MindSprout Education

Happy Pi day!

This is why education is so important.

from Willow Lots of parents wonder how best to teach reading. Have you heard of the science of reading? It is a term used to describe the body of research, including developmental psychology and cognitive neuroscience fields among others, on how people learn to read and write. So why does it matter? This research has informed us on the most effective ways to teach reading. It encompasses 5 areas and I will explain them in future posts. You can find more information on the science of reading here: https://tinyurl.com/3pmke2wp

March is National Reading Month. I have to admit something. I have a weakness for buying children's books. Maybe it's because I have such fond memories of reading and going to the library as a child. Needless to say, I have more children's books than can fit in our classroom library. In our classrooms, students receive individualized reading lessons. Some students are in a group with 1-2 other students. Some student's reading lessons are individual. It's all part of our customized learning plans. www.mindsprout.me/hybrid

Hands-on learning is an important part of Montessori philosophy.

Come see us at the Homeschool Family Expo at Klein United Methodist Church today and tomorrow from 10-5!

I love children's museums. A new exhibit just opened at The Woodlands Children's Museum- the Curious George Let's get Curious traveling exhibit! It looks like a lot of fun. You can find out more about it here https://tinyurl.com/bn2evjdk

from Willow. Did you know it's Montessori Education Week? Many people don't realize you can absolutely implement Montessori principles at home. Some people even say it's a lifestyle. I'm having a free community workshop about it in April. Want to attend? Please RSVP here www.mindsprout.me/rsvp

Many of you may not know this, but our school's enrichment programs are open to the local community. All of our programs are staffed by professional educators. We've just launched our robotics program and put out our summer camp lineup. www.mindsprout.me/enrichment

The period from birth to age six is so important. www.mindsprout.me/hybrid

from Willow. There are certain periods in child development where a child is best able to learn things, for example walking and talking. If these skills aren't learned in that window of time they become more difficult to master. Maria Montessori called these windows of time sensitive periods and she identified eleven of them from birth to six. During each period it is important to provide the child with opportunities to master these skills. This is done by having a prepared environment rich with learning opportunities. We do this in the classroom and you can incorporate those principles at home, too. More on this topic here: https://tinyurl.com/5n6n95tk

Children need to learn practical life skills in childhood: how to tie shoes, set a table, polish shoes, etc. That's why Montessori incorporates practical life in the curriculum. Our students learn these life skills and more challenging ones as they get older. www.mindsprout.me/hybrid

Happy Valentine's Day!

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Go to Brick Fest Live Lego Fan Experience at NRG.

LEGO® lovers rejoice! The Brick Fest Live LEGO® Fan Experience is filled with hands-on attractions and activities engineered to inspire, educate, and entertain.

The Brick Fest Live LEGO® Fan Experience provides a venue for LEGO® lovers (of all sizes) to roll up their sleeves and dive into over A MILLION LEGO® bricks!

Get tickets here https://www.nrgpark.com/events/brick-fest-lego-fan-experience-2022/

from Willow. Did you know that at birth a baby's brain is about 25% the size of an adult brain. By age 5 a child's brain has grown to about 90% the size of an adult brain. That's a lot of growing! This fact is the reason early learning experiences are so critical to child development. Children have twice as many synapses (brain cell connections) at this age than adults. Providing rich, positive learning experiences at this age is so important. www.mindsprout.me/faq

Tomorrow is Ground Hog Day. It's so fun to watch and see if we get another 6 weeks of winter. Groundhogs are cute! You can catch Punxsutawney Phil and all the excitement here: https://pcntv.com/groundhog-day/

Don't we all want our children to love to learn? To me the hallmark of a good education is one that instills a love for learning. I've always loved learning, it's why I keep going back to school. I credit my Kindergarten teacher for showing me how wonderful learning can be. She was so patient and kind when I cried as my mom left. She was amazing and went out of her way to challenge me. I asked her for weekend and summer assignments and she created them for me. Yes, I know...I'm a nerd. I was fortunate enough to have her as my teacher for first grade as well. After that year, I moved to another school. She gave me her address and we were pen pals for years. I remember eagerly checking the mail waiting for her letters. I've tried to find her since then but haven't been able to. One school, one teacher, can have a lifetime impact on a child. Thank you, Ms. Smith.

Early childhood education is important and should involve practical life skills.

We’ve been learning about the Mars Rover at Fun Friday. The kids built their own Mars Rovers and did Rover art!

Most parents want their children to learn to be self-directed and disciplined. These skills are highly valued and focused on in our Montessori program. During a typical day children attend a few brief lessons and then are free to explore their interests and the materials in the classroom. How do we help them learn to stay engaged and what can you do at home? At the beginning of the school year we help them create a list of things they like to do at school. They can refer to this list anytime they need help making a decision on an activity. We also redirect a lot at the beginning of the school year. If children are having difficulty deciding we give them two activities to choose from. The process of becoming self directed takes time. Most of our new students internalize the skill by mid-year. You can take these principles we implement at school and do them at home as well. www.mindsprout.me/hybrid