The Fessy Den Blog

How Questions Shape Cognitive Development in Pre-K

Parents of preschool-aged children are subject to daily, hourly, and even minute-by-minute questions. Queries about what things are and how they work can be heard from car seats, at the dinner table, and in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night. If you find yourself growing tired of answering so many questions—sometimes the same question three...
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Fourth Grade: Fuel a Desire to Learn During this Critical Year

Fourth grade is a critical year in a student’s academic journey. As children become some of the oldest students in elementary school, they find themselves caught between two worlds: a warm, nurturing environment and an increasingly stimulating setting in which they encounter rich social and academic adventures. Fourth graders still need hands-on support and guidance,...
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3 Ways to Turn Your Fourth Grader into an Avid Reader

In a world where technology is ubiquitous, games and entertainment are available at our fingertips, and attention spans are shrinking, is there a sweeter sight than your child engrossed in the pages of an actual book? Fourth grade is one of the most critical years for your developing reader, and this year can make a...
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2 Developmental Areas The Fessenden School Looks at in Pre-K Applicants

At 3 and 4 years old, children don’t have transcripts to review. How can you possibly determine readiness in pre-kindergarten applicants? At The Fessenden School, the pre-K admissions process was designed not to judge individual applicants, but to create a class. As Margaret Kelly, Director of Lower School Admissions, explains, her team’s mission is to...
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The Truth About Academic Redshirting

Your child will turn 5 this summer. It’s not a bad time for a birthday party; the kids can run around outside, play in the pool, enjoy grilled hot dogs and hamburgers. But for many parents, the fun of a summertime birthday is overshadowed by an agonizing decision. Do you start your son in kindergarten...
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3 Things You Can Learn About Educating Young Boys – A Male Early Education Teacher’s Perspective

Male teachers are a rarity in American elementary schools, in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten education, especially. According to data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the more than 600,000 preschool and kindergarten teachers in the U.S. in 2014, less than three percent were men. So, as a male kindergarten teacher, Fessenden’s Keith Fortier...
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Designed For Play: How Fessenden’s New Playground Helps Boys Learn

When visiting families see the new playground at The Fessenden School, one thing stands out right away: It doesn’t look anything like a playground—not the ones they grew up with, anyway. Fessenden’s playground has no slides, swings, or monkey bars. In fact, it has nothing you would recognize as traditional playground equipment. “A traditional playground...
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