The Differentiated Classroom
Visitors to HMS marvel at the varied activities going on at the same time. This morning we noticed these two age-appropriate activities happening at the same time. To the untrained eye, these may seem two…
Found Math on the Playground
Dr Montessori observed that "Children display a universal love of mathematics," and true enough over 100 years later, children seem to keep finding math. Of course, there are designed math lessons in the classroom, but…
Play is the Work of the Child
Children often choose imaginary play before moving on to what we think of as our "academic" materials. We adore Mr. Rogers. His long-running show, and its spin-off Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, are the only TV shows…
Time and the Young Child
History is a part of a pre-school curriculum that is easy to gloss over. But it is all around us in the stories we tell. With a little bit of intention in how we approach…
Gardening is Fun and Dirty
Our playground is more than just a place to relax and unwind. While we definitely run and dance and play, several curricula intersect here. This unstructured time is central to Social Emotional Learning. Here we…
What is MLK’s message for young children?
During these first two weeks of 2026 we have been discussing Martin Luther King, Jr.’s messages, focusing on his words of love, kindness and friendship. Children under age 6 are known for their concrete thinking.…
Young Children and the Holiday Season
We regularly speak about the importance of consistency in the lives of young children. From school drop-off to lunchtime procedures to bedtime, routines help kids find comfort and a sense of place in our busy…
Life gets busy? Stop and Smell the Flowers
At the end of his very, very busy day off Ferris Bueller reminds us that "life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." For…
The Child on the Move
Watch a young child for a few minutes and it becomes obvious that they are explorers. A young child is a very social person. They observe. They explore. They ask "Why?" They try out everything…
The Instruments of Intelligence
Every August, after weeks of preparation by our wonderful teachers, we welcome returning students back to school. They return to a classroom with many of the materials they know well from last year, and some…
Creating tomorrow’s leaders
"The most important period of life is not the age of university studies, but the first one, the period from birth to the age of six." --Maria Montessori As we head into the heat of…
Learning from our Mistakes
Academics at all levels have researched how we learn. There are myriad pedagogies that we won’t get into here. (It probably goes without saying but we like Montessori best!) One aspect within the question of…