment. Montessori believed that sensorial experiences began at birth.

     I want to discuss the importance of the third year in Montessori.  As most of you know, learning in a Montessori environment is individualized.  This means your child can work at his or her own pace while participating in a mixed-age classroom community.

We are frequently asked ‘Are Montessori students more successful?’ but are we more successful than who? More successful how? How do we define success?

There are many ways to create an environment that assists children to become more successful.

Historically, the Montessori Method builds freedom, responsibility, and empowerment primarily through:

I recently read a book containing various articles from Maria Montessori’s studies. A chapter that stood out to me was about a young boy named Feliciano, who, from birth was given the freedom to roam his room. Throughout his growth and exploration, they provided him with apparatus’ that he took to instead of putting objects or toys into his room. Feliciano's mother eagerly observed her child without interfering. He spent minutes to hours practicing how to open and close certain things he had found throughout the house.