It’s a common complaint among parents: their children just aren’t responsible enough. They feel like they have to pick up after them constantly, cajole them into doing every little chore and monitor them closely so they don’t get distracted from the tasks they have to do.

Montessori founder Dr. Maria Montessori understood that as teachers and parents we need to help children on their journey of self-discovery and development. She believed that a child learns in cycles, building upon each stage from infancy through adulthood.

Special thanks to our guest blogger, Ms. Koonce

Special thanks to our guest blogger, Ms. Koonce We consider our parents as partners in our student’s education. That’s why we wanted to share a bit about our latest Professional Development Day. Like our students, education for our teachers never ends. Through our highly-regarded ongoing professional development and training, our team is able to be at their best and increase the level of achievement of their students.

In recent years, there here has been great focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) across the US. Meanwhile, Apple Montessori has incorporated STEAM into our curriculum for decades. Why the extra A in STEAM? It stands for Art for a more well-rounded education (more on that later).

At Apple Montessori Schools we nurture the whole child under one of the fundamental principles that children are learning everywhere and all the time! We provide our children with an abundance of Montessori materials as these are proven, powerful tools. A further powerful learning tool is the addition of our outdoor classroom! Recent research is proving that there are tremendous benefits to providing children with an outdoor space as an influential, sustainable educational tool.

One of the many benefits of an Apple Montessori education is the relationship built between parents and teachers to help your child develop well academically, emotionally and socially. That’s why parent observations and parent-teacher conferences are available three times per year typically in October, January and May. These events play a critical role in creating a mutually beneficial partnership between you, your child, and our teachers to help make the most of your child’s development and educational experience.

When you think of preschool for your child one of the biggest topics that comes to mind is academics. What lessons does my child get? When can I expect him or her to learn math or how to read? Show me the work my child has accomplished. All these are important, but at Apple Montessori we place equal emphasis on life skills; skills that your child will benefit from and use now and far into the future.

As a family owned business, we’re always delighted to hear stories like these about former students who come back to work as staff in our schools.

As Montessori educators, the most common question we get is “What is Montessori all about?” The answer is simple: “It’s all about the child.” Below is a Q&A we like to call “Montessori 101”: an explanation of the origin and philosophy of Montessori and how Apple Montessori Schools unique approach to Montessori education can help your child develop a love of learning for life.