Monday, December 23, 2019

Showing Gratitude in the Montessori Preschool Classroom this Season

Showing Gratitude in the Montessori Preschool Classroom this Season - Montessori Fremont

In a Montessori preschool, grace and courtesy are essential aspects of early education. And while it is easy to forget the importance of gratitude during the holiday season, this is also the perfect time of year to reinforce it in the classroom. No matter what each child’s background may be, they all have a lot to be grateful for and learning to express that emotion helps them develop responsibility and strengthen their self-esteem.

Friday, December 20, 2019

Our Favorite Montessori Preschool Books for the Christmas Season

Preschool Books for Christmas - Montessori Preschool

The Christmas season is a perfect time for Montessori preschool students to learn about the holiday. From discovering the Winter solstice to the riveting poem about a visit from Santa Claus, everything about the season is an opportunity for children to learn and experience this most special time of the year.

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Reminding your Montessori Elementary Child about the Magic of the Holidays

Reminding your Montessori Elementary Child about the Magic of the Holidays-Montessori Fremont

The holiday season is a time of bustling activity at your Montessori elementary school. The seasons are changing, excitement is building and the time is right to remind kids about the magic of the season and why it is important to everyone.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

What are the main curricular areas in the elementary level of Montessori?

 main curricular areas in the elementary level of Montessori-Hill Point Montessori

If you and your child are transitioning from Montessori preschool to Montessori elementary school, you may be wondering what new and exciting lessons and skills await. And for those parents who are new to Montessori elementary, you may be wondering what to expect from this unique method of education. Read on for a brief overview of the curricular areas covered in Montessori elementary and what your child can look forward to.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Montessori Preschool Inspired Thanksgiving Activities

art-activities-montessori-preschool-Montessori Fremont

The Montessori preschool is a bustle of activity during Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving and the Grace and Courtesy lessons of the Montessori Method go well together, giving parents and teachers an excellent opportunity to encourage children to be more caring and polite while developing fine motor skills with hands-on activities.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Math in the Montessori Preschool Classroom

Montessori Mathematics - Montessori Preschool - Little Wonders Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori spoke of the development of the Mathematical Mind, which refers to the development of precision, abstraction, order, intelligence, and imagination. Math in the early years of the Montessori preschool in Winnetka curriculum is based on exposing children to concrete materials and preparing them for logical and critical thinking. Instead of memorizing mathematical facts, children work with materials that are representative of something like a number. Math in preschool deals directly with numbers, patterns, shapes, and spatial experiences a child experiences within her environment. She absorbs the information and experiences into her brain, making it ripe for incremental opportunities for more abstract concepts. The curriculum emphasizes the process over the product.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Ideas for Motivating Your Montessori Reader

Child-reading-montessori-preschool-Hill Point Montessori

Whether you are a Montessori preschool parent planning ahead or your child is already reading and you want to encourage their interest and progress, there are several fun ways to motivate your Montessori reader.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Teaching Your Montessori Preschool Child About Thanksgiving

practical skills-Montessori preschool-Montessori Fremont

Montessori preschool students have plenty of opportunities for hands-on activities as Thanksgiving approaches. From simple counting and sorting games to helping prepare the holiday meal, young children love to feel like they are contributing members of the family and will be excited to help out. It is a busy time of year, full of the chance to sort, count, and do simple math.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

6 Most Important Qualities in a Montessori Preschool Teacher

Montessori method - Montessori Fremont Preschool

Montessori preschool teachers do not spend most of their day lecturing and writing on a blackboard the way they do in public schools. Instead, she moves around the classroom, spending time with each child independently, and guides each one along their unique path to education.


Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Hands-On Learning in Montessori Preschool

Hill Point Montessori - Hands-on-learning

At the heart of Montessori pre-school is the practice of hands-on learning. When you walk into a classroom, you will find children spread throughout the room - at mats on the floor, in small groups at tables, or tending to the classroom pets and plants - all actively engaged in learning. This approach to education acknowledges that children learn best when they can use all their senses and when teachers create an environment that sparks curiosity and encourages exploration. Where traditional classrooms might rely on telling children what they need to know, Montessori schools focus on showing and doing for authentic learning.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Healthy Montessori Preschool Snacks

healthy-snacks-Little Wonders-Montessori One

You know that nutritious foods are the right choice for your child, but in a world full of fast and convenience foods, it can be a challenge to get your child to eat healthy snacks. Why would your kids want to eat carrots and apples when they can choose candy bars and potato chips? But packaged snacks are often full of added sugars, refined flour, saturated fat, salt, and artificial ingredients. Fortunately, there are plenty of snack options that are both healthy and delicious. Here are a few treats for Montessori Preschool in Winnetka.


