“I’m just no good at math. I never have been.”
“I can’t handle this courseload. I have too much going on.”
These were real-life comments I heard more than once from my college students - most of them in my introductory classes. And many of them dropped out or changed majors, despite my efforts during office hours. I didn’t believe them. I knew they could do it. But somewhere along the line, they lost confidence or were never taught how to self-organize.
Around the same time, my oldest child was beginning preschool. I learned about the Montessori method and was amazed to see that the foundation of self-organizing and confidence to learn was available at the earliest of ages - that young children are capable of amazing things when the environment and the adults with them are supportive.
Several years later, our middle child was struggling. The process of trying to find ways to support him led me to learn about Forest Kindergartens. He had always been soothed by our hikes and bike rides as a baby. Doing more learning and playing outdoors in addition to home Montessori was an incredible Kindergarten year for him. I've wanted to share that same journey with other families ever since.
I’ve seen both as a parent and a teacher that there are benefits to both play-based, child-led learning and confident leadership from a teacher. Forest Friends school will combine the best of both- giving your child a solid foundation for whatever comes next.