FAQ – General
Children touch and manipulate everything in their environment. They learn best by doing, which requires movement and spontaneous investigation. In a way, the human mind is handmade. That is, through movement and touch, the child explores, manipulates, and learns about the physical world.
Montessori children are free to move about, and may work alone or with others. They choose an activity and may work at their own pace. As long as they do not disturb anyone or damage anything, and as long as they put things back where they belong when finished students have the privilege and responsibility of choosing work for themselves.
Especially at the preschool level, materials are designed to capture a child’s attention. They are intrigued to investigate the item in terms of size, shape, color, texture, weight, smell, sound, etc. They begin to learn to pay attention and more closely observe small details in the things around them. Gradually they hone their appreciation and understanding of their environment. This is a key in helping children discover how to learn.
Freedom is essential as children begin to explore. The goal of a Montessori teacher is to have his/her students fall in love with the process of focusing their complete attention on something and mastering its challenge with enthusiasm. Work dictated by adults rarely results in such enthusiasm and interest so the key is to create an absolutely intriguing environment filled to the brim with opportunities for learning that the children are free to select for themselves.
Therefore the Montessori classroom is a very deliberately prepared environment that serves as a learning laboratory in which children are allowed to explore, discover, and select their own work. The independence children gain empowers them socially and emotionally and is intrinsically involved with helping them become comfortable and confident in their own abilities. They develop the confidence to ask questions, puzzle out the answer, and learn for themselves without needing to be “spoon-fed” by a teacher or adult.
While Montessori may look unstructured to some people, it is actually quite structured at every level. The idea is to provide freedom of choice within a clear structured environment. Just because the Montessori program is highly individualized does not mean that students can do whatever they want.
Montessori teaches all of the “basics,” along with giving students the opportunity to investigate and learn subjects that are of particular interest. They are given the responsibility and freedom to make their own choices. For preschool students external structure is limited to clear-cut ground rules and correct procedures that provide guidelines and structure needed for three- and four-year-olds. By the third year, or kindergarten year, teachers introduce a daily or weekly “contract” or similar system to allow students to keep track of what they have accomplished and what they have yet to complete. So while they may have some measure of freedom, they must choose within very clear expectations. As they demonstrate their ability to follow-through, they are gradually given more responsibility to manage their own time to complete expected assignments.
Learning how to manage one’s time at an early age is an important life skill and one that takes time to practice and hone.
The mixed-age classroom actually improves a Montessori teachers’ ability to individualize learning for each child. Because a Montessori teacher has the benefit of keeping a student in his/her classroom for several years and is not faced with an entire classroom of new students every year, Montessori teachers are able to truly get to know each student as individuals and develop a very good sense of each child’s learning styles and temperaments. They get to know their students’ strengths and weaknesses, interests, and personalities extremely well. They also are already familiar with each child’s parents and family members. Montessori teachers closely monitor their students’ progress and take note of particular interests. They frequently adapt lessons and/or introduce activities relating to topics they know are of keen interest to a particular student or to specific groups of students in the class.
Many families also choose to request the same Montessori teacher for younger siblings as older siblings have had to capitalize on the strong existing relationship already in place between teacher and family.
Montessori teachers focus on the child as a person, rather than on a daily lesson plan as is the focus in most traditional classrooms. Montessori teachers lead children to ask questions, think for themselves, explore, investigate, and discover. Their ultimate objective is to help their students to learn independently and retain the curiosity, creativity, and intelligence with which they were born. Montessori teachers don’t simply present lessons; they are facilitators, mentors, coaches, and guides.
Montessori teachers typically do not spend much time teaching lessons to the whole class at once; instead, the focus is to prepare and maintain the physical, intellectual, and social/emotional environment within which the children will work. A key aspect of this is the selection of intriguing and developmentally appropriate learning activities to meet the needs and interests of each child in the class. Montessori teachers usually present lessons individually or to small groups of children at one time, limiting lessons to brief and very clear presentations. The goal is to give students just enough to capture their attention and spark their interest so they are motivated to come back on their own to work the particular material they have been shown.
Parents are sometimes concerned that by having younger children in the same class as older ones, either the younger or older students may be shortchanged. They fear that the younger children will demand all of the teachers’ time and attention, or that the teacher will focus more on kindergarten curriculum for the five-year-olds and the three- and four-year-olds will not get the emotional support and stimulation that they need. It is understandable for parents to be concerned, however, Montessori schools throughout the world consistently find a mixed-age classroom actually enhances development for every level.
The Montessori environment is designed to address the developmental characteristics normal to children in each stage.
Montessori classes are set up to encompass a two- or three-year age span. This allows younger students the inspiration of older children, who in turn benefit from serving as role models. Each child learns at her own pace and will be ready for any given lesson in her own time, not on the teacher’s schedule of lessons. In a mixed-age class, children can always find peers who are working at their current level.
Children ideally and typically stay in the same class for three years; with two-thirds of the class normally coming back each year, so the classroom culture remains quite stable.
Because a child remains in one classroom for two or three years he/she develops a strong sense of community with classmates and teachers. The age range also allows especially gifted children the stimulation of intellectual peers, without requiring that they skip a grade or feel emotionally out of place.
Montessori students are given quite a bit of leeway to pursue topics that interest them, however, this freedom is not absolute. There are expectations for what a student should know and be able to manage by a certain age.
Montessori teachers know these standards and provide the structure and support necessary to ensure that students live up to expectations. If it appears that a child needs time and support until he or she is developmentally ready to progress in a particular area, Montessori teachers provide that support and/or helps the parent to identify resources to help their child acquire such support.
It is important to realize, however, that a young child observing other students engaged in a work rather than engaging directly is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes younger students need to observe others first to gain the confidence to make their own selection. Montessori teachers are keenly aware of every child in the classroom and gently guide reluctant students to activities they think will spark their interest and allow them time to get used to the idea. By not unduly pressuring a child, the spark of curiosity inevitably kicks in such that the child who was reluctant at first is soon fully engaged.
Dr. Montessori identified four “planes of development” with each having its own developmental characteristics and developmental challenges. The early childhood Montessori environment (age 3-6) is crafted to work with the “absorbent mind,” “sensitive periods,” and the tendencies of children at this stage of their development.
During these early years, learning comes spontaneously without effort. They learn a variety of concepts in a hands-on way, such that when they move into the elementary grades they have a clear, concrete sense of many abstract concepts. The Montessori approach inspires children to become self-motivated, self-disciplined, and to retain the sense of curiosity that so many children lose along the way in traditional teacher-led classrooms. Montessori students tend to show care and respect toward their environment and one another and are able to work at their own pace and ability. Students who have had the benefit of a three-year Montessori experience tend embrace a joy of learning that prepares them for further challenges.
While students can join a Montessori program at any age, we find that students get the most out of their Montessori experience if they join around age 3 and stay at least through the kindergarten year. Children entering at age four or five typically adapt into the classroom very well but may not have enough opportunity to work through all of the three-year curriculum and therefore may not have had enough time to develop the same skills, work habits, or values as students who have had the benefit of a three-year cycle.
Students who are 2-1/2 to 3 years old or are 3 years old but not ready for a preschool program may enroll two, three or five half days per week in our Prep Program. The goal of the Prep Program is to help younger students learn social and emotional skills to prepare themselves to join a Montessori preschool/kindergarten class.
Students enrolled in the Prep Program may enroll in the Montessori preschool program the following school year or may be ready to join a preschool program during the course of the school year (if a space is available and only after a detailed assessment of a student’s readiness for a successful transition) as determined by the Prep Program Teacher and School Director in conjunction with the child’s parents.
