Blog: Jewish Montessori Musings

Can you give me a lesson?

1/2/2026

I love when we get to the point in the year when the atmosphere in the classroom is such that the students are asking the teachers for lessons, instead of the other way around. When the teachers ring the clean up bell and a child says, “but I wanted to do my Alef Bais with you!” I can’t help but smile, because once we have gotten to the point of the students having that motivation and excitement, I know it is uphill from here.

The Talmud teaches us, “A person should learn Torah only from a place that the heart desires.” Young children embody this concept naturally. They are born with curiosity and an inner drive to understand the world. Our responsibility as parents and educators is to fuel what already exists, and to be careful not to extinguish it. This requires a delicate balance between encouraging children to learn new things and push themselves out of their comfort zone, while not pushing them too hard that they then resent learning or feel that they are not capable. That exact balance will look different for each child, hence the need for constant observation, reflection, and a space where each child can learn at their own pace!

By offering children choice, honoring their interests, and allowing them to move at the pace that is perfect for them, we give children a sense of autonomy and ownership of their learning. By also providing clear and consistent expectations and guidelines, the children get to stretch their learning muscles each day, and feel proud while doing so! To quote a student this week who said to her friend who had just mastered all her Alef Bais, “you should be so proud of yourself!”

Our goal is that our students will grow to love all areas of learning, and that this love for learning lasts a lifetime!

-Mushky

Fostering a love of learning

1/2/2026

At the heart of our school is a simple but powerful belief: a love of learning is the key to chinuch (education) and to a meaningful life.
In the everchanging world in which we live, facts and skills will evolve, but the ability to wonder, question, explore, and grow will always matter. When children love learning, they don’t study because they are told to but rather they learn because they are curious, engaged, and motivated from within. That inner drive is what sustains them far beyond our classroom.

This philosophy is deeply rooted in both Montessori education and Jewish values. In the Montessori classroom, children are given the time, space, and trust to discover knowledge for themselves. They choose meaningful work, follow their interests, and experience the joy of mastering new challenges. Learning becomes something they own, not something that is done to them.

Yidishkite teaches us the same lesson! We are a people who ask questions, debate ideas, and return to our texts again and again throughout our lives. Torah is not something we “finish”; it is something we continue to engage with, year after year. This lifelong relationship with learning begins in childhood, when children learn that asking questions is encouraged and that growth is something to celebrate.

When children develop a love of learning, they also develop:

Confidence in their own abilities
Perseverance when work is challenging
A sense of responsibility for their growth
Joy in discovery rather than fear of mistakes

Our goal is not only to teach reading, math, Hebrew, or science, though those are essential. Our deeper goal is to nurture children who are curious thinkers, thoughtful problem-solvers, and lifelong learners who approach the world with enthusiasm and purpose.

-Daniella

A shift towards positivity

11/7/2025

I wanted to bring up an idea that is near and dear to me. This idea requires a marked shift in our thinking about what we notice and pay attention to. This shift is not an easy one, and is well worth it. As human beings, it is in our nature to notice the things that are going wrong in a given situation. We do this in our effort to “perfect” behavior and fix any mistakes. If we take a step back, and shift our focus, we can zoom and see what is going right in the same scenario. Why do this? What will this accomplish? These are two very good questions! Have you ever performed a task only to be told that you are not doing it the “right” way? Try to remember how that felt? Did you feel like continuing the task? Did you feel like trying any other task? If we are being honest with ourselves I am relatively certain most of us would answer “no.”

Let us shift the response to our task to one that is more positive and encouraging, for example “ Daniella, I am noticing how hard you are working on this and how focused you are on your work.” What would this response elicit as far as your continued behavior? I believe this will create the desire to continue behaving in this was as well as fostering a learned sense of pride in my work. Even if part of what I am doing is “wrong” I am more likely to try harder and continue trying in future tasks as well. These paths would lead to my greater learning and growth not only in the area I am working on, but in other areas that I am less than 100% sure that I am capable of tackling.

