What Expenses You Can Deduct for Preschool

Getting the best tax return means finding deductions that you are eligible for. For parents of preschoolers, there are school-specific deductions available if you know where to look. In most cases, you will be required to complete an itemized tax return; additional forms or worksheets may be required. IRS Publication 503 contains a lot of useful information.

Federal Deductions

For the IRS Child Care Deduction, you will need to show your eligibility and file the necessary forms. To begin with, you cannot claim the deduction if you file Form 1040EZ. You must use either Form 1040 or Form 1040NR. If you are married, you must file a joint return for this credit. There are some other rules and forms which must be considered, including:

·        Child Qualification - Children under the age of 13 qualify for child care deductions.

·        School or Care Provider Information - Form W-10 contains important identification information. You need the school name, EIN number, and an invoice. If your child attends a home-based preschool, the care provider’s Social Security number and a Form W-4 should be used instead.

·        Proof of Earnings - For most families, filing a Form W-2 for each wage earner is required. If you belong to a faith which is opposed to Social Security, a Form 4029 is used to show your earnings.

·        Form 2441 - This form is where most of the care provider information will be collected.

State Deductions

If you live in a state with a state income tax, you may be eligible for deductions at the state level. Regulations and requirements for state deductions varies from one location to another. To find out whether you can file for a deduction in your state, contact your state’s tax agency.

School Oriented Donations

Purchasing sports uniforms for your child alone are not deductible, but making a donation to the school to help cover the cost of uniforms for all team members may be. You can also claim a deduction for other donations, including the cost of items used in the preschool classroom such as crayons, paper towels, and equipment. When documented properly, even cash donations made to the school can be deducted.

Using a Flexible Savings Account

Unfortunately, you cannot claim a tax deduction for preschool if your child’s tuition was paid in full or part through an FSA. Because of the nature of FSAs, the money is already tax-free, and therefore does not qualify for an additional deduction.

Preschool expenses must be claimed as a childcare expense rather than a tuition fee. Federal law does not provide deductions or exemptions for tuitions, but child care costs are covered in order to assist families of single parents or where both parents hold full-time jobs. If you have a home-based occupation, talk with an accountant to find out how your deductions may be affected.

Montessori School in Newark offers premium Montessori Education to children ages 2 to 6.  Our teachers highlight the values of a Montessori Education each day - self-discipline, self-motivation, independence, and instilling a love of learning in children.  Contact us today to learn about the Montessori difference and take a tour of our preschool!

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Reinforcing the Importance of Diversity in Middle School

By the age of 11 or 12, adjusting to the diversity of life is a necessity for children. In America, we share cultural roots with every country on Earth, including racial differences, spiritual belief systems, and having different abilities in many ways. Human diversity is a fact of life, and addressing those differences in an important aspect of education in middle school.

Cultural Diversity

Whether your origins are English, Japanese, or Haitian Creole, your household has cultural customs that may not be practiced by your neighbors. In middle school, understanding the cultural heritage of many people helps students interact and be more accepting of others.

Ethnic Attitudes

At the core of many disputes in the world today are ethnic attitudes and bias against our fellow human beings. In middle school, children should be investigating the similarities of all people, learning how our differences in appearance and attitude have come to be. More importantly, focusing on how all of our ethnicities combine to make this a strong nation will add to the richness of classroom activities.

Spiritual Acceptance

A cornerstone of the United States Constitution is our separation of church and state. This does not mean that we should all practice the same faith system or ignore them all completely. It means that everyone’s spiritual beliefs should be accepted equally, and we must all practice tolerance for others. This is a difficult hurdle for many young people to cross, but doing so will open their minds to exciting new horizons.

Differences in Abilities

Most students are physically and mentally similar, but there will always be those who have special needs or difficulties. From dyslexia to missing limbs, the fact that some people are not as able bodied is a good place to learn about tolerance. The classroom is a good place to investigate ways to be helpful and courteous to everyone, even those who are different.

