CAMDEN — Children's House Montessori School at 58 Elm St. in Camden recently offered two free parent-education workshops and of the approximately 20 parents that attended, many had never seen the Montessori method in action before. “A lot of parents are really curious how Montessori works, so we like to offer these workshops as a nice opportunity to bring parents in and help them understand what we’re doing,” said Kristin Sidwell, administrative director of the school. “It really helps to create community too, so we’re all working together.”

“Many parents like the philosophy that children are learning at their own pace,” she added. “Sometimes you have to be right there in the classroom to see it because children aren’t always really able to tell you how they’re learning.”

One of the Nov. 6 workshops, titled “Montessori in the Home,” was led by teachers Meredith Gutheinz, Zoë Foster and Jackie Grannis Phoenix  and about 10 parents attended. The idea around this workshop, said Sidwell, is that children need opportunities to explore, experiment and try new things. By preparing and structuring the home environment to allow such exploration, parents can provide children with practical opportunities to experience independence, self-esteem and the joy of feeling like an important and useful member of the family.

“We introduced them to the Montessori principles like self-sufficiency and independence in your house, so your kids are feeling like equal members of the household, such as putting away their laundry, hanging up their coats and brushing their teeth,” said Sidwell.

The other workshop was titled “The Montessori Math Advantage” and led by teachers Darci Grotton and Katy Hall Dermott.

In this workshop, said Sidwell, the Montessori math curriculum is designed to set children up for a deep understanding of math concepts that will give them an advantage at all levels of their school experience.

“For example, we teach children to use concrete materials like beads or cubes in a hands-on way to get a basic concept and understanding of advanced math concepts before they move into the abstract principles,” she said.

The mission of the Children's House Montessori School is to provide an educational culture that respects the child’s innate desire to learn and fosters curiosity, creativity and critical thinking, while preparing every child to become a thoughtful, independent and compassionate global citizen.

To learn more about the Children's House Montessori School visit: camdenmontessori.org/home

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com