Brazos Learning Montessori School

Blog


Why Do Our Children Do What They Do?
25 Mar, 2024
Kids have innate tendencies like exploration, curiosity, and order. This is emphasized in their support and the Montessori approach.
Six Steps to Problem Solving
18 Mar, 2024
The process for addressing challenging behavior in children through collaborative problem-solving, intending to foster cooperation and resolve the issues.
13 Mar, 2024
Many public school systems offer kindergarten, and many parents are curious about this transitional year. Why should your child stay in Montessori for the kindergarten year? Learning for Mastery Montessori schools are intentionally structured utilizing a three-year cycle. There are many great benefits to this, but one of them is to provide third year students with opportunities that they will not have in other environments. Having spent the previous two years learning a multitude of skills in their classroom, the third year is about mastery. The Montessori curriculum is a series of carefully developed lessons and materials that are meant to cycle back to a culminating experience during the final year. All that time spent grasping knobbed cylinders, tracing metal insets, and practicing sandpaper letter formation? The kindergartner uses all that knowledge as they begin to write with paper and pencil. The years of early mathematical preparation? Now they get to use the golden beads (or perhaps the stamp game material) to learn to add and subtract numbers into the thousands (yes, as kindergartners!). Montessori’s early focus on teaching children sounds in lieu of letter names leads many children to begin reading by the time they are in kindergarten. Children as Independent Leaders Not only do guides observe children mastering these skills independently, but the children have the chance to teach to others. Educators across many settings will agree that once the student becomes the teacher, we can surmise that true mastery has been attained. So while your kindergarten child is teaching younger children how to do something, they are showing us just how well they know how to do it. Not only that - they are gaining confidence in a truly authentic way. No one needs to tell the child how well they are doing because they feel it themselves. When children teach children, it’s not just about knowledge being shared, but also about cultivating world citizens. Teaching each other is an act of kindness, and a way for children to practice helping others around them. Fueling the Spark In Montessori classrooms one of our greatest tasks is to keep the fire burning inside children’s minds. We structure our work so that children may follow their passions and learn deeply about things that matter to them. We see each child as an individual and think one-size-fits-all educational approaches tend to extinguish the joy of learning. Instead of drilling facts into children, we place materials before them so that they may discover the truths of the world themselves. Rather than asking them all to do the same thing at the same time, we value their choices and trust their educational process. It is the guide’s job to keep them on track, but they offer children the freedom that lets them deeply explore the learning that calls to their souls. Five Key Differences Between Montessori and Conventional Schooling
Navigating Sibling Dynamics
11 Mar, 2024
The blog advises parents to understand, empathize, and shift beliefs in managing sibling conflicts while promoting cooperation and teaching new skills.
The Impact of Grace and Courtesy
04 Mar, 2024
Montessori stresses grace & courtesy as vital for social development. Beginning with respectful behavior then effective communication & community interactions.
Materials Spotlight: The Geometry Cabinet
26 Feb, 2024
Geometry is a subject that is taught through all education levels. Learn more about the simple Geometry Cabinet material in Montessori and all of its uses.
We Can Serve as Guides
19 Feb, 2024
Typically, we think of guides as the teachers in the Montessori classroom, however, we as adults can be guides too. Learn more about how to make the shift.
Our Montessori Bookshelf: Cultivating Emotional Intelligence this Valentine’s Day
12 Feb, 2024
Emotional intelligence is hard for a parent to teach to children. By using books they can act as a mirror for children and make these emotions more relatable.
The Capstone Years
05 Feb, 2024
Age 6 and age 12 in Montessori are referred to as the capstone years. During these years children really dive into big work and develop their self-confidence.
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