Addressing Bullying

The root cause of bullying lies with the perceive differences between one person and another. Whether it is because of silly differences such as height or weight, or more complex diversities such as cultural misunderstandings or physical disabilities, students need to learn to work together for the common good. It may be tempting to draw artificial lines between those who are like us and those who are different from us, but doing so is more likely to cause problems than to solve them.

The world is filled with diversity. That is what makes our planet an amazing and exciting place. Learning to understand and work within the bounds of our human differences will lead to a more satisfying and successful adulthood. By teaching middle school students the importance of caring and sharing regardless of aesthetic differences, you are enabling them to integrate better in society, and that is a lesson they will benefit from for the rest of their lives.

The teachers and staff at the Montessori School of Flagstaff Cedar Campus encourage students throughout middle school to accept diversity in its many forms. Teachers foster teamwork and focus on teaching the student as a global, well-rounded citizen. Call us today to schedule a tour and learn how our middle school can have a positive impact on expanding your child's understanding of the world.

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When should you enroll your child in a Montessori School?

As a parent, you want the best for your child’s future, including social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. The Montessori educational approach believes children have a natural curiosity for learning. The hands-on approach allows children to learn through self-directed activities, cognitive play, and building upon each child’s unique interests.

Ideal Age for Enrollment

Knowing when to enroll your child in the Montessori school really depends on your child. As a parent, you will be a major factor in determining the right age for your child to enter into a Montessori learning environment. Montessori school officials and highly trained teachers will be able to provide insight into the ideal for enrollment.

Generally, the Montessori program is ideal for children who enjoy being independent and working individually or in small groups. The ideal age for enrollment is around 3 years of age. During this specific time frame, children learn to absorb everything about the world around them. At this time, children learn valuable language development, vocabulary expansion, fine and large motor skills, and developing a sense of self. Knowing more about the Montessori approach will aid in your decision to enroll your child.

• Montessori Learning Environment: A highly trained Montessori teacher will prepare a learning environment based on each child’s interests. By engaging children with specific learning materials, the teacher helps develop your child as a whole individual. As your child learns, the teacher will continue to build upon specific interests and personal curiosities to expand the thirst for knowledge.
• Multi-Age Classroom: The Montessori approach incorporates students of multiple ages in one larger classroom. Generally, the classroom has an age range of about three years. Encouraging peer learning is the primary purpose behind the multiple age groups. Younger students tend to learn valuable skills from older students including positive social interaction, vocabulary usage, and acceptable classroom behavior. This, in turn, helps the older students develop leadership skills.
• Non-Competitive Environment: Along with the multi-age classroom, Montessori believes in building a non-competitive learning environment. Allowing children to learn through more of a trial and error method, teachers do not issue rewards, grades or punishments. By not using a traditional grading or discipline approach, the students learn to develop positive coping skills for personal behavior and self-directed learning. Allowing for increased opportunities for learning, children will learn and develop at their own individual pace.
• Block Hours for Learning: Depending on the age group of the classroom, 1 to 3 block hours are part of the daily schedule. During the block hour times, children engage in uninterrupted learning. The hours may include art, music, large motor skills, and other cognitive developing materials.
• Calm Environment: Allowing children to be a self-independent learner, the Montessori teacher promotes a calm learning environment to inspire independence.

Visiting a Montessori school is the best way to determine the right age of enrollment for your child. Teachers and other school employees will be able to answer your questions concerning the ideal age of enrollment.

Montessori School of Fremont invites students and parents to tour the school, meet the teachers, and see the Montessori classroom firsthand.  While there, you will be able to observe the multi-age classroom which encourages students to engage in self-discovery and hands-on learning.

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STEM Activities for 2 1/2 Years to 12 Years

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, an educational plan which encourages learning the scientific process. The concept behind STEM is to interest children in science and math earlier, motivating them to pursue these fields during secondary education.

Preschool: Basics of Math and Science

Babies are born with the scientific process at their disposal. They observe new things, formulate hypothesis, experiment, form theories based on the results, and share those results with their peers.

·        Sorting Shapes and Sizes - This exercise teaches important comparison techniques that will be useful in future STEM activities.

