A kind and gentle North Austin community school
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 these stories, a young child can begin to grasp historical ideas. Learning about history begins with understanding time. These are […]
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 are within nature where we stop to learn about biology and ecology. We watch the bugs and birds, especially butterflies […]
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. Abstract thinking and large, complex thought and reasoning is still under development. As we know from our readings in The Whole […]
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 day-to-day lives. Indeed, Dr Montessori established that it is through the repetition of everyday tasks that children learn best. How […]
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 many of us in Austin, October is a busy month, what with two weekends of ACLFest and the Grand Prix. […]
Walking a maze that they created
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 new stuff to spice up. And so they did return last week. After weeks of preparation it’s so refreshing to […]
“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 another Austin summer, the children are cheerfully milling about the classroom this week. We can’t help but notice how much the […]
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 how we learn is “What happens when mistakes are made?” Carol Dweck made famous the phrase “growth mindset” in her […]
Imagination in full display on our playscape
If you’ve ever seen a two-year-old work her way around a room and pick up nearly every item within reach, then you know the appeal that simple objects have to a young child. Everyday items can be so attractive for the child to look at, to pick up and carry around. Over a century ago, […]
We are now two weeks past Halloween and two weeks until Thanksgiving. While October in Austin is a busy time with ACL Festival, Formula 1 and Halloween (and we usually spice up the month with our camping trip), October pales to the excitement of the weeks from Thanksgiving through New Years. At school, we embrace […]