bellevue-montessori-school

Keeping Routines While Honoring the Joy of New Experiences

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 11:00:33 GMT

As we prepare for the holiday season, many of us look forward to the joyful energy of visitors, celebrations, and time spent together. Yet even the most welcome changes can shift daily rhythms, affecting children and adults alike.

In Montessori philosophy, routines provide a sense of order and security, essential ingredients for children’s growing independence and emotional well-being. Balancing these familiar structures with the excitement of new experiences can help all of us enjoy the season with greater calm and connection.

Recognizing What Children Communicate

When children’s behavior shifts during times of change, it often reflects their environment. New faces, altered schedules, and fluctuating parental attention can all contribute to feelings of uncertainty. Instead of viewing potential behavior shifts as unwelcome, we can interpret them as valuable communication, essentially our children’s way of expressing a need for stability and reassurance.

One of the most powerful responses we can provide is simple presence. Taking a few moments to sit beside our children, observe their play, or join them in a familiar activity can quickly restore their sense of connection. Even brief, focused attention can help children feel grounded and secure, allowing their natural cooperation and joy to reemerge.

Once children feel calm and connected, they are better able to engage in conversations about upcoming changes. During these connected moments, we can explain that routines (mealtimes, bedtimes, or daily activities) may look different during the holidays. These conversations help children prepare for the adjustments ahead and strengthen their trust in the adults guiding them.

Preparing for Change Together

Taking some simple steps before family gatherings or holidays can help children understand what lies ahead. Children thrive on predictability, so talking about what will remain consistent and what will change reduces anxiety and increases their capacity to adapt.

● What routines will stay the same?

● What might be different during this time?

● Which activities or traditions are most meaningful to us?

Creating a visual calendar or using a whiteboard to map out plans gives children a concrete way to anticipate events. Inviting them to help with small preparations, such as choosing decorations, helping plan meals, or organizing activities, empowers them to feel capable and included.

Finding Joy in Shared Experiences

While routines provide comfort, flexibility also allows us to experience the joy of spontaneity. The holidays offer a wonderful opportunity to create shared moments such as storytelling, baking together, making crafts, or simply taking a walk outdoors. These experiences help build memories that connect generations.

Inviting extended family members to share stories or recollections from past gatherings can also be grounding. Collecting these memories, perhaps in a family scrapbook or memory journal, creates continuity across time and reminds children that they are part of a larger story.

Children and relatives alike often find satisfaction in contributing to family life. Tasks such as preparing vegetables, setting the table, or folding napkins offer children a sense of purpose and belonging. In true Montessori fashion, participation is more valuable than perfection.

Creating New Rhythms with Intention

The holiday season invites us to find balance between the comfort of familiar routines and the excitement of new experiences. By planning thoughtfully, staying flexible, and responding to children’s needs with empathy, we can approach these times with harmony and joy.

In Montessori education, rhythm and order are seen as foundations for growth, while curiosity and discovery fuel the joy of learning. This holiday season, let’s bring this kind of balance into our homes. By honoring both structure and spontaneity, we create an environment where children feel secure, connected, and free to delight in the world around them.

The Real Secrets to Raising Readers

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 11:01:13 GMT

In this intense era of screens, our children’s connection to books can feel more elusive. We want our children to love reading, but this hope is often mixed with some frustration. Coaxing, reminding, begging, bribing: these may seem like ways to fix the problem. But they tend not to create a long-term love of reading.

So what are the secrets to getting children to read more books?

In Montessori, we try to look at ourselves first to determine what we can shift within ourselves and in our children’s environment. Here are two helpful questions to ask in this process:

Do we limit our children’s access to electronic entertainment?

Do our children see us reading at home?

These are two of the most powerful secrets to raising children who love to read.

The Role of the Environment and Example Setting

When many of us were growing up, screens weren’t constantly competing for our attention. Television hours were limited, and when friends weren’t around, we often turned to books. Getting lost in a story was both exciting and deeply satisfying.

For many of us, those early experiences shaped not only our imaginations but also our academic lives, as the habit of reading can make schoolwork and later studies easier and more enjoyable.

Today, we face new challenges with our children. Setting limits on screens takes real effort, and finding time to model reading can feel nearly impossible. Yet these two factors—limits and example setting—remain essential.

Boundaries Around Screens

Setting limits isn’t only about how much time children spend with electronic devices, but also where they use them. When devices are used in private spaces, they become part of a child’s daily rhythm in a way that’s hard to monitor and even harder to moderate. Keeping electronics in common areas makes it easier to create balance and accountability.

Of course, sometimes limiting screen use simply doesn’t feel practical. There are times we need quiet. We have housework that needs to get done. We may feel like it’s easier when our children are occupied with an electronic distraction. However, in those moments, it can help to think about our priorities: Would a little more noise or clutter in the living room be worth the trade-off of better balance for our child? Sometimes short-term inconveniences create long-term growth.

Why Limits Matter

Creating limits teaches children far more than when to turn off a screen. It teaches them about moderation, balance, and boundaries, the very skills they’ll need as independent, responsible adults.

When we give in to tantrums or constant demands for entertainment, children learn that persistence in protest leads to results. They are hard-wired to test limits because that's how they find out where those limits are. Our job is to stay steady, calm, and consistent. Children actually find comfort in knowing that the adult is in charge of the boundary.

Read With Them

In addition to setting boundaries for electronic use, another critical step is making reading a part of daily life. If we want our children to read more, a first step is to read to them, even when they’re capable of reading on their own.

● For young children, make story time a daily ritual.

● For older children, share interesting news articles, recipes, or stories from your day.

● Create a quiet, well-lit reading nook in your home.

● Designate “screen-free” times in the evening when everyone (adults included!) reads.

When children see us reading, it normalizes the habit. It communicates the message that reading isn’t just for assignments or school, but rather is part of a full, rich life. Children who grow up surrounded by books and readers begin to see reading as something enjoyable and deeply human.

In the end, the “secrets” to raising readers aren’t really secrets at all. They’re about creating an environment that invites curiosity, setting limits that protect attention, and modeling the joy of learning every single day.

Montessori Materials Explained: The Flat Bead Frame

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 11:00:57 GMT

The Flat Bead Frame, also known as the Horizontal Bead Frame or Golden Bead Frame, is one of the most elegant bridges between the concrete and the abstract in the Montessori elementary math curriculum. It allows children to work with very large numbers, up to the hundreds of millions, while continuing to manipulate tangible representations of each place value.

Unlike many elementary materials designed for group exploration, this work is typically done individually (or with a partner), offering quiet moments of concentration and reflection amid the classroom’s collaborative hum.

From the Large Bead Frame to the Flat Bead Frame

At first glance, the Flat Bead Frame looks similar to the Large Bead Frame, but it represents a significant step forward in abstraction. The Large Bead Frame has seven horizontal wires and color-coded beads arranged by the simple, thousands, and millions period, thereby emphasizing the hierarchical nature of the decimal system.

In contrast, the Flat Bead Frame is organized vertically, with nine columns of golden beads, all identical in color, representing units through one hundred million. The numerical categories are written across the top, and red zeroes are printed along the bottom to highlight the effect of multiplying by powers of ten. The golden color of the beads makes the material more symbolic, signaling that the child is now ready to move away from concrete color coding toward pure quantity and value.

Introducing the Material: Connecting the Known to the New

When introducing this material, we often begin by inviting a child to compare it with the Large Bead Frame. This connection helps the child orient to what is familiar while noticing what is new: the vertical organization, the placement of numbers, the red zeros, and the use of golden beads instead of hierarchical colors.

The child then begins with a simple multiplication problem, like 1,246 × 3. We write the multiplicand on a paper strip and place it beneath the wires so that each digit aligns with its corresponding place value. Using gray number cards or slips of paper for the multiplier, the child then moves the beads to represent each partial product. The process is rhythmic and deliberate: 6 units three times is 18 units (eight units and one ten)… 4 tens three times is 12 tens (four tens and one hundred)… The movement of beads down the frame creates a clear, physical representation of the multiplication process.

Moving Toward Abstraction: Powers of Ten in Action

As the child progresses, the Flat Bead Frame becomes a tool for exploring long multiplication (also called compound multiplication) and multiplication by powers of ten. When the multiplier contains tens, hundreds, or thousands, the child learns to physically shift the multiplicand to the left—mirroring the way zeros are added in written notation. The red zeroes along the base of the frame make this concept immediately visible. What might otherwise be a rote rule (“just add a zero”) becomes an embodied experience of place value and the movement of quantity through hierarchical orders.

A Continuation of Earlier Montessori Work

This material builds on experiences children had with the Bank Game at the primary level, when they would work as a group to exchange quantities of 10 for the next category. On the Flat Bead Frame, however, the work becomes deeply personal and precise. It requires concentration, accuracy, and an understanding of the relationships between categories. These qualities help build the foundation for true mathematical abstraction.

The Mathematical Mind in Motion

Through this work, children reinforce their multiplication facts, internalize the commutative law, and gain confidence in working with large numbers. More importantly, they begin to grasp that mathematics follows a consistent and logical structure, one they can visualize, manipulate, and eventually imagine without the aid of concrete materials.

A Quiet Revelation

The Flat Bead Frame exemplifies Montessori’s belief that “the hand is the instrument of the mind.” As children move the golden beads, their understanding of place value and multiplication deepens. The process of working with the Flat Bead Frame provides children with a conceptual leap from seeing mathematics as a set of operations to recognizing it as a beautifully ordered system.

10 Minutes That Change Everything: The Power of Special Time with Your Child

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 11:00:45 GMT

Our children are particularly sensitive to changes. Whether something as seemingly small as picture day, or as major as a new sibling, our children feel the energetic shift, and we may see resulting (and perhaps frustrating) changes in their behavior.

The irony is that when our children are acting their worst, they need our love the most. A strategy for handling these kinds of challenges is to set aside “Special Time.”

Special Time is a proactive way to strengthen our relationship with our child. During this time, our role is to be fully present, with no distractions or multitasking. No phone, no dishes, no “just a quick text.” We are giving our child undivided attention and pouring in love, delight, appreciation, and a bit of extra enthusiasm.