Two- and three-day programs are often appealing to parents who do not need full-time care; however, we, like most other Montessori schools, find that four and five-day programs create the consistency that is so important for a Montessori age 3-6 classroom. We therefore offer five half days (morning or afternoon), five full days or four-afternoon Montessori programs for students in our Montessori 3-6 classrooms.
The primary goal of a Montessori environment is to create a culture of consistency, order, independence and empowerment. Attending only two or three days per week makes creating such a classroom culture much more difficult to achieve and much more difficult for a child who attends only off and on to embrace and get the most from. In addition, if only two or three days per week are offered, a Montessori teacher would be required to track and work with many more total students and families. By having students attend more consistently, the bonds between teacher and child/teacher and family are stronger and the Montessori teacher can concentrate on a more reasonable total number of pupils each school year and focus on each students’ needs more effectively.
However, as a way to allow younger students to get ready for a more consistent routine, we have a Prep Program, which is intended for new students ages 2-1/2 to 3 years old. It is offered as a three or five-morning per week program. The goal of the Prep Program is to help younger students learn social and emotional skills to prepare themselves to join a Montessori age 3-6 class. Students enrolled in the Prep Program may enroll in the Montessori preschool program the following school year or may be ready to join a preschool program during the course of the school year (if a space is available and only after a detailed assessment of a student’s readiness for a successful transition) as determined by the Prep Program Teacher and School Director in conjunction with the child’s parents.
To provide additional flexibility once a student is age 3 we offer our Enrichment program as a supplement to a preschool or kindergarten student who is already enrolled in a Montessori class. Students can attend Enrichment classes one, two, three, four or five days per week as an add on to their Montessori half-day schedule. We also offer before and after school programs to help parents create a schedule that works best for their family needs.
We find that students do best when their schedule is as consistent as possible and will work with you to try to find the optimal schedule for your child.
STEAM Enrichment Classes (3-6 years; available only as an add-on half day class if enrolled in half day Montessori 3-6 for the other half of the day)
Before and After School Care (available before morning classes 7:30AM – 8:45AM and after afternoon classes have ended 3:30-6:15PM)
Clubroom – Available on non-school days only for students enrolled in Sammamish Montessori School. Clubroom is available on conference days, in-service days, school breaks and public/bank holidays such as Veterans Day. This program is an option for students enrolled in SMS and is paid separately based on the actual amount of time a student attends this program; it is not rolled into the tuition payment so that families not using the service are not paying for it.
We create plenty of fun activities such as arts and crafts, projects, plan music and dancing, games, computer time, outdoor recess and sports and sometimes cooking projects. Please help us plan well by reserving your child’s space in advance. That way we can determine what types of activities would work best for the group and we can make sure we have plenty of staff members in place and ready to supervise and work with the children.
The school is closed and we do not offer our Clubroom program on Labor Day, Thanksgiving Eve and Day, Christmas Eve and Day, New Year’s Eve and Day, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Independence Day and Memorial Day.
Montessori classes are available as five-day-per-week morning only or five-day-per-week full day options. There may be a limited number of four-day afternoon spaces for preschool-aged children available unless all spaces have been taken by students attending five days per week.
Our STEAM program is offered as an integrated 5 full day STEAM/Montessori combination class. Children attend about half their time in Montessori and the other half in STEAM. The STEAM model supports and reinforces the learning that children acquire in their Montessori classroom and gives children more time to explore topics at their own pace. Children benefit socially in this environment where they can participate in collaborative group activities and projects. The STEAM program provides activities that strengthen a child’s fine and large motor skills, support concentration and cognitive skills and ignite the imagination.
Our Prep Program is for new students who are starting at age 2-1/2 to 3 years old. It is offered as a four or five morning per week program. The goal of the Prep Program is to help younger students learn social and emotional skills to prepare themselves to join a Montessori Preschool/Kindergarten class. Students enrolled in the Prep Program may enroll in the Montessori Preschool program the following school year or may be ready to join the preschool program during the course of the school year (if a space is available and only after a detailed assessment of a student’s readiness for a successful transition as determined by the Prep Program Teacher and School Director in conjunction with the child’s parents.
Yes. If more than one child from the same immediate family attends at the same time, there is a 5% tuition reduction for each sibling.
Registration fees and tuition deposits are nonrefundable. Enrollment is a commitment for the entire school year and the commitment you make when you enroll your child, in turn, allows the school to make commitments to teachers and fulfill the many financial obligations the school must take on to provide your child’s space in the school.
Once your child has been enrolled, we honor our commitment to you by ensuring your child’s space for the school year. This often means turning away other students who would have enrolled in your child’s space had it been available. For this reason, please make sure you have made your decision to attend Sammamish Montessori School prior to submitting an enrollment contract for your child. Please notify the school in writing as soon as possible (before August 1 of the upcoming school year) if you plan to withdraw your child from the upcoming school year to release yourself from future tuition obligations (September onwards).
If you withdraw during the school year, you must provide written notice at least one month in advance of the first day of the month of your withdrawal (for instance, if leaving March 12, you would need to provide notice by February 1). If you are unable to provide one-month written notice of withdrawal, you must pay one tuition installment in lieu of notice.
Some parents facing job transfers or new job opportunities requiring a move out of our area have been successful in obtaining some consideration from their employers who are dictating the move or as part of a relocation package.
The primary Montessori curriculum is a 3-year cycle. The third year, or kindergarten year, is when all the learning that has taken place in the previous two years reaches fruition and a child’s knowledge begins to fall into place. Your child will be challenged to reach his/her potential by his/her Montessori teacher who knows your child incredibly well and so can provide precisely what is needed next. Children build upon what they have learned, experience rapid academic and social growth and their skill level dramatically increases when they are given the opportunity to consolidate their knowledge within the Montessori classroom. Third year students are ready to explode into more complex learning and discovery and they delve into a wealth of new and interesting materials. They are guided to take on more and more complex work, begin to learn time management skills and have an increased set of expectations and privileges in the classroom. These older children also reinforce their academic skills by helping another child, a well-documented way to consolidate knowledge.
Preschool children in a Montessori classroom look forward to being one of the “big kids” in the classroom. If he/she is put into a school where the kindergartners are looked down upon as being in the “baby class” his/her cycle of maturing is interrupted. It is especially unfortunate for a child who is a younger sibling at home to miss this opportunity to shine. This year of leadership gives a child immeasurable self-esteem and intellectual confidence.
A 3% discount is provided for school year tuition paid in full by September 10 if paid in cash or by check.
To register, complete the enrollment form and attach either a check, or give your credit card number and authorization to charge registration fees and tuition deposits (registration fee ($190) plus your tuition deposit of 10% of annual tuition.) Forms must be filled out completely, signed and accompanied by payment in order to be eligible to process for registration. You may choose to mail in your registration and payment so that it is received by the deadline or deliver it by hand.
All registrations received by the deadline will be collected and on the following day applications will be processed in priority order. Priority is given to full day students and then to half day students. Applications received after the deadline will be processed in the order they are received.
Tuition is a school year program fee that may be paid in a lump sum or divided into ten (monthly) installments for your convenience. It is calculated based on the total number of actual school days in the school year and does not include holidays, vacations, in-service, and conference days. When you enroll your child for the school year, you are making a commitment for the entire school year from the first day of school in September through the last day of school in June.
To secure a space for the school year 10% of the school year tuition must be paid upon registration as a nonrefundable deposit, along with the registration fee. If parents select the monthly payment plan, tuition payments for the balance of the school year are outlined in the table below. Please note that monthly payments each represent 1/10 of the total school year tuition and that while some months have more school days and others fewer, the amount paid each month is always the same so that it is easy for parents to remember and for the school to administer.
|Monthly Payment||Amount Due||When Due|
|Nonrefundable deposit||10% of school year tuition||upon registration|
|September||10% of school year tuition||September 1st|
|October||10% of school year tuition||October 1st|
|November||10% of school year tuition||November 1st
|December||10% of school year tuition||December 1st|
|January||10% of school year tuition||January 1st|
|February||10% of school year tuition||February 1st|
|March||10% of school year tuition||March 1st|
|April||10% of school year tuition||April 1st|
|May||10% of school year tuition||May 1st|
Except for those schools that are associated with a particular religious community, Montessori schools do not teach religion.