Thursday, October 10, 2019

Educational Websites for Montessori Elementary Children

educational-website-Montessori Fremont

The world opens up for Montessori elementary school children, and the discovery does not have to end in the classroom. While there are few websites designed specifically for Montessori students, there are quite a few excellent educational sites which include Montessori-style play-based learning.


Monday, October 7, 2019

Montessori Preschool vs. No Preschool: Statistics

Preschool - Montessori Fremont

While there may be some discussion about the value of preschool in general, there is very little serious doubt about what it has to offer. Instead, the detractors focus on things like less one-to-one interaction with teachers, being rushed through assignments, or even questions about learning too early in life. None of these arguments against preschool apply to Montessori preschool, which often fares better on “basic” education tests than public preschool students.


Friday, September 27, 2019

Help Your Montessori Preschooler Succeed

Montessori-preschool-Little Wonders Montessori One


A solid partnership between school and home is critical to raising a Montessori preschool child. However, most parents, especially those educated in the traditional school system, are usually unsure of what they can do to prepare their children to build on the skills they learn in class. Here are some ways to help you Montessori preschooler flourish in and out of the classroom.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Montessori Environment: Redirecting Versus Distracting

Montessori Environment - Hill Point Montessori

Montessori pre-school and elementary school classrooms are carefully prepared to be in sync with the students’ needs and interests, making it a unique space that children can explore as they choose. However, no matter how child-centered a classroom is, there are still bound to be behaviors that challenge or disrupt the space and become an obstacle to all students’ learning. When students exhibit these behaviors, like interrupting the teacher’s presentation or distracting other students during work time, it is the Montessori teacher’s job to address the behavior. Here is a look at two strategies that may also be familiar to any parent who has needed to address the behavior of their young child.

Monday, September 16, 2019

6 Tips for a Successful Montessori Preschooler

6 Tips for a Successful Montessori Preschooler - Montessori Children's House

For many children, beginning Montessori preschool is the first time they are expected to be apart from their parents. The transition may be difficult at first, but you can make it easier by following a few professional tips.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Nurturing Inner Motivation in Montessori Elementary School Children

Nurturing Inner Motivation in Montessori Elementary School Children - Montessori School of Freemont

Unlike traditional public schools, the Montessori elementary school relies on intrinsic motivation to guide children. If this seems unusual to you, think of intrinsic motivation as the thrill of winning or success, and external motivation as working under the threat of consequences. The former comes with its own incentive to achieve even more while the latter has no incentive beyond escaping punishment or empty praise.


Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Instilling Confidence in Montessori Preschoolers


Instilling personal confidence in children is an important part of the Montessori preschool. Helping your preschoolers feel better about themselves gives them the confidence to take action, the ability to see the better qualities in others, and the confidence to attempt new things and experience new situations.


Wednesday, August 21, 2019

What Children Learn in Montessori Kindergarten

What Children Learn in Montessori Kindergarten

In Montessori, kindergarten is when your children advance into “big kids school” and put the concepts they have learned in preschool into practical usage. Basic concepts like letters and numbers transform into reading and addition, children are introduced to the sciences, and their socialization skills are refined into etiquette and responsibility.


Thursday, August 15, 2019

Transitioning from Preschool to Montessori Elementary School

Transitioning from Preschool to Montessori Elementary School

Moving up from preschool to the more structured environment of Montessori elementary school can be stressful for your children because it involves unfamiliar changes in location, interactions, and routines. To make the transition easier, you can take some steps to remove some of the apprehension from the equation.


