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The Curious & Creative Classroom

Curiosity and creativity are powerful tools—forged through play and exploration, fortified with respectful relationships and a learning-rich environment.

Maria Montessori and Loris Malaguzzi, the brilliant powerhouse educators who respectively founded the Montessori method and Reggio Emilia approach, believed that humans are born with an innate sense of curiosity and wonder. We are born with a guiding force that wants to soak up everything around us, learn from our environment, and connect to our community.

We are led by an innate curiosity as our intrinsic motivator. How does a plant grow? Where does color come from? Why do we close our eyes when we sneeze? Can you hear the song in my heart?

Albert Einstein wrote, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” Awakening joy is at the very heart of these educational philosophies—it recognizes that children are inquisitive and intelligent and should be collaborators in their education.

In both the Montessori method and the Reggio Emilia approach, it is believed that joyful learning is deep learning. Children who are encouraged to explore and inquire will strengthen their motivation to acquire new knowledge. The teacher does not bestow pre-packaged information unto a child, who waits silently at a desk — memorizing math facts and regurgitating prescribed answers. Instead, educators carefully prepare environments that spark wonder and cultivate curiosity. Students are explorers, creators, scientists, and collaborators. Educators are mentors who help young learners navigate the learning-rich environment to ultimately figure out why 2+2=4.

And this is the difference.

Young humans are not simply chirping a simple memorized math fact in unison. The process of discovery aligns with the product. Here, the child is a citizen who delights in the responsibility of her learning, and she is treated with respect and dignity by the guiding educator.

Written by: Beau Kenyon

Smelling, touching, hearing, and observing during our cloud project. SolBe Learning. Chestnut Hill, MA Photo Credit: Abby Saul.

Outdoor play provides a setting for children to discover the organic wonders of nature. SolBe Learning. Chestnut Hill, MA Photo Credit: Tatiana Melendres.

Be Supported

We’ve felt the uncertainty that occurs when our children are in the care of someone else. At SolBe, we know you will always be your child’s first teacher; we’re here as a knowledgeable partner in your child’s education.

From our experience, children rise to the intellectual life of those around them, so we are committed to growing as individuals and as a team. You can count on us to provide a warm and engaging learning experience for your little one.

Be Inspired

We’ve spent thousands of hours in classrooms that either overstimulate, underwhelm, or actively prevent educators from delivering the highest-quality education and care. At SolBe, you’ll go beyond the traditional four-walled classroom.

Our award-winning, inventive and uplifting learning spaces stimulate the senses and instill feelings of home-like safety and comfort. They allow for your child’s, and our educators’, changing needs and emotions. They create room for wonder—for learning, and living, outside the lines.

Be Immersed

We’ve seen what’s lost when things are done the way they’ve always been done before. SolBe is an adaptive Spanish exposure program that refuses to accept the status quo.

Our inventive practices grow from the shoulders of giants, with roots in the Reggio Emilia approach, the Montessori method, and well-researched cognitive disciplines that attend to the whole child. We create opportunities to develop character attributes that your child will benefit from for a lifetime. Collaboration. Communication. Independence. Healthy risk-taking. Critical thinking. Emotional awareness. Resilience. Intellectual curiosity. Creative innovation. An authentic love of life and learning.

Be Well

We know what it’s like to forget to feed ourselves—physically, mentally, and emotionally. At SolBe, we understand it’s impossible for you to pour from an empty cup. And we do what we can to keep your cup full.

Our learning ecosystem is designed with children and educators—and you—in mind. Seed-to-table nutrition program. Yoga and mindfulness. An all-inclusive experience so you don’t need to worry about finding time to provide meals, diapers, or wipes (unless you want to). Evening and weekend family programs.