At our school we do not participate in or promote any kind of religious instruction. We learn about holidays, such as Christmas, Hannukah, Diwali, Ramadan, Eid, and Chinese New Year, or other festivals, but all on the basis of broadening cultural knowledge and understanding. We welcome parent involvement in bringing in first-hand knowledge and understanding of these celebrations into our classrooms, however, we do ask that parents tailor any presentations and discussions to focus on cultural rather than religious aspects. Our goal is to give children a taste of the experience each celebration or festival by sharing the special foods, songs, dances, games, and age-appropriate stories.
Montessori education fundamentally aims to inspire a child’s heart. So while Montessori does not teach religion, we do embrace the great moral and spiritual themes, such as love, kindness, joy, and confidence in the fundamental goodness of life. We encourage the child to begin the journey toward being fully alive and fully human. Everything is intended to nurture within the child a sense of joy and appreciation of life.
Art, music, dance, and creativity are integrated in the curriculum and children are given many opportunities to tap into their own creativity. While each piece of Montessori equipment has a specific purpose which children are shown how to use, once students have mastered a particular concept, they may be free to explore beyond the original lesson. For instance, once preschool/kindergarten students have gained a solid understanding of size with the sensorial materials, such as smallest to biggest, narrowest to widest, they can use the materials to create their own three-dimensional designs. Creative writing is encouraged once children have mastered basic writing concepts using the moveable alphabet for younger students or pencil and paper.
Imagination plays a central role, as children explore how the natural world works, visualize other cultures and ancient civilizations, and search for creative solutions to real-life problems. Children make up their own games and stories routinely during recess. Our playground playhouses and forts are an especially fun place for children to create their own creative worlds.
Our Enrichment program also provides ample opportunity for students to be creative. The curriculum spans art, crafts, music, dance, storytelling, acting, puppetry, cooking and other creative endeavors. Enrichment science allows students many hands-on opportunities to smell, touch, taste, manipulate and test things for themselves, thereby honing problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
With the observation that competition is an ineffective tool to motivate children to learn and to work hard, Montessori schools do not set students up to compete with one another as is done in many traditional school settings (competing for grades, class rankings, grading on a curve, special awards, etc.).
In a Montessori school, the emphasis is on collaboration rather than competition. Students discover their own innate abilities and develop a strong sense of independence, self-confidence, and self-discipline. In an atmosphere in which children learn at their own pace and compete only against themselves, they learn that making a mistake and learning from one’s mistakes is normal rather than something to be fearful of. Students learn that mistakes are a natural part of the learning process. Our hope is to give students the self-confidence and courage to try things beyond their comfort zones.
While competition is not formal or teacher created, Montessori children compete with each other every day, both in class and on the playground. Dr. Montessori, was herself an extraordinary student and a very high achiever and was never opposed to competition as an idea. She just recognized that using competition to create an artificial motivation to get students to achieve was ineffective.
Montessori schools allow competition to evolve naturally among children, without adult interference unless the children begin to show poor sportsmanship. The key is the child’s voluntary decision to compete rather than having it imposed on him by the school.
When evaluating students we are more interested in following their individual progress and keeping track of their capabilities than comparing them with their peers. So that a child’s progress may be followed throughout their three-year primary cycle, the same evaluation format is used from preschool right through kindergarten. For that reason, parents should keep in mind that in many areas children cannot be expected to have reached proficiency until their kindergarten year. Teachers keep daily records of everything your child does at school and can give you information about any aspect of your child’s work should you require more details.
For elementary students a different comprehensive elementary focused report format is utilized to track progress throughout the elementary cycle. So that a child’s progress may be followed throughout a three-year elementary cycle, the same comprehensive evaluation format is used each elementary year.
There are no tests or quizzes for preschool or kindergarten students. Montessori teachers carefully observe their students at work to identify areas they have mastered and areas they need additional practice or perhaps another lesson.
While Montessori students tend to score very well on standardized tests, Montessori educators as a whole are deeply concerned that many standardized tests are inaccurate, misleading, and stressful for children. Good teachers, who work with the same children for three years and carefully observe their work, know far more about their progress than any paper-and-pencil test can reveal.
The ultimate problem with standardized tests is that they have often been misunderstood, misinterpreted, and poorly used to pressure teachers and students to perform at higher standards. Although standardized tests may not offer a terribly accurate measure of a child’s basic skills and knowledge, in most countries test-taking skills are just another Practical Life lesson that children need to master.
Yes, in general, children who are highly gifted will find Montessori to be both intellectually challenging and flexible enough to respond to them as unique individuals. Students are able to socialize with a peer group that meets their social and emotional needs while given the opportunity to move on to more challenging lessons individually.
Every child is unique and has areas of special talents, a unique learning style, and some areas that may be considered special challenges. Montessori is fundamentally designed to allow for differences. It allows students to learn at their own pace and is quite flexible in adapting for different learning styles. So in many cases, children with mild physical handicaps or mild learning disabilities may do very well in a Montessori classroom setting. On the other hand, some children do much better in a smaller, more structured classroom with much more one-on-one instruction.
Each situation has to be evaluated individually to ensure that the program can successfully meet a given child’s needs and learning style.
The Montessori approach evolved over many years as the result of Dr. Montessori’s work with different populations and age groups. One of the earliest groups with which she worked was a population of children who had been placed in a residential-care setting because of severe developmental delays.
The Method is used today with a wide range of children, but it is most commonly found in educational programs designed for the typical range of students found in most classrooms.
Sammamish Montessori School serves children ages 3 years and older, starting in preschool and continuing through kindergarten. New students ages 2-1/2 to 3 who are not yet ready potty trained and for a preschool program may begin in our Prep Program until they are ready to transition into a Montessori Preschool/Kindergarten class.
Our summer program includes options for elementary age children up to 8 years old.
Sammamish Montessori School abides by the same age requirements as Washington state public school districts.
must be 5 years old on or before August 31 of the school year
must be 6 years old on or before August 31 of the school year
and so on.
All-class naps are not included as a regular component of any classroom (Our Prep Program for 2-1/2-3 year olds is morning only). However, on an individual basis a child who is in need of a nap may rest on a mat in the office in the care of the office staff. Or, there is also often a quiet area in the classroom where a student can rest if needed. As our program offers morning and afternoon sessions, you may opt to select a schedule that meets your child’s developmental needs. Keep in mind that most children at this age begin to outgrow naps and do better with a longer consolidated nighttime sleep (versus a shorter night sleep and a nap). Make sure you are consistent with bedtimes and wake times, even on weekends, and try to modify a little at a time to make bedtimes earlier and nighttime sleep longer.
Consistent routines and getting enough sleep can make a tremendous difference to your child’s day and enable them to be ready to learn new social and academic skills at school. This is true at any age, but particularly true for younger children, especially if adapting to a new routine.
The recommended amounts of sleep per 24 hours are 11-13 hours for 3 – 5 year olds and 10-11 hours for 5 – 12 year olds. Sleep is most restorative when it is consolidated. If, when your child goes to bed, he/she falls asleep easily, wakes up easily and is not tired during the day, then he/she is probably getting enough sleep.
The best way to tell if your child is getting enough sleep is to see how he/she acts during the day. Take a moment to notice if:
- Your child falls asleep in the car almost every time you drive;
- You have to wake your child up most mornings;
- Your child seems overtired, cranky, irritable, aggressive, over emotional, hyperactive or has trouble thinking during the day;
- On some nights, your child is tired much earlier than his/her usual bedtime.
