Parenting Tips
How Montessori Education Encourages Independent Thinking
Learning to think is not the same thing as learning to memorize. Thinking requires infinitely more effort and involves much more brain activity than reciting something back. Thinking involves inquiry, innovation, creativity, analysis, synthesis, problem solving, persistence, self-confidence, self-motivation, independence and even courage. That is why the emphasis in a Montessori classroom is on children…
Read MorePractical Life – A Foundation For Academic Growth
Why Practical Life activities? Amit has just started school and his parents watch their little boy endearingly as he attacks real-life chores with serious determination. They are so proud to see him carefully spooning dried beans from one dish to another and concentrating hard to pick up the beans he has spilled. However, Emma’s parents…
Read MoreDeveloping and Supporting Your Child’s Independence
Developing your child’s independence and self-reliance is one of the most important things we can do for our children. While academic learning is important, it does not, and can not, take the place of the value of self-confidence, self-sufficiency, and the ability to make things happen for oneself. Independence and self-reliance form the…
Read MoreIs My Child Ready for the Montessori Early Childhood (age 3-6) Classroom?
Whether you’re a 30-year old moving into a new country or a 3-year old moving from the Montessori Prep program into the Montessori Early Childhood classroom for preschool-kindergarten (ages 3-6), or simply joining the Montessori Early Childhood classroom (ages 3-6), transitions can be frightening. Montessori Toddler classrooms are specifically designed environments that cater to the…
Read MoreSensitive Periods of Human Development
The Dutch biologist Hugo de Vries was one of the first to notice “sensitive periods in development” when he referred to a species of caterpillar. The baby caterpillars have a special sensitivity to light, which when they emerge from their eggs on the trunk of the tree, causes them to be drawn to the tips of…
Read MoreHealthy Sleep Habits Make Happier Kids
As daylight savings makes sunset later and later, it is tempting to keep children up past their normal bedtimes, but doing so can have consequences. Without adequate sleep, children can quickly become cranky and irritable and concentration suffers. When overtired some children may have trouble falling asleep; others staying asleep. Sleep deprivation can result in…
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