One of the highlights of that gathering was a video from Montessori Madness (a book by Trevor Eissler, a parent to parent argument on the Montessori system) showing the stark differences between the traditional and Montessori philosophy on child learning.

In a nutshell the video explains that conventional schools assume that your child need incentives (reward or punishment) in order for him or her to learn. Authentic Montessori schools take the opposite view.

Difference between authentic montessori schools and conventional schools

The Montessori system believes children don’t need to be rewarded or punished in order for them to learn because they are born curious, inquisitive and love to explore. In short, children are naturally interested to learn! They all have an inner fire, a natural desire to gain knowledge about the world around them.

Sadly, more often than not, children lose their desire to learn when they are not given the proper environment, guidance and encouragement. This is especially true with the traditional school system. By the time they reach their early teens, that flame or fire is almost extinguished.

To help you understand more about this serious issue, watch the complete video below and learn why children lose their natural light or flame to learn. You’ll also discover how you can keep the fire burning inside them and help them achieve what they want to be.

Tell us what you think by leaving a comment below.

What does this mean to you? It means you can check for school updates anytime & anywhere through multiple devices (computer, mobile phones & tablets). You can check photos of school activities, read useful child development topics in our blog and share videos through your favorite social networking sites to friends and relatives.

This also means there are no more barriers to interacting with the school staff, teachers and fellow parents / guardians even if you’re based outside Cebu (overseas or in other provinces) or simply just too tied up in the office.

Listed below are the 5 ways to connect with CPMS via social media sites:

1. Facebook Page (please click on the photo to go to CPMS Facebook Page)

CPMS Facebook Page

If you haven’t joined the toddler, preschool & elementary parents, teachers and staff in the world’s largest social network, please do. We already have 121 people on board and still growing. You’re welcome to view & tag photos, videos and even send inquiries using the contact form on the page. To join us on Facebook, simply click on the photo above or type http://www.facebook.com/childrensparadisemontessori or you can run a search on for Children’s Paradise Montessori School and just click like.

2. Twitter  (please click on the photo to go to CPMS Twitter Page)

CPMS Twitter Page

Are you always on the go and need quick school updates? Try Twitter. Join us by searching @cebumontessori on Twitter.com and then click follow. You will get the latest blog posts and Facebook updates as we also normally tweet any new entries making it easier for you to be in the loop.

3. Youtube  (please click on the photo to go to CPMS Youtube Channel)

CPMS YouTube Channel

Would you like to watch videos of your kids perform in school activities & other events 24/7? You can now do so by visiting CPMS’ Youtube channel. We have uploaded several videos on the site and more are expected to be online in the coming weeks. Feel free to share the clips with family and friends anytime.

4. Foursquare  (please click on the photo to go to CPMS Foursquare venue page)

CPMS Foursquare Venue

We are also in Foursquare, the online locational service that lets you check in, post comments and interact with other members using your smartphone. Don’t forget to leave a review and share with friends!

5. WordPress.com Blog

CPMS WordPress.com Blog

Of course, last but not the least, it’s our blog. It is the central repository for relevant information about the school, its policies and activities. We have lots of great content for you such as photos, videos and useful articles and we’ll add more of those on a regular basis.

So there you have it, 5 ways you can connect with CPMS via social media sites. We hope that you’ll find this post useful as we look forward to meet and talk to you on or off cyberspace.

But in case you need to do it the offline way, visit the school’s contact page for all our telephone numbers as well as a Google map to help you with the directions

‘A Future Full Of Hope’

Children’s Paradise Montessori School (CPMS) is a an authentic Montessori method learning institution that integrates a values-based and holistic curriculum through individual and multiple intelligence approach.

The school houses licensed and experienced teachers who undergo intensive and strict training under the Montessori Method of Education.

Holistic & Values-based Authentic Montessori Program

CPMS caters to several levels of child education, namely:

Toddlers ( 2-3 years old) Preschool (3-6 years old) Elementary (6-12 years old) Special Education (SPED)

Parents Share Their Experience

Watch and learn what some of our parents have to say about their experience with Children’s Paradise Montessori School and how it help mold their children:

http://www.viddler.com/explore/cebumontessori/videos/6/

Recognized As Top Montessori School In Cebu

In recognition of its high standards, CPMS was awarded by the Business Awards & Recognition (BAR) as the Montessori School Of The Year 2010 last August 22, 2010.

