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Montessori At-Home Day A Million

Montessori At-Home Day A Million

We're still doing this. It's been almost a year since most schools were affected by the pandemic, almost a year since many of our children have been inside their classrooms. Those who have returned have. found new preparations in these prepared environments, new obstacles to the society by cohesion. There's joy there, to be sure, but it's different. This week, I'll remind you of some basics for at home, then we'll think about issues of persistence and how they present themse

Montessori At-Home Day One`

Montessori At-Home Day One`

This is the first in a series to support families and teachers as they navigate new spaces for teaching and learning. Be sure to email with specific questions you have at home, or to suggest other resources to share with the community. In an ideal world, parents and teachers build collaborative relationships over days, weeks and months, working well when things are going well, and establishing the trust on which they'll rely when things get tricky. Y'all. Things are getting t

Evoking Gratitude

Evoking Gratitude

As we approach the American Thanksgiving, it's a time to be aware of the things for which we are grateful. But how do we "teach" a virtue that we hope will come from within? As with all of the Montessori environment, we do so authentically and in a way that reflects what we know about children's development. For toddlers, modeling gratitude sets the foundation for children to express it themselves later. Teaching and parenting toddlers is all about modeling the care and atten

Movement and the Toddler

Movement and the Toddler

It's estimated that most toddlers walk the equivalent of two and a half miles, roughly 14,000 steps (but also including over a hundred falls.) And, if that toddler is yours, you might be sure they take most of them between putting on their shoes and walking out the door. Toddlers are hardly the most efficient of movers, easily distracted while they're up and about, changing directions, taking time to squat or bend over or sit down every once in a while. It may be frustrating,

Montessori Transitions: Early Childhood to Elementary

Montessori Transitions: Early Childhood to Elementary

Montessori's multiage classrooms typically run in three-year cycles, 0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, 12-15, and 15-18. But what about those ages when a child can be in the third year of the cycle or the first, like 6, 9, 12, and 15? These liminal years come with challenges and joys for parents and teachers alike as we try to match the developmental needs of the child with the demands of the social dynamics of the classrooms. And, for these older ages, those social dynamics matter a lot.

Movement and the Toddler

Movement and the Toddler

It's estimated that most toddlers walk the equivalent of two and a half miles, roughly 14,000 steps (but also including over a hundred falls.) And, if that toddler is yours, you might be sure they take most of them between putting on their shoes and walking out the door. Toddlers are hardly the most efficient of movers, easily distracted while they're up and about, changing directions, taking time to squat or bend over or sit down every once in a while. It may be frustrating,

Montessori in the Wild: How to handle children's discipline when you're not in a Montessori

Montessori in the Wild: How to handle children's discipline when you're not in a Montessori

Tis the season: Office Family Parties, Holiday Open-Houses, busy shopping centers, neighborhood get-togethers. Our children's social calendars are often as busy or busier than ours are this season. And since many of these events include communities that are not school-based and therefore not "prepared environments", it's a good time to prepare yourself and your child for these unfamiliar settings. Don't expect predictable behavior in unpredictable circumstances: Your child, a

In the Kitchen with Maria

In the Kitchen with Maria

Montessori early childhood classrooms are orderly, tidy, prepared spaces within which children have access to all the tools and materials they need to thrive. They also tend to be more peaceful, more collaborative and more focused than one might expect of a preschool setting. This is not a coincidence. Montessori early childhood classrooms are more peaceful, more collaborative and more focused because they are orderly, tidy, prepared spaces within which children have access t

The Season of Misgivings

The Season of Misgivings

We're approaching the end of the calendar year and, at here in the US, the start of the admissions season. For new parents, this means time to visit lots of schools, Montessori and otherwise. For parents of experienced Montessori children, it means revisiting their commitment to this model of education and, often, questioning whether their children might need to go to "real school" next year. Especially for parents whose children are approaching typical transition times, like

Nightly News: Talking with Children and Teens about Difficult Events

Nightly News: Talking with Children and Teens about Difficult Events

In even the most carefully prepared environments, children may hear and watch difficult news coverage, stories that their parents are processing at the same time, or current events that can leave them confused or scared. Our exposure to "bad news" is growing: while statistics show that crime overall in the US is lower than it has been in the past, news coverage of crimes has increased over 200%. Local news channels often lead with stories about violence, and can devote as muc

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