Thursday, August 8, 2019

Montessori Preschool Anxiety: Making Drop-Offs Less Painful

Montessori Preschool: Separation Anxiety

The first days attending Montessori preschool can be painful for both parents and their children. In order to minimize the stress of being dropped off at preschool, we recommend introducing your child to the teachers and staff before school begins to promote familiarity, as well as following some of these other tips on making drop-offs less painful.


Monday, July 22, 2019

Manners and Your Toddler


If you have ever taken a tour of a Montessori elementary school, you were probably impressed by the behavior of the children as they quietly went about their different tasks. The secret is that the Montessori method puts more emphasis on communication and social interdependence, teaching children how to communicate in ways that are acceptable both in the classroom and in the community at large.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Teaching Children to be Big Helpers



One of the key learning outcomes of Montessori pre-school and elementary schools is the independence children gain. Through Montessori education, children are encouraged to become self-taught learners and autonomously pursue their curiosity. A secondary outcome of this cultivated independence is that children get to learn how to be big helpers as a result of feeling confident and capable. Read on to learn three ways the Montessori method teaches children to be helpers by using the right tools, encouraging skill exchange, and practicing care for the environment.


Monday, July 15, 2019

Summer Tips For Parents With Kids Who Get Bored Easily


In the Montessori elementary school, a child’s display of boredom is often a lack of ideas for fun activities. The intent is there but the child is having difficulty processing options to arrive at something to occupy his time and mind, and the same is true of the summertime blues. Interjecting some ideas and guidance will help keep the boredom at bay and encourage your child to be more active and keep his mind busy during those hot summer days.


Monday, July 8, 2019

Helping Your Child Read at Home


One of the most important things you can do to help your Montessori preschool student is to help nurture a love of reading. Children who learn to read at an early age tend to do well in other school-related subjects, show greater creativity and problem-solving skills, and find it easier to communicate in social settings. Following a few simple tips will give your child a headstart at school and unlock a universe of concepts to be discovered.


Sunday, June 23, 2019

Water Safety Tips for your Little Swimmer

Water is fascinating for children who may not be aware of the dangers it poses. Your private elementary school children will benefit from observing some simple safety tips designed both for parents and children. These tips will help you and your children enjoy safe outings this summer.


Wednesday, June 19, 2019

A Typical Day at Montessori School


The important thing to remember about Montessori daycare and preschool is that the teacher’s role is to guide and assist, not direct and focus. Aside from the times when the class participates as a group, the teacher may be assisting one child on her project while observing the other students. Having multi-age classrooms helps in this respect by allowing older, more experienced children to assist their younger classmates when the student guide is occupied with another task.


Monday, June 17, 2019

Early Summer Activities to do with Your Preschooler



Montessori preschool puts a lot of emphasis on doing things. During the summer break, it is important to keep up the discovery process by introducing your children to new things and concepts, and practicing concepts that have already been learned. These basic outdoor ideas make a great starting point for organizing early summer activities.


Monday, May 20, 2019

How to Handle a Picky Eater


Your Montessori preschool encourages serving well rounded meals to assist with concentration, provide better sleep and help children grow up strong and healthy. But there are times when children balk at eating the healthiest foods, so your job as a parent is to find a way to keep them chowing down even when they aren’t thrilled with the menu.

Friday, May 10, 2019

How Do I Reinforce the Montessori Method at Home?


Just as we strive to put forth a good example in the Montessori preschool, you should make it a practice to be your child’s role model at home. She is going to to look up to you regardless of how you behave, so making sure she sees you doing positive things and working out problems in a considerate manner reinforces her desire to get along with others.


Thursday, May 2, 2019

Is my Child Ready for Kindergarten?

It can be a big step going from preschool into Montessori kindergarten. The curriculum is more structured, and children are expected to apply more of their time to learning activities, something which is less distinctive in Montessori classrooms where play-based learning is the rule. To help you decide whether your child is ready to take that step, we have compiled some helpful information for you to consider.


Sunday, April 21, 2019

5 Toddler Friendly Apps for your Preschooler


One way to supplement your child’s preschool education is to provide him with a few toddler-friendly apps that will make good use of his online play. Simple activities like alphabet games, beginner’s math, and learning social skills are all excellent examples of apps suitable for preschoolers, and we have selected a handful of popular apps to help your child get started.


Monday, April 15, 2019

Play-Based Learning: Why is it Critical?

