The Sequence of Early Child Development Every day during the first few years of life Montessori Guides witness the remarkable changes in a child’s development  as they begin to smile, laugh, sit, crawl, babble and talk. Children then begin to socialize and play cooperatively with other children. They next acquire important skills to get along with others such as turn-taking, sharing and following instructions, as well as skills that will help them academically such as drawing, counting, reading, and writing. Early child development usually follows a sequence, as the child needs to master one skill before

Parent Education Night February 2017 Thanks to everyone who attended the recent launch our new Parent Education Evenings.  For our first topic we focused on developig toilet independence with pre-primary age children. Since parents asked so many great questions, we are using this week’s blog to share some of the more memorable topics brought up during the Q and A session. These are actual questions from Montessori parents who are either about to begin or who are already on the journey to toilet independence with their little one: Q:   My 18-month-old suddenly showed interest in the toilet, not

The Explosion into Reading in the Kindergarten Year “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” -Nelson Mandela During their three years in the Primary classroom the children move from verbal language to the written word; first by expressing their own thoughts in writing and then by reading the thoughts of others.  Dr. Montessori called this The Explosion into Reading.  Their practice includes: Verbal activities provide the foundation for writing and reading Learning the sounds and the symbols of the letters through the Sandpaper Letters (associating the sound with the symbol) Building words with the

“History should not be taught as a collection of dates and places. But rather be approached to arouse gratitude and appreciation. This gratitude should be aroused first to the law and order of the universe and the preparation of the environment into which human beings came.” ~ Dr. Maria Montessori Appreciation for the Parents of Young Children Today I had the opportunity to be with a 2 ½ year old.  Her name is Aida.  What a truly remarkable little lady, Aida. It was the end of the day, I had met Aida before but

Now Your 5 year-old is a Leader By the third year of their cycle, Montessori Kindergarten children have been waiting two years to become one the older, students in the class – they are now the “Leaders”. The Montessori Kinders naturally help the younger children do their work, even giving them lessons. Time and time again, research has shown that when one person is teaching another, the “teacher” often learns just as much, if not more, than the other student. Every day in the Montessori classroom we see it: Teaching reinforces learning. Beyond Academic Achievement Kinders

Montessori Kindergarten: The value of the 3rd year Montessori Classroom Your family has been in a Montessori school for some time now.  Your child loves her teachers, the school is warm, friendly – everyone feels secure and at home. The Montessori school is purposely designed to provide this experience. Given that many children spend as much time in our classrooms as they do at home, this is so important. …for Kindergarten? Before you know it, your little one is turning 5 and the time has come to start thinking about “school” – without the “pre-“. You are

Montessori Kindergarten & Elementary The third year of the Montessori primary program (Kindergarten) is the culmination of the child’s social, emotional and academic experiences. By solidifying all the learning and experiences from the previous two years, the third year also prepares children for the next plane of educational development: the Elementary level. As the third year progresses and consideration regarding the next steps in their child’s educational journey begin, parents are faced with concerns and questions on multiple issues. Many things to consider The cost of tuition, school location, social impact, academic curriculum… these are amongst the

The Road to Writing and Reading in the Montessori Classroom 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. Montessori believed that writing comes before reading.  Her position was that writing is

How to Select the Best Montessori School for Your Child With four campus locations, every day we have visitors at the Montessori School of Silicon Valley. Whether they are prospective families, teachers/administrators from Montessori schools observing our classrooms or grandma & grandpa picking up, our visitors frequently comment on a handful of things that stand out about our sites. Most frequently visitors notice the meticulously maintained environment that our Montessori Lead Guides have crafted specifically to put the needs of the children first (always!) as well as to be a place where children

How to Select the Best Montessori School for Your Child With four campus locations, every day we have visitors at the Montessori School of Silicon Valley. Whether they are prospective families, teachers/administrators from Montessori schools observing our classrooms or grandma & grandpa picking up, our visitors frequently comment on a handful of things that stand out about our sites. Most frequently visitors notice the meticulously maintained environment that our Montessori Lead Guides have crafted specifically to put the needs of the children first (always!) as well as to be a place where children