“In the beginning, before you were born, before your mother and father were born, before your grandparents were born, before there were even people on the earth, before there was an earth! There was nothing…nothing at all.”
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Aug
29
Toys for Children: Less is More
I’ve never been a big fan of toy boxes. They seem messy, and as if they’re designed for toys to get lost and/or broken in them. It’s hard to teach children to be careful of their toys when the way to put them away is toss them into a box with a bunch of other stuff. So when we started thinking about how to set up our son’s room and how to store/display his toys, I knew I didn’t want a toy box.
Read MoreJul
24
Every Child Has Exceptional Potential
It’s not that Montessori only works with exceptional children. Rather, from our point of view, every child is blessed with exceptional potential, your child included.
Read MoreJul
23
Conflict: Break It Up And Break It Down
In a previous post, we explored how natural consequences can help children learn to control their own behaviors. A question arose in the comments: “How should adults (parents and teacher alike) handle a child who is disruptive and aggressive to others?”
Read MoreJul
17
Hands On Learning
Julia Child attended Montessori school and credits that education (in her book Julia Child and Company) for her love of working with her hands.
Read MoreJul
17
George Washington Was a Montessorian?
More recently, this morning I found ‘Montessori’ too, more than 40 years later, when, as I straightened up my office I pulled off of my bulletin board a postcard I sent myself in 2009 from Mt. Vernon.
Read MoreJul
10
To Crib or Not to Crib
Excitement, happiness, anticipation, nervousness…..these are all feelings that rush through a couple’s mind when they find out they are expecting their first child. Then the questions start flooding in: Will it be a boy or girl? Who will it look like? Will it be healthy? What do we need? This last question can be a bit daunting. However, similar to being newly engaged, couples find joy in planning for their new life together and begin making lists of all the things they would like to have.
Read MoreJul
10
Why Don’t Kids Like School?
It reminds me of a presentation I made several years ago to the “Men’s Business Breakfast Club”. I asked, “How many of you like learning something new?” and every hand went up. Then I asked, “How many of you liked school?” and almost every hand went down.
Read MoreJul
9
Practical Life at Home
As a stay at home mom, I am constantly looking for ways to incorporate Practical Life exercises into our home and routine. The great thing is, this isn’t all that hard… though it does require more time and patience, and I will likely have to go through and re-do things afterwards anyway. This can be frustrating sometimes, but it can also be really fun and rewarding – there’s nothing like realizing your kid really can do a lot more than you’d given him credit for.
Read MoreJun
27
It’s Only Natural
A parent of a new student called me to let me know I should “put Steven in a time-out if he is being naughty.” I thanked her for her suggestion, and mentioned that in Montessori we don’t believe in using time-outs. She didn’t seem convinced that I could “handle” her energetic son any other way, but after observing Steven in the classroom just a few months later, her perspective changed.
Read MoreJun
27
“They Tricked Us Into Learning!”
I first heard of Montessori when I was in high school. I made some close friends at that time who had gone to Montessori through their elementary years. One of my favorite quotes about Montessori education came from one of them– it was a friend who said he figured out at one point that his Montessori teachers had “tricked” him into learning!
Read MoreJun
27
Understanding Montessori
With this recent publication Maren Schmidt gathers upon her full-range of Montessori experience to help parents better understand what, how, and why a Montessori education is the appropriate choice for children of all ages.
Read MoreJun
27
I Am a Montessori Geek
Geeks hunt for the best. Movie geeks want theatres with the best sound systems and projectors. Fashionistas shop for cutting edge, unique fashions. Education geeks pursue the most elegant and effective educational practices and my search led me to the Montessori Method. I beg your indulgence as I share my journey.
Read MoreJun
27
The Secret of Childhood
One of my jobs is to meet with prospective parents after what is often their first observation in a Montessori classroom. My first question to them is simply, “What did you see?” Here are the actual quotes from observers in toddler and primary classes with whom I met this November, in response to that question
Read MoreJun
26
No Full Frontal Teaching
Teachers: three archtypal advertising images: A smiling young woman stands in front of a chalkboard, and looks at hands raised from desks. Five students gather around a table-top globe, and look attentively as their teacher points out a location. A young man stands, shirt sleeves rolled up, in front of hands raised from desks.
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