Montessori

Amy & I became convinced last spring that the boys really needed stimulus from sources outside the house and interaction with other children their age. Up to that point the boys were nearly two years old and had spent all their time with Amy at home. Amy had the boys connected into a network of moms & kids in playgroups, and the boys interacted with some friends in our neighborhood. Still it was apparent to us that it was time for them to make the leap into a somewhat more organized learning & social environment.

We settled on a montessori school in Cary after one visit -- the only visit we made to choose a preschool. In our minds the school appealed to us probably initially more for Gus because it seemed like a place that would allow him to express himself without putting strict boundaries on him. Gus would not have excelled in an environment where he had to follow a set schedule. At the time Owen was more dependent on Gus than vice versa so we thought he would fit right in -- having the other children around to interact with and having his brother there to lean on for security.

The montessori philosphy allows the kids to learn at their own pace without following a specific time schedule. They do things in the same sequence every day -- morning song, group time, snack time, outdoor time, etc. But they don't stick to a certain schedule. So if the kids are really into a particular book at story time or into a food tasting, then the teachers let the kids determine when it's time to move to the next activity rather than the clock.

The boys have been in preschool for about two months now. Amy & I could not be happier with their attitude towards school and the progress they have made. Their vocabularies are taking off. They are really into learning and stories. And although they still don't want to share all their toys, their interaction with other children has really progressed.

Each week the teachers send out an email about the activities for the upcoming week and photos from the prior week. Here are some good recent ones.

Cheers!

Gus busting through in his own way.

A Friday dance in the rain and mud, Gus style.

Owen takes part in a shaving cream bonanza.

Getting dirty is so much fun.