Guidepost Montessori at Craig Ranch

Grades don't work. Find out why, and what we use instead, in our newsletter — comment "GRADES" and we will send a copy right to your DMs!

This week's newsletter covers how to take these principles from the classroom and bring them into your home.

Comment "NEWSLETTER" and we'll send you a DM with a link!

You don't have to accept a status quo education. Want to learn more? Comment "NEWSLETTER" and we will DM you the full newsletter about how Montessori works for older kids.

To download the guide, comment "PACK" and we'll send it right to your DMs!

We put together a whole summer’s worth of Montessori-inspired activities — that kids will love doing, with materials you already have at home.

We’ve included modifications for all age groups, which means kids of any age (and siblings and friends) can get involved, too.

By back-to-school season, your child will have:

• Honed their skills

• Developed new ones

• Gained some wonderful summer memories

Comment "NEWSLETTER", and we'll send the full newsletter right to your DMs!

If it's hard to motivate your child, a role model can be a game-changer — they can show your child an example not just of the type of job they might do someday, but the kind of person they could become.

Finding role models isn't always easy, though, which is why we wrote our latest newsletter all about what to look for and where to find them.

To read the full newsletter on why we don't force kids to apologize (and what we do instead!), comment "NEWSLETTER" below and we'll send the link right to your DMs.

Turns out, the airport might just be the best place to practice letting your kids exercise their agency.

Find out why we do this, and how to try it with your little ones, in our latest Substack (link in bio!)

Kids don’t need to believe in themselves before they can do things. Doing things is what makes them believe in themselves.

When you realize this, you realize that opportunities to build your child's self-esteem are everywhere.

We can turn the daily chores and activities that we take for granted into opportunities for our children to become more confident.

You don't think twice about sorting silverware, but a toddler who can do it successfully gets a huge confidence boost.

And you might totally zone out at the grocery store, but the teen who can buy all the groceries by themselves gets the thrill of tasting independence.

Raising confident kids is all about giving them chances to witness just how capable they are — and there are plenty of chances to do just that all around us!

Comment “KITCHEN” below, and we’ll DM you the link to our latest newsletter filled with dozens of age-appropriate activities to try in the kitchen with your kids, whether they’re babies, toddlers, or teens.

Letting your kids help takes a little patience at first, but it’s so worth it in the long run — not just because it’ll give you a helping hand, but because it’ll give them the gift of independence!

Optimism has become a lost art, and our kids are becoming cynics — but the way we teach history can change that.

We can raise a generation who believe the problems of the world are solvable, a generation who has hope for the future.

To find out how, check out our latest newsletter — comment "HISTORY" and we'll send the link right to your DMs.

If you're deciding between sending your kids to kindergarten or doing the third year of Children's House, this week's issue of the Parenting Guide is for you.

Check out our newsletter (see the link in our bio!) to learn more. 📖

Bring your family snd friends and come join us for our Montessori in Bloom Spring fling event at our Legacy campus! 🤩 From bounce houses to dunk tanks, all this weekend’s fun is all going to be right here at Guidepost! 🌼

Don’t we all want reassurance that our kids, with all their strange (and often annoying) behaviors, are “normal”?

It’s normal to spend the toddler years in survival mode, right?

It’s normal that my kids hate school and don’t want to do their homework, right?

And isn’t it normal for teenagers to slam doors, call you names, never look up from their phones, or always be in a mood?

Well, these behaviors might be common — common enough to make them seem normal.

But Maria Montessori defined “normalcy” in terms of healthy human development — not what was considered common in culture or society. This is “normal” the way a doctor might use it: meaning the absence of disease, or the presence of health.

Her vision of normal, healthy development looks slightly different from one stage to the next. But it looks nothing like what we consider to be “normal” today.

Learn about each developmental stage (and what your child needs to develop normally) in this week's issue of the Parenting Guide (see link in bio!).

Summer learning loss is real, and that's especially true in higher grades.

But what’s the answer? Designing the perfect summer curriculum for our kids?

Thankfully, no.

We could force our children to spend their vacation doing math worksheets and reading Dostoevsky.

But if we do that, we’ll inadvertently teach them another lesson: how to hate learning.

