Enrolling your child in an early childhood program is a big decision and for many parents it can be an emotional roller coaster. New building, new routines, new adults, and the list goes on.
When we think of teacher parent partnerships, we think of the child first. Think of a triangle with one point being the child and the parent and teacher at the other two corners, supporting the child.
Recently, the daily email from Exchange EveryDay was about “Flow State” and we can all relate to when we get in the zone of focus
The following is a mix of an excerpt from a daily email called Exchange Every Day which focuses on early childhood along with information we wrote specific to our school.
In Montessori, the classrooms are designed and prepared for a three year cycle.
What do walking, dancing and making silence all have in common? Movement. They are different forms of movement in our classroom.
Each year, our Toddler and Primary rooms, along with the parents of these students, complete the Ages and Stages Questionnaire screening tool. This screening offers a glimpse into the development of children.
We often hear questions about how the Montessori philosophy is worked out and practiced in classrooms. Foundational Montessori tenants such as independence, focus, peace, and individual discovery—what do those actually look like in a classroom full of 3, 4 and 5 year olds?
As students enter the Elementary classrooms each morning, the sense of responsibility and ownership of the classroom meets them in way of preparing the space. They remove chairs from tables and attend to daily jobs including folding and putting away laundry, putting away clean dishes, attending to the classroom turtle, and checking class supplies.
Mealtime in our classrooms offers opportunities for meaningful work, concentration, language expression, grace and courtesy.
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When we were kids, whether we realized it or not, there was always something we wished our playrooms could look like. Maybe it was a Disney-inspired room with a slide in the corner and a play kitchen. Or maybe it was one of those massive train sets and writable walls to draw anything that came to your imagination.
Separation anxiety is a normal behavior and it is part of the development during the first years of life. It is normal for children to feel this way, to cry and be distressed to the new changes as they are separated from you.
We always feel like we need to buy the newest, best, greatest gadgets and to outdo ourselves from the year before. If your child is invited to birthday parties, this kind of thinking can be very expensive and blow the budget quickly.
At Fox Valley Montessori School, Art and Science are part of our regular curriculum and core classroom activities. Beautifully prepared classrooms along with a large outdoor playground offer ample opportunities for naturally occurring learning opportunities.
The Montessori classroom is an interactive community full of children who are simultaneously choosing materials to gather, explore, utilize, and pass on to others.
What is Montessori? I hear that kids choose their own work, what does that look like? Isn't it dangerous to allow them to walk alone in the hallways? How will my Kindergartner be able to learn if he is in the same room as a three year old?
In a Montessori classroom we use the word “presentation” quite often. Teachers invite individual students, small groups, or even the entire class to a presentation during the course of the day. A presentation is a teaching opportunity for the teacher as much as it is a learning opportunity for the students.
Our favorite comment to hear during tours as families observe classrooms is “I didn’t know they could do that by themselves!” Montessori classrooms are unique: beautiful, hands-on, and intentionally designed to encourage child-directed engagement with support from teachers.
At Fox Valley Montessori School, Toddler Teachers partner with parents to help a child learn to use the toilet—we’re on your team! Learning is a group effort, and consistency between home and school helps reinforce awareness.
