The Journey

I went to an experience called "The Journey" at the Montessori School. It is designed for parents to experience school from a child's point of view. It was friday night for two hours and Saturday from 8:30-1:00. We spent time in each classroom as students going through the evolution from the Toddler , Primary, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, through Middle School.
It was so cool! The Montessori Method is fascinating and the basis is that children learn through a tactile experience. So, instead of memorizing times tables and numbers, they are physically multiplying using beads and other concrete materials. They move from the concrete to the abstract. It was fun to do the math exercises. If I had learned math this way, I may not have had to repeat basic math three times in college! When I moved into the upper elementary room I had to have a refresher from the teacher on how to do a long division problem. I think I need to go back to 5th grade! Anyway, it was great fun and brought back to me how much fun it can be to learn and the sense of accomplishment that comes from that.

Kendall is loving the school and we notice big differences in her already. She comes home very engaged and usually embarks on some project that she creates in her mind, such as making a book, doing an experiment or tracing an outline of her body on a big piece of paper and then coloring it in with clothes etc. Before, she spent most of her time playing with her barbies or watching a movie. Her mind seems more stimulated and creative.

Talk to you all soon!
Anne