We choose when it will happen and how long it will last (it works to start with just ten minutes), and our child chooses what you do together. Yes, this is child-led!

Practical Tips

During Special Time, we follow our child’s lead and play whatever they choose. Be sure to play anything they want during this time and commit to the time together. Children love this special time, and they tend to choose the activity we least enjoy! If this is the case, remember it is only for a short duration. Even a short burst of undivided attention helps children feel secure, valued, and deeply connected. And when children feel connected, they are more cooperative with us and each other.

A timer is essential. Why? Because our child may come up with some big, wild, or noisy ideas! Ten minutes of mess or silliness is easier to embrace than an hour. The timer helps us be all-in, and it reassures our child that this time is both precious and reliable.

If you have more than one child, you’ll want to find ways to protect this one-on-one time. Some parents stagger bedtimes or wake-ups. Others enlist a partner, sitter, or neighbor to help. Sometimes screen time is a perfectly reasonable tool for protecting Special Time with another sibling. With just a little creativity, ten minutes really can fit into the rhythms of family life.

How to Begin

Introduce it. Explain that you’ve learned about a new way to spend time together called Special Time. Commit to doing it every day for the next five days, for ten minutes each time.

Announce special time with joy. When it’s time, say, “It’s time for Special Time! I’m setting the timer for ten minutes, and we can do whatever you want!”

Follow their lead. Join their play. If you’re not sure what to do, sit at their level, smile, and stay present. Sometimes your attention is all they need.

End with affection. When the timer rings, wrap up warmly. A hug, high five, or smile is perfect. Follow what feels right for your child.

Why It Matters

Special Time builds trust, connection, and joy. It gives children the message that they are worthy of our time and attention, not just when they need correction or help, but simply for who they are.

From a Montessori perspective, this practice aligns beautifully with the principle of following the child. In Montessori environments, children thrive because adults prepare the space and then step back, allowing the child’s choices to drive the activity. Special Time brings that same spirit into your home. It tells your child: I see you, I delight in you, and your choices matter.

We often talk about independence, but true independence rests on a foundation of strong, loving relationships. By offering these short, intentional moments, we help our children feel secure, valued, and confident in their choices. These qualities then serve our children in all areas of their growth.

Try this today! Set the timer for ten minutes, follow your child, and see what unfolds.

If you want to learn more about how positive relationships boost closeness and cooperation, set up a time to see our school here in Bellevue, WA.

Navigating Friendships and Social Challenges: A Montessori Parent’s Guide to Building Resilience and Empathy

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 11:01:37 GMT

The elementary years are full of exciting growth and also fraught with tricky social situations. Children are learning how to communicate kindly and effectively, make and maintain friendships, manage their emotions, and solve problems, all while figuring out their place within a group. It’s no surprise that challenges arise.

As parents and caregivers, our instinct is to protect our children, especially when they come home upset. But how we respond matters. Our children do need to vent, and these moments offer powerful opportunities to teach problem-solving, resilience, and compassion.

Common Challenges

Throughout their childhood, children will face a series of challenges with their peers. As children experiment with language, they also experiment with the impact of their words. Silly “potty talk” might elicit a laugh from peers, but then a more serious curse word might cause upset or concern. This is also the time when children may lash out with more hurtful remarks about culture, religion, or skin color. Friendship struggles are also a regular part of the elementary years and can include feeling left out, lacking a “best friend,” or navigating shifting social groups. On top of all of this, some children struggle more with self-control, which can impact peer relationships. These challenges are not signs of failure. Rather, they are a normal part of learning how to relate to others.

Scenarios & Steps

Imagine your child comes home feeling excluded by a group of friends. After four or five times of seeing your child come home upset, you likely feel frustrated and protective. Should you email the teacher right away or help your child learn to self-advocate? Or perhaps your child is worried about a classmate who has tantrums, sometimes pushes, and disrupts the classroom. When you learn the child has ADHD and is receiving support, you may feel compassion, but you still don’t know how to help your child feel safe.

Both scenarios are different, yet these three easy steps provide a road map for a variety of social situations that may arise: start with empathy, pause before reacting, and then work on skill-building with your child.

Step One: Regulate Our Own Emotions

Children are highly attuned to our feelings. Before acting, it’s best to give ourselves time to process. We sometimes refer to this as the “24-hour rule.” This pause helps us avoid acting out of frustration and gives us space to see the bigger picture.

Step Two: Validate Our Child’s Feelings

Resist the urge to jump straight into fixing. Instead, focus on empathy and validation:

“I’m so sorry that happened.”
“That must have felt really unexpected.”
“How are you feeling right now?”

This kind of acknowledgement lets your child know their emotions are normal and safe to express. It’s important to keep ourselves neutral, though. Our children don’t need us to absorb their emotions. Rather, they need a safe space to feel and express themselves without our emotional reactions.

Step Three: Teach Problem-Solving Skills

Problem-solving is not natural at this age, and our children need us to model and support the process. Here is a simple four-step approach:

Brainstorm : This is when we can work with our child to come up with two to three strategies. This is most effective when we keep the skill we want them to learn in mind (e.g. advocacy, making friends, respecting personal space).

Model : We can show them what the strategy looks like. It helps to use humor, stuffed animals, or even role play to make it engaging.

Practice : We want to give our child time to rehearse, just as one would when practicing a sport. During this practice, we can offer encouragement and feedback.

Plan : With our child, we then choose one strategy to try for a few days. We can help our child track progress and create a “Plan B” if needed.

This approach not only teaches social skills but also builds flexibility, persistence, and confidence.

Applying the Steps

Let’s think about the previous scenarios. In the first example of your child feeling excluded, maybe you decide that advocacy is the key skill. Together, you and your child can brainstorm ways to talk to friends. Then, you can select one strategy, practice it through role-playing, and set a plan to implement it for three days. If it doesn’t work, agree to regroup and try Plan B.

In the second example of your child feeling worried about a classmate’s behavior, it can help to both acknowledge your child’s feelings while also modeling being curious about what might be going on for the classmate. You may identify that a key skill is setting boundaries or communicating with an adult about feeling uncomfortable with the behavior. Again, the process is similar: help your child pick a strategy, practice it, apply it, and then reconnect to see how it worked or if it’s worth trying another approach.

In both situations, it can also help to let your child’s classroom teacher know what is coming up at home. Keep in mind, though, that sometimes our children want to vent to parents and caregivers without their teachers knowing. It helps to communicate with your child, “This sounds like something your teacher should know about. Let’s write an email together.” Or if you want to give the teacher a quiet heads-up, be sure to communicate that your child doesn’t know you are reaching out. This is also a great opportunity to see if your child’s classroom teacher has any recommendations for how to guide your child to respond if the situation arises again.

Educators value timely communication. If challenges arise at school, please notify teachers promptly so they can assist children in resolving the issue in real time, rather than weeks later when the dynamic has already shifted. When schools and families work together, children reap the benefits!

Compassion and the Bigger Picture

It’s natural to feel protective when our children experience social challenges. However, when we approach these situations with compassion rather than blame, our children learn to do the same. The skills our children learn (such as problem-solving, advocacy, and empathy) extend far beyond the classroom. They prepare our children to thrive in diverse communities, workplaces, and future relationships.

Supporting children through peer challenges is not about fixing every problem for them. It’s about guiding them to develop the skills, confidence, and compassion they need to manage relationships independently. We invite you to visit us at our school in Bellevue, WA, to see how we help children strengthen their social lives.

Nurturing Persistence and Choice in Children

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 11:01:28 GMT

“If persistence be the true foundation of the will, we nevertheless recognize decision as the act of the will par excellence.”

— Dr. Maria Montessori, Spontaneous Activity in Education

In this quote, Dr. Montessori reminds us that persistence is at the heart of character development. Today, we might call this steadiness and perseverance “grit.”

When children work through obstacles and remain committed to their chosen activity, they are not only building skills. They are forming the very foundation of their will.

Take this typical scene from a Montessori classroom: a four-year-old works with decimal system materials, building four-digit numbers using beads and cards, staying with the activity for an extended period of time, repeating it again and again with intensity and focus. The child gives as much attention to the careful set-up and clean-up as to the work itself.

It’s easy to imagine this young person years later as a hard-working, thoughtful, responsible individual. The four-year-old’s persistence in that moment shapes the future self, strengthening the ability to act with purpose in life.

Decision: The Act of the Will

If persistence is the foundation of the will, decision is the act of the will. And every decision arises from choice. For children, the ability to make choices is essential. Just as movement cannot develop when children are kept immobile, the will cannot develop if children are never given the chance to choose.

Our entire life is a continual exercise of decisions. This ability to choose builds independence. When children cannot make their own decisions (or when they fear making the wrong one), they become dependent on others.

This is why choice is such an important part of the Montessori environment. We strengthen children’s will by continually offering opportunities to decide. The choices don’t have to be large ones. They can be woven gently into the day:

Would you like to carry the tray or the mat?
You may choose any table.
Would you like to put the box or the pencil away first?

Each small decision helps strengthen the will.

Independence Through Choice

Every time children make a decision, they are practicing independence. They are learning to trust themselves instead of depending on the suggestions of others. They decide when to begin and when to finish, when to move and when to pause, when to be quiet and when to speak.

One of our jobs as adults is to ensure that we are giving children opportunities to practice using their will. Just as we don’t keep children motionless when they are learning how to crawl, cruise, walk, or run, we don’t want to impede children’s will when they are learning how to make choices and act upon their environment.

“And yet we do something of the same kind when, in order to educate the child’s ‘will,’ we first of all attempt to annihilate it, or, as we say, ‘break' it, and thus hamper the development of every factor of the will, substituting ourselves for the child in everything.”

— Dr. Maria Montessori, Spontaneous Activity in Education

This is a cautionary reminder for us as adults, as we can all too easily impose our will upon our children. This can happen in overt, overly controlling ways, or it can happen more subtly when adults do things for children rather than allowing them to practice making choices and experiencing consequences.

As Montessori parents and guides, our role is to protect this space for choice. By doing so, we are supporting children’s independence in the present, while also helping them build the persistence, decision-making, and strength of will that will guide them for life.