·        Observation Skills - Simple games like choosing the ball that is a different color, or the difference between cold/hot and wet/dry teach observation and comparison.

·        Patterns and Sets - Learning about capital and lowercase letters or even and odd numbers are simple games that teach pattern and set recognition skills.

Fun Science: Ages 4 to 6

Mathematics are fundamental to science and engineering. Simple experiments teach children complex arithmetic without making it look like math.

·        States of Matter - Water and rock are extremes of liquid and solid. Water is excellent for experimenting with converting from one state to another, from solid to gaseous.

·        Volume and Displacement - Using solids and liquids together, children learn that adding a solid to a container of liquid increases the volume in the container.

·        Edible Building Blocks - Building 2- and 3-dimensional shapes with marshmallows and toothpicks teaches engineering and geometry skills that are delicious when the lesson in complete.

Scientific Process: Ages 6 to 9

The world we live in is filled with opportunity to learn about science and chemistry. Household ingredients make excellent tools to instruct and inform children.

·        Basic Chemistry - Pour a bit of vinegar into a 2-liter bottle and a teaspoon of baking soda in the cap. Crush the bottle, screw the cap on quickly, and stand back as chemistry goes into action.

·        Observing Weather - Heating a small amount of water in a bottle creates condensation that can be used to explain why it rains.

·        Starving Flame - Covering a tea candle with a glass jar teaches about oxygen requirements and can be expanded to teach basic environmental lessons, including carbon buildup in the atmosphere.

Biology and Physical Sciences: Ages 9 to 12

·        Understanding Biomes - Learning how plants and animals interact to create a sustainable ecosystem helps children understand life cycles and extinction events.

·        Natural Energy - Natural energy is everywhere, from the sun heating a dark surface to an LED light powered by a lemon or potato, or the wind turning a pinwheel.

·        Weather Observations - Predicting the weather begins with observing cause and effect. Why it rains, the relation of air temperature to rain showers, and why seasons change are excellent learning opportunities.

When children can make things happen as they learn, the lessons will last a lifetime. Encourage experimentation, explaining why and how things work - from the science behind the difference between a screw and a nail to the reason heating changes ingredients into desserts.  Montessori education encourages students to explore and interact on their own.  Contact the Montessori School of Fremont today to learn how hands-on learning is integrated into the Montessori curriculum on a daily basis.

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The Wonderful World of a Montessori Classroom

There is a special magic to Montessori classrooms, with this learning method offering some of the best options for curious children. The focus is on a more individualized approach that helps children learn by studying in a way that keeps their full attention. The teachers take a less disciplinary approach to students struggling with difficult subjects, encourage the students to help each other, and offer a less structured format.

Students Have More Control
An exciting feature for both kids and their parents is the fact that students self-regulate much of the classroom experience. One of the first things you'll notice is that the students don't have to sit at tables or desks in a prescribed location. Besides being able to work on lessons in flexible locations around the classroom, students are also given the chance to learn to cope with many common problems on their own.

Much of the Learning is Hands-On
The lessons in a Montessori classroom are more interactive than most other classrooms. This approach is considered an essential part of the learning experience, instead of just an option. One of the advantages is better engagement, so often lost in traditional learning. You'll find that the way the lessons are structured and the items used in the lessons will appeal to your child's natural curiosity.

Your Child Will Be a Better Decision-Maker
The Montessori philosophy is based, in part, around the idea that children with more leeway to make decisions make better ones. The students can make a lot of their own decisions about how they learn, within reason. Your child will know what their teacher expects of them, and make better decisions knowing those expectations. Students will learn special skills that will benefit them both inside and outside the classroom.

Their Education is in Good Hands
Many people who aren't familiar with Montessori schools aren't aware of how academically sound the curriculum is. For some learning styles, this method is superior to what they might learn in a public school setting. Some children thrive best academically when they are in a less structured class environment. Your child will learn everything that is essential to their academic success, in a way that engages them.


Contact the Montessori School of Flagstaff Westside Campus today for a tour of our school.  We invite parents and students to spend a day in our classrooms to learn about Monetssori education and the Montessori difference firsthand.

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