(Right) CPMS Directress Marivic E. Bathan & (Left) Ms. Stephanie Olano, Asst. School Directress with the Montessori of the Year plaque and certificate

“Free the child’s potential, and you will transform him into the world.”- Dr. Maria Montessori

There is so much that children can contribute to the world. Every child is born for a unique purpose that no one could ever fulfill exactly as he/she was meant to realize.

“The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn’t been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him.”- Pablo Casals

Even children with unique learning needs can have a future full of hope and promise. We must believe that they may see and live it for themselves. It is in this light that we are inviting you to “Creating a Future for Children with Learning Difficulties” seminar workshop from May 2 to 6, 2011.

This will be held at Talamban Leisure Center (TLC) from 8am to 12nn. The following topics will be covered:

May 2: Children with Learning Difficulties, An Overview
May 3: Paying Attention: Defining Attention Difficulties and Exploring Attention
Management Strategies
May 4: Creating Individualized Educational Plans for Children with Learning Difficulties
May 5: Simple Strategies to Take the Difficulty out of Learning
May 6: Teaching Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Writing

DONNA CARMINA “Mimai” GARCIA- CASTELO, Program Director of The Resource Room (TRR), will be the resource person. Mimai has the passion for helping children with learning difficulties (LD). She does diagnostic reading and math assessment, creating individualized remedial programs, supervising programs, and teacher training in TRR. She is educated at UP College of Education in Diliman, Quezon City.

Mimai has 8 years of LD specialization which she attained at Wordlab School, New Manila and more than a decade of experience with helping schools in Cebu City modify curriculum, create, and monitor IEPs. She is also a Certified Teacher for:

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program
Orton-Gillingham Multisensory Math
Slingerland Multisensory Instruction. Level 2

Registration fee is P3,500 which includes a morning snack and lunch. You will also be provided with handouts. Should there be 3 participants in a group, the discounted fee is P3,000 each. For parents of Children’s Paradise Montessori School students, the fee is down to P2,500 each.

Teachers, therapists, and parents would greatly benefit from this seminar workshop. Mimai is not only technically knowledgeable but also inspiring in delivering her message straight from the heart.

She will give us a clearer understanding of learning difficulties and how it manifests in children. Furthermore, we will be moved to act by providing appropriate cognitive/academic interventions to aid children overcome these difficulties.

Thus, certain strategies will be presented to enable children with unique learning needs develop fundamental learning, literacy, and math skills.

It is indeed imperative for us, adults, to aid every child to become a master of himself. This is possible only if he/she is empowered to be independent and eventually confident in taking every opportunity that leads him/her to reach his/her fullest potential. To empower them is to equip and enable them according to their needs.

“When you put faith, hope, and love together, you can raise positive kids in a negative world.” – Zig Ziglar

We enjoin you to this run towards raising happy children no matter how unique their needs are. Children’s Paradise Montessori School was founded five years ago with the mission of providing education for life to children.

We have created a learning environment based on Montessori principles that guide and nurture the development of each child’s potential to become an informed, active, compassionate, and lifelong learner, who will make a positive contribution to the global community.

There are only 20 slots to be filled up. Please fill up the attached slip and fax to us at 416-0533. Kindly call us at 416-0533, 0920-9522509 or 0922-8824955 for any concerns and reservations.

In this humorous yet very inspiring video, Sir Ken Robinson talks about how the present educational system is suppressing children’s inborn or natural creativity and why there should be a major shift in thinking by governments, schools, parents and the public where creativity and literacy should be given equal importance.

This February 26, Saturday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 Noon, visitors, guests and friends are invited to join our Open House to be conducted in

See you there!

A controversial schooling method that focuses on personal development rather than exams produces more mature, creative and socially adept children, scientists have revealed.

Psychologists in the US found that across a range of abilities, children at Montessori schools out-performed those given a traditional education.

