Block the Sun, Not the Fun! At the Montessori School of Silicon Valley, the children love to play outside, especially in the summertime, so we take summer sun safety very seriously. During the months of May through September sunscreen and sunscreen application becomes a part of our daily routine. Here are some ways we help to “block the sun, and still have fun”. What you can count on from us regarding Summer Sun Safety Staying hydrated is important. Children are encouraged to drink the filtered, cool and refreshing water that we make available all day both indoors

Our friends from our Primary program at Crescent Montessori want to share with you their favorite colors! Do you have a favorite color too?

MSOSV Spring Gardens are Open When I meet young adults, and they tell me they attended a Montessori School as a child, either in my school or another Montessori school, I ask them to share something they remember about the Montessori school. Answers are typically: “I remember peeling a carrot” “I remember making my own snack, spreading jam on a cracker, then getting to eat it” “I remember being with Ms. Colleen in the garden” “I remember this garden being so much bigger” While students in a fully implemented Montessori classroom are fully immersed in academic work,

The Montessori Road to Writing and Reading The Montessori environment is rich in language.  Whether through conversation or language games, the young child is surrounded by vocabulary on their path to writing and reading in the Montessori classroom. At the Montessori School of Silicon Valley, we use a phonetic approach to writing and reading.   Phonics is a method of teaching reading and writing by developing the ability to hear and identify sounds of the English language. Dr. Maria Montessori believed that writing comes before reading.  Her position was that writing is the thought

As we begin to wind down this very unique and unusual year, I would like to start by taking a look back. Before I begin, I would like it to be clear that what follows is my own personal experience. I am the founder and CEO of 4 Montessori preschools in the Bay Area of California. Before the pandemic we were flourishing with 300+ students and 60+ staff members in our schools. A Bit of History I started out in the year 2000, just after my youngest son was born. I had

We know you are eager to know how your child’s day went. What did they do? What did they learn? The challenge is that these questions might be too vague and not “interesting” enough to a child to get them talking. You’ll be surprised what you can learn about your children when you get them to start chatting about their day. Plus, if they are having difficulty or a problem at school hopefully they’ll open up a little more so you can figure out what’s going on. Does this sound familiar? You pick up your child

The Montessori School of Silicon Valley has four locations for your convenience. One in Santa Clara and three in Milpitas. Cabrillo Montessori School Calaveras Montessori School Crescent Montessori School Main Street Montessori School Come take a quick peek inside.

An advocate for outdoor learning, Dr. Montessori would say that with Spring right around the corner and Summer immediately following, there is no better time than now to open the outdoor classrooms and children’s gardens. “There must be provision for the child to have contact with nature; to understand and appreciate the order, the harmony and the beauty in nature.” Maria Montessori Children should have a place and ample time to learn about nature, or to simply enjoy their usual Montessori activities in an outdoor environment and be a part of the

The “At-School Mindset While Attending School at Home” School is for education, but it is also for childcare so that parents can work. We understand that parents have not had a break from parenting responsibilities since mid-March. As much as online learning allows, we want to foster the culture of “at school”, with the goal being a time to cultivate independence and a true, uninterrupted work period for you and your child. From the beginning of your child’s morning lesson to the end of their afternoon lesson, and for the time in between, they

Year Round Outside Play Occasionally parents express their concern that outdoor time takes away from “learning”.  But children learn a tremendous amount through the type of physical activity they get from year round outside play. Living in California – particularly here in the Bay Area – the weather is generally mild, not too hot, not too cold. It is just right. Even so, parents are always concerned about the weather and their child playing outside. Short periods of outdoor activity in weather-appropriate clothing provides fresh air to a child’s lungs that increases oxygen flow to the