Curious to see how this works in a classroom? Schedule a tour here in Bellevue, WA!

Montessori Materials Explained: Multiplication & Division Bead Boards

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 11:00:34 GMT

For many children, learning the multiplication tables (and their flip-sided partners, division facts) can feel like a tedious rite of passage. However, in Montessori classrooms, we approach math facts in a concrete, hands-on manner that makes the process both engaging and memorable.

Key tools in this process are the multiplication and division bead boards.

The Multiplication Bead Board

This simple wooden board, with its rows of little indentations and bright red beads, allows children to see multiplication patterns and feel the quantities of a number a certain amount of times.

The top of the board features the numerals 1 through 10, which represent the multiplier. A small card slot shows the multiplicand (the number being multiplied). Children move a red marker disk across the top to indicate the multiplier and then carefully count out beads into the columns below.

For example, if the multiplicand is five:

With the marker over “1,” children place five beads, counting aloud: “Five, one time is five.”
When they move the marker to “2,” children place another five beads and count again: “Five, two times is ten.”
With each step, children build the product: bead by bead and column by column.

The process is slow, deliberate, and deeply satisfying. Rather than focusing on memorizing facts, children are able to internalize the structure of multiplication. Soon, they begin to notice patterns (for example, 5x3 makes a rectangle that looks like a 3x5 rectangle flipped on its side), skip-count naturally, and recall products with ease.

This material bridges the concrete and the abstract. Eventually, children record their work in multiplication booklets and then check against a control chart. Through this repetition, math facts transition from hands-on practice to memory, without the pressure or rote drilling that can often frustrate young learners.

Dr. Montessori herself remarked on how children loved this material. She noted that multiplication—something traditionally dreaded—became so enticing that children even asked to take the bead board home!

We often introduce the Multiplication Bead Board around ages five to six, when children are eager to explore patterns in numbers. It provides both a strong foundation for future abstract math, not to mention the joy of discovery that comes when math becomes something tangible and meaningful!

The Unit Division Board

When approached abstractly, division can be a tricky math concept for children to grasp. Unlike addition or multiplication, where patterns are more predictable, division often results in remainders, creating an unpredictability that can be frustrating when only approached abstractly.

In Montessori classrooms, we use the Unit Division Board to provide a more concrete, hands-on way to explore and internalize the process.

This material resembles the Multiplication Bead Board, but with one important difference: along the top of the board, there are indentations for small green peg-like figures (called “skittles”) that look like simplified versions of little people and that represent the divisor. The dividend (the total number to be divided) is shown with green beads, which children carefully distribute across the board. Along the left side are the numerals 1 to 9, showing the quotient.

For example, if the dividend is 18:

With nine skittles across the top, children share out the 18 beads equally. The answer in division is what one gets, so one of the “skittle people” gets two beads (showing that 18 ÷ 9 = 2).
If the divisor changes to six skittles, the same 18 beads can be shared among the three “skittle people,” showing that each one got three beads (18 ÷ 6 = 3).
If divided by four, children will discover that some beads can’t be shared equally. These extra beads—the remainders—become an important part of understanding how division really works.

Through repeated practice with different dividends and divisors, children begin to notice which numbers divide evenly, which don’t, and how multiplication and division are related.

Dr. Montessori emphasized that division is different from the other operations because it reveals limits, remainders, and exceptions. The Unit Division Board makes those discoveries visible. Children see, with their own eyes and hands, that not every number can be divided evenly, an important truth about how numbers behave. The Unit Division Board invites children into that discovery process.

What could feel discouraging instead becomes an exploration, as well as an opportunity to discover patterns, and build a relationship with math that is based on confidence and joy!

We invite you to visit our classrooms here in Bellevue, WA, to see how children in Montessori build a positive relationship with math!

Montessori Perspectives on Children’s Social Growth After COVID

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:00:44 GMT

Since the pandemic, we can find ourselves carrying new or heightened worries about our children’s social lives. We can have concerns about whether our children “lost time” with peers during critical developmental years. Or maybe it’s worry about shyness, reluctance in groups, or how screen time may have replaced face-to-face play. Even now, long after schools and activities have reopened, it’s common for anxiety to surface: Is my child making enough friends? Are they socially behind?

Why We Feel This Way

The truth is, these concerns are natural. COVID disrupted our social connections, and children being with other children is an important part of childhood. For months (and for some even years), daily opportunities to share space, work through conflict, and experience the joy of play were limited. Add in the reality of increased screen use, the culture of comparison amplified by social media, and children who may show hesitations around groups, and it’s easy to see why we are carrying this extra layer of worry.

What Montessori Reminds Us

Montessori provides us with a helpful perspective: growth is not lost, it is simply unfolding in its own time. Children are incredibly resilient. Social development isn’t a race, and there isn’t one perfect timeline. Just as each child learns to walk or read at their own pace, children find their own paths into friendships and community life.

How We Can Support Children (and Ourselves)

So, what can we do to ease our own (and our children’s) anxiety while supporting their social growth? First, remember that depth of connection matters more than numbers. A child with one or two genuine friendships has a strong foundation. In Montessori classrooms, we often see that meaningful, sustained interactions carry more value than a large peer group.

Second, provide opportunities for natural interaction rather than overscheduling. Time at the park, family gatherings, or small playdates often offer more authentic growth than tightly managed activities. In the classroom, children practice collaboration daily, from sharing materials to working on group projects.

Third, support independence. After COVID, it’s natural to want to step in quickly if our child seems uncomfortable socially. But small moments of trust—like letting our children introduce themselves, ask to join a game, or resolve a conflict—help them build confidence and resilience.

Finally, model calm and social grace. Children absorb how we approach social situations. When they see adults showing openness and curiosity, they are more likely to approach peers with the same ease.

Partnering with Teachers

Your child’s teacher is also a valuable partner. Montessori guides closely observe children’s social interactions and can offer concrete reassurance: “I noticed your child inviting a friend to join her work,” or “He showed patience while sharing materials today.” These insights often show growth that may not be as apparent outside the classroom.

Supporting Social Growth at Home

Simple, practical activities in our children’s lives can make a big difference. Hosting a “work together” playdate, for instance, shifts the focus from entertainment to shared purpose. Children might bake bread, build with blocks, or create art together. These collaborative activities naturally encourage conversation, cooperation, and problem-solving, giving children structured opportunities to navigate relationships.

Practicing grace and courtesy at home also builds confidence. Small role-plays, like asking to join a game or politely declining an invitation, help children learn the social scripts they need. “Can I play with you?” or “No, thank you. I’d like to work alone right now,” are examples that may seem small but make a significant difference when children encounter peers in real settings.

Family game nights are another excellent tool. Cooperative board games, memory games, or card games teach turn-taking, handling winning and losing, and joyful connection. Games provide low-stakes opportunities to practice critical social skills like patience, negotiation, and flexibility.

Finally, spending time in community spaces offers invaluable real-world practice. Visits to the library, farmers’ market, or nature center allow children to engage in everyday interactions, such as greeting a librarian, asking a vendor a question, or navigating shared space with peers. These experiences help children build confidence and fluency in social settings.

Moving Forward with Confidence

It’s understandable to feel anxious about our child’s social life after such a collective disruption. But rest assured: children are not permanently “behind.” With trust, time, and supportive environments, children continue developing the skills of friendship, collaboration, and community.

Montessori reminds us that growth is steady and ongoing. Our role is to provide the space, opportunity, and confidence children need to thrive socially. When we step back and trust the process, we discover that children are, in fact, developing social competence.

Come visit our classroom environments in Bellevue, WA, to see how Montessori fosters a lasting sense of confidence and a deep form of belonging.

Montessori Myths: Balancing Teacher Guidance & Exploration

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 11:00:20 GMT

A common misconception about Montessori education is that it is entirely child-led. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Certainly, children feel like they are in the driver’s seat of their education, and that’s by design. Behind the scenes, Montessori-trained teachers are skillfully guiding children through carefully sequenced lessons, ensuring they encounter and master all of the subject areas, strands, and standards they need.

The true gift of Montessori education is that it blends the best of two worlds: direct instruction and hands-on learning. Direct instruction means children receive explicit, structured, teacher-led lessons focused on clear objectives and skill mastery. Hands-on learning, on the other hand, is where children engage deeply with materials and ideas, learning concepts through direct experience rather than passive absorption. This dual approach is always tailored to the needs and readiness of each child. In a way, it’s as if every child has their own individualized education plan and one that is seamlessly built into the Montessori model.

The Power of Hands-On Learning

Montessori classrooms are alive with opportunities for children to learn by doing. Instead of simply listening to a teacher or reading about an idea, children are actively engaged with beautiful materials that invite exploration. They pour, build, count, measure, and experiment, discovering concepts in a way that feels natural and meaningful. Learning is not abstract. It is concrete, tactile, and rooted in experience.

This approach has profound benefits. Children who learn through active engagement develop a deeper understanding because their brains are making strong connections between what they see, touch, and do. They also grow as problem-solvers because they are encouraged to try, adjust, and try again when faced with challenges. The process itself is motivating, which means children stay engaged and joyful in their work. Along the way, they also pick up practical skills they can use in daily life, as well as social skills, due to many of the activities naturally fostering collaboration and cooperation. Because children are learning through experience, the knowledge they gain tends to stick with them, building a lasting foundation.

The Role of Direct Instruction

At the same time, Montessori teachers provide an essential framework through carefully designed lessons. This is not free-for-all learning. Rather, it is a highly structured and intentional process. Teachers give clear, step-by-step presentations that introduce new concepts or skills. These lessons are sequenced in a logical and developmental order, ensuring that children build on what they already know and are ready for what comes next. Even better, these lessons are given one-on-one or to small groups, so the lessons can be tailored to individual children’s learning needs and styles.

During these lessons, children first practice with the teacher’s guidance and support, which allows for immediate feedback and correction. Then, as they gain confidence, they continue working independently, applying what they’ve learned in their own time and in their own way. This direct instruction is especially valuable when children are new to a subject or skill. It provides clarity, reduces confusion, and builds confidence. Over time, the structured approach helps children achieve true mastery and ensures they are well-prepared for more advanced work.