If your child falls into this pattern, then he/she might not be getting enough sleep.
Sleep deprived children may have more trouble than usual controlling their emotions. The part of the brain that helps to control our response to our feelings and actions is greatly affected by sleep deprivation. A child who does not get enough sleep may have behavior or attention problems, be more likely to hurt him/herself and just not be doing as well as expected.
A recent study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine conducted at the University of Washington also suggests children who do not get enough nighttime sleep are also at increased risk of being overweight, or overweight to obese. Researchers further noted that napping was not an effective substitute for nighttime sleep in terms of obesity prevention, citing that, “sleeping at night is deeper and therefore more restorative than sleeping during the day.” (For more information read, In Young Kids, Lack of Sleep Linked to Obesity Later.)
Children must be potty trained to attend our Montessori Preschool/Kindergarten classes. To be considered potty trained children must demonstrate that they are able, on their own initiative, to go to the bathroom with little or no adult prompting or assistance. Our aim is to help children become independent in all aspects of their development, including managing their own basic needs. We of course are able and prepared to assist with an occasional accident and/or help a child get their clothing refastened. We also regularly remind children to remember to go the bathroom. However, chronic potty accidents detract from our ability to provide academic lessons to all of the children.
For new students ages 2-1/2 to 3 years old who are not yet potty trained and ready for preschool we offer a Prep Program, which is designed to prepare younger children so that they can eventually transition into a Montessori Preschool/Kindergarten class. The transition process will take place when the child has reached age 3 and can demonstrate social and emotional readiness and is adequately toilet trained. The child’s teacher and director will determine when to move a child from the Prep Program to a 3 – 6 Montessori preschool/kindergarten classroom. The transition is also only possible if there is space available at that time.
The emphasis in the Prep Program will be on socialization and independence. Our prep students will be exposed to a wide variety of practical life and sensorial activities, play, art, stories, singing, movement and music. Children in the Prep Program do not need to be fully potty trained, as potty training will be one of the skills taught.
Extended care is available to all students enrolled in preschool, kindergarten or elementary (during summer only if enrolled in summer Discovery camp). Students may arrive before or after their class time and will be supervised in our Clubroom. Children brought to school or picked up outside of regular class time must be signed in/out in the Clubroom. A parent or other parent-authorized pickup/drop-off designee must accompany children to and from the Clubroom.
Yes, our native-speaking Spanish teacher visits each classroom one morning and one afternoon each week.
The school is open from 7 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. Monday through Friday.
What times are classes held?
Daily Class Times
Early Birds Clubroom
7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. (Students are escorted to their morning classrooms starting at 8:45 a.m.)
Morning session (applies to Prep, Morning Preschool and Morning Kindergarten.)
9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (Drop off begins 8:45 a.m. and pick-up ends 11:45 a.m.)
Afternoon session (applies to Afternoon Preschool and Afternoon Kindergarten.)
12:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. (Drop off begins 8:45 a.m. and pick-up ends 3:30 p.m.)
Full Day (Applies to: Full Day Preschool, Half-Day Montessori + Half-Day Enrichment, Full Day Kindergarten and Elementary)
9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. (Drop off begins 8:45 a.m. and pick-up ends 3:30 p.m.)
After School Club
3:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. (Students remaining at the end of class transition time are escorted from their classrooms to After School Club promptly at 3:30 p.m. )
By being allowed freedom in a controlled environment with consistent boundaries and guidelines, the child who is able to feel secure learns to love and care for other people and develops confidence and control over his/her own behavior. Our teachers intervene when a child’s behavior is disruptive or upsetting to others. The situation is handled with deep respect and sensitivity. Montessori believed that good behavior is part of the inner discipline that we strive to help each child achieve for him/her self rather than dependence upon rules imposed by others. “Punishment” takes the form of fair and logical consequences, which are fully discussed with the child. Montessori believed that children are by nature loving and caring and we strive to help them develop the vital social and emotional skills needed to participate in any community.
Montessori children tend to be socially comfortable. Because they have been encouraged to problem-solve and think independently, Montessori children are typically happy, confident, and resourceful and settle quickly and easily into new schools once they have assimilated the different expectations and ground rules.
By the end of kindergarten, Montessori children are normally curious, self-confident learners who look forward to going to school. They are typically engaged, enthusiastic learners who honestly want to learn and who ask excellent questions.
By age six most have spent three or four years in a school where they were treated with honesty and respect with clear expectations and ground rules. Within that framework, their opinions and questions were taken quite seriously.
There is nothing inherent in Montessori that causes children to have a hard time if they are transferred to traditional schools. Some may be bored or not understand why everyone in the class has to do the same thing at the same time. However, most adapt to their new setting fairly quickly, make new friends, and succeed within the definition of success understood in their new school.


Strategic readers know that the purpose of reading is to understand, and that there are a number of comprehension strategies that they can adopt in order to build knowledge from reading. Strategic readers are able to apply such strategies in “the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written language,” as the Rand Reading Comprehension Study Group defines reading comprehension. Strategic readers process information by constantly monitoring their understanding. In that process, strategic readers, when faced with understanding challenges, engage in problem solving and self-correction.
Buehl (2007) provides insight into the seven cognitive processes of proficient readers, beginning with making connections to one’s prior knowledge – which is regarded as the one most critical strategy for learning to take place, since no new knowledge or understanding is constructed in a vacuum – to generating questions, creating mental sensory images, inferencing, prioritizing, and synthesizing the information being read. Add intrinsic motivation to that process and the result is a strategic and engaged reader. Importantly, the more one reads to understand, the more motivated one becomes, and the more social interaction ensues, for engaged readers are prone to sharing and socially connecting around what they are learning. The more one interacts, the more strategies are mobilized, and the more one’s knowledge base grows, leading to the desire to read more. That is the engagement cycle, as defined by Swan (2003).
Teachers and librarians not only can but indeed they must foster engagement and self-regulation as critical ingredients for strategic reading by means of a balanced comprehension instruction approach that encompasses a supportive classroom context and a model of comprehension instruction that models and supports the development of reading strategies for learners. (Duke & Pearson, 2002)
The seven comprehension processes of proficient readers (Buehl, 2007) are mirrored in the six individual comprehension strategies that excellent reading teachers are intent at scaffolding and modelling for and with learners (Duke & Pearson, 2002). Think-alouds represent a strategy for activating schemata and generating questions. Inferencing and determining importance are engendered in text structure analysis. The ability to synthesize is exercised by means of summarization. The creation of visual and sensory representations is both a process and a strategy which boosts one’s synthesis capacity, also helping in the self-monitoring and self-correction process.
RAND (2002) provides us with the heuristic for thinking about reading comprehension, defining its components: the reader, the text, and the activity, all of which are nestled within a sociocultural dimension, which is by and large overlooked by NAEP (2015/2019). Indeed, how does a standardized assessment account for a virtually infinite sociocultural variance? If RAND gives us the reader, the text, and the activity, Duke & Pearson (2002) give us the teacher, and CORI (Swan, 2003) pulls in the sociocultural dimension by articulating skills and strategies, knowledge, motivation, and social collaboration.
Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction gives us the ‘how’ by leveraging the three basic needs for intrinsic motivation, namely competence, autonomy, and belonging. In other words, learners need a sense of self-efficacy, choice, and opportunities for social interaction and human connection. CORI then represents the supportive classroom context articulated by Duke & Pearson, one in which learners read a lot, read for real reasons, engage in high quality talk about text, and ultimately strive for the construction of conceptual knowledge.
