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www.FredParent.NET • • • • 21 • • • • • • • 21 • • 21 Sponsored Material Join us January 9 for the live conversation on Q: If you don't test, how do you know if someone is doing poorly? There is a huge difference between getting kids to focus on learning and getting kids to focus on how WELL they are doing. Research has shown that We want students to think about how the story could have ended, whether there was a different way to solve the math problem and still get the right answer, and how to design an efficient and elegant experiment. We don't want them focused on whether or not they will get a good grade or be rewarded for their effort. Additionally, Montessori teachers perform assessments all the time through a variety of methods, including asking the student to recall and apply acquired knowledge. There is a standard scope and sequence in the Montessori cur- riculum and we always know where the kids are. Teachers regularly meet with the children to assess where they are in their education. Q: How do children do when they transition from public school to Montessori and from Montessori to public school? Every child is different, but in general if a student is doing well in a Montessori environment they will do well in traditional school. They will be more indepen- dent and self-motivated than many of their peers. They may be a little frustrated with their lack of choice in lessons, but otherwise they tend to do well. From traditional school to Montessori, students initially need a little more attention and direction from teachers. This is only because they are gener- ally not used to being in an environment with as many choices as Montessori offers. This takes time, but we expect it and we work with new students to help them get to the point where they blossom in their new environment. Q: I'm looking for a Montessori school, what should I look for? Montessori is not trademarked and unfortunately any school can claim to be Montessori. When looking for a quality Montessori school you should first look for a school where the staff was trained in a MACTE recognized program (Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education). Other hall- marks of a true Montessori program are multi-age classrooms with 3-year age spans, and open classrooms in which students are free to choose their own work. You should also consider whether your school is affiliated with any of the Montessori accrediting bodies, such as American Montessori Society (AMS) or Association Montessori International (AMI). Schedule a visit with the school during the school day, so that you may observe the classes in action. At Odyssey we recommend that you schedule a half or a full day visit for potential students. This will allow them to participate in a class and decide whether Montessori is something they wish to pursue. For any parent research- ing Montessori, we also recommend you talk to a parent with a child in a Montessori school. You can call most Montessori schools and they would hap- pily put you in touch with someone. Wendy LaRue is the vice president of Odyssey Montessori's Board of Directors. As cofounder of Odyssey Montessori, LaRue was the admin- istrative head of the school, and a member of the teaching staff from 2001 until her retirement in 2014. With more than 20 years of education experience and relat- ed work, she has taught students from preschool to col- lege. She received Montessori train- ing from Montessori Educators International. She holds a bach- elor's in English from Mary Washington University where she also completed a Virginia teacher licen- sure program. She earned a Master of Science in mass com- munications from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Ph.D. in educational lead- ership from Walden University. LaRue's son and daughter are 2011 graduates of Odyssey's second- ary program and are students at Virginia Commonwealth University. Meet the Expert Have a question you'd like to ask about Montessori? Wendy will be hosting our Ask The Expert session on January 9! Ask The Expert is a live discussion on our Facebook page between you and a local expert. Join us every Thursday at 8 p.m. facebook.com/FredericksburgParent a sk t h e e x p e rt students who are focused on how well they are doing tend to be less engaged in what they are doing.