Montessori Moms: Planting the Seeds of Growth

As many of us have realized the demands of Kindergarten students have increased immensely in recent years.  I am a firm believer that children are underestimated in their abilities.They need to explore the world, try new things and learn to be independent I have sent three children of my own to Kindergarten and have taught too many to count over the last 22 years. I have compiled a list of eight skills that all Kindergarten students should have before September and it has almost nothing to do with academics. 1.  Children should be able to sit and listen to a story with no interruption or talking.  They should also be able to retell that story in sequential order. 2.  Children should be independent in the bathroom.   This one is so important! Teachers will not be able to assist each individual child with cleaning themselves, or buttoning pants etc. 3.  Children should know how to buckle themselves in a seat belt.   Most children are still in some kind of booster seat, if not a f

Let me start by saying I have been a parent for 18 years and so much has changed in that short time. I have also been teaching for 22 years and have witnessed many changes in the way we choose to raise our children.  With these changes also came huge advances in technology for families. We have also become a culture of convenience. So what does this all mean? As a 45 year old each advancement was and is new and exciting to me.  I love being able to DVR my favorite shows or binge watch a series on a Friday night.  I love being able to put away the cookbooks and use my Ipad to look up recipes.  The big clunky phone book has been recycled and replaced with google.  I love texting and Facetime, but I also remember the days before all this new technology gave me instant gratification.  My oldest child seems to be of the age where, although smart phones, apple music etc. were new, they quickly became part of his culture. My younger two children seem to be born into it. Limiting screen ti