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Countryside Day Blog

Give Your Child the Benefits of a Bilingual Classroom

August 10th, 2016

As a parent of a 16-month old, you’re trying to decide which school would be more beneficial to your child. While all your options can be daunting, the choice becomes clear when you learn that our toddler program offers Spanish. Here is why your choice now becomes clear. Dr. Maria Montessori discovered that one of the most sensitive time periods for a child to learn was from birth to three years old. During this time... READ MORE

Why Unnecessary Help is… Unnecessary

August 8th, 2016

Dr. Maria Montessori said that every unnecessary help is a stumbling block to developing independence. It’s Unnecessary in the Morning Oh, dear, your son is going to be late for school. He overslept this morning and you've run out of his favorite breakfast cereal; he almost missed the bus and you forgot to give him his lunch. Gosh, it seems that once a week you're toting the forgotten lunch or homework or boots over to... READ MORE

4 Things a Neuropsychologist says about Montessori

July 27th, 2016

4 Takeaways from a Neuroscientist's Perspective on Montessori We've extracted some interesting quotes from Dr. Hughes about how the Montessori method is strikingly aligned with what neuroscientists know about brain development. Disclaimer: While Dr. Hughes is not a Montessori practitioner, he is uniquely positioned to have an opinion on Montessori. You can read the full article from Dr. Hughes here. 1. Oversized Hands Montessori education is the original, and, I think, the best brain-based model... READ MORE

TOILETING: It doesn’t have to be so hard

July 15th, 2016

When to do it You can start the process of your child gaining Toilet Awareness from birth. This is possible by: Giving your child a rich language environment and consistently naming body parts, bodily functions, etc. Providing opportunities to sit on a potty chair once sitting independently. Using cloth diapers and underpants. By walking age (around 10-12 months) your child will have voluntary control of their sphincter muscles. This means they now have control over when they go and are for the first... READ MORE

CDS alumna stands out

July 14th, 2016

Listen to the mother of a former CDS student tell this story... [she] and another Beacon student flew to China to work with special needs orphans for 3 weeks. After day 2, the other student needed to return home, and [she] stayed with the program. Over the summer I know it was a little tough for her as she still struggles with plans changing on the fly. But blog updates and texts every 4 or 5... READ MORE

Jordan West

June 22nd, 2016

Interview of Jordan West CDS Alumni 6th Grade Class of 2008 We feel that one of the most meaningful ways for you to know about the outcomes of a CDS education is to hear it from our graduates themselves. As we interviewed CDS alumni, we observed 5 prominent themes from their outcomes: What are our graduates doing now? Jordan West is currently employed by a large hardware/software company in Silicon Valley. Jordan recently applied to... READ MORE

Technology in the Montessori Classroom (AMI Reprint)

November 17th, 2015

The following excerpts, from an article titled Technology in the Montessori Classroom - Benefits, Hazards, and Preparation for Life, by Greg MacDonald, appeared in the Fall 2015 (third edition) of AMI/USA's journal. An Old Truism Worth Remembering: Technology Gives Benefits and Hazards A critical moment in our history occurred when one of our most distant human ancestors picked up a rock and used it to crack open a nut or a crab shell so that the... READ MORE

Some Takeaways and Parent Feedback from John Rosemond’s Talk

October 13th, 2015

Takeaways from John's Rosemond's Talk Parenting must be done with a balance of love and leadership. If the parenting approach is disproportionately love, it becomes enabling. If the approach is disproportionately leadership, it becomes abusive. Have a long-term (as opposed to short-sighted) vision of the adult you want your child to be. What kind of 30 year old do you want to raise? What is your mission statement for your child? Not a statement only about academics... READ MORE

The Current Crisis: Over-parenting, anxious children, and education

September 23rd, 2015

A recent interview with authors, parents and educators Julie Lythcott-Haims and Jessica Lahey revealed some alarming observations of the effects of over-parenting. If you don't want to read the entire interview, skim through some of the key quotes below, and then, leave a comment. Over-Parenting and Our Anxious Kids "Kids are anxious, afraid and risk-averse because parents are more focused on keeping their children safe, content and happy in the moment than on parenting for competence." "Our kid becomes chronologically... READ MORE