Five-year-old Montessori pupils were better prepared for reading and maths, and 12-year-olds wrote ‘significantly more creative’ essays using more sophisticated sentence structures.

Some of the biggest differences were seen in social skills and behaviour.

Montessori children displayed a greater sense of ‘justice and fairness’, interacted in an ‘emotionally positive’ way, and were less likely to engage in ‘rough play’ during break times.

The schooling system was invented in the early 1900s by Dr Maria Montessori to educate poor children in her native Italy.

Today, there are more than 5,000 Montessori schools in the US, and around 600 in the UK, where they are privately funded.

The method discourages traditional competitive measurements of achievement, such as grades and tests, and instead focuses on the individual progress and development of each child.

Children of different ages share the same classes, and are encouraged to collaborate and help each other. Special educational materials are used to keep children interested, and there is an emphasis on “practical life skills”.

The researchers, who reported their findings in the journal Science, compared children aged three to 12 at a Montessori school in Milwaukee with those at other schools in the same area.

Parents won places for their children at the unnamed Montessori school by entering a ‘lottery’ run by the local education department.

Both winners and losers, who sent their children to the other schools studied, had similar incomes of between £10,500 and £26,000.

Children were tested for mental performance, academic abilities, and social and behavioural skills.

Dr Angeline Lillard, from the University of Virginia, who co-led the study, said: “We found significant advantages for the Montessori students in these tests for both age groups.

“Particularly remarkable are the positive social effects of Montessori education. Typically the home environment overwhelms all other influences in that area.”

Not only were five-year-old primary school children better prepared for the “three Rs” at elementary level, they also had higher scores in tests of ‘executive function’. This is the ability to adapt to changing and complex problems, and is seen as an indicator of future school and life success.

Although the Montessori children were not regularly tested or graded, they did just as well in spelling, punctuation and grammar exams as those given conventional lessons.

Older Montessori pupils were more likely to choose ‘positive assertive responses’ when dealing with unpleasant social situations, said the researchers.

They also displayed a “greater sense of community” at school.

The scientists concluded: “Montessori education fosters social and academic skills that are equal or superior to those fostered by a pool of other types of schools.”

Dr Lillard plans to continue the research by tracking students from both groups over a longer period of time. She also hopes to repeat the study at other Montessori and traditional schools, and assess specific Montessori techniques.

The Montessori method has had its share of criticism. Some parents believe the classroom environment is ‘too free’ while others question Montessori teaching priorities, or the fact that children are not normally assigned homework.

In Britain the Government is funding a joint project with the Montessori Schools Association to develop the teaching practice in a state primary school for the first time.

The aim is to raise standards at the 350-pupil Gorton Mount Primary School in inner-city Manchester.

The school, where 36 different languages are spoken and 71 per cent of children have free meals, has had seven headteachers in six years and was placed in ‘special measures’.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-407528/Children-Montessori-schools-better-educated.html#ixzz1CSmdJj5E

In this video, you will discover:

* What’s it like inside a preschool montessori system classrom

* What children are working on

* What to expect from a Montessori method of teaching and learning for early childhood years

‘A Future Full Of Hope’

Children’s Paradise Montessori School (CPMS) is a an authentic Montessori method learning institution that integrates a values-based and holistic curriculum through individual and multiple intelligence approach.

The school houses licensed and experienced teachers who undergo intensive and strict training under the Montessori Method of Education.

Holistic & Values-based Authentic Montessori Program

CPMS caters to several levels of child education, namely:

Toddlers ( 2-3 years old) Preschool (3-6 years old) Elementary (6-12 years old) Special Education (SPED)

Parents Share Their Experience

Watch and learn what some of our parents have to say about their experience with Children’s Paradise Montessori School and how it help mold their children:

http://www.viddler.com/explore/cebumontessori/videos/6/

Recognized As Top Montessori School In Cebu

In recognition of its high standards, CPMS was awarded by the Business Awards & Recognition (BAR) as the Montessori School Of The Year 2010 last August 22, 2010.

(Right) CPMS Directress Marivic E. Bathan & (Left) Ms. Stephanie Olano, Asst. School Directress with the Montessori of the Year plaque and certificate