Montessori and Waldorf learning are closely aligned through the younger years. Each focuses on children learning with their heads, their hearts and their hands.
In Montessori learning, there are eight guiding principles to be mindful of and we work hard at Functional Education to incorporate these principles into our daily program of learning for the children.
Movement and cognition
“Without movement there can not be any learning” Maria Montessori
In our classroom we use our hands and many materials to learn any and all concepts. Children are encouraged to explore concepts through trial and error. We also explore concepts such as counting, through a variety of movement and cognitive experiences. Children can sing and dance number songs, we play our musical instruments and count the timing. There are sand trays and chalk boards to practice forming our numbers on and counting beads, shells number boards to place amounts into. The learning is first experienced through the hands and the senses and through movement before it becomes abstract and written down.
Choice
There are studies showing that learning and wellbeing is improved if people have a sense of control over their lives.
If you give the children choices over the materials they use, the colours they choose, the order they complete a task in then they have a sense of control over their learning and they take more ownership of their learning.
Interest
If people are interested in something they will learn better. At Functional Education we often say we are like a 40 flavours ice cream shop. There are many modules of learning over the course of the program and each one is carefully selected and designed to introduce a new area of learning with plenty of variety to help spark areas of interest for curious young minds.
Avoiding Extrinsic Rewards
If you have to give a reward to a child to learn (such as stickers or certificates) then the child learns to become motivated by what they are getting from you. Rewards are not really necessary. The children are naturally motivated to learn new and interesting things. We want children to have self motivation towards their learning which is a skill to develop and carry on through life.
Learning from and with peers
Children learn well in a collaborative environment with mixed ages. That is one of the greatest beauties of home schooling. Younger children are able to observe older children or adults and they will try to imitate and follow what they do. Older children are able to become leaders and mentor those that watch them carefully. A really beautiful Teina/Tuakana relationship.
Learning in context
Learning needs to be meaningful. What I mean by this is learning is not just looking at something in a book and copying it down. If insects are being studied then the learning is full of nature walks, insect hunts, opportunities to hear and see insects. Then learning can be transferred into the classroom in context.
Adult Interactions
If an adult interacts with a child in a loving and respectful way with careful language and clear instructions then positive outcomes are able to come forth with the child.
Order in environment and mind
Everything has a place and everything is in it’s place when not being used. One item is out at a time and our full attention is on that experience. When we have finished, we carefully place it away before taking out the next item. This helps the children develop respect for their environment and it helps develop order to thinking in the mind.
These are a few of the ways at Functional Education that we embrace the Montessori style of learning. There are others including; nature studies, music, cultural and scientific studies, natural materials, daily preparation of food and time spent on life skills such as cleaning and tidying. Each practical skill is designed to enhance the learning experience of the child and help prepare them for life to come. Children who contribute to an environment feel a deep sense of belonging in that environment. They have a role to play and they are important in their contribution.
Being a home schooling family, you have the opportunity to not only incorporate these wonderful qualities into your child’s learning, but to extend it further into your household and embrace the wonderful sense of responsibility it can bring.
Up to 2 hours of lessons a day, plus hands on activities means you can easily give your child a quality education at home.
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Please watch our getting started video which covers a lot of the questions you may have.
The Parent Dashboard is where parents manage their Functional Education account. You can manage your plan and billing, update payment details, add or remove students, change a student’s class, view invoices, and check learning access and progress.
Students use a separate Learning Hub login to access their lessons.
New to Functional Education? Create your parent account here.
Already have an existing Functional Education account? Connect it here.
Parents can sign in to the Family Dashboard here to manage their plan, billing, students and progress.
New to Functional Education? Create your parent account here.
Already have an existing Functional Education account? Connect it here.
Start your 7-day free trial here. Create your parent account, choose a course and plan size, then add your student or students. No credit card is required to start the trial.
Classes are numbered by the equivalent year of schooling: Class 1 is the first year, Class 2 is the second year, and so on. Choose the level that best matches your child’s current learning needs rather than relying only on their age.
If the class is too easy or too hard, you can easily change it from the Family Dashboard.
A Family Pass supports up to five students from the same family. Parents manage all students, billing and progress from one Family Dashboard account.
