Sometimes parents ask, “Is my child being challenged?” I’d like to answer a slightly differently-worded question: “How is my child being challenged?” Unlike the traditional environment, our students are not starting on the same page at the same time with the same topic or subject. Each student constantly observed by the director. The director notices weakness and strengths of the ALL students. As directors, we modify daily lessons plans and activities to meet the multiple needs of students with different skills sets. So, how do we do it?: Take a difficult task and encourage them to try it sev ..read more

Many parents, soon to be parents or care providers often wonder what they are supposed to say and read to the little ones they care for. The answer is very simple, ANYTHING. This past year I had a new mom be completely transparent with me, confessing that she didn’t know her baby was old enough to listen to stories, be involved in a conversation, or really understand anything she said. I was able to quickly reassure the new mom that her sweet baby was a sponge soaking up everything about their environment. As the conversation progressed the mom asked what kinds of books should she be reading ..read more

The word “crisis” can have several meanings. I propose two: First, a crisis is an adverse situation that could not have been reasonably anticipated. Second, it could refer to an adverse situation that could have been anticipated but was not. Neither is our current circumstance an unprecedented event. I led a Montessori school in Beijing at the height of the SARS epidemic, which is very much like what we are currently experiencing. Historians love to quote the Spanish philosopher George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” It boosts our sense of relevance ..read more

The two pictures below are beautiful and are great pictures of focus and concentration. The tongue hanging to the side of one child’s lip and the other not concerned at all by her friend watching her is priceless. In order to succeed or accomplish goals in life, one must be able to concentrate on the task. The task could be something that could be accomplished within an hour or it could take years. However long it takes to achieve, one must be able to keep a clear mind on the goal. From time to time, especially during teacher/parent conference, parents ask me, “What can I do to help build my ..read more

Oftentimes parents ask how they can help their child at home. Here are some thoughts. Reading to your child is a gift that never stops giving. Reading to your child opens up their imaginations and activate their brains. This opportunity allows them to envision in their imagination' the setting and characters. Reading aloud for 20 minutes develops language development. Daily reading will help the brain make connections to written and spoken words which increases vocabulary. Reading also promotes brain development. It stimulates the left hemisphere of the brain that absorb vocabulary and increa ..read more

Today begins 2020 which, depending on your point of view, is either the last year of the first decade of the 21st century or the first year of the second decade. But usually when people hear “2020” they think of eyesight. Anyone with 20-20 vision can see well. Anyone with 20-20 hindsight can be annoying who those have to make hard decisions. I am referring, of course, to a calendar year, which interrupts in the middle of our school year. I thought what better time to look back over our first half, and reflect where we are heading for the second half. We’ve had some challenges with faculty tur ..read more

Are you looking for the best gift for your child/children? The answer is so easy. Just read aloud to and with your child every day. Reading aloud has so many benefits. First of all, brain research shows that hearing stories strengthens the part of the brain associated with visual imagery, story comprehension, and word meaning. “Reading aloud is the single most important activity for building knowledge for their eventual success in reading” according to the Becoming a Nation of Readers report from 1985. Reading also strengthens children’s social, emotional, and character development. According ..read more

As Dorian scoots up the coast I thought this would be a good time to review how the school addresses threats like these. First, we normally don’t close school when Kershaw County School District finds it necessary to do so. On the one hand, we don’t have buses that reach out to the perimeter of the county. Second, because students at MSC work at their own pace, the loss of a day by one student does not disconnect him from the place of his peers. Unless MSC announces closure in the media, each parent can make a reasonable assessment of the situation and determine whether to bring a child to sc ..read more

For many of our parents the beginning of parent-school interaction, Montessori is new. A few parents attended a Montessori school (including our own!) as a child but most take a leap of faith that the Method best serves the developmental needs of their children. Any faith can be tried by a number of factors—classroom techniques that seem counter-intuitive, a child’s perception that may differ every-so-slightly from the facts, and sometimes mistakes teachers, students, or (surely not!) administrators. Parents can become Montessori-savvy in a number of ways. First, and least likely, is to enrol ..read more