I have known Maria for many years, having worked for Little Schools and for Maria in both NZ and China. I had the pleasure of attending several of Maria’s training courses, each unique and transformative. Her sessions on sensory training, phonics instruction, and the Reggio Emilia approach were some of my favourites, and they enriched my understanding of early childhood education and the importance of this field. As a presenter, Maria brings warmth, energy, and expertise to every workshop, guiding us through interactive, hands-on activities and practical examples that made the learning experience both informative and enjoyable. The depth and quality of her content, combined with her supportive approach, gave me the confidence and practical skills needed to apply these methodologies in my own classrooms. In fact, the insights I gained under her guidance were instrumental in preparing me for my role as a principal in an international school in China, where I’ve successfully integrated these concepts to enhance our curriculum. Now that Maria is launching her own training programs, I am certain that many more educators will benefit from her engaging style and exceptional expertise.

With 20 years of teaching experience, I’ve seen firsthand how important it is to build strong brain foundations in children. These training programs are designed to equip educators with practical tools and knowledge to support children’s development in meaningful ways. They emphasize understanding child development deeply and provide strategies that can be applied in everyday teaching to create a positive and lasting impact on young learners.

Maria has years of experience in education and leadership. I have found her courses incredible, and she has been a significant role model to my own teaching practice and pedagogy. Her sense of humour, depth of knowledge and practical ideas of implementation, have inspired me to be the teacher and parent I am today.

Maria delivered a series of training workshops that was delivered and made available to a national workforce across the regions in New Zealand. Her insights, approach and expertise allowed her to engage at an educational level to the participants. From the meetings we had to check in, to when the sessions began, Maria demonstrated a deep understanding of the subject matter, as well as a rare ability to share and communicate complex concepts in a clear and engaging way. Maria made excellent efforts to ensure the content was fit for purpose, that it met the needs of the audience and the outcomes we were trying to achieve. The series of workshops were incredibly well-structured, balancing theory with practical applications, which allowed the participants to have knowledge and ideas to implement within their settings. Maria was not only knowledgeable but also highly professional and articulate, creating an environment that encouraged participation and fostered collaboration (this is always hard to do online in a virtual world!). What stood out most was Maria’s ability to draw on current research, and tailor the content to our specific needs. She took the time to understand the intent and challenges and adjusted the material to be relevant to the work of the participants, ensuring the training was both applicable and impactful. Each session was never long enough, and the feedback from the attendees showed the positive impact Maria’s workshops had on them. ‘Yikes – 6 pagers of notes and feel like there was so much more I wanted to get down! ‘ The attendee’s feeling of “growing in confidence” and being “better equipped to have conversations” from Maria’s workshops has enabled them to support teachers with their tamariki in understanding child development. I would recommend Maria if schools, teachers or parents are looking for a skilled, insightful and engaging trainer.

I have worked with Maria for almost a decade and have learnt so much valuable information about reflexes, and sensory motor development. Lots of which I have carried through with my own children. Her knowledge and expertise about the early years is second to none.