MSS XH campus had good news in early January that Brook, our graduate in the Green Class, received offers from the Shanghai Soong Ching Ling School, Shanghai SMIC Private School International Division, Shanghai High School International Division!

Our faculty and the team were delighted at this great news. We are also grateful for the thank you banner from Brook’s mom for the support they have received from MSS.

Brook joined MSS’s toddler class from the age of  two, and then stayed with us up to his graduation this year. Talking about why he chose MSS, Brook’s mom said that she had learned about Montessori before the enrollment and was interested in its mixed-age approach. There are 4 children in the family, Brook is the youngest and he has 3 older sisters. The Mom thought it would be greater for Brook to spend time with older children to help him grow and learn.

So how did Brook get offers from 3 schools?

How has MSS helped and influenced him?

What are the Montessori pedagogy that she agrees the most?

Join us to hear from Brook’s mom!

 [Q1] Brook got offers from 3 schools, how do you think MSS helped and influenced him?

First of all, I think that mixed age education allows him to communicate with children older than him or teachers without any obstacles. He feels comfortable when communicating with people around, which is very helpful for his interviews.

The second point is that Montessori education develops his ability to learn on his own. At MSS, he is able to choose the work he is interested in by himself. This ability to make independent choices really stimulates his interest in learning.

I remember when Brook was 3 years old, he was very interested in recognizing Chinese characters. The teacher told me that this is actually a part of the curriculum for 5 years old children. However, Brook had already started to recognize Chinese characters by putting together the left and right parts of the characters by himself at the age of three.

On the way to school, when he sees Chinese words he doesn’t know, he will take the initiative to ask and then form the words by himself, and then check with adults to make sure he is doing it right.

When he was taking the interviews for the elementary schools, he showed a great advantage in language. Teachers at SHSID told me that his vocabulary is much wider then the average.

Thirdly, I think that math in Montessori really helps him a lot. Montessori math materials include beads, that present the numbers ten, hundred and thousand, which make the abstract very concrete. Brook is very good in math. I believe he gets it from MSS.

When he has a good concrete foundation of the mathematics, it is easier for him to understand, and absorb concepts that come to questions about logic.

The improvement of his math skills has indeed helped him make progress in his logical thinking skills, making him a very organized child. When we are going out for a trip, he always packs by himself. In order not to miss anything, he will take a piece of paper and write down everything he needs for his mornings until his bedtime, and then put them into the suitcase one by one according to the list.

[Q2] What do you think are the greatest progress and gains Brook has made in the 4 years he has had at MSS?

A: Brook is very independent and love doing things with his own hands. In addition to the language and math skills I just mentioned, he also speaks English fluently, having no problems at all in daily communications.

No matter is at school or at home, he does everything on his own. He is very independent and autonomous.

In addition, he has established very good habits at school. For example, when he is playing with his toys at home and his grandma is calling him for dinner, he will tell his grandma: I will come over after I finish tidying up the toys, wait for me for five minutes. Not only does he know how to put things back where they belong and how to organize his own things, he also knows how to communicate with adults as equals instead of crying or throwing a tantrum.

We as adults sometimes strive for “speed” when we do things, but children are still growing and developing. When they are still learning to do something, of course they will be doing it slowly. As parents, we have to allow the child to be “slow” because he is still exploring, practicing and learning. We must wait for him. When he gets good at it, he will naturally be able to do it well. We should not take away his learning opportunities by doing everything for him. This is what I learned in the MSS Montessori.

[Q3] What MSS Montessori pedagogy do you most agree?

A: Firstly, MSS Montessori pedagogy allows for each child to have his or her own style to grow. Each child has his or her own learning curve. Some will be a little earlier and some will be a little slower. Do not pull the seedling to help it grow.

Some children may be interested in math at a very early age, some may be a little slower, or some of them may be interested in art, so we have to respect them, follow their interests and provide the right support for them to grow. Therefore, it is a perfect fit for us here in Montessori that we should inspire children to have self-directed learning.

Secondly, it is about “the whole child education” approach of the Montessori at MSS . In addition to language and math skills, it is also important for children to learn more about sports and arts to stimulate their interest, and MSS has a lot of after-school programs, which I think are fantastic. I think it’s great that MSS provides all these options. Children should not only focus on their academic skills, but also be provided with a full range of arts and sports, as it emphasized in Montessori about “the whole child education”.  Brook has been doing musicals, skiing, soccer, etc. I hope to provide more opportunities for him to experience more. By being exposed to a wider range of programs, his interests will guide him to a wider world. And I believe that intellectual development is also provoked by all these fresh experiences, which will be so beneficial for him to acquire new knowledge and skills in the future.