It is important to now look at this from the lens of the parent or teacher, having expectations of the children in front of us. What will this shift create for us? When we focus on what is going right we see the positive in the situation therefore feeling less frustrated or discouraged. Our new found positive focus then changes not only our visual perception but also our behavior toward the children we are observing. This change helps facilitate the changes in the child’s perception and behavior as explained above.

With just this tiny shift in mindset, we better set the stage for our own success as well as the success of those we are caring for.

-Daniella

Taking Personal Responsibility

3/7/2025

Last Shabbos, Shabbos Shekalim, we read the portion of parsha about giving machatzis hashekel (half shekel) by each person in B’nei Yisrael. Each person had to give the exact amount, no more and no less. This allowed everyone to feel they had an equal part in the Mishkan. We also read parshas Truma, which told of B’nei Yisroel’s contributions of materials to the building of the Mishkan. There was genius (of course, it was Hashem’s idea). Human beings feel more connected to something when they contribute of themselves to it. Human beings also feel less ownership if they perceive themselves as having contributed less.

We take these wise ideas from Torah and incorporate them into our daily lives in our Jewish Montessori classroom. As we go through the day there are things we do to help the children take and feel ownership over their learning, their classroom, their community and their lives.

Learning belongs to all of us! The students take ownership of their education by being able to choose when during the day to do the work they need to get done. They have self correcting materials that allow them to check if they have correctly done their work. Many times they have the ability to choose the followup work they will do to show they have understood a lesson they have received. In the same way that the children are learning, we learn from observing and teaching them as well. We use our curriculum binders at times as a guide for a lesson, which shows the children that we are all learning, even the adults.

The classroom belongs to us all! We have the children help take care of the classroom doing things like watering plants, feeding class pets, sweeping the floor, cleaning the tables and making sure the works are put back on the shelves where they belong when done. We work to make sure the classroom is beautiful and that we all feel proud of it. Feeling proud of ourselves as part of it is a bonus.

Our community matters and we are part of it! We all work together to treat one another with respect and kindness. We play community building games each day, allowing us to work on cooperation and positive interactions. We remind each other that “the only person I am competing with is me, to be a better me than I was 5 minutes ago.” The children are encouraged to collaborate with each other on work and projects. Asking a friend for help is a desired thing, not considered cheating or shirking on their work. Conflicts of course arise, and we use conflict resolution to work through them. We come together as a group to create our rules and work through any issues.

These lessons will serve our students throughout their lives in many situations. Although many of these ideas are also part of the Montessori philosophy, we acknowledge that all these concepts come from Torah and of course from Hashem!

-Daniella

The Benefits of a Multi-age Classroom- Primary

1/10/2025

What is the idea behind a multi-age classroom? This structure, while unconventional in many traditional settings, is foundational to the Montessori philosophy and offers immense benefits for children’s academic, social, and emotional growth at each stage.

The multi-age classroom is designed to reflect a natural learning environment, much like how children interact and learn in family or community settings. For 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds, this dynamic serves as an invaluable platform for development in several key ways:

Benefits for 3-Year-Olds:
• Observation and Inspiration: Younger children have the opportunity to observe older peers engaging with more advanced work, sparking their curiosity and setting aspirational goals.
• Language and Social Skills: Immersion in a community with older role models accelerates the development of communication and social interaction skills.

Benefits for 4-Year-Olds:
• Bridging Roles: As the middle group, 4-year-olds experience the dual role of being both learners and leaders. They look up to older peers while also beginning to mentor younger classmates.
• Confidence Building: This unique position nurtures self-confidence as they realize their contributions are valued.

Benefits for 5-Year-Olds:
• Leadership Opportunities: The eldest children naturally take on leadership roles, guiding younger peers and modeling respectful and responsible behavior.
• Preparation for Next Steps: The leadership experience equips them with independence, empathy, and confidence as they transition to elementary education.
• Mastery of Skills: The Montessori curriculum is intentional in its scope and sequence, and in Kindergarten the children get to master skills that they have been developing since their first year. The initial lessons are building blocks, and in Kindergarten it all comes together in a comprehensive and exciting way.

The multi-age structure also fosters a sense of community and collaboration rather than competition. Children learn at their own pace, supported by an environment that celebrates diversity in learning styles and abilities. This continuity over three years builds deep, trusting relationships between students and teachers, as well as among classmates.