I find that one of the greatest challenges in my own teaching context, as well as in the Brazilian educational system, is making instruction coherent as opposed to fragmented, as proposed in CORI. Such coherence and transdisciplinarity entails a whole set of very unique beliefs that have not necessarily been cultivated by teacher training programs, and certainly not in traditional and mainstream educational settings. The shift from a fragmented to a relational and systemic view of and approach to knowledge construction and instructional design (as opposed to lesson planning) requires major transformations in teacher education and school culture.
Fragmented teaching is not time productively spent, at least not for learners. It may make teaching and planning less complex for the teacher, but it is ultimately disengaging for all involved in the educational experience. I was particularly struck by the difference between lesson planning and instruction design: intention. Johnson (2014), referring to the implications of the TPACK framework, says:
“The framework supports and deepens literacy practices, allowing teachers to become thoughtful instructional designers. Washburn (2010) writes, ‘Instructional design differs from lesson planning, the term we traditionally use to describe a teacher’s pre-instruction preparation. Designers communicate by intentionally combining elements’ (pp.2-3)”
I wonder what a teacher development program that enables teachers to operate that shift from fragmented to systemic, from instructor to coach, from planner to designer, looks like?
I wonder what will it take for teachers of all subject areas to realize that they are, first and foremost, literacy teachers?
Duke, N.K. & Pearson, P. D. (2002). Effective practices for developing reading comprehension. In What Research Has to Say About Reading Instruction, 3rd edition. International Reading Association.
Swan (2003). Why is the North Pole Always Cold? In Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI): Engaging Classrooms, Lifelong Learners
Johnson, D. (2014) Reading, Writing and Literacy 2.0. Teaching with Online Texts, Tools, and Resources, K-8 (chapters 1 & 2)
Buehl, D. (2014). Fostering Comprehension of Complex Texts (Chapter 1 pages 3-11) in Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning (4th Edition). International Literacy Association.
RAND Reading Study Group. (2002). Reading for understanding: Toward an R&D program in reading comprehension. Santa Monica, CA: Rand.
National Assessment of Educational Progress [NAEP] Abridged Reading Framework for the 2015/2019
My purpose in this paper is to reflect on my experience in the Summer Institute in Digital Literacy in terms of how the learning experience impacted my role as an educator, digital storyteller, and as a leader engaged in promoting innovation processes in my pedagogical practice with teacher professional and digital literacy development. In my roamings within my original academic field of study, Cultural Anthropology, as well as in my existential rumblings through adulthood, I have embodied my life experience around the theme of story, inspired by the concept of bliss, as proposed by american Mythologist Joseph Campbell. Campbell traces back the notion of bliss to the Sanskrit phrase sat chit ananda, which he translates as being, consciousness, and rapture. He articulates his interpretation of this transcendental phrase in his famous quote (2004), and one which has been a source of personal and professional inspiration:
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.”
Campbell talks about one-to-one conferences with his college students and how he was able to notice a student’s eyes light up when an idea or theme sprang up into the conversation. He would make a point of encouraging his students to pursue those ideas further, to allow themselves to be driven by their curiosity and follow their bliss. Thus, it is in pursuing a journey of inquiry, driven by themes that enrapture our senses, our intellect and spirit, that we perceive value in our existence. People are not seeking the meaning of life per se. What we seek, according to Campbell, is an experience of being alive. We create meaning from acting on our experience, and also from reflecting on the consequences and the value that results from reflecting on experience. (Dewey 1916, 92) In that sense, I would like to explore the meaning making that is achieved in the process of storytelling by sharing some of my digital literacy learning background, for it is in the process of creating and sharing our stories, our own personal myths with others, that we gain a deeper sense of identity, confidence, and purpose. Importantly, reflection on experience, as expressed in stories, operates change in how we view ourselves and in our being in the world. We change, therefore, we learn through sharing our personal experience of embodied life with those around us.
My central thesis in this reflective piece is that digital storytelling is a rich means for empowerment, playing a critical role in scholarly, professional and personal identity formation in educators. My story as an inhabitant of the digital universe began in 2014, when I explored the concept of rhizomatic learning in participation within a community of global educators in a cMooc (connectivist massive open online course) called Rhizomatic Learning: the Community is the Curriculum. At the time, the feeling was that of diving into the deep end of the digital literacy swimming pool. Driven by my curiosity and a longing for interaction in a new learning space, I immediately began engaging with other members of this rhizomatic community, who responded to Dave Cormier’s course provocation-assignments in the form of blogs and digital art, which were also shared on Twitter via the hashtag #Rhizo14. My first digital creations took the shape of writing in my own, then newly-created blog, and also in interacting with other participants in their digital spaces on their blogs and on social media. This was the year I began building my professional learning network on Twitter, which plays a critical part in my everyday digital literacy and professional learning habits.
Notably, the more participants engaged in collaborating to cocreate new meaning by commenting on one another’s blog posts and tweets, the deeper our appreciation for collaborative inquiry became, which is one of the three core design elements of the Summer Institute in Digital Literacy. My Rhizo14 cMooc experience was intense, generating dense human connections, despite the fact that it was fully online. One of such strong bonds were with Egyptian scholar Bali Maha, whose prolific digital scholarship has been an inspiration in my own learning in digital spaces. My digital literacy learning journey both in Rhizo14 and in SIDL have helped me increase my confidence as a digital creator and storyteller, for they were both instances which enabled me to exercise my voice and choice. Indeed, my sense of agency as a learner was increased in such inquiry-driven, collaborative educational contexts. After all, it is:
“(…) by choosing how to creatively express ideas and create media, as well as explore different ways of taking social action, (that) learners may explore their identities as citizens who can improve their communities and society.”
(Hobbs et al. 2019)
The intensive face-to-face dimension of SIDL brought to the fore the interactive and relational aspect of digital creation. The minds-on, hands-on work with my dyad partner, Carla Arena, and the interplay between our different modes of collaboration (I am a “southwest” and she is a “northeast” as identified in the compass points dynamics we engaged in during SIDL) shifted the focus from skills with digital tools to interpersonal and time management skills in managing the complexity which naturally emerged from our collaboration. Furthermore, our knowledge with the digital tools used in our design studio project shifted our challenge focus from digital skills to digital literacy, in the sense that we were concerned with how the audience of our project – educators – would engage and make meaning with the digital artifacts we were creating together. In other words, we found ourselves more focussed on the who, when, where, why and how learners would make sense of the digital materials we were engaged in co-creating. This is the difference between digital skills and digital literacies:
“We often hear people talk about the importance of digital knowledge for 21st-century learners. Unfortunately, many focus on skills rather than literacies. Digital skills focus on what and how. Digital literacy focuses on why, when, who, and for whom.”
Maha Bali (2016)
Another core design element of SIDL is motivation as a primer for learning and development. A powerful connection with motivation is the concept of the ‘Golden Circle’, as proposed by Simon Sinek. Agency is heightened by a clear sense of purpose, and that is what we experienced in the SIDL opening event. Participants were prompted to create their own meanings of digital and media literacy, and share those with other participants and faculty members in order to spark communal dispositions among all people in the learning space. Moreover, the Digital Learning Motivation Profiles list supported participants in making connections between their educator identities and their motivations for engaging in digital and media literacies developmental work with learners. This horoscope-style self-assessment served as a catalyst for people to orbit towards others with similar motivations, fostering further connection among participants, who also felt valued and respected in their diversity of motivations in approaching the work of digital and media literacies. Importantly, this illustrates the very nature of the digital literacy mosaic created by the engagement of people coming from multiple knowledge areas and interests.
