Partnering with Families to Raise Exceptional Learners
hink back to when you first considered enrolling your child at The Children’s House. No matter the reason you chose to be here - and surely, there are a million - you have selected an environment that is not just a beautiful place for your child to spend their days; you have also joined a loving, supportive school community. As I welcome new families into the Young Children’s Community, I share with them that the community within our four walls will become your child’s new home away from home.
Young Children in the Kitchen
Every aspect of the curriculum of the Young Children’s Community culminates within Food Preparation. There are big movements like carrying bowls to and from tables and dish carts. There are small movements like peeling the rind off of a clementine or holding a knife to spread jam on a slice of toast. There is so much language around smells and tastes as well as all the verbs that go along with preparing food.
The Language of Encouragement
We often hear the terms “praise” and “encouragement” in a wide variety of school settings. Praise is typically defined as expressing approval or admiration whereas encouragement is a more supportive action that points out facts without tying them to an evaluation of one’s work. In a Montessori classroom setting, we provide encouragement by noticing. This may be as simple as “You spent the whole morning on your cursive handwriting,” or something more complex such as, “It felt helpful when you cared for our community by setting the lunch table.”
Freedom and Limits
As a parent of a child attending a Montessori school, you have heard the phrase “freedom and limits” many times during conversations with your child’s guide. What does it really mean? What is freedom and why do I need to apply any limitation to my child’s actions?
Supporting Montessori at Home
One of the goals, when we prepare our classroom environments for the children, is to make it like a second home for them. We observe our learners so we can design an environment that acts as its own teacher or guide for the children.
Becoming a Montessorian
Over the past two summers, I had the privilege of pursuing my Montessori training. After a summer of virtual training due to COVID-19, this past June I eagerly loaded my Siberian husky into my Subaru Outback and headed to Montessori Northwest in Portland, Oregon. Despite the relentless 115° summer, I had a life-changing time.
The Four Planes of Development
During recent faculty meetings we've enjoyed lively conversations about how children at each level adapt and explore independence in our classrooms. It is fascinating to take a philosophical topic and see how it manifests in our learners across the span of their time at The Children’s House.
Giving Your Child the Gift of Independence
Have you noticed that all babies and young children tend to want to do things by themselves? This tendency is the beginning of independence, which promotes confidence and self-esteem as well as motivation and perseverance. It fosters self-reliance, allowing your child to feel they have control over their life. It gives your child a sense of importance and belonging which is essential for building social relationships and for contributing to the world.
Moving up to Primary
Your child’s transition into the world of Primary is an exciting, integral part in their development. The environment that awaits them is larger, filled with wonderful new materials to explore and new friends of various ages to lend a hand and engage in more mature social interactions.
Learning to Embrace the Struggle
Children naturally want to do things for themselves. Regardless of their age, we have all seen this drive for independence emerge in our children and students. At times, it can feel like a great accomplishment; at other times, a challenge. For all of us who care for them, a real challenge exists in allowing children to encounter struggle.
Fostering Independence
In a Montessori environment, the goal for children at any age is independence. Dr. Maria Montessori envisioned a world where we live in harmony and are mutually reliant on one another. Still, she recognized that this is only possible when individuals are able to satisfy their own needs first.