In short, the multi-age classroom is not just a component of Montessori—it is its heart. It allows children to grow into their potential as independent, compassionate, and self-motivated learners while also preparing them to thrive in collaborative and diverse communities.

-Mushky

The Benefits of a Multi-age Classroom- Elementary

1/10/2025

Just as in the primary years, both the lower and upper elementary classrooms are geared toward the three-year cycle. During this plane of development, known as the 2nd plane (ages 6-12), children are growing by leaps and bounds. Some of the key aspects of development in this period are in social thinking, moral understanding and expanded intellectual prowess.
During the second plane, children develop the ability to reason, a thirst for knowledge and understanding, the ability to think abstractly and to imagine things that are not in front of them (ex. What happened 1000’s of years ago). They change from being completely egocentric to allowing others into their bubble. They find pleasure in collaboration and growth of peer relationships as well as developing a sense of fairness and justice. They also develop their sense of right and wrong, leading to the beginnings of moral responsibility.
In lower elementary (1st - 3rd grades) the 3-year cycle allows for children to transition and explore using concrete materials, some of which were present during their primary school years. They find comfort in the familiarity and use those as a springboard for learning new and more complex concepts. The children are working to master basic concepts in all areas of the curriculum, from language to math, from science to geography, from culture to their Jewish identity, from holidays and parsha to davening, Hebrew grammar and vocabulary, halacha, chumash and Rashi.

As the children move from first grade to second they deepen their exploration of these topics and find great joy in working on projects with friends. They develop more elaborate presentations and start relishing in the idea of presenting what they have learned to the class. The once timid learner, found in the younger 1st year, gives way to the emerging confident student, feeling very at home in the elementary classroom.
Similarly to the 3rd year of the cycle in the primary classroom, the 3rd year children (3rd grade) focus on refining their skills and mastery and enjoy mentoring the younger students. This allows them a greater satisfaction and deeper understanding of what they have learned. They become the leaders they had aspired to be in their classroom and they take ownership of their learning and the ebb and flow of the daily work the class is doing. They begin to emerge as abstract thinkers, preparing themselves for the next 3 year cycle of upper elementary.

As in the 2 previous cycles, the upper elementary is structured in the same way, providing 3 age levels in one class. The 4th grade child, transitioning from lower elementary, is now ready to learn more complex concepts and delve further into the concepts they have already learned. Social connections continue to deepen and collaborative work continues to grow and become more complex. The 5th graders, in year 2 of the 3-year cycle, expand their knowledge and understanding of the connection between different areas of the classroom. They continue to expand their knowledge and become more confident in their own ability to learn. They start to take on leadership rolls, helping the younger fourth graders acclimate to their new setting. As they progress into their 3rd year, the 6th graders take on larger amounts of leadership, creating elaborate projects and orchestrating larger scale activities, requiring the use of knowledge in many different parts of the curriculum. The strength and independence of these children allows for a rich and exciting learning environment for everyone in the class and supports the development of all the children within the upper elementary.

The completion of an entire cycle of 3 years is imperative to the success of the Montessori Method. In primary, lower and upper elementary, each year of the 3-year cycle is crucial to the development of a stronger, happier, more confident child. The culmination of each of these cycles gives way to the next, allowing for future leaders and innovators.

-Daniella

What does Shaarei Chinuch mean?

12/6/2024

The month of Kislev is here, and the holiday of Chanukah is a few short weeks away. Chanukah has the same etymology as the word Chinuch, education, and it is an opportune time to reflect on what Chinuch is all about. When we founded the school together twelve years ago, we chose the name Shaarei Chinuch, translated as Gateways of Education. Since each child is a unique individual with their own set of strengths and interests, each child has their own unique gateway or path to their education, and should be given the opportunity to learn in the way the works best for them.