Montessori: The Best of Both Worlds

What makes Montessori unique is the seamless blend of these two approaches. A child might receive a beautifully clear lesson on a new math concept one day and then spend the rest of the week exploring, practicing, and applying that concept with hands-on materials. Teachers provide the roadmap, and then children are given the freedom to travel the path at their own pace, in a way that feels meaningful to them.

This balance allows children to feel ownership of their learning while also benefiting from the expertise and intentionality of their teachers. The result is an education that is joyful, engaging, and deeply effective. Montessori children grow into curious, capable, and confident learners who know both the satisfaction of discovery and the security of guidance.

Montessori education offers the best of both worlds: clear guidance and joyful discovery. See for yourself how this balance supports children’s growth and confidence. Contact us to schedule a tour here at Bellevue, WA.

Honoring Indigenous Peoples’ & Columbus Day the Montessori Way

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 11:01:06 GMT

Every October, families and schools across the country face the question of how to approach Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Columbus Day. For many of us, these holidays can bring up complex feelings. Montessori offers us a way to hold that complexity with honesty, balance, and respect for human dignity.

Grounding in Truth and Respect

In Montessori, we first ground ourselves in the big picture. This includes presenting history truthfully, even when it’s uncomfortable. While Christopher Columbus’s voyages were remarkable in their boldness, they also marked the beginning of a period that brought devastating consequences for Indigenous peoples. To honor human dignity, we acknowledge both.

The Human Story of Exploration

Dr. Maria Montessori described the universal human tendencies that drive our development: exploration, orientation, imagination, and communication, among others. Columbus’ journey across the Atlantic can be understood as part of this shared human story of curiosity and discovery. At the same time, we acknowledge that Indigenous peoples had been exercising these same human tendencies for thousands of years, creating thriving civilizations, languages, technologies, and cultures long before Europeans arrived.

Celebrating Indigenous Cultures

Indigenous Peoples’ Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate the beauty, resilience, and contributions of Indigenous communities. Montessori classrooms and families might:

Read stories or legends written by Indigenous authors.
Explore maps that show the many nations that existed (and still exist) across the Americas.
Listen to Indigenous music or learn about traditional art forms.
Reflect on the continued contributions of Indigenous people today, not just in the past.

Gratitude and Reflection

Montessori places great emphasis on gratitude and stewardship. We can invite children to pause and ask: Who lived on this land before us? How can we honor their legacy? How do we show respect for people whose voices may not always be heard? Simple practices like acknowledging the land, offering thanks to the earth, or caring for nature connect to both Montessori principles and Indigenous values.

Developmentally Appropriate Conversations

How we approach these topics will vary by age:

Young children can focus on cultural appreciation through stories, art, music, and food.
Elementary children can begin to discuss colonization and resilience within the context of the story of human interdependence.
Adolescents can dive even deeper, exploring issues of representation, justice, and equity, or even engaging in service projects that support Indigenous communities.

A Balanced Montessori Approach

Montessori encourages us to reframe the conversation: How do we tell the full human story? We honor the courage of exploration while also telling the truth about colonization. We celebrate Indigenous cultures not only as something from the past but as vibrant, living contributions to our present and future.

By approaching these holidays with honesty and reverence, Montessori classrooms and families can help children grow into compassionate global citizens.

Schedule a time to visit our school in Bellevue, WA, to see how we support young people who understand that our shared human story is both complex and beautiful.

Human Tendencies: Why Montessori Still Feels So Relevant

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 11:00:18 GMT

When Dr. Maria Montessori was observing children’s development, she wasn’t just focused on how they learn in the classroom. She was curious about the drives, instincts, and patterns that have shaped humans across time.

These human tendencies are the forces that have guided our species since the very beginning, helping us adapt, survive, and thrive. And when we recognize them in children, we can create environments that don’t fight against human nature, but flow with it.

Here’s a closer look at some of these tendencies, and how they show up in both history and our children’s lives.

Orientation

At its root, orientation literally means turning toward the east and the rising sun. For early humans, orientation meant survival through knowing where to find water, food, or shelter, as well as recognizing the stars and using them to navigate.

As adults, we still crave orientation when we move to a new place, start a new job, or even visit an unfamiliar store. We rely on guides, rituals, and familiar touchstones to help us settle.

Children, too, need orientation. The way they’re welcomed on their first day in a classroom, where they put their belongings, what routines they can count on—all of this helps them feel secure. Even a simple “good morning” is a daily act of re-orientation that matters more than we sometimes realize. Children look for orientation in daily rhythms: the bedtime routine, knowing which shelf holds their favorite books, or even how breakfast is served each morning.

Exploration

From the moment we are born, we explore. Infants use their mouths, eyes, and hands. Toddlers climb stairs like they’re scaling mountains. Older children explore through research, imagination, and adventures into both history and science.

Exploration is how humans pushed across continents, learned to farm, crossed oceans, and now even travel into space. Our curiosity never stops. Montessori environments honor this by giving children real opportunities to investigate the world, whether that means calculating the area of the classroom or researching life in the Carboniferous period. We see our children exploring as they turn over rocks in the backyard, take apart a toy to see how it works, or invent new rules for a favorite game.

Order

We all know the relief of an organized kitchen drawer or a well-structured calendar. Order helps us make sense of life. For early humans, ordering the world by figuring out what was safe versus unsafe or edible rather than poisonous ensured survival.

Young children need physical order. Anyone who’s seen a toddler melt down because their bedtime story was read “out of order” or because the blanket wasn’t arranged in just the right way knows this is real. Montessori classrooms respect this sensitive period by offering environments that are consistent and predictable. At home, you may notice your child lining up toy cars, insisting on a particular bedtime ritual, or sorting stuffed animals by size.

By the elementary years, order shifts into the mental realm. Children now want to classify animals, chart types of mountains, or debate the “rules” of their group. They’re learning not just order in things, but order in ideas, logic, and morality. You’ll see this at home when children organize their collections, invent complicated rules for backyard play, or argue passionately about fairness.

Self-Control

Self-control has always been key to survival. Hunters had to move silently. Communities relied on cooperation. Today, self-regulation is one of the biggest predictors of success in school and life.

In Montessori environments, self-control grows naturally: waiting for a material to become available, choosing the right time to speak, or practicing social courtesies. When children find deep concentration in meaningful work, that sense of inner discipline blossoms. We may notice our children waiting patiently to blow out birthday candles, saving allowance for a bigger purchase, or calming themselves after a disagreement with a sibling.

Imagination

Imagination isn’t just for artists. It’s what allowed early humans to picture tools before they were built, imagine migration routes, or dream up stories around a fire.

For children, imagination expands exponentially in the elementary years. Suddenly, they’re not only absorbing the world, they are imagining other worlds. Dinosaurs, outer space, ancient civilizations, atoms…nothing is off-limits! Montessori taps into this by giving children the universe itself as their curriculum. Imagination at home might unfold through elaborate pretend play, story writing, or inventing new games with household objects.

Abstraction

Abstraction is the ability to pull an idea from an experience. Early humans drew symbols on cave walls. Today, we live in a world of abstractions: math, laws, justice, and freedom.

Children naturally move toward abstraction, but only after being fully grounded in hands-on experience. Montessori materials are designed as “materialized abstractions,” allowing children to build concepts with their hands before holding them in their minds. We see children developing abstraction when they begin to understand time (“after lunch,” “in three days”), use symbols in drawing or writing, or play games that rely on imaginary rules.

Activity, Work, Movement, and Experience

Humans are doers. From stone tools to skyscrapers, everything we know about early humans comes from their work. Dr. Montessori believed, echoing Kahlil Gibran, that “work is love made visible.”

For children, work isn’t drudgery. Rather, work is joy. Whether pouring water, building long math equations, or researching volcanoes, children grow through purposeful activity. Movement is not a distraction from learning, but a pathway into it. Children eagerly help bake, sweep, carry groceries, or build forts. This is joyful work that feels both purposeful and fun.

Repetition

Watch a toddler stacking blocks again and again, or a preschooler repeating a pouring exercise 40 times in a row. Repetition for young children is how they achieve a deep sense of mastery.

Older children still repeat, but they do it differently. They elaborate, amplify, and push concepts further: instead of practicing small sums, they’ll dive into giant multiplication problems just for the thrill of it. At home, this shows up when our children want the same story read every night, practice a cartwheel over and over, or endlessly build new versions of the same LEGO design.

Exactness and Self-Perfection

Humans have always needed exactness, whether it was a sharp spear or a stable bridge. Children share this drive. They beam when their handwriting is neat, or when they finally get something just right.

Linked to exactness is the tendency toward self-perfection. Children don’t just want to do it. They want to do it well. You see this tendency in the toddler learning to zip a coat, the elementary child striving to be fair, or the adolescent wrestling with big moral questions. The tendency shows up when our children insist on re-tying their shoelaces until they’re perfectly even, redoing a drawing until it’s just right, or correcting themselves when they mispronounce a new word.

Communication and Belonging

At the heart of it all is our need to connect. Communication, whether through language, art, music, or technology, has always been how we share knowledge and emotions. Belonging is what makes us human, and we create this connection in various ways, joining together in families, tribes, clubs, or communities.

Children live these tendencies out loud. They talk endlessly, write stories, create clubs, and invent games. Classroom and family rituals, shared meals, whispered secrets between siblings or friends help children know they belong.

Why This Matters

These human tendencies remind us that education isn’t about filling children with information. It’s about nurturing what is already inside them.

When Montessori said we should “follow the child,” she wasn’t suggesting we leave them to wander aimlessly. She meant we should pay attention to these deep, universal drives and prepare environments where these drives can manifest in positive ways.

Because when children’s natural tendencies are honored, they don’t just learn. They grow into the kind of humans who can orient themselves in a new world, explore with curiosity, build with order, imagine boldly, and belong with others in peace.

Visit our school here in Bellevue, WA to see how Montessori deeply connects with what it actually means to be human so that children can flourish in beautiful ways!

Our Montessori Bookshelf (and Music Shelf!)