An authentic Montessori daycare and preschool applies play-based learning as a fundamental part of the educational process. It is an experience based process where children learn by doing, giving them firsthand knowledge of the concepts they are absorbing as they undertake new activities and rediscover older explorations.


Monday, April 8, 2019

What is the Parents' Role in a Montessori Education?


In Montessori primary school, the role of the parent is crucial in helping children get the best education possible. Because children spend so much more time with parents than teachers, this should not be a surprise, but it is important to convey how your role as a parent impacts the total educational process.


Monday, March 25, 2019

Earth Day Projects for Children ages 3-12


Earth Day is celebrated on April 22, 2019, and provides students and families with an opportunity to take part in preserving and protecting the environment. At your child’s private elementary school the day is often associated with planting trees or other growing things, but it is equally important to reduce refuse and clean up our local areas. We’ve put together some fun projects that you can do with your children to show them the importance of protecting our planet.

Monday, March 18, 2019

Outdoor Fun: New Outdoor Games to try this Spring


To supplement their daycare and preschool curriculum, consider some engaging activities to encourage your children to go out and play. Because play-based learning is the best way to learn-- and instill a love of the learning process-- some outdoor playtime fun will excite children and teach them a bit of science in the process.

Monday, March 11, 2019

Instill a Love of Learning in Your Child Starting in Preschool


Children start out with a natural interest in learning, and your Montessori preschool nurtures that interest rather than promoting rote-memorization as a learning process. To do that, they use the Montessori Method to instill a love of the learning process, allowing children to develop their own learning patterns and subject interests as they progress.


Sunday, February 17, 2019

Fun with Letters: Teaching your Child the Alphabet


The Montessori School of Flagstaff takes pride in teaching children about letters because reading is the key to learning about everything else. We recommend that you begin teaching your children the alphabet early because that will give them a headstart at almost everything they will learn later. To help you get started, we came up with some great ideas that you can use at home.

Montessori Philosophy: Mixed-Age Classrooms


One of the hallmarks of Montessori schools are classrooms with mixed age groups. In most cases, the age range is a maximum of 3 years, with the exception of the youngest children who are typically kept to a range from birth to 18 months. There are excellent reasons for having mixed age groups in classrooms.


Prepared Environment: Difference Between Montessori and Traditional Education


At Montessori Children’s House, the prepared environment is a critical step in teaching children. One visit to our classrooms is all it takes to see the prepared environment in action and observe how it differs from traditional schools. Some of the key benefits of a prepared environment are listed here, but there is a lot more to it than we can relate briefly.

Sunday, February 10, 2019

Child Centered Learning: Montessori Method


In many approaches to pedagogy, children are object of the learning process. The adult teacher or instructor is thought to be the source of knowledge, and the children are the empty vessels into which that knowledge is poured. The Montessori Method, however, takes a different approach. In the Montessori Method, children are seen as the directors of their learning, and the adult teachers as guides and supports. This shift puts children at the center of their education and allows teachers to meet them where they are. In order to foster child-centered learning, the Montessori Method outlines five principles that guide teachers in their primary, lower, and upper elementary Montessori programs: respect for the child, the absorbent mind, sensitive periods, the prepared environment, and self-education.

Sunday, January 20, 2019

Montessori Philosophy: Creating Life-Long Learners


Montessori philosophy is a special way to educate children by immersing them in activities and experiences which teach fine motor control, self-expression, and encourages children to explore topics they are interested in. As Montessori educators, our goal is to prepare children for a lifetime of learning rather than a few hours of instruction.


Outdoor Winter Fun for Kids of All Ages


Don't let Winter keep your children locked inside. There are plenty of games and hands-on activities for the ice and snow, and those who are lucky enough to live where it doesn’t snow can play regular summer games...albeit in winter attire.



Halfway Through the School Year: Checking in with your Child's Teacher


Typically, parent-teacher conferences are held on a regular basis but you have the option of having more frequent meetings if you or the teacher deem them necessary. Midway through the school year is a perfect time to schedule a meeting with your child’s teacher to get an idea of how well your child is developing through the Montessori Method. When you meet with the teacher, be sure to inquire about observations regarding things like the following.