Dothan Montessori School

Roadtrip! Our teaching team piled in and set off on our recent workday, traveling to Montessori School at Hampstead for a day of learning and collaboration. We’re thankful to their team for the warm hospitality, rich conversations, classroom observations, and inspiration we’re excited to bring back to our community.

Over and over and over again. Baby Shark do do do do do do do. Climbing up the slide and down again, then up, then down. Brown Bear, Brown Bear for the hundredth time. At my house, we have read The Tale of Peter Rabbit before bed every night for the last three weeks, and at least a hundred times in the last year. Parents know exactly what I’m describing because they’re living it.

Young children need, crave, and seek out repetition. While this can feel tedious to the adult, the child delights in the over and over and over again. It is how they make sense of the world. Repeating experiences helps children deepen understanding, refine skills, build confidence, and strengthen habits for concentration and sustained focus. This is why children often choose work they’ve already “mastered.” Repetition is learning.

At DMS, we observe closely to strike a careful balance between introducing new materials and allowing space for practice. Children are not rushed or pressured into the next level before they are ready. The Montessori curriculum is built on a deep respect for children’s right to choose their own work and repeat it uninterrupted. This slowed down, relaxed approach is a wonderful way to be with children, and truly joyful to observe. We celebrate when we see children practicing with materials!

This week, when a child asks to do the same thing again, and again, and again, try smiling and saying yes one more time. Notice what they’re working on, what’s changing, and what brings them delight. When you observe the child completing an activity or task or material, before moving on to the next thing, ask, “would you like to do it again?” It is surprising to me, even after all this time, how often the answer is an enthusiastic “yes!” Savor the (repeated) moment and marvel at their process.

January moves in quietly, a welcome respite from the crowded months leading up to it. Days at DMS have settled into a gentle rhythm as children find space to focus on meaningful work, with materials that invite intention and repetition. The calm of this season gives time to slow down and meet each moment with purpose. Cheers to a new year and the grounding that comes with finding a steady pace to our days!

Continuing with the block reflections this week, it is clear why Montessori classrooms have always treasured beautiful, purposeful wooden materials. Classics like the Pink Tower, Brown Stair, and Red Rods invite children to explore size, dimension, balance, and order through hands-on work. With plenty of practice, children develop mastery over the skills each material offers. As they begin combining materials, tackling more complex challenges, and creating their own expressions of learning, their understanding deepens, connections form, creativity expands, and problem-solving becomes truly child-led. It’s Montessori, actualized. At DMS, this is exactly what we strive for—a strong foundation of skill development within an innovative, inspiring environment.

As we enter this season of giving, DMS is supporting a local food and toy drive to help families in our community.

Donations to the food drive will go to the Wiregrass Food Bank, which supports local agencies that feed the hungry through onsite meals and food boxes. The food donation box will be delivered on November 20, just in time for the Thanksgiving rush.

One of our wonderful parents is coordinating the Christmas toy drive! We welcome any gently used toys between now and the end of November. In December, there will be a free toy market at Folklore to share the Holiday spirit.

Donation boxes are located on the school front porch for anyone who would like to contribute. All donations are deeply appreciated and will go directly to local organizations that provide for those in need.

This is a beautiful opportunity for our children to see generosity in action and to understand how even small acts of kindness can make a big difference. We hope you will consider joining us in our support of those who need our collective kindness this season!