Continuum

Happy Sunday!

The last element of finding a good fit when searching for a school for your child is considering your child’s social needs. Each and every school has a unique social identity. Having your child fit in is critical to your child’s success.

When we talk about social needs in education, we are not only discussing socialization outside the classroom, such as through clubs and extracurricular activities. We are looking at the social environment inside the classroom as well. As our society evolves, education is evolving too. We are realizing that children may not learn best while sitting solitary behind a desk while completing schoolwork. Some private schools are realizing that. Small group, hands-on, student-led activities are becoming more popular in private schools all over the country. What type of environment will your child thrive in? What type of environment does your child need to develop into a well-rounded person?

At Continuum Montessori we believe in small group, hands-on child-led learning. When a student is excited about something, he or she is more likely to learn rather than memorize and then forget. And when students learn together in a welcoming community where diversity and differences are celebrated, students develop a strong sense of belonging and interconnection and foster a strong spirit and level of self-confidence. To learn more about Continuum Montessori, visit us at https://www.continuummontessori.com/

Finding the right school for your child is an important task and we are here to help. In our last post we discussed finding the right fit. Today we are going to discuss learning styles and why they are so important.

As we discussed in previous posts, there are many different learning styles and most children learn using a variety of them. Are you aware of your child’s learning style? What works best for your child? It is okay if you do not know; most parents do not. Actually, most teachers do not know what learning styles work best for their students either. Why? Because it is difficult to meet the needs of each and every student, especially if you have 30 plus students.

When you are looking into schools, it is important to check if the school you are interested in accommodates different learning styles. How do you do this? As you visit the school make sure you also visit the classrooms. Watch the students. Are they all sitting at desks? Are some walking around? Maybe some are watching other students. Maybe some are sitting on the floor. Perhaps some are talking to other students. Some students may be reading but others may be drawing or building with blocks. If the students are working but they are in different locations or in different phases of movement but are productive, then the teacher understands various learning styles.

At Continuum Montessori all our teachers are trained in understanding the different learning styles. When each teacher sits down with each child to develop the individual learning plan, a discussion takes place to establish what will work best for the student. As the teacher gets to know the student, the teacher will become a guide and facilitator and make suggestions and encourage the student to explore new ways of learning to further help the student along. Visit us at https://www.continuummontessori.com/ to learn more.

Happy Sunday!!!

One of the most important decisions you will make for your child is picking the school he or she will attend. Not only is it one of the most important decisions you will make for your child, it is also one of the most difficult. Over the next few posts, we will offer some tips to help you make this very critical decision.

One essential element to finding the perfect school for your child is discovering a good fit. This means finding a place where your child feels comfortable and meets your criteria. No small task. When faced with a monumental task, we break it down into small, manageable parts, and that is what we will do here. To find a good fit, we will break it down into 3 categories: what you want your child to learn, learning styles, and social needs. Today we will talk about what you want your child to learn.

To find a good fit for your child, you must decide what you want your child to learn and at what difficulty level. Do you want your child to study a specific curriculum? Perhaps you want him or her to focus on college prep or receive some religious training. Do you want your child to be educated based in S.T.E.M. classes or in a more holistic approach? Every school will have a different focus and it is something you will need to be aware of as you research each school.

At Continuum Montessori we understand the importance of finding a good fit. The Continuum curriculum will stand up against any school curriculum anywhere. Our core curriculum begins at the Lower Elementary level where abundant materials foster the optimum development of reading, spelling, and writing skills. Math operations emphasize the understanding of processes as well as accuracy in computations. Acquired basic skills are then applied to interdisciplinary themes. In science, students research, classify, observe, and conduct experiments. Work in cultural subjects includes the study of the needs of people around the world throughout history. This type of study continues all the way up through high school courses of study and reflects an integration of the Florida essential elements (Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS)/Common Core State Standards (CCSS)).

To read about the curriculum for each age group, visit us at https://www.continuummontessori.com/ and discover what a good fit we are.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. here is a biography of the man written for 3-6 year olds:

A True Story: The Story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — Montessori Northwest This story, for 3-6 year olds, is written to reflect the age appropriate justice goal of Anti-Bias Education through recognizing "unfairness”.  As follow-up to telling this story, you could read the book by Shane W. Evans, We March , which talks about how people came toget

Our last post discussed the effect COVID-19 had on our children. Was your child affected? What are the signs to look for? How, as parents, do you help your child? Unicef has some ideas.

Managing the long-term effects of the pandemic on your child's mental health Advice from an expert psychologist on supporting your child

We have finally settled into the "new normal." Covid is now manageable and students are back in the classroom full-time. But, things are not really back to normal. Covid-19 has had long-term effects on education that continue to impact both students and teachers today. According to the74million.org here are some of the effects of Covid that linger today.

#1: Student development has been disrupted - studies have shown that academic, social, and emotional development of all children has been affected by Covid-19. According to a study published in May 2022, there has been an uptick in student misconduct and disruptions in the classroom, as well as rowdiness outside the classroom. Overall, behavior problems have become a larger issue since the pandemic began.

#2: Teacher and student absenteeism have increased - schools are reporting that both teachers and students have shown an increase in tardiness and absenteeism compared to before the pandemic. And, finding substitute teachers is a problem as well. Many schools report that administrators have had to go into the classrooms to teach because of staff shortages.

#3: There is a greater need for mental health services for both students and staff - the mental health of Americans has become a focal point since quarantines and lockdowns became part of our daily lives. Schools are now reporting that more students and staff are seeking mental health services to deal with depression, anxiety, and a variety of other mental health issues.

We are still learning about more long-term effects of Covid-19 on the education of students during and after the pandemic. On a positive note, many studies have praised private schools for their proactiveness and response times in dealing with Covid-19 issues. Private schools are a wonderful way to combat these long-term issues. At private schools, the teacher-to-student ratio is lower than in public schools, so students receive the attention they need. Also, private schools can be more flexible to accommodate the needs of their students.

At Continuum Montessori, we strive to nurture all facets of our students' development: academic, social, and emotional. With a curriculum centered around a student's specific interests and needs, your child will have the tools to combat the negative, lingering effects of the pandemic.

For information about our programs, visit continuummontessori.com

Here is another article about the benefits of a Montessori education.

Research shows benefits of Montessori education A method of schooling that focuses on personal development rather than exams produces more mature, creative and socially adept children, scientists have found.

We all know a Montessori education has many benefits while students are in school. But, what about the long-term benefits? Check out this article and discover some:

New Research Highlights The Long-Term Benefits Of A Montessori Education Montessori children turn into happy adults, suggests a new study.