In an America where one of today’s slogans is “Make America kind again”, the virtue of kindness is forefront in many of our minds. And this virtue, kindness, like many others, not only needs to be modeled for our children but sometimes explicitly taught, like many other skills that children are working on perfecting. And then children need to be allowed to practice, and to practice again, and again, so that these skills to become ingrained and habitual. If we could all pic

This was originally sent out to parents in September of 2015 but I thought it was so appropriate for our first Montessori message for the 2020-21 school year as we experience Montessori in the midst of a pandemic. Many aspects of our daily life at Pine Grove are new and different this year but so many of the basics of the Montessori philosophy and practice are so appropriate. Enjoy the information below! Life goes by in such a blur! Many of us always seem to be rushing fr

I came across this article while at my chiropractor’s office this week. It is simply written, with a simple message, and I wanted to pass it on to all of our Pine Grove families during this holiday season. Consider sharing it with your loved ones too-if we could all heed these words of advice, even if just some of the time, how much more connected we would be. Live More, Love More Thanksgiving Recipe By Handsfreemama.com For every exasperated breath, let there be two minute

September 2019 One of the most important goals for your child here at Pine Grove is to help them achieve independence: in their self-help skills, in choosing each work as they progress through the day, in choosing with whom and how to play. This level of independence helps them build self-confidence as they see which choices are successful and which are not. Does this independence come overnight? Absolutely not. It takes lots of time to practice honing skills in order to be a

There is nothing more rewarding to me as a parent as when I witness my child initiating a purposeful activity and seeing the pure joy he derives from his choice. Whether it’s a school research project, a do-it-yourself chore around the house or a cooking project (usually with chocolate chip cookies at the end)! It makes me proud to have moments where I don’t need to tell them what to do. I do that enough. Below are some hints to remember as we try to instill the power of

Raising a Thankful Child By Julie A. Reiss From NAEYC for Families As we enter the season of Thanksgiving, we may find ourselves reflecting more often on how to raise a thankful child. At first glance, parents might think about how to teach the social scripts of thank you. Should a 2-year old be forced to say thank you to Grandma for a gift? Should a 4-year old sign a thank you note for a birthday present? Should a 6-year old show appreciation for a large helping of spina

It is very tempting to use rewards and punishments when disciplining your child, especially since they often do work in the short-term. The article below speaks to the downside of using rewards and punishments and the long-term benefits of teaching your child the importance of behaving a certain way because it’s the “right thing to do” rather than for a special treat. Maria Montessori believed that children are by nature intrinsically motivated. They have an inner sense o

Ahhhhh, Practical Life, the heart of the Montessori classroom……. The Practical Life area of the Montessori classroom is much more than meets the eye. An observer of the physical layout of the classroom sees the beautiful, ordered physical skills works laid out sequentially on the shelves. He may also observe the methodical pouring, squeezing, scooping, spooning of these works, as the child works so carefully left to right, practicing time and time again so he doesn’t spill

Language development as well as children’s reading and writing readiness occurs throughout the Montessori curriculum. Across the curriculum, children are introduced to many works that build auditory and visual discrimination skills as well as will enhance concentration and motor skills that will be used when reading and writing. Discussions are held, stories are read, songs are sung and word games are played to develop language skills, phonemic awareness skills, story langu

As a Montessori school director, I come into contact with many families new to Montessori education. Those families usually fall into one of two camps: “I’ve heard that Montessori classrooms are a free-for-all and that children are allowed to do whatever they want to do” and the other, opposite view “I’ve heard that Montessori schools are so strict and offer a child no room for creativity.” Neither one could be further from the truth. Maria Montessori used the term “freedo