The third design element at the core of SIDL is the most powerful, and the one which most resonates with my work as a change agent and social practitioner in the field of innovation in education. As an advocate for human-centered innovation, I share the concern expressed by Hobbs et al. (2019) with regards to the reduction of digital literacy pedagogies to the practice of the so-called personalization of learning which is driven by software algorithms. Such device-centered approach to digital literacies development disengages and disenfranchises both educators and learners, promoting a dangerous power shift which puts the machine in the center of learning, rendering the human element of the experience less important and peripheral in the essentially human process of learning though meaning making and the construction of understanding. Rather than personalized, learning is personal in that it is built in inquiry-driven cooperation among people. According to Dewey, as argued by Dyehouse, “shared understandings are the consequence, not the cause of cooperative action.” Dyehouse continues citing Biesta (2006, 30):
“For Dewey, education is more basically a matter of ‘those situations in which one really shares or participates in a common activity, in which one really has an interest in its accomplishment just as others have.”
Dyehouse (2016, 175-176)
These are the participatory situations in which successful collaborative activity results in learning and understanding. Dyehouse concludes by saying that “(…) for Dewey, the real key to understanding is in doing things together.”
This view of making learning personal validates the networked and collaborative practices I have adopted in the design of professional development opportunities for educators both with my dyad partner Carla Arena in Amplifica, and in my role as innovation specialist in my school, Casa Thomas Jefferson. In the first Amplifica seminar for educators, in which I participated as a presenter in 2015, my talk was titled “The Power of Connections”. This was an inspirational talk in which I shared the design principles informing the technology integration and digital literacy development practices adopted in one of my early projects as technology integration coach in my school. Similarly to Hobbs et al. (2019, 408), I believe that the work of digital literacy development requires the intentional design of professional development opportunities that:
“(…) foster teacher agency so educators gain confidence in designing their own lesson plans and instructional units for inquiry-based digital learning. We see teachers as eminently capable of supporting and scaffolding student learning through inquiry and collaboration.”
Hobbs et al. (2019, 408)
Bali (2016) mentions the 8 elements of digital literacies proposed by Belshaw (2014). Interestingly, she points out the element of confidence is an important one among the elements. Belshaw explains that the element of Confidence requires a slightly different approach to its development in comparison to the other elements, for Confidence is a transversal element to all others. He refers to the process of Confidence development in digital literacies as the act of connecting the dots. According to Belshaw (2014, 52):
“Developing the Confident element of digital literacies involves solving problems and managing one’s own learning in digital environments. This can be encouraged by the kind of practices that work well in all kinds of learning experiences. Namely, self-review focusing on achievement and areas of development, paired with mentoring. I believe P2PU’s ‘schools’ to be an extremely good example of an arena in which the Confident element of digital literacies can be developed. Not only are learners encouraged to reflect on their practices, but to form a community. Such communities can help build confidence.”
Belshaw (2014, 52)
Finally, in SIDL, we had the opportunity to experience the Personal Digital Inquiry model proposed by Coiro et al. (2016) scaffolding our knowledge building and the development of participants’ digital literacy skills. The PDI model was clearly articulated throughout the SIDL immersive learning experience, its power notably evident as the Design Studio unfolded. Dyad partners dove deeply into the inquiry process by wondering and discovering, accessing, analyzing and evaluating knowledge and ideas in collaboration and discussion, then taking action and creating digital artifacts with which to promote learning. Reflection pushed us forward and back into the PDI Framework for Teaching and Learning, eliciting the refinement of our final projects. Keynotes and workshops in SIDL were instances of teacher-driven action quadrants illustrated below the (green) line of inquiry in the image, in the giving and prompting stages of technology for knowledge building. We were then gradually released into the upper, learner-driven quadrants of making and reflecting as the inquiry was sustained until the end culminating event where dyads proudly shared their learning artifacts with the whole community.
Circling back to the element of confidence in the development of digital literacies, I find myself wondering about the interplay between one’s process of confidence development and the development of one’s leadership persona. I am intrigued by the inner workings of the identity formation of a digitally literate individual, learners and educators alike, in such collaborative learning environments.
The experience of exploring imagery that would represent ourselves as digital literacy leaders in our own contexts was a very powerful one to me, in particular. I gravitated towards a picture of a mystic crossing the threshold of visible reality in order to unveil the inner workings in the backstage of the universe. This symbolic exercise provided me with new language to articulate how I sense my calling to lead change in my educational context. I was left feeling a sense of potency and intentionality with regards to the leader in me. Interestingly enough, I am now engaging in the design and facilitation of a leadership academy for middle managers in my educational organization. Ever since my experience in SIDL, I have gained a renewed sense of agency, self-efficacy, and even courage to tackle this great challenge. SIDL has made feel validated in my rhizomatic and communal approach to learning, leaving me with a sense of belonging and sustained curiosity for what is to come.
Lands End, San Francisco, CA. June 21, 2019. This video is how I felt after the three days I spent engaging in PBL World 2019. Clouds dissipated, and I could clearly see ahead, a new horizon – it had always been there.
This was when I came to the realization that I had been going at innovation in education from peripheral perspectives – educational technology, technology integration, active learning methodologies, digital citizenship, media literacy, deep learning, 21st century learning, maker-centered learning, social-emotional skills development – all terms that we hear being thrown around when innovation in education is being discussed and advocated. Those are all great, but they are all peripheral. They orbit around a core which is pedagogical, and that is project-based learning.
PBL is the pedagogy that naturally pulls all those components. Sustained inquiry generates critical thinking as a natural byproduct of collaboration and communication for an authentic purpose, to solve an authentic problem. Technology serves a concrete purpose, that of documenting, demonstrating and showcasing learning. Tools for student creation, though not for the sake of learning a new cool tech tool, but to make learning visible.
PBL mobilizes the whole individual – teacher and students alike. Projects is how people work together to create things in the world. However, PBL requires a very specific type of teacher, a true educator, awakened and moved by the vision of equity in education. Meeting each student where they are, hands on, minds on work. Beautiful work.
I am about to get further down the rabbit role. Moved by this insight of PBL as the core pedagogy for all things innovative about education, I am looking to explore this idea: what does professional develop that will inspire teachers to become PBL educators look like? How might we support teachers in their journey towards the development of the refined pedagogical skills that will enable them to sustain inquiry-based learning in partnership with their students?


Screenwriting is the act of writing what's known as a script or screenplay for film, television and web series. It involves a special set of rules that makes it different from a book or play. This module of Film It covers formatting, scene writing, script structure, themes, and character.
Recommended for Year levels: 4-10
Learning areas: English, Drama, Media, Media Arts
Capabilities: Creative and critical thinking, Personal and social
Writing the script is part of the pre-production process. Once it is written, it will be edited and passed on to the director.
Scripts include all essential information such as the setting of each scene and dialogue, but there’s a lot more in a script than these things.
Characters take us through the story. We experience the story from their perspective. Through the characters, we can feel empathy (for a hero), or even fear (if they are a villain). The more the audience learns about the characters, and the more interesting and complex the screenwriter makes them, the better the script will be.
Every film or TV drama is structured. So before you write a script you will plot, plan and structure the bones of the story. There are different ways to do this, and we'll introduce you to a few.
When planning a script, start with a theme or an idea. You can separate theme from the plot by saying the plot is what happens in the film, and the theme is what the film is about. Your theme might change or grow as your story develops, but it gives you a great starting point.
There is a universal way of formatting scripts which means that once the writer has finished, the script can be clearly interpreted by everyone who works on the film. It has to be consistent so it can be used to plan locations and shots.
1. Formatting scripts
Formatting is how words are arranged and laid out on the page. Try using scriptwriting software such as Celtx or Writers Duet as they have shortcut keys that make formatting it easy.
A script is broken into elements which are formatted according to a set of rules. Screenwriters are also expected to use the Courier New font. Here are the different elements you see in a script:
A scene heading, or 'slug line' is where you set the scene. In a scene heading we need to know:
- If it is taking place indoors or outdoors (interior or exterior? INT. for interior and EXT. for exterior)
- Where it is (in a living room? A city street?)