Upon deeper exploration, there are two other translations of the word chinuch: 1) Chinuch literally means inauguration, which suggests that the ultimate objective of a teacher is to initiate a student on the path of lifelong learning. For, ultimately, to quote Socrates: “The purpose of education is not to fill a vessel but to kindle a flame. 2) The word chinuch is derived from the word chein, which means charm or rapport—referring to an invisible bond, an emotional connection and mutual appreciation, that should exist between the teacher and student. The essence of the teacher-student relationship and the internal work of the teacher is to connect to his student. In this sense, a more accurate translation of mechanech, teacher, is a connector. This indicates how deeply relational meaningful education truly is.
-Mushky

Language area, explained

11/15/2024

In a Montessori classroom, the Language area is designed to support the natural development of language skills through exploration and independent learning. Dr. Maria Montessori emphasized the importance of a prepared environment where children can engage with language in meaningful ways. She observed that children go through sensitive periods for acquiring oral and written language, and based her approach to teaching language on these developmental stages. The Language area provides resources that encourage verbal expression and literacy, allowing children to absorb and interact with language naturally.

Language learning in Montessori begins with pre-language activities that help children process, name, and classify the world around them. These activities, such as identifying patterns and recognizing similarities, lay the groundwork for future literacy. The pre-writing curriculum focuses on skills like pencil grasp and control, ensuring children are prepared for writing. The didactic materials, such as Sandpaper Letters and the Moveable Alphabet, are central to the approach, allowing children to engage with language through touch and sight while reinforcing phonics and early reading.

Montessori's approach to language development emphasizes autonomy, concentration, and self-correction. The materials are designed to support independent learning, allowing children to progress at their own pace. By aligning teaching methods with children's sensitive periods, Montessori created an environment that fosters both linguistic and overall development, helping children grow in confidence and capability. Her philosophy continues to influence educational practices worldwide, highlighting the importance of nurturing each child's natural potential.

-Mushky

Valuing every child's strengths

10/15/2024

The Torah teaches us that the Arba Minim (4 kinds) symbolize Jews of varying levels of observance, and that we bring them together on Sukkos which represents the power of Jewish unity. On a deeper level, the characteristics allude to strengths and qualities of humans, such as intellectual capacity, emotional intelligence, sensitivity, sincerity, and honesty. It is about more than bringing people together, it is also about recognizing the unique personality, strengths, and talents that each person has, and understanding that we each have something to learn and gain from one another.

Some children are great at memorizing, and some are great with numbers. Some are athletic, and some are musical. Some are intuitive and empathetic, and some are calm and loyal. In our classrooms we work to create an environment that gives each child the space and encouragement to find their talents and strengths, and to confidently share those with others. We invite children to teach and learn from their peers, and encourage them to compliment each other during class meetings.

In the short term, turning learning into competitions may seem fun and easily motivating. However, let’s think about the deeper messages being internalized. In those situations children learn to rate themselves and their classmates based on how they do in competitions or on what “marks” they get. Do we want their self worth determined by an arbitrary rating scale, or do we want them to be recognized by their intrinsic values and gifts that they bring to the world?

We are all competing against ourselves, to be better than we were yesterday, to push ourselves harder, to learn and grow more and more. And part of our growth comes from learning from each other!

-Mushky

Process vs Product

10/15/2024

“Mommy/Tatty… look what I made for you at school!” “Ima/Abba, I made a cool decoration for our Sukkah!” We all enjoy hearing those words coming out of our children’s mouth, excited and beaming with pride about what they have created or accomplished. As we leave for Sukkos break, some children may be bringing home art projects, while others may not. If your child has not brought anything home, don’t fret. Children respond in different ways to having a project to make. Some children relish the making of the project and are eager to take it home. Others may refuse entirely to participate in the project. There are others that will work hard on their project only to throw it in the garbage when they are done, or to say that they do not want to take it home. All of these are completely legitimate. Our children take ownership of their work, as we teach them to do, and therefore they may choose what to do with their final product.

In our school the emphasis is on the process much more than on the product. The process is where the magic takes place! The learning, creativity and deep thinking and concentration happen while the children are working. Understanding what they are doing and feeling good about it are the main goals in any activity in the school. We want to respect the students' need for choice and therefore do not force them to create projects, or to take them home. We of course always offer and even discuss the values of making cool projects to take home, however, if a child refuses we do not force it.

-Daniella