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 11:00:05 GMT

In the Montessori approach, we consider music to be a form of language. As such, we incorporate singing and music into daily life.

So, this month, in addition to sharing some of our favorite books from our bookshelves, we’re also offering songs that complement the books’ content. Whether you read these books aloud to your children or offer them as options for independent exploration and enjoyment, we hope you’ll incorporate a little singing into your family life!

We find music provides a wonderful form of bonding. In fact, several studies confirm that listening to music and singing together can strengthen social bonds.

We have also included a printable list of the book titles to take with you to the local bookstore or library, as well as the song lyrics for when you practice the tunes!

Be sure to also come visit us here in Bellevue, WA, to hear (or join in) some melodies!

The Discovery of the Americas: From Prehistory Through the Age of Columbus

By Betsy and Giulio Maestro

History can sometimes be oversimplified for children, however, The Discovery of the Americas shares the many facets of human migration over a span of about twenty thousand years. But thanks to clear writing and illustrations, this complex story is completely accessible and incredibly engaging. For those wanting more details, the authors provide a timeline of dates and additional information at the end of the book. This is a must-read for children and adults!

Accompanying Song : “ Indigenous People's Day – 1492 ”

By Nancy Schimmel

“In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

It was a courageous thing to do.

But someone was already here. (Repeat)

The Inuit and Cherokee, the Aztec and Menominee,

Onandoga and the Cree

Columbus sailed across the sea,

but someone was already here.

Columbus knew the world was round.

So he looked for the East while westward bound.

But he didn’t find what he thought he found,

And someone was already here.

The Inuit and Cherokee, the Aztec and Menominee, Onandoga and the Cree

Columbus sailed across the sea, but someone was already here.

It isn’t like it was empty space

The Caribs met him face to face.

Could anyone discover the place

When someone was already here?

The Inuit and Cherokee, the Aztec and Menominee,

Onandoga and the Cree

Columbus sailed across the sea,

but someone was already here.

So tell me who discovered what,

He thought he was in a different spot.

Columbus was lost. The Caribs were not.

They were already here!”

Eat Your Math Homework: Recipes for Hungry Minds

By Ann McCallum, Illustrated by Leeza Hernandez

If you are looking for a fun way to engage children's mathematical minds (and maybe even help them fall in love with math), this book is just what you need! The author uses cooking projects as a way to introduce and explore concepts like the Fibonacci sequence, fractions, tessellations, tangrams, pi, and probability. Based on children’s level of interest, the focus can extend beyond the food preparation into fun and memorable follow-up activities. With tantalizing snippets of information, zany illustrations, and simple recipes, this is a sure-fire way to find something that will satisfy your children!

Accompanying Song : “ The Pi Song ”

By Mitchell Moffit

“3.14159 this is pi, followed by

2653589 circumference over di-ameter

7-9 then 323 o-m-g, can’t you see?

8462643 and now we’re on a spree

38 and 32 now we’re blue, oh who knew!

7 thousand 9 hundred 50 and then 2

88 and 41, so much fun, now a run!

97 16939937 51 - halfway DONE

058 now don’t be late, 209 where’s the wine

7-4 it’s on the floor, then 9-4-4-5-9

230 we gotta go, 78 we can’t wait

1640628, we’re almost near the end keep going

62 we’re getting through, 089-9 on time

8628034 there’s only a few more

8-2 then

5-3

42-11-7-0 and 67

We’re done!

Was that fun?

Learning random digits so that you can brag to your friends”

The Five Sides of Marjorie Rice: How to Discover a Shape

By Amy Alznauer, Illustrated by Anna Bron

This true story is an inspiration for people of all ages! This charming story begins when Marjorie Rice was a young girl fascinated by art and geometry. Woven throughout the fabric of her story, the author provides insights into the history of patterns, tiling pentagons, and the power of being determined. After reading this book, you’ll want to make your own mathematical discoveries! Be sure to also check out the author’s note and tips for discovering a shape at the end of the book.

Accompanying Song : “ The Polygon Song ”

By Peter Weatherall

“na na na na na na

just a boring square

I wish I was a pentagon but

I am just a square

I wish I was a pentagon but

I am just a square

my sides equal four

but if I had one more

then I’d be a pentagon

and not a square

na na na na na na

just a boring square

I wish I was a hexagon but

I am just a square

if I was a hexagon

then I wouldn’t care

My sides would equal six

If they were made of sticks

then I’d be a hexagon

and not a square

I’ve always been a square

and it just isn’t fair

because I’ve wanted more

than sides that equal four

na na na na na na

just a boring square

I wish I was a heptagon but

I am just a square

if I was a heptagon

then I wouldn’t care

My sides would equal seven

and I would be in heaven

if I were a heptagon

and not a square

na na na na na na

just a boring square

I wish I was a octagon but

I am just a square

if I was a octagon

then I wouldn’t care

My sides would equal eight

and that would be just great

if I were an octagon

and not a square

I’ve always been a square

and it just isn’t fair

because I’ve wanted more

than sides that equal four

na na na na na na

just a boring square

I wish I was a nonagon but

I am just a square

if I was a nonagon

then I wouldn’t care

My sides would equal nine

and that would be just fine

if I were an nonagon

and not a square

So you want to have more than four sides

Is it possible?

Anything is possible for Dr. Polygon

Ooh! What are you doing?

Bisecting ze diagonal by ze square root of the hypotenuse!

Please, no, not that!

Aah! You squares are so obtuse! There! All done

Well now I am a decagon

and not a square

now I am a decagon

and very rare

I won’t complain again

‘Cause my sides equal ten

I am a decagon

and not a square

when I was just a square

and I thought it wasn’t fair

so I had surgery

to my geometry

NOW LOOK AT ME!

na na na na na na

not a boring square”

Mailing May

By Michael O. Tunnell, Illustrated by Ted Rand

Based on a true story, this picture book tells the account of a young girl’s desire to visit her grandmother and how her parents found a creative way to afford the train trip. Young readers will be captivated by the realistic illustrations, lively dialogue, and the delight of young May’s perspective as she travels in a train’s mail car with a relative who happened to be a mail carrier.

Accompanying Song : “ Mail Myself to You ”

By Woody Guthrie

“I’m a-gonna wrap myself in paper,

I’m gonna daub myself with glue,

Stick some stamps on top of my head;

I’m gonna mail myself to you.

I’m a-gonna tie me up in a red string,

I’m gonna tie blue ribbons too,

I’m a-gonna climb up in my mailbox,

I’m gonna mail myself to you.

When you see me in your mail box,

Cut the string and let me out;

Wash the glue off of my fingers,

Stick some bubble gum in my mouth.

Take me out of my wrapping paper,

Wash the stamps off of my head;

Pour me full of ice cream sodies,

Put me in my nice warm bed.”

Becoming: How Montessori Supports Adolescents

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 11:00:35 GMT

Adolescence. A time when the sentiments of childhood begin to fade and the physical and emotional changes of puberty take hold. A time of dramatic transformation.

Dr. Maria Montessori referred to this stage as the third plane of development, a time when adolescents are no longer satisfied with the protected world of childhood and instead seek something significant, purposeful, and real.

This transition is marked by a profound inner shift. Adolescents begin to separate emotionally from their families and look outward toward society, searching for connection, relevance, and identity. They want to be seen as capable individuals who can live their own lives. There is a deep emotional need to be treated with dignity and to be entrusted with real responsibility.

Dr. Montessori described adolescents as “social newborns.” Having achieved functional and intellectual independence in earlier developmental stages, adolescents now turn toward economic and social independence.

This stage is filled with anticipation and restlessness. Adolescents are asking fundamental questions: How does society work? How do I fit into it? What is my role? These are urgent, developmental inquiries. Adolescents seek to make real contributions and to be recognized for them.

The Drive for Economic Independence

Among the most powerful needs of adolescents is the drive for economic independence. This isn’t just about about earning money. Rather, adolescents are compelled by the desire for worth, agency, and validation. In our society, economic activity is closely tied to adulthood, and young people intuitively understand this. They want to "try on" adulthood by participating in the same world they see shaping the lives around them.

This is a developmental necessity. Adolescents need to:

Act in roles of genuine responsibility
Succeed through their own efforts and merit
Understand the value of time and money
Be respected as individuals with something to offer

Through these experiences, adolescents are able to form themselves through meaningful contributions.

Production and Exchange: The Foundation of Social Life

In Montessori’s vision for adolescence, meaningful work is essential and at the core of adolescents’ learning. This is especially true when adolescents engage in production and exchange, the fundamental human cycle of creating value and sharing it with others.

Whether growing food, making a product, or offering a service, adolescents begin to understand how society functions through work. They see how individuals and groups contribute to a larger system. Effort, collaboration, and mutual need shape our social fabric.

In Montessori adolescent programs, students decide upon and manage small-scale businesses. These are not simulations. They are real ventures serving real community needs.

Through these experiences, young people:

Learn how their efforts impact others
Feel the pride of being needed and useful
Grapple with the complexities of work, money, and time
Develop confidence and a growing sense of purpose

This work forms character and builds a sense of dignity that cannot be taught through lectures or assignments.

Interdependence and the Reality of Society

While independence is essential, it is only part of the picture. The deeper goal of adolescence is to understand and embrace interdependence. We are all connected. No one can do everything alone. Contribution to others is both a privilege and a responsibility.

Through real work, adolescents see this web of connection. They experience firsthand that:

Society functions through collaboration
Each person has a role to play
The success of one is often tied to the success of many

Whether they are preparing meals for the community or adjusting a business plan to meet increased demand, adolescents begin to understand what it means to live with others, not just near them. They see how their actions matter.

Valorization Through Work

At the heart of all of this is something Dr. Montessori called “valorization of the personality.” This is the feeling of being capable, of being recognized as a person of value, of seeing oneself reflected in the eyes of others as someone who contributes meaningfully.

Valorization is the antidote to the uncertainty and fragility that so often characterize adolescence. This is how young people become strong, secure, and self-aware. Through valorization, they begin to understand who they are and how they can serve. Ultimately, this is how adolescents prepare for adult life.