- Time of day (day or night?)
Here's a quick example:
INT. CITY STREET - DAY
You describe where the characters are, what is happening, and what you want the audience to see. For example:
Alex and her mum stand in front of a rambling old house. A 'SOLD' sign hangs out the front.
Character and dialogue
When you first introduce a character in action, you write their name in capitals so it stands out. Every time after this you write it normally.
Once you have set up the scene, the action and your main character, you can introduce your character’s dialogue. You start by writing their name.
The dialogue is fitted neatly under the character's name, so it’s easy for the actors to know when they have to say something, as opposed to doing something. Notice too that when characters have dialogue, their name is in bold and centred on the page.
Before you write a script, read an example. You can also watch videos like this script-to-screen comparison of Up.
Here is a scene, but it's laid out all wrong!
Ext. Old house. Day.
Alex and her mum stand in front of a rambling old house in front of them. A ‘sold’ sign hangs out the front. Mum: Home sweet home! Alex: I want to go back to our old house. Mum: Just give it some time and it will feel like home. Alex: Whatever.
Alex storms off.
|1. Rewrite the above scene and ready it for the screen. See if you can put this scene into the correct script formatting using scriptwriting software.|
Watch the video below on script formatting first if you like:
Using the present tense
The tense is really important in formatting your script. When writing a script, we use the present tense. This makes the story immediate and active. It’s happening as we read it.
To keep the story exciting, it’s important to keep the action clear and short. This makes it easy for the reader to follow. If there is too much description, the reader will lose interest.
Here's another scene that's not quite working yet:
INT. CLASSROOM – DAY. It was a sunny day outside and inside the classroom was cold, with pink and blue walls. One wall was covered with recent projects made by students in the class, one on the human digestive system, another on the human brain, and one on how lungs work. There were ten tables in the classroom, each seating two to three students. The tables were quite new, as were the chairs. The school bell rang, and soon after, Ms Holly came into the classroom and wiped the previous day’s class instructions from the whiteboard. Soon students began trickling in and took their seats. Ms Holly: OK guys, it’s that time again. Jake: Oh no, not again! Ms Holly: Sorry Jake, but this must be done every week.
|1. Re-write and format the above scene. Make sure it is in the correct tense, the action is brief and clear, and that unnecessary description is removed.|
2. Screenwriting shorthand
Now you have the basics and tense sorted, you might like to add some shorthand techniques to your script.
Parentheses are used when a character needs to make a small action during their dialogue, or if the writer wants to indicate how the line is being spoken. Use parentheses sparingly, and keep it short. For example:
Hey I’m Megan, are you going into year eight?
Voice over (V.O)
This is a voice that is heard but not seen. It may be the inner voice of a character or someone on a phone call.
If this works, then…
With off-screen, the character is still in the scene, just not on camera at that exact moment. So if one character was talking to another who was in another room, you could use (O.S) for the character that's in the other room. Or maybe with a phone conversation, the character on the other end of the line could be heard but not seen.
Peter, come out of there, your outfit looks fine!
No! I look hideous!
Here's an outline for a scene you can rewrite for the next activity:
Christine has to make a phone call she is dreading. A narrator describes to the audience her fear. Eventually, she makes the phone call, but she is extremely nervous throughout the conversation.
|1. Write a short scene for the above scenario with Christine, and include a parenthetical, a line of dialogue that is V.O, and a character who speaks O.S.|
3. Writing scenes
Writing a scene goes beyond just having a scene header, including action, characters and dialogue; each scene needs to drive the story forward and tell us about the characters. So something important should happen or be shown in each scene. This moment can be significant to the plot, the world of your story, the characters, or all three.
So here is a scene we've added for The Time Machine. At the moment, this scene just shows Alex going about her morning routine just before she finds the time machine device.
We've also used another screenwriting term with the scene heading called 'continuous'. This just means the action is continuous even though Alex changes location from the bedroom to the bathroom. You can use this where the action is unbroken so you don't have to write a new scene heading every time.
Read the scene first:
INT. ALEX'S BEDROOM – MORNING, CONTINUOUS
Alex wakes up and gets out of bed.
In the bathroom she brushes her teeth.
Back in her bedroom and she is in her school uniform.
She moves a box on her floor and notices quite a large hold in the floorboard. She pulls at the floorboard and it comes loose, revealing a small compartment underneath. She peers inside.
There are a couple of things wrong with it. Although it's getting us to the point where she finds the time machine, it doesn't tell us much about her situation, the fact she has just moved house, or how she feels about it.
|1. Rewrite the above scene so that what happens tells us more about Alex's situation and her feelings. When you write your own scenes always ask yourself whether the scene is a) driving the story forward through something significant happening b) telling us about the world the character is in c) telling us about the character themselves, their thoughts and feelings. If your scene isn't doing at least one of these things then you might need to rethink it.|
4. Structuring scripts
Beginning, middle and end
Let's start with how to structure a script. Stories usually have a beginning, middle and an end, and this makes it easy to break a script into three parts, or ‘acts’. But what usually happens in each act?
In the beginning, we are introduced to our character in their normal world. It could be as normal as sitting on the couch watching TV. But then something has to happen. A problem needs to occur, or a goal needs to be set to set the story in motion and spur our character into action.
In the middle the character must try and solve a problem and or achieve their goal in front of them. However, they will encounter challenges and obstacles along the way.
By the end the character will have solved the problem or achieved their goal. They usually learn new skills or a 'life lesson' along the way. All is resolved, but the normal world is not quite the same following their journey. It’s different because of the change that has occurred within the character or the world.
|1. Open the three-act structure document below. It has the three acts of a project we've called The Time Machine all out of order. Your task is to re-structure the plot points so the story makes sense.|
The Pixar method
To kick start your own story, try this method used by Pixar. It's helpful in sketching out what might happen across the beginning, middle and end of your story.
There was once a character called ____________
Each day they __________ until one day__________.
Because of that, this happened_________________
And then, this happened_________________
Until finally _____________.
|1. Quickly fill out the blanks above using the example of The Time Machine. How well does it fit?|
|2. Now, using the simple story structure template below, brainstorm ideas and plan your own short script. This doesn't have to be your final project, it can just be an exercise for now.|
Structuring key points and moments
Now you've got an idea for a script, time to flesh out in more detail what happens in your three acts. We're going to focus on seven structure points used by many screenwriters. Though these structures are used in feature-length films, you can also apply them to short films. Just be aware that in a short film you might not fit all these points in as well as a feature-length film might.
Also, our main character is called a protagonist, and a protagonist doesn't just feature in a story, they help drive it forward along with the plot. Sometimes things just happen yes, but it's more interesting if the protagonist's decisions affect the story.
- Set up
This is the start of the story, before anything has happened. We use the set-up to introduce the world and the protagonist, and what the world is like to begin with.
- Inciting incident
This is the event that sets the story in motion. It’s something that makes the protagonist sit up and pay attention. It’s their call to adventure. Sometimes, this is called the 'hook'.
- First act turn
This is the point where the protagonist stands on the threshold of their adventure. They decide to take the challenge to leave their ordinary world, propelling us into the new world. The ‘new world’ might be as small as going to the haunted house next door, or as big as traveling into a volcano. It doesn't need to be a physical place, the 'new world' could be an uncharted social or emotional world.
This is the middle of the story or the halfway point. At the midpoint, something might change; the protagonist may learn something new, face a new problem or change direction on their journey. Things are not going so well, but there’s no going back.
- Lowest point
This is when the protagonist has lost their way. They feel like giving up. Sometimes this is called the ‘dark night’.
The protagonist picks themselves up and faces the last challenge.
The protagonist triumphs, the normal world is restored, and everything is as it should be. However the world isn't exactly how it used to be. Something has changed in the world or how the protagonist sees it.
