Appreciating Unity in Diversity

Andrew Solomon was one of the keynote speakers at the recent American Montessori Society Conference in Dallas. Here he speaks out about the role of Montessori education in promoting  unity in diverse environments.
Unity in Diversity

Why we need handwriting

Many schools are moving away from teaching handwriting after 1st grade and focusing on keyboarding skills.  This is a mistake.  The New York Times published an article on June 2, 2014 titled, What’s Lost as Handwriting Fades read it here

What is lost when we skimp on handwriting skills?  According to psychologists and neuroscientists, there is a link between handwriting and broader educational development.  Children learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand.

Montessori always taught writing skills before reading, or simultaneously.  When learning sounds that letters represent, we use sandpaper letters.  Students trace the letters while hearing the sound and seeing the letter.  The tracing reinforces muscular memory.  Hearing, seeing, touching, uses three senses to learn letters.  Experts say that handwriting has links to working memory – a skill linked to long term success in school.

Praying on there Past Year

I must confess, I breathed a sigh of relief as the school year came to an end. There were definitely some challenges along the way; many obstacles to overcome. At the same time I began to remember some of the wonderful highlights that brought joy and my praise and thanks to God. I was looking for a prayer that would represent my mixture of feelings and came across this article  by the Rev. Daniel R. Heischman, D.D., Executive Director of NAES.  Praying-on-the past-year He refers to a book by Anne Lamott Help-Thanks-Wow-Three Essential Prayers

The Case for Arts Education

Southwest School of Art and San Antonio Symphony leaders say explosing children to arts leads to smarter, happier and more successful adults. Read more in the San Antonio Magazine July 2014 edition.

SAM-July-2014

Elementary students from St. Paul's Episcopal Montessori School work on the back drop for their musical presentation " The Lost Boy". Students participated in the SAS Young People's concert series. Art and music are the backdrop 
                                                                                    to the curriculum!

How Children Succeed

Why do some children succeed while others fail? The story we usually tell about childhood and success is the one about intelligence: success comes to those who score highest on tests, from preschool admissions to SATs. 
But in How Children Succeed Paul Tough argues that the qualities that matter more have to do with character: skills like perseverance, curiosity, optimism, and self-control.
“Drop the flashcards—grit, character, and curiosity matter even more than cognitive skills. A persuasive wake-up call.”—People

The Whole-Brain Child

Dr, Tina Bryson, co-author (with Dan Siegel) of the best selling
The Whole-Brain Child will be a keynote speaker at the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools in Fort Worth in June.
Bryson is a pediatric and adolescent psychotherapist and the School Counselor at St. Mark's School in Altadena, CA.
In the book The Whole Brain Child, Bryson and Dan Siegel introduce parents and other caregivers to practical strategies based on cutting-edge brain science. A central principle of the book is that the strategies can help parents not only survive difficult moments with their children, but  these moments can actually be used to help their children thrive.

Temple Grandin at AMS Conference in Dallas

3,000 attendees at the recent American Montessori Society (AMS) Conference in Dallas enjoyed an informative keynote speech by Temple Grandin. Three members of staff from the school were fortunate to be in attendance and listen to the remarkable speaker. 

       Temple Grandin was diagnosed with autism as a child. She talked about how her mind works — sharing her ability to "think in pictures," which helps her solve problems that neurotypical brains might miss. She made the case that the world needs people on the autism spectrum: visual thinkers, pattern thinkers, verbal thinkers, and all kinds of smart geeky kids.


You can hear some of her talk at the conference by listening to this TED talk