To Become Oneself

The adolescent years are often misunderstood as turbulent or rebellious. But from a Montessori perspective, adolescence is a time of becoming, a time when young people, equipped with growing independence, turn toward society and say, "Let me try. Let me contribute. Let me become who I am meant to be."

In guiding them toward economic independence, meaningful work, and social contribution, we are not only preparing adolescents for the future. We are affirming their worth right now, as capable, valuable, contributing members of the human community.

Schedule a tour here in Bellevue, WA to see how we support young people in this process of becoming!

From Independence to Interdependence

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:01:16 GMT

As we help our children learn to navigate the world, we are supporting their journey toward independence. In Montessori, we often emphasize the importance of independence. But did you know that independence isn’t the end goal?!

Our Children’s Journey

Dr. Maria Montessori observed four distinct planes of development, each representing a stage in the human journey toward greater maturity, independence, and ultimately, interdependence. At each stage, children have specific developmental needs and characteristics, and our educational approach evolves to meet them.

A core element of Montessori education is the prepared environment, a carefully designed space that gives children the freedom to move, make choices, and act with purpose. This freedom within limits supports the development of a child’s personality. We become who we are through movement and choice. Independence, then, is not just about being able to do something alone; it is also about being able to do something independently. It’s about becoming oneself.

Yet, as humans, we don’t exist in isolation. We live amongst others, and in order to live effectively in community with others, we must first be able to function independently. Put another way, before we can offer help to others or make ourselves useful, we must first meet our own needs.

First Plane (Birth to Age 6): The Formation of the Individual

From birth, children begin the work of self-construction. During this stage, children are focused on adapting to their immediate environment. Infants and toddlers explore freely using movement and their senses.

This stage is all about gaining functional independence. By the end of this period, children can walk, talk, eat, and care for their bodies. They no longer rely completely on adults for basic needs and are ready to take their place in a social setting. And a Montessori classroom is just the place!

Dr. Montessori referred to this period as the “social embryo,” when children are just beginning to participate in group life and shape their sense of self.

In the classroom, we offer children endless opportunities to gain independence, such as zipping their own jackets, pouring their own water, and preparing a snack. We also provide opportunities to care for others and the environment. Once children master the skill of pouring, they can use it to beautify the classroom by pouring water into a vase for flower arranging. After learning to sweep, they’ll notice a spill and take initiative to clean it up. When a friend needs help with their coat, they’re eager to step in and assist.

Caring for oneself and for others lays the foundation for a life of contribution.

Second Plane (Ages 6–12): Intellectual and Moral Independence

In the second stage of development, the focus shifts from physical to intellectual exploration. Children begin to ask big questions: “Why?” “How?” “What if?” Their imagination and reasoning take center stage, and their curiosity is boundless.

Socially, this is a period of intense peer interaction. Children form close friendships, work collaboratively, and begin sorting out moral questions of right and wrong. Montessori described this as a “practice society,” a safe space where children rehearse the roles and responsibilities of adulthood.

While the first-plane child says, “Help me do it myself,” the second-plane child says, “Help me think for myself.” Their independence becomes more abstract. They’re forming their own ideas, solving problems, and taking responsibility for their learning and behavior.

And in this intellectual and social freedom, we see the seeds of interdependence. Children might notice a peer struggling with a math problem and offer support. Or they might mediate a conflict between friends, using logic and empathy to help everyone feel heard. Their developing independence becomes a tool for service and connection.

Third Plane (Ages 12–18): Social and Economic Independence

In adolescence, the need for independence takes a new form. Teenagers want to understand their role in society and make real contributions to the world. They’re seeking both social and economic independence, and they need real, meaningful work to meet this developmental drive.

Montessori adolescent programs are designed to meet this need. Adolescents might run a small business, grow food, engage in community service, or take on leadership roles. These experiences enable them to apply academic skills in real-world contexts, from writing marketing plans to managing finances and collaborating with others. In doing so, they are learning how to live and work in a complex society.

This is the point at which all earlier experiences of independence converge. Teens apply their knowledge and skills in the service of others. They’re discovering what they can offer the world and who they are becoming in the process.

Outcomes: Maturity, Independence, and Interdependence

Ultimately, Montessori education supports three interconnected outcomes: maturity, independence, and interdependence.

Maturity goes beyond academic achievement. It’s the holistic development of a person capable of making a meaningful contribution to the world. Independence, evolving across each stage of development, is essential to this process. But independence is not the final step. True maturity culminates in interdependence, the natural, collaborative state of human life.

Why This Matters

Every act of independence, from an infant grasping a rattle to a teen managing a group project, is a step toward full participation in human society. These conquests matter.

So, when your toddler insists on putting on their shoes, when your eight-year-old argues about fair rules, or when your teenager wants to solve a conflict without your help, pause . Remember that these are not just frustrating moments. They are signs that your child is on the right path.

Because in Montessori, independence is not the goal. It is the means toward interdependence and a life of meaningful work, mutual respect, and connection to others.

Come visit us here in Bellevue, WA, to see independence and interdependence in action!

Unlocking the Power of Language

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 11:01:05 GMT

We all know that reading is much more than just decoding words. When we understand and appreciate the full meaning behind words, phrases, and sentences, reading can transport us in powerful ways.

In our Children’s House classrooms, we support young children’s deeper understanding. One way we do this is through a set of activities called the Function of the Word exercises.

At first glance, these exercises may appear to be grammar lessons, but they serve a distinctly different purpose. They are actually reading activities designed to help children explore how language works and to do so in a joyful, hands-on, and developmentally appropriate way.

Why Do These Exercises Matter?

Children around age 4½ to 5 are in the midst of what Dr. Maria Montessori identified as a Sensitive Period for Language. During this time, they naturally begin experimenting with grammar, word order, and expression. The Function of the Word exercises tap into this innate curiosity by offering playful and engaging opportunities to explore how words function within a sentence.

These lessons are full of movement and drama. When a child reads something like “jump and sing a song” and gets to act it out, they are having fun and actively building the foundation for what we call “total reading.”

Total Reading

We want children to move from decoding into “total reading,” which is when they can comprehend and interpret the meaning of written text, including understanding the author's intent, emotions, and the overall message conveyed. This is when children go beyond basic decoding skills and integrate various components of reading to achieve a holistic understanding.

In essence, total reading is the complete comprehension and interpretation of the thoughts and ideas presented in a written text. It's not just about recognizing the words on the page, but about understanding what those words mean and how they connect to the larger message.

From Words to Sentences: A Natural Progression

The Function of the Word exercises provide children with increasingly longer phrases to read, and eventually lead up to sentences. A sample progression is as follows:

Example exercises of the Noun Family :

1 word (noun): horse
2 words (noun and article): the horse
3 words (noun, article, adjective): the brown horse
Phrase (with conjunction): the brown horse and the spotted cow
Phrase (with preposition): the brown horse and the spotted cow in the pasture

The best part is that as children read these words and phrases, they find the figurines to set up the scene.

Example exercises of the Verb Family:

1 word sentence (verb): gallop
Short sentence (verb and adverb): gallop swiftly

Children love experiencing how verbs bring life to a sentence! They act out the sentences and delight in experimenting with how adverbs change the action.

Through this kind of progression, children begin to understand how words build on each other to create meaning.

Making Language Visual and Hands-On

In Montessori, we also use symbols to represent each part of speech. Using color-coded symbols provides children with a sensorial impression of the different functions of words and how they relate to each other. Children also begin to visually identify syntactical patterns.

Noun : large black triangle
Article : small light blue triangle
Adjective : medium blue triangle
Conjunction : pink bar
Preposition : green crescent
Verb : large red circle
Adverb : small orange circle

Using these symbols, children can build and manipulate sentences. They play games where they switch the order of words to explore how syntax changes meaning. Imagine the giggles when children realize how different “the man on the horse” is from “the horse on the man”!

Oral Language Games

Before reading and symbol work, each function is introduced through spoken games. Here are a few examples you can try at home:

Article Game : Ask your child for “the ball” (a specific one) or “a ball” (any ball). See if they can tell the difference!
Adjective Game : Ask for “the pencil,” but don’t specify which one. Then say, “I meant the red pencil, but I didn’t say red. How did you know?”
Conjunction Game : Name a group of objects using “and,” such as “a spoon, a cup, and a plate.” Play around with omitting the conjunction.
Preposition Game : Use simple commands like, “Put your hands behind your back” or “Put the napkin under your legs.”
Verb and Adverb Game : Give playful commands like “Jump quickly,” “Walk slowly to the door,” or even a three-part task: “Say hello to your teddy bear, hop to the kitchen, and touch the blue chair.”

These games can be fun time-fillers while waiting for others, an appointment, or your turn in line. Plus, they help children internalize the beauty and power of language in meaningful, developmentally aligned ways.

A Joyful Journey Toward Literacy

It’s important to note that in the preschool years, we don’t introduce children to grammatical terms (this comes later in Montessori elementary classrooms!). The goal isn’t to memorize parts of speech, but to explore language playfully and deeply. Through repeated, engaging, and sensorial experiences, children begin to read with understanding, emotion, and appreciation.

Schedule a visit to our school here in Bellevue, WA, to see how Montessori provides a true foundation for lifelong literacy.

More Than a Method: Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Maria Montessori

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 11:00:50 GMT

August 31 marked the birthday of Dr. Maria Montessori. Thus, we want to take time to honor the roots of this movement, the visionary contributions of Dr. Montessori herself, and our shared responsibility to carry her legacy forward.

At the heart of Montessori education is a deep respect for human potential. Unlike traditional models that begin with the adult's idea of what a child should learn, the Montessori approach emerged from deep observation and genuine curiosity. Dr. Montessori did not set out to create a new educational system. Rather, she observed children with scientific curiosity and developed an approach in response to their needs.

It’s important to remember that Dr. Montessori was first and foremost a scientist. She was one of the first female physicians in Italy, graduating in 1896 with a specialization in pediatrics and psychiatry. In her medical practice, she encountered children who were often seen as uneducable. However, rather than accept this assumption, Dr. Montessori looked closer.