So, to get your kids to stay sharp over the summer, you’re going to have to figure out how to make learning fun.

Which is where we come in — with activities to cover every subject this summer, from reading to math, check out our newsletter at the link in our bio!

Who’s ready for some easter fun? We sure are! This year’s egg hunt was an absolute delight with our wonderful guidepost children 🐰🌸🥚

Your home can be set up intentionally, in a way that beckons your child to interact with it and participate in life — teaching them that the world is a fascinating place.

On the flip side, when your home is full of areas your child can’t go and things they can’t touch, the world can seem unwelcoming and scary.

The idea that the environment can support (or hinder) a child’s development came from Maria Montessori, whose innovative ideas on education have persisted for over a century — for good reason.

So, what makes the “Montessori environment” so special? And why does it matter?

You can find the answer in our latest Substack (see the link in our bio!)

Our campuses are BUZZING today with parents and students brining heartfelt gifts to the staff and guides excited to show their appreciation! If you dropped off your kids this morning at a Guidepost campus, it's likely you felt that buzz too! 😍

With over 140 Valentine's Day events this week, we have to showcase a few in honor of all the dedication and hard work the school leaders have shows to make these events happen. THANK YOU! WE APPRECIATE YOU! 🤗

If you felt the BUZZ today, drop a 🥰 in the comments.

We celebrated across our network and our team did not disappoint! These images are courtesy of our Guidepost Montessori at Princeton Meadows campus in New Jersey. 🥁

Tuesday Tips: Nurture Curiosity!

We believe in fostering a love for learning by encouraging open-ended exploration. Instead of limiting children to yes/no answers, ask questions that spark their imagination and critical thinking skills. 🧠💡

By delving into specific inquiries like "Why do you think...?" or "How did you...?", you empower your child to express themselves fully and engage deeply with the world around them. 🌍💭

Let's inspire a sense of wonder and curiosity in our children today, one thoughtful question at a time! 🌟 Swipe for some ideas on open ended questions to ask.

Our Mahwah, NJ campus is celebrating their amazing families this morning! We love to see it. 💙 Parent involvement, big or small, is the cornerstone of our ethos. Guidepost Montessori at Mahwah

新年快乐！

Happy Lunar Year from our wonderful Guidepost community! I hope you and your family have a new year filled with blessings and love 🐉🧧

Explore our latest campus in Westfield, IN! 🥰 Introducing Guidepost Montessori at Spring Mill . Situated conveniently in Westfield, Indiana off W 176th Street, our campus provides a range of Montessori programs tailored for students from infancy through kindergarten.

To learn more about this campus or take a tour, visit them here: https://www.guidepostmontessori.com/schools/spring-mill-westfield-in

Change can be hard for an adult, but as a child, it can feel like the end of the world as you know it. 😒 Change can bring about stress and anxiety which can manifest in many ways in those tiny bodies. 🫣That is why teaching children to adapt is a critical skill that will last their lifetime.

By integrating these 5 skills into the child’s learning environment and daily activities, you can support their development in a way that aligns with the Montessori philosophy while helping them become more adaptable to change. Swipe to see. 👉👉👉



Do you agree?

Guidepost is growing! And we have 11,000+ families to thank for trusting us with their children. Our goal of mainstreaming Montessori and changing the education landscape is being realized with each and every location we open. 🩵

Swipe to see our campuses across the US to date. Drop a comment and tell us which location you’re enrolled in! Give a shout out to your campus 👇🏼

🌟 Exploring Independence at Nido! 🌈 Our little ones at Nido enjoy a unique environment designed to foster their natural curiosity and independence. From their cozy floor beds, infants learn to navigate the world on their terms – rolling over and crawling freely without waiting at the crib’s edge.

During waking hours, our textured rugs become the perfect playground for observation. Imagine your bundle of joy surrounded by contrasting mobiles and full-length mirrors, discovering the beauty of their surroundings. Every moment is an opportunity for exploration and growth.

Our age-appropriate lessons, displayed on low shelves, invite them to crawl up and delve into a world of discovery. Nurturing independence from the start, we empower these young minds to engage with their environment, promoting a sense of autonomy and confidence.