There are different theories about a protagonist's journey through these three acts, one of those is called the hero's journey and you can find out more in this video essay What Makes a Hero.
|1. Look at the advanced structure worksheet below and fill it out with your own story. Don't forget to identify the theme for your story. Once you have this structure, this will make writing your script much easier because have planned all the key moments from beginning to end.|
5. Theme, tension & endings
Identifying the theme
Before you go any further, delve into your theme. Themes are ideas that are explored in a story or film. Remember, theme goes beyond plot. That's because the plot is what happens in your story, whereas the theme is what your story is about.
In the script we've been working on (The Time Machine) the plot is about Alex, a girl who is thrown back in time and then has to try and make her way back home. However, the story is really about a girl who is having trouble moving school, wants things to go back to how they were and to be with her friends. So the theme is about dealing with change and growing up.
|1. To get started list three of your favourite films, create a table and identify the 3-5 plot points that tell the story, and the ideas the films explore. This will help you identify the themes.|
|A favourite film||Plot of the film||Theme of the film|
|Jurassic Park||Dinosaurs get cloned on an Island and break out||Man trying to control nature (and failing!)|
Resolution and other endings
The Time Machine ends happily with the normal world restored (Alex getting back to her own time). You don’t always need a traditional resolution, as there are other ways to end a story. Think how to make your script original by experimenting with one of these endings:
When a story doesn’t have a neat or happy resolution and instead leaves the audience in suspense. Think about your favourite super hero movie as they often give the protagonist one last challenge. This is often used to set up a sequel.
Maybe the protagonist doesn’t get what they wanted? What would this be like?
This is when something unexpected happens, and you trick the audience. A twist ending can be hard to do well.
|1. Think of some alternative endings for the Time Machine|
|2. Think of some alternative endings for your project. Make sure you think about how the theme of your story might be affected as a result. For example, having Alex stuck in the past in The Time Machine would make it harder to explore the idea that Alex needs to grow up and accept her family have moved. The theme would change suddenly and become more of a 'be careful what you wish for' type of story.|
Timeline and tension graphs
We use structure to make sure the story has a journey, contains dramatic questions, and contains highs and lows for the characters.
Earlier you planned your story through structure points across three acts. Take the same story, or another one, and use the template below. This is a timeline and tension graph. In a tension graph you can see where the drama builds and falls, with tension high at points such as the climax, and lower at points like the resolution.
Check out the example from The Time Machine and notice the line throughout the graph which indicates when the tension is high, low; building or dropping.
|1. Now it's your turn. Fill out the tension graph template using your own story to make sure your story contains highs and lows.|
If your story doesn't fit the pattern in the template above, draw your own tension graph using the tension graph blank document below. For example, if you have a tragic ending there might be no relief of tension at the end. Or, if your story starts with a dramatic flash-forward to a tense part of the story, your tension graph would look different. It will be up to you to decide where you think the tension is high, and when there is relief for the characters and your audience.
Before you write your script, flesh out your character by delving into their personality, their history, their likes, and their fears.
Download and fill out the protagonist activity below for your protagonist. If you have more characters, you can do this exercise for them too.
Goals and obstacles
For your story to be exciting your characters need to have clear goals. This is something the character wants. Goals can be really simple, for example, Libby wants to get her biscuit back from the dog. Or they can be really big, for example, Libby wants to save the world. In the example of The Time Machine the problem Alex faces is the possibility she'll be stuck back in time. Her big goal is to get back to her own time.
Check out this video essay called Writing the perfect villain below to see how you can make your antagonist just as interesting as your protagonist.
|1. Invent two characters for your script. A protagonist (if you haven't already) and an antagonist.|
|2. Download and complete the protagonist and antagonist activity. Once it's completed, use it as the basis for a paragraph describing each character.|
Even if you don't have an antagonist for your story, you should still have an antagonistic force. This means something non-human is working against your character. It could be coming from society, the physical world, or within the protagonist themselves.
We call these antagonistic forces.
There are different types of antagonistic forces, and many films have both antagonists as well as antagonistic forces.
Character vs. nature
Good survival films often pit human characters against nature, where 'nature' can come in many forms. There are too many films to mention where characters are confronted by natural disasters such as tornadoes, super storms, tsunamis, volcanoes and the like. But nature as an antagonistic force can include characters simply trying to survive the elements, and there are many films about humans trying to survive harsh environments such as jungles and deserts.
Character vs. animal
Think films like Jaws or Jurassic Park, both films where animals threaten the lives of the characters. Lots of horror films like to pit characters against unnaturally large or vicious animals, as do thrillers like The Birds.
In Jurassic Park, characters face off against a number of animals in the form of cloned dinosaurs. Characters are also up against technology in a way too, as the dinosaurs are the product of genetic meddling.
Character vs. the supernatural
Anything that involves ghosts, demons, vampires, werewolves or any other supernatural force a protagonist must face or battle.
Character vs. society
Often the society characters are pitted against are ones set in the future, but there are many films set in the past and contemporary settings where characters battle societal oppression. This could be in the form of racism, poverty, or unjust laws. It could also just be about a character who doesn't fit in with the society around them for other reasons. They could be an outsider, or simply hold very different views to the majority of people around them.
Character vs. themselves
Often characters have to overcome themselves in order to reach their goal. This is where you make your character their own worst enemy. A good protagonist should have a flaw that slows them down anyway but setting up the character as the main antagonistic force takes it to a whole new level. We love this student made film called Rewind where the main character Sam is his own worst enemy!
Character vs. technology
Often the kind of conflict we see in science-fiction films, where the technology that was supposed to help humankind poses a danger. Or, the technology created by humans turns against them.
|1. Brainstorm as many examples of films you've seen or know of that fit into the above categories.|
|2. From your list, can you see any that fit into more than one category?|
|3. From your list, can you see any that have an antagonist AND an antagonistic force?|
Interesting characters are often enhanced or made more interesting because of the story they are in. Likewise, good stories are even better when they contain interesting characters. The two work hand-in-hand.
|Let’s see how well you know your protagonist by writing scenes around the following scenarios.|
|1. Your character has to leave their school or workplace in a hurry, but they can’t tell their teacher/boss why they need to go.|
|2. Your character wakes up to find council workers about to cut down the magnificent tree outside your character’s home.|
|3. Your character is at a train station when they notice a man drop his wallet without realising, just as he is boarding a train.|
|4. Your character is on a spaceship heading towards the new human colony on Mars.|
|5. Create your own scenario/scene, then try re-writing your favourite but this time include your antagonist into the scenario and see what you come up with|
Just as the plot has a beginning, middle and end, so does a protagonist's story. This is called a character arc. This just means that your character will grow and change from their experience, and the lessons they learn along the way. If a character doesn't change or learn anything then it won't be a very interesting story.
A character arc works on the same timeline as your plot, as the plot always works alongside and with the character.
|1. Using your character info, add your character arc into the story and character arc worksheet below. This character arc will go alongside the plot you have already mapped out.|
|2. Make sure you explain what the 'character question' is. Your protagonist will have a goal or a problem to overcome, but character questions go a little deeper than plot, and will often relate to the script's theme. Try and make the character question, and the character arc about what your protagonist learns, how they grow, how they change. In The Time Machine, the plot question is about whether or not Alex will get back home, but her character question is more like "will Alex accept the changes in her life and move forward?"|
|3. Now, write a short scene between your protagonist and antagonist, remembering the antagonist is in the way of the protagonist achieving their goal.|
Want to learn more about story, script and characters before you start writing your script? There is lots more you can learn and practice in the art of screenwriting. Searching the blog of American screenwriter John August is a good place to look for specific tips regarding screenwriting. The Kahn Academy also have great content created with Pixar about storytelling.
Check out the next Film It module, Exploring shot types.