A Discovery That Changed Everything

In 1900, Dr. Montessori was appointed director of a university program for children with developmental delays. Observing their sensory-seeking behaviors in bleak institutional settings, she began studying how sensory experiences affect cognitive development. She designed hands-on materials and engaged the children in purposeful activity. The results were stunning: children who had been dismissed by society not only improved, but some went on to pass the same standardized exams given to their peers in traditional schools.

Dr. Montessori’s response was not one of self-congratulation. Instead, she challenged the broader education system, asking: If children with significant delays could thrive when given the right environment and tools, why weren’t typically developing children doing better in school?

This question launched a lifetime of work dedicated to understanding and supporting the natural development of all children.

The Birth of the Montessori Method

In 1907, Dr. Montessori opened her first classroom, the Casa dei Bambini, in the working-class neighborhood of San Lorenzo in Rome. Tasked with overseeing daycare for children too young for public school, she began by introducing simple, practical activities, starting with self-care and environmental care. She also provided an array of materials designed to engage children’s hands and minds.

The transformation was extraordinary. Children who had previously been described as wild and unruly became calm, focused, and joyful. They took pride in their appearance and their surroundings. They concentrated for long stretches of time, developed social awareness, and, unprompted, began asking to learn how to read and write.

Dr. Montessori was fascinated by what she called “spontaneous discipline” and the deep love of work she observed in the children. Through observation and experimentation, she continued to refine the materials, the environment, and the adult's role.

Education Rooted in Development

What emerged was a revolutionary approach: an educational philosophy based on the science of human development. Rather than seeing the adult as the source of knowledge and the child as an empty vessel, Dr. Montessori recognized that children come into the world with innate potential and a deep drive to learn.

Montessori education supports this natural unfolding by honoring what Dr. Montessori called human tendencies, such as exploration, orientation, order, communication, work, and repetition, through carefully prepared environments that meet the specific needs of each developmental stage. The adult's role is not to instruct, but to guide, observe, prepare, and support.

This vision of human development extends beyond the individual to a larger understanding of humans as part of a cosmic web of interrelationships. In this interconnected world, every part plays a role in maintaining balance and harmony. Humans have a unique place in this system, and our role requires conscious awareness, humility, and stewardship.

In addition to fostering rich academic growth, Montessori education cultivates mature, adaptive, and compassionate individuals who are capable of making meaningful contributions to our interconnected world.

The Enduring Impact of Montessori’s Vision

Dr. Montessori eventually left her medical practice and professorship to fully devote her life to this work. She lectured around the world, trained teachers, wrote extensively, and advocated for children’s rights. She also always insisted that the focus remain on the children, not on her.

Through decades of scientific observation, experimentation, and cross-cultural study, Dr. Montessori discovered that children, when provided with the right conditions at the right time, flourish. Her insights have stood the test of time. Today, there are approximately 15,000 Montessori schools worldwide, with over 3,000 located in the United States alone.

For over a century, Montessori education has empowered children to reach their full potential—academically, socially, and emotionally. Yet Montessori is not just about individual success. It’s about building a better society.

We know that children are not just preparing for the future. They are the future. By focusing on children’s holistic development, we are supporting a generation of individuals who are more connected to themselves, to one another, and to the planet.

Carrying the Legacy Forward

Dr. Montessori’s vision asks us to do more than remember her birthday. We need to believe in children, observe them closely, and prepare environments that honor their needs. This also means that we, as adults, approach our role with humility and a sense of curiosity. Our job is to accompany children as they create the future.

In this way, Montessori education becomes not just a method, but a movement, one rooted in peace, interdependence, and the full development of the human being.

Thank you for being part of this vision. Together, here in Bellevue, WA, we are carrying the Montessori legacy forward, not only by what we teach, but by how we believe in the children before us. Come visit to learn more!

The Power of a Mirror and a Tissue

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 11:00:42 GMT

In their journey toward independence, one of the earliest and most meaningful steps children take is learning to care for themselves. In Montessori, this essential area of development is part of what we call Practical Life, which supports both physical and psychological growth.

A Prepared Environment for Self-Care

Montessori environments are intentionally designed to foster this growth. Everything is made accessible at the child's level: a sink they can reach, a faucet they can operate, and soap measured just right for a small hand. We carefully choose and arrange the materials to promote independence, order, and confidence.

We ensure that activities that may have once been done to children—like washing hands, brushing hair, or putting on a coat—can now be done by children, with increasing skill and pride. These seemingly simple tasks carry profound developmental weight, reinforcing our children’s self-concept and strengthening their ability to function with increasing autonomy.

Learning to Care for the Self: Wiping the Nose

In the Montessori approach, even the simplest daily tasks are viewed as meaningful opportunities for children to build independence and confidence. One such task—often overlooked by adults but deeply empowering for children—is learning how to wipe their own nose.

This Practical Life activity is typically introduced around age one, or when a child enters a Montessori classroom. It is designed not only to support hygiene but also to encourage autonomy, intentional movement, and body care.

This activity can also be introduced at home!

A Prepared Environment for Self-Care

To support this important developmental step, first think about how to carefully prepare the environment:

Set up a small basket or container that holds about 10 tissues, each folded in half. (During cold season, full-size tissues may be used for greater effectiveness.)
Place a small trash can nearby for easy disposal.
Have a mirror, either mounted or resting at the child’s height, to allow your child to observe their own face and movements.
Store extra tissues nearby, either on a grooming table or supply shelf, to support repetition and independence.

This setup encourages children to move freely and participate fully in the process, fostering both confidence and coordination.

Step-by-Step: The Wiping Process

Next, we can model and provide gentle guidance:

Invite your child to come to the mirror.
Help them notice something on their nose and explain the purpose of the activity.
Show the tissues and select one, unfolding it slowly and deliberately.
Invite your child to select and open a tissue.
Face the mirror and demonstrate how to place the tissue so each half forms a “tent” over the nose.
Gently bring the tissue edges together and wipe upward and outward.
Fold the tissue in half, then rotate it and repeat with the other side.
Use the remaining clean section to dab gently under the nose.
Dispose of the tissue in the trash.
Invite your child to have a turn and, if needed, show the mucus on the tissue as a reference.
Encourage repetition with a new tissue if their nose is not yet clean.
Remind your child that they may wipe their nose anytime.
Follow up with handwashing to reinforce cleanliness.

If your child has excessive mucus or needs a more thorough cleaning, you can also use pre-moistened wipes. We typically don’t introduce nose blowing until around age 2.5 to 3 to avoid the risk of ear infections.

When introducing this activity, it is helpful to consider its overarching purposes. First and foremost, learning how to wipe one’s own nose helps support independence and confidence. The process also helps children develop self-awareness and tools for self-care.

We can also highlight certain movements so our children achieve success. In Montessori, we call these “points of interest.” The key points of interest in this activity are:

Watching their own movements in the mirror
Observing the removal of mucus from their face
The folding and unfolding of the tissue
Practicing care not to touch the mouth during wiping

A Foundation for Independence & Self-Awareness

In Montessori, every Practical Life activity serves a deeper purpose. Even wiping the nose becomes a pathway to self-discovery, dignity, and joyful independence. By breaking down the steps and offering repeated, respectful invitations to participate, we give children the tools they need to become gracefully self-aware and independent!

Care of oneself is about far more than hygiene or appearance. These early experiences shape children’s understanding of their place in the world and prepare them to become responsible, confident, and independent human beings.

In Montessori, self-care is not a chore. Rather, it’s a celebration of children’s unfolding independence. Come visit our school to learn more about activities that cultivate children’s capability and self-respect.

Where Learning Grows: The Montessori Approach to Outdoors

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 11:00:43 GMT

One of the many beautiful and empowering aspects of Montessori education is how it helps children understand themselves as valued members of a community. A key way this happens is through Care of the Environment, a form of Practical Life work that provides children with the opportunity to tend to the spaces they live in each day.

By participating in this care, children begin to feel at home in their classroom, school, and community. They feel a sense of ownership and take pride in their surroundings, and in the process, develop a deep sense of responsibility and connection.

The Outdoor Environment

When considering the children’s environment, we're not just referring to indoor spaces. In Montessori, the outdoor environment is not an afterthought. Instead, we consider the outdoors to be a natural and essential extension of the prepared indoor space.

For young children, who are absorbing everything from the world around them, the time spent outdoors supports development in profound and lasting ways. For older children and adolescents, outdoor spaces can be a place for self-regulation and deep focus.

Now more than ever, when children tend to spend increasing amounts of time indoors, reconnecting with natural spaces is vital for physical, emotional, and cognitive health.

Why Being Outdoors Matters

Research, including the work of Richard Louv in The Last Child in the Woods, highlights a growing body of evidence that time spent in nature is critical to the healthy development of both children and adults. In Montessori, we recognize that outdoor time is not a break from learning. Rather, the natural world is a powerful space for movement, language, social development, and sensory integration. Time outdoors is learning time.

Young children are in the midst of sensitive periods for order, language, movement, and sensory refinement. These windows of opportunity allow for an intense connection with nature that nourishes the whole child. Plus, the natural world’s beauty, order, and rhythm speak to our deepest human tendencies: to explore, understand, and belong.

The Adults’ Role Outside

Outdoor spaces become a rich environment for observation, guidance, and connection. Children are often more socially expressive outdoors, making this a critical time for observing group dynamics and supporting social-emotional growth.

It’s also a time to model joyful, playful behavior. Children need to see that being human includes lightness and laughter, and outdoor time offers the perfect opportunity for us to play alongside children while still maintaining an appropriate level of guidance.

We can also help children understand that different environments call for different behaviors. What is appropriate outdoors differs from what is expected indoors. As children gain different experiences, they come to understand how to conduct themselves with grace and courtesy on a woodland trail and a garden bed, or how to navigate the intricacies of fort building and group game dynamics. Montessori children learn to move through different scenes and scenarios with increasing awareness, sensitivity, and confidence.

Setting Up Outdoor Spaces

We want our outdoor spaces to feel like a true extension of our classrooms, not a break from them. As such, we are intentional about how the outdoor spaces are developmentally appropriate, deepen children’s understanding of cause and effect, and nurture a sense of order. We want activities in the outdoor space to have a purposeful intent so they support the integration of children’s will, intellect, and coordinated movement.