At Nido, we believe in creating an environment where every movement, every exploration, is a step toward building a strong foundation for a lifetime of learning. Join us in celebrating the joy of discovery and the limitless potential within each precious moment! 🌱💕

Continuing the conversation from last week, this week we are diving into Independence classroom. We have 4 programs in our classroom: Nido, Toddler, Children’s House and Elementary. Today, we dive into what independence means in our Toddler House Community.

When the child enters Toddler House, they enter a world of their own. They receive lessons on dressing themselves, grooming, food preparation, and, ultimately, toilet training. When the child accomplishes these tasks for themselves, you can see the spark in their eyes as well as the smile on their face.

Toddlerhood is a time when the child begins to realize they are a separate being from their guardian. They learn they can make decisions for themselves, such as when to eat or what lesson to work on. This gives them a sense of purpose and motivation. The daily routine of the classroom is the child’s first exposure to time management. They begin to understand that first they work, then go to the playground, then eat lunch, then nap, and then it is finally time to go home. This routine will serve them well in the elementary years when they have to manage their own time effectively.

Photo credits:

While there are many truths parents have openly shared with us about how their child has thrived within the Guidepost community, we want to share the core values of knowledge, work, agency, and trade that come together to form the benevolent, aspirational culture that is common to every Guidepost classroom.

This culture is at once universally constant—the same whether you visit Guidepost at Foothill Ranch in California, at Hollywood Beach in Florida, or at Magnificent Mile in Chicago—and wholly singular—taking on the unique personality of the individual parents, guides, and children that form each particular community.

The end result of such a culture is more than children who learn to read, write, and think mathematically years ahead of their peers. The result is more even than children who can think, work, and succeed independently—and enjoy the process. The end result is children who can look across the span of their whole lives, work to understand the infinite texture of choices and paths open to them, and confidently craft a life that is good, purposeful, fully their own and fully lived.

This is the mission, the vision, and the advantage of Guidepost Montessori—and we can’t wait for you to join us.

At Guidepost, our values lead us to help each child cultivate A love of:

💭learning
💪effort
🤸leading her own life
🔗connecting with others

Swipe through to learn more about each of these pillars and leave your questions in the comments. These are the standards we hold ourselves to each and every day. Stay tuned for more about the advantages of enrolling at a Guidepost Montessori near you.

Traditional education isn’t working🫠

We spent 100+ hours creating an email course about the five biggest problems with traditional education, and how you can help your child:

💥Discover a love for learning at a young age
🚀Increase their confidence and independence
🎆Master skills years ahead of their peers in traditional setting (without any added “pressure”)

Want access? Click here: https://montessoriadvantage.email/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=manychat&utm_campaign=EEC

YOU ARE INVITED!!
COCOA, FAMILIES AND FRIENDS! What more would one want? 😍 Let’s all gather THIS SATURDAY, December 8th at the Guidepost Montessori Craig Ranch for some hot cocoa and crafty decorations to kick off this wonderful season with some interactive family time. Yay!

Can’t wait to see all of you there!

Everything is better with a friend... including free tuition! When you and your referral are both enrolled before January 1, 2024, you both get one month free. Refer 12 children, get 12 months free!

In our Nido environment, children practice zipping and unzipping using the Zipper Frame. This activity fosters the development of functional independence in the child.

In our Toddler environment, the child practiced with the shape sorter. This lesson provides the child with the opportunity to enhance his concentration, refine his hand-eye coordination, develop fine motor skills, grasp spatial relationships, and gain a deeper understanding of cause and effect.

In our Children's House environment, the child engages in a memory game lesson. The child would select a mat and gather a collection of bags. Open one bag, examine the number inside, and then close the bag. Next, the child explores the environment to gather a corresponding quantity of objects and places them on the mat. For instance, if the bag displays the number five, the child will collect five pencils as a matching set.

At the heart of the Montessori philosophy is a deep respect for every child as a unique individual with their own set of abilities. We believe that children learn in different ways, and our approach is tailored to help each child unlock their individual potential. Our focus extends beyond academics; we strive to nurture the development of the whole child—socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively.