The questions parents ask
The Blog
What is active learning?
29 Sept 2026
Learning to read and write early: what are the benefits?
Is reading early a race to perform? What research says about the benefits of learning to read and write early, and the conditions that make it work.
29 Sept 2026
Individualised active learning: our approach
Active, individualised, teaching: three words that sum up how we help children learn, between freedom, structure and kind but high expectations.
28 Sept 2026
A child's curiosity: why it is essential for learning
A child's endless 'why?' drives learning. How school and home can preserve that curiosity instead of gradually switching it off.
28 Sept 2026
Individualised teaching: how to adapt learning to each child
Adapting pace, explanations and expectations without giving up on the group: what individualised teaching really is, and where its limits lie.
28 Sept 2026
Critical thinking in children: how to learn to think for yourself
Critical thinking is not about learning to say no: it is about checking, telling a fact from an opinion, and being able to change your mind.
28 Sept 2026
Active learning: what it really is, and how children learn
Principles, the teacher's role, benefits, limits and common misconceptions: what active learning really means, and what it changes for a child.
28 Sept 2026
Why can small classes change the way a child learns?
Fewer children per class guarantees nothing on its own. What a small class really changes, and how to check that a school makes use of it.
28 Sept 2026
Problem-solving at school: teaching children to search, not just to find
Knowing how to apply a method is not enough when facing a new problem. How to help a child search, make mistakes and try again.
28 Sept 2026
How to follow a child's progress at school beyond marks
A mark measures a result, not always progress. What serious progress tracking really looks at, and the questions to ask a school.
Choosing a school for your child
29 Sept 2026
Montessori or active learning: what is the difference?
Da Vinci Private School is not a Montessori school. What we borrow from Montessori, what sets us apart, and why we talk about active learning.
28 Sept 2026
How to choose a primary school: the 15 criteria that really matter
Class size, pace, progress tracking, mistakes, independence, languages, parents: 15 criteria for looking at a primary school beyond its brochure.
28 Sept 2026
How to choose a school for your child in France
State, private 'sous contrat', private 'hors contrat': how the three types of school in France differ, and what to look at to choose well.
28 Sept 2026
State, private or international school: what difference for a child?
State, private under contract or independent, bilingual, international: what these labels cover in France, and what to look at behind them.
11 Dec 2024
The TIMSS 2023 results: a call to action for mathematics education in France
French secondary pupils underperform in mathematics compared with their international peers. How Da Vinci Private School answers that challenge.
23 Jul 2024
Nursery in Montpellier: Da Vinci Private School in Castelnau-le-Lez (Hérault)
Da Vinci Private School, a high-quality alternative to the traditional nurseries and day care of the Montpellier area, from the age of 2.
Helping your child build confidence
30 Sept 2026
A child who doubts themselves: how to help at school
They know the answer but won't say it; they redo an exercise ten times for fear of a mistake. How to help a child who doubts themselves, without empty praise.
30 Sept 2026
Bright child struggling at school: why?
They grasp things fast and ask surprising questions, yet their results don't follow. Why ability and success at school don't always go together.
30 Sept 2026
Child afraid to answer in class: why it happens
They know the answer but won't put their hand up, for fear of being wrong. Understanding this block, and helping a child speak up one small step at a time.
30 Sept 2026
Why is my child bored at school?
Too easy, too hard, low confidence, the wrong pace: boredom at school has several causes. What to watch for before looking for a solution.
30 Sept 2026
Bored at school despite good grades: why?
Good marks, and yet they're bored. Why doing well is not the same as thriving, and how to find the right level of difficulty.
30 Sept 2026
Praising a child: intelligence or effort?
Is “you're smart” a good compliment? What research says, and simple phrases to help a child understand how they learn.
30 Sept 2026
First day of school: preparing your child and yourself
Independence, language, toilets, separation: simple ways to prepare your child for their first day of school, without turning it into a training programme.
29 Sept 2026
Mistakes at school: a step, not a punishment
A mistake is not the opposite of learning: it is part of it. How school can turn mistakes into information rather than a judgement on the child.
28 Sept 2026
Independence at school: learning to do it alone without being left alone
Being independent does not mean being alone. How school and parents help a child learn to do things step by step, without leaving them on their own.
28 Sept 2026
Self-confidence at school: how to help a child dare to learn
'I'm useless', 'I'll get it wrong': how school and parents can help a child dare to try, without turning mistakes into an identity.
28 Sept 2026
What role should parents play in their child's learning?
Homework, motivation, screens, working with the school: how to support your child without becoming a second teacher or doing it for them.
Becoming bilingual: a real strength
29 Sept 2026
Do bilingual children really know more words?
Chien and dog: one word or two? What research really says about bilingual children's vocabulary, and why counting words is not enough.
29 Sept 2026
Which language should you speak to your child at home?
Should you give up your family language to speak English at home? Why the richness of your conversations matters more than how useful a language is.
28 Sept 2026
At what age should a child start learning English?
Pre-school, primary school, later? Why the regularity and quality of exposure matter as much as age when a child learns English.
28 Sept 2026
Can a child learn two languages without mixing them up?
Is it worrying when a child mixes French and English in one sentence? What this mixing really means, and when it is worth asking questions.
28 Sept 2026
Bilingual immersion or English lessons: what difference for a child?
English lessons, bilingual sections, immersion: what really changes for a child, and the questions to ask when comparing two bilingual schools.
Life at Da Vinci
29 Sept 2026
School uniform: why we chose it
Not so that children look alike, but so that what sets them apart is not their clothes: why Da Vinci Private School chose a school uniform.
22 Sept 2026
Halloween: Keeping English Alive Through Culture, Play and Immersion
How immersion, play and storytelling help bilingual children live English rather than just maintain it — inside the Da Vinci Club Halloween Holiday Camp.