Most children start Montessori at an early age. They quickly grow accustomed to the beautiful materials. They grow accustomed to being treated with respect. What happens when a child who has never been in Montessori sees Montessori materials for the first time? What happens when a child who has never been in Montessori is treated with respect?
No two days are alike in any elementary classroom. Students buzz with activity, moving in and out of projects and conversations like busy bees. But there are ways to include some consistent (but not very time-consuming) activities each day that teach important skills and help establish the tone for work time. Here are my favorites.
A common question I hear frequently is "How can I find a Montessori school near me?". I thought I'd put together all the resources I know about in one helpful post. There are several ways to go about finding a Montessori school.
Japan is a beautiful country full of history and tradition. Our newest history set, Ancient Civilizations - Japan, extends over the past 14,000 years to take a look at the fascinating history of Japan. We cover famous people, places, and things that made up Ancient Japan.
I was reminded recently that Maria Montessori did not provide us with an elementary curriculum, simply with materials and the instructions on how to use them. (This is aside from the underlying philosophy—I am speaking simply of the tools we have in the classroom.) This can mean that we have, as my trainer Sister Mary called them, “gaps” in what a Montessori child learns.
I get more and more questions about 9-12 all the time, and I think it's great! It means that parents and teachers are so thrilled with the way children progress in 6-9, they want it to continue. I've been assembling some helpful 9-12 information and thought it would be nice to put it together in one post.
It’s no secret that homeschooling is growing, and with that explosive growth, the number of people wanting to implement Montessori at home is growing too. Most available resources, especially Montessori albums (instruction manuals) are geared towards classroom teaching – few are targeted to homeschoolers. But now a new resource has entered the field!
The materials in my store span the ages of 2-15, but sometimes teachers and parents are interested in only the 9-12 materials. So, here's a helpful list of everything I sell that can be used in 9-12...
This is a question that I am often asked by parents: how can I help my child make the transition from primary (preschool) to elementary? Or, from an elementary teacher, how can I help the incoming first graders make a smooth transition? My Montessori trainer, Sister Mary, used to tell us that transitioning from the 3-6 to 6-9 environment was one of the hardest things a child had to do. Most of that was because of the differences between primary and elementary.
This is the time of year for gift-giving, and it's not a surprise that I like to give my children educational gifts mixed in with the toys. The great thing is there are lots of fantastic places offering educational games, activities, books, kits, and crafts for every age group. Here are some of my favorites!