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The Merryhill Method

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What Is The Merryhill Method?

The Merryhill Method is Merryhill School’s approach to helping students become confident, resilient, and increasingly independent learners. Students are active participants in their learning, not just recipients of instruction. Through daily active participation and strong academics, children build three pillars: Confidence, Resilience, and Independence. Together, these pillars drive academic achievement and personal growth from preschool through 8th grade.

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Learning Starts With Active Participation

Confident children are curious children. Curiosity drives participation, exploration, and a love of learning. Strong classroom culture, clear expectations, and engaged peers give every child room to contribute, connect, and grow. Active participation is how the pillars of the Merryhill Method come to life. Every day, Merryhill students are encouraged and challenged to:

 

  • Contribute their ideas in class discussions
  • Make choices about how they learn and what they explore
  • Ask questions and follow their curiosity
  • Solve problems on their own and with their peers
  • Take appropriate risks, knowing it’s safe to try and try again
  • Own their learning, with more ownership each year as they grow

The Three Pillars

Confidence

Confidence is a habit at Merryhill, built as children practice it every day through active participation in their learning. Through student ambassadors, daily morning meetings, and classroom discussions, children learn to speak up, share ideas, and lead with self-assurance. By the time they graduate, speaking up in a room full of people feels as natural as talking to a friend.

Resilience

Your child will learn to turn an incorrect answer, a failed experiment, or a challenging conversation with a friend into a chance to grow. At Merryhill, we teach students to adjust their approach and keep going, turning setbacks into practice for resilience instead of reasons to quit. Ask any of our teachers and they’ll tell you: our students don’t give up easily.

Independence

Your child will learn to make choices and take ownership of their work, from putting on their own jacket in preschool, managing their own assignments in elementary school, and mentoring younger students in middle school. It’s independence they’ll carry with them well beyond graduation. Long after they’ve left Merryhill, that same self-direction will show up in how they take on something new.

Loved by Merryhill Families

Parent Reviews
“Our daughter is getting an enriching preschool experience. Since joining Merryhill Preschool, she has advanced immensely in verbal communication, interpersonal skills, and fine motor development. She comes home every day singing songs and talking all about the activities she did with her teachers and friends.”
Bennett E., Pre-K Parent Verified Parent
“The biggest change I’ve seen in my son isn’t academic. It’s the confidence and excitement he now has for learning. Thank you, Merryhill!”
Bethanie C., Kindergarten Parent Verified Parent
“My child has been at this private school for a few years, and we see his confidence and problem solving skills improving every day. He is motivated and looks forward to achieving new things at school. We couldn’t be prouder.”
Heather E., 2nd Grade Parent Verified Parent

The Merryhill Method at Every Age

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Preschool

Pre-K students predict what the weather chart will show, lead imaginative play with their friends, and answer questions at circle time. When a toy car ramp doesn’t send the car far enough or a pattern breaks halfway through, they rebuild it and try again. They put on their own coats before outdoor time, take on classroom jobs, and comfort a classmate who’s upset. Along the way, they read sight words, write their first and last names, count to 100, and make predictions in science experiments.

Kindergarten

Kindergartners build confidence one small step at a time, starting with sharing an idea at Morning Meeting. When a block tower falls or a word won’t sound right, they learn to try again. They follow classroom routines, clean up on their own, and help their friends. Over the full day, they count to 100, retell stories, design and test simple solutions in science, keep a steady beat in music, and learn their first Spanish words. It’s the year children learn they can figure things out on their own, and they carry that confidence into first grade.

Elementary School

Elementary students present their work to the class, revise it after feedback, and take on classroom leadership roles. Along the way, they grow into confident readers, build strong math skills, investigate real problems in science and social studies, and explore art, music, PE, and world language. By 5th grade, they manage their own assignments and see a project through from start to finish.

Middle School

Middle schoolers defend an argument in a debate, retest a hypothesis after a failed lab, and manage homework across several subjects. Along the way, they take on ratios and equations, run lab experiments, and propose solutions to real problems in their community. By 8th grade, they lead groups, speak in front of an audience, mentor younger students, and choose their own electives. That’s the confidence they take with them into high school.

Bring the Merryhill Method Home

The Merryhill Method doesn’t stop at the classroom door. The confidence, resilience, and independence your child practices at school grow even stronger when they’re practiced at home. Small, everyday moments make the biggest difference:

  • Let them speak for themselves. Encourage your child to order their own meal or tell a grandparent about their week.
  • Focus on progress. When your child feels stuck, remind them they just haven’t figured it out yet, and that every try gets them closer.
  • Give them a real job. Preschoolers can set the table, elementary students can pack their own backpack, and middle schoolers can keep track of their own assignments.
  • Answer a question with a question. When your child asks why, ask what they think before you explain.
  • Praise the effort. Celebrate your child’s hard work and persistence, not just the result, so they learn that effort is what leads to success.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Merryhill School focused on strong academics?

Yes. Academic expectations grow with your child each year, and the Merryhill Method is how we help them meet those expectations with confidence.

2. What does active participation mean?

Active participation is the common thread of the Merryhill Method. Students are encouraged and challenged to contribute, make choices, ask questions, solve problems, and take ownership of their learning each year.

3. Does the Merryhill Method work the same for a preschooler and an 8th grader?

The pillars are the same, but how they show up changes. A preschooler might build confidence by sharing an idea at circle time. An 8th grader might build it by leading a group discussion or advocating for their own electives.

4. How does the Merryhill Method compare to Montessori?

Montessori is an educational philosophy developed by Dr. Maria Montessori that emphasizes independence, hands-on learning, exploration, and allowing children to take an active role in their learning. Montessori classrooms often give children choices in what they work on and encourage them to learn at their own pace, with teachers guiding and supporting their progress. Many of these ideas are similar to what we value through the Merryhill Method, particularly helping children become confident, independent learners who are willing to try, solve problems, and take ownership of their learning.

At Merryhill, we believe strong academics and personal development work together. Children are explicitly building foundational academic skills while also learning to participate, communicate, solve problems, take ownership, handle challenges, and keep trying. Teacher guidance, small group instruction, and peer support are an active part of that learning experience, rather than the classroom being primarily organized around independent child choice.

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