Category: Ivybrook Academy Curriculum

Practical guidance and expert insight on early childhood education, half-day preschool, and raising confident, curious learners — from a nationally recognized brand built on Reggio Emilia and Montessori principles.

Read more: What Child-Led Learning Looks Like in a Preschool Classroom

What Child-Led Learning Looks Like in a Preschool Classroom

Quick Answer: In a child-led classroom, children choose among prepared activities and follow their own questions while educators observe, ask questions, and decide what to offer next. The structure comes from the adults. The direction comes from the children, inside it. Definition: Child-led learning […]

Read More
Read more: How Ivybrook Educators Observe and Document What Children Learn

How Ivybrook Educators Observe and Document What Children Learn

Quick Answer: Ivybrook educators watch, listen, and write down what each child does and says. They use those notes to plan what comes next and to show families what learning looks like. Documentation is the record: photos, quotes, work samples, and displays that trace […]

Read More
Read more: What Is a Provocation? How Ivybrook Classrooms Turn a Question Into a Project

What Is a Provocation? How Ivybrook Classrooms Turn a Question Into a Project

Quick Answer: A provocation is a set of materials an educator places where children will find them, chosen to raise a question without answering it. When a provocation holds a group’s interest, it can grow into a project that runs for days or weeks. […]

Read More
Read more: How Does Play-Based Learning Impact Child Development?

How Does Play-Based Learning Impact Child Development?

Quick Answer: Play-based learning is not a break from development — it is development. Through play, young children build language, executive function, emotional regulation, social skills, and foundational academic concepts in an integrated way that direct instruction rarely replicates. The National Association for the […]

Read More
Read more: What Are the Benefits of a Montessori Curriculum for Young Children?

What Are the Benefits of a Montessori Curriculum for Young Children?

Quick Answer: A Montessori curriculum supports young children’s development by building independence, intrinsic motivation, and foundational academic skills through self-directed, hands-on learning. A landmark 2025 national study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that children who attended public Montessori […]

Read More