Each student has separate Learning Hub access and progress. Students do not share the parent’s dashboard login.
Don’t have a Family Dashboard yet? Create your parent account here.
If you have a Family Pass, sign in to the Family Dashboard and select Add student in the Your students section. Enter the student’s details and follow the prompts. Each student needs their own email address so their learning access and progress stay separate.
If you are not currently on a Family Pass, use Change plan on your dashboard to choose a plan that supports additional students.
Don’t have a Family Dashboard yet? Create your parent account here.
Sign in to the Family Dashboard. Your trial summary will show when the trial ends and which plan you selected. Choose Start plan, review the billing details, and add your payment method through Stripe Checkout.
If you are currently on a free trial, sign in to the Family Dashboard when you are ready to continue. Your trial summary will show the plan you selected; choose Start plan to continue with that plan, or Change plan to review other options before adding your payment method.
If you do not continue, your 7-day trial ends automatically and you will not be charged.
Your 7-day free trial ends automatically unless you choose Start plan in the Family Dashboard and add a payment method. If you do not continue, you will not be charged.
Check your spam or junk folder first, then make sure you entered the correct email address. You can request a new verification code from the Family Dashboard sign-in screen.
If the code still does not arrive, contact support@functionaleducation.com and tell us the email address you used to register.
Sign in to the Family Dashboard. On your Current plan card, select Change plan, choose Weekly, review the billing summary, and confirm the change.
You do not need to cancel or wait for your current billing period to end.
Don’t have a Family Dashboard yet? Connect your existing account here first.
Holidays are easier with the Family Dashboard. Sign in to the Family Dashboard and select Pause or cancel on your Current plan card.
Choose whether to pause for a number of weeks or until a specific restart date. No charges are made while your plan is paused, and billing will restart on the date you choose. Your students can continue learning until the access end date shown in the dashboard.
Don’t have a Family Dashboard yet? Connect your existing account here first.
If you need help with your account, billing or student access, email support@functionaleducation.com.
For account and billing questions, please include the parent email address associated with your Family Dashboard. For student-learning issues, include the student’s name and learning login email.
You can start your child anytime.
This question is on the MoE application form in New Zealand.
Functional Education delivers lessons that align with the standard NZ curriculum. They are designed to sequentially follow the natural learning progress for each year level. There are planning sheets provided for each topic covered and these sheets contain learning goals and outcomes so that parents can clearly see what the child is aiming to achieve. The senior classes from Class 4-7 have weekly spelling tests. Each topic is designed to have a project/presentation at its conclusion. Some children will present to their families, others will access our platform and share their projects with 'classmates' and receive/give peer feedback as part of this process.
School workbooks are kept as a record of the child's learning throughout the year, along with handcrafts, art and photographs.
Below is a playlist of videos that cover the learning steps for each class, in reading, writing and maths. You may find this useful when applying for an exemption. There is also a short description of what we cover in each course on the course overview page.
Use the playlist button (top right of this youtube player) to skip between classes and subjects)
Home schooling applications are different in each country and region. Before you apply to have a homeschool exemption we suggest you follow these steps:
If you are in New Zealand, and need further help with your exemption, Cynthia Hancox has various resources on her website that can help, as well as an application writing service. Cynthia and her team have processed many exemptions for families planning to use Functional Education.
To view all the relevant laws and requirements for homeschooling in New Zealand. You can read the entire Education and Training Act 2020 here
Our friend Cynthia Hancox has written a fantastic summary of the act here: http://www.cynthiahancox.com/information/relevant-laws-education-and-training-act-2020
Fran’s teaching style is warm, calm, and consistent. Many parents tell us that children who flatly refused to participate in school activities are willing to try Functional Education — often because the classroom pressure is gone, the sensory environment is controlled, and the same familiar teacher shows up every day. The 7-day trial is the best way to find out. There is nothing to lose.
This is the question almost every parent asks. The short answer is: not with a structured programme in place. Functional Education covers all core learning areas at the appropriate level for your child’s year. Many families find that their child actually progresses faster at home, in an environment where the pace is theirs and the anxiety is lower.
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