At home, outdoor activities can provide open-ended play opportunities that encourage exploration and independence, as well as ways to involve children in purposeful projects. Here are some ideas to get started!

Practical Life

Provide tools for cleaning tasks: sweeping paths, washing outdoor furniture, scrubbing flower pots, washing the car, and wiping off outdoor toys.
Encourage gardening: planting seeds, watering, weeding, harvesting herbs or vegetables.
Offer animal care opportunities: refilling bird feeders, walking the dog, playing fetch.

Sensorial Exploration

Include sensory gardens with fragrant herbs, soft leaves, and vibrant flowers—like lavender, mint, and lamb’s ear—that invite children to touch, smell, and observe.
Create a collection space for sticks, stones, pinecones, shells, and seed pods.

Gross Motor Development

Find natural structures like logs or balance beams for climbing.
Encourage running, rolling, or playing games in grassy areas.
Create sand or dirt pits for digging and building.

Observation and Nature Study

Set up bird feeders, weather tools, and insect hotels.
Create small areas for quiet observation with a bench, blanket, or hammock.
Add sensory elements like wind chimes or water features to create a calming atmosphere.

Curricular Connections

Math: count petals, measure plant growth, sort leaves by size and shape.
Science: Tools like magnifying glasses and microscopes help them explore soil, insects, and plant life up close. Composting systems, rainwater collection, or native plantings foster environmental stewardship.
Art: Natural materials become mediums for creativity, such as twigs for weaving, leaves for prints, and landscapes for sketching.
Language: Storytelling, reading under a tree, or labeling plants and garden tools strengthens vocabulary and communication while keeping learning grounded in the real world.

Observe and Adapt

As with all prepared environments, the key is observation. What captures our children’s curiosity? Where are they returning again and again? What challenges are they facing?

By observing carefully, we can adjust to our children’s needs and interests. A prepared environment supports the whole child and helps them feel connected, not just to the earth, but to themselves and their community.

We’d love to share our outdoor spaces with you. Schedule a tour today!

Curiosity Over Commands

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 11:00:07 GMT

Imagine the scene. A young child is trying to get comfortable for a car ride, but nothing seems right. Parents (and maybe even siblings) try to help. However, with each suggestion, the child becomes increasingly upset and overwhelmed.

When we see that our children are getting frustrated, often our immediate response is to offer help, usually in the form of advice: “Try this.” “Do that.” “Just calm down.” While our intentions are good, our children’s responses tend not to be positive. Depending upon the situation, they may get more overwhelmed, respond with resistance, or even shut down.

Advice, even when helpful, isn’t always what’s needed in the moment. What often works better (with children and even adults!) is a different kind of support, one that builds connection and trust, rather than pressure.

The Power of Curiosity Questions

In the Positive Discipline approach, this alternative is known as curiosity questions. Rather than imposing solutions (think of this as “you should” kind of advice), these questions are designed to invite children into the problem-solving process. Curiosity questions shift the dynamic from a command-and-control approach to one of collaboration.

Here are a few examples of curiosity questions:

“What’s happening?”
“What would you like to have happen?”
“How can I help?”

By asking instead of telling, we can give our children space to think, feel, and take ownership. Their brains remain engaged in a calm, reflective state rather than flipping into fight-or-flight mode. Even more importantly, children start to feel capable because their ideas and feelings are valued.

Why This Matters

Moments of frustration or challenge are inevitable. Whether it’s struggling with a seatbelt, navigating friendship dynamics, or facing academic pressures, children need tools to navigate those moments, and we need ways to guide without overwhelming them.

Curiosity questions do more than solve the problem at hand. They:

Build emotional resilience
Strengthen communication skills
Cultivate problem-solving and independence
Foster mutual respect

When we ask questions instead of rushing in with answers, we step out of the pressure to “fix” everything. We create connection instead of conflict.

A Simple Shift

Imagine a different response on that car ride. Instead of “You should move your backpack,” or “Just unbuckle and redo the seatbelt,” or “Take a deep breath and calm down,” what if the question had been, “What’s bothering you back there?” or “What would make things more comfortable?” The child may still have felt upset, but they would have been invited into the solution.

Key Principles

Using curiosity questions effectively, our tone, timing, and intent are critical. Keeping these core principles in mind will help immensely!

Be Genuinely Interested

When we ask questions, we want to make sure we don’t have a hidden agenda. Children are incredibly perceptive and can sense when a question is loaded or when it's a subtle way of getting them to do what we want. Curiosity questions are most powerful when they come from a place of authentic wonder and care. Ask because you want to understand their experience, not because you're trying to control it.

Create a Calm First

When children are in the middle of a meltdown, they aren’t able to process language-based information. If they (or we) are emotionally flooded, focus on calming and connection first. “I can see this is really frustrating. Let’s take a breath. We can talk about it when we’re both ready.” The focus, thus, is first on everyone feeling regulated.

Avoid Accusatory Language

Children are also incredibly sensitive to undertones of blame. Even well-meant questions can come across as judgmental if they're delivered with irritation, sarcasm, or disbelief. Focus on gathering information with empathy and openness. We want to avoid “Why did you…?” if it feels like an interrogation. Thus, it’s best to frame questions to understand.

Listen Actively

When a child answers a curiosity question, they’re offering a glimpse into their inner world. Pause. Make eye contact. Tune in with your full attention. Reflect back what you hear. Ask follow-up questions to deepen understanding. Active listening builds trust and strengthens the relationship. A good go-to question is, “Tell me more about that.”

Be Patient

Children—especially younger ones—often need time to process both the question and their thoughts. Thus, we want to avoid jumping in with another question or suggestion too quickly. Silence can be a powerful part of the process, giving our children time to think and respond.

For the Road Ahead

Curiosity questions are a cornerstone of respectful, connection-based parenting. We’ll face plenty of moments when instinct tells us to jump in and take control. However, sometimes the most empowering thing we can do is to slow down and get curious. With just a few simple questions, we can help our children feel calm, capable, and connected. In the process, we can also remind ourselves that guidance doesn’t always mean having all the answers.

To learn about more examples of effective and respectful guidance, schedule a time to visit our school!

Easing the Transition: A Guide to Starting the School Year

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 11:00:20 GMT

As summer winds down and the school year approaches, our children often experience a mix of emotions from excitement and curiosity to worry and anxiety. Whether your child is returning to familiar routines or stepping into something entirely new, transitions can be challenging for both children and parents.

The good news? With a little forethought and gentle structure, the shift from summer to school can become an opportunity for growth, connection, and calm. The Montessori philosophy reminds us that preparing the environment is key, and that includes preparing our home routines, emotional landscape, and mindset for the change ahead.

Reestablishing Routines

One of the most effective ways to support a smooth transition is to gradually reintroduce routines. Children thrive on consistency and predictability, and reestablishing a gentle rhythm can reduce stress and help everyone feel more grounded.

Sleep Schedules

The shift from late summer nights to early school mornings is often the trickiest. Rather than expecting a sudden adjustment on the first day, we recommend starting 10 to 14 days in advance. Gradually move bedtimes and wake-up times earlier in 15-minute increments. The goal is for your child to wake feeling rested and ready when the school year begins. Pair this adjustment with a calming, age-appropriate bedtime routine to support both physical rest and emotional regulation.

Morning Routines

A consistent and peaceful morning routine can transform the start of the day for the entire family. With a few subtle adjustments, we can also encourage our children to participate in preparing for the day ahead. For example, offer two outfit options for younger children, or encourage older children to choose and lay out their clothes the night before. A visual checklist with steps like getting dressed, eating breakfast, brushing teeth, and packing up can help alleviate the pressure. For added fun and independence, laminate the visual guide and let your child check off each task with a dry-erase marker. Ultimately, it helps practice the morning routine together before school starts, so it feels familiar and low-pressure.

Preparing Lunches and Snacks

Involving children in packing their own lunch fosters independence and gives them a sense of responsibility. Set up a small shelf or refrigerator section with healthy, ready-to-grab options. With a little support, even very young children can help pack their snacks and lunches the night before or as part of the morning routine.

Creating Calm and Order at Home

Designating a special area for school items helps build a sense of order and capability. Low hooks for backpacks, a bin for shoes, and a tidy shelf for lunch bags or outerwear give your child the tools they need to manage their belongings independently.

You can even “practice” coming home before the first day of school. Having your child hang up their backpack, unpack their lunch, and put things away helps establish habits that will carry through the year.

Supporting Emotions

It’s completely normal for children (and us!) to feel a mix of emotions about returning to school, especially when starting somewhere new. The key is to remain open, curious, and validating.

Encourage open conversations about feelings that might be arising. Instead of trying to fix discomfort, try reflective listening: “It sounds like you’re feeling a little nervous about meeting new friends.” We can also model a positive mindset by highlighting joyful aspects of school, such as reconnecting with friends, engaging in favorite activities, or exploring something new.

Another approach is to create rituals to mark the transition, such as an end-of-summer breakfast, a special note tucked into a lunchbox, or a celebration to mark the start of the school year.

Cultivating Connection

Transitions are smoother when children feel supported and connected to their community. If possible, visit the school before the first day, especially if your child is starting something new. Even a walk around the outside of the building can provide helpful familiarity. Coordinating playdates or meetups with classmates can help build or rebuild social bonds. If your child is interested, it can also be fun to explore extracurricular activities that foster a sense of belonging.

Maintaining Wellness and Balance

We do better when we feel better. To help children sustain their energy for the school day, focus on nutritious meals, especially a healthy breakfast that will fuel concentration and energy. To support a healthy balance between screen time, movement, and rest, work with your child to establish technology boundaries and screen limits before the school year starts. This helps children adjust ahead of time to different (and hopefully healthier) habits.

Encouraging Independence and Collaboration

Back-to-school doesn’t have to be something adults “do to” children. When we invite children into the process with genuine collaboration, they begin to feel more in control and more confident. From setting up routines, to preparing meals, to expressing their feelings, children are capable of contributing meaningfully to the process.

The result? A smoother transition, a greater sense of peace, and children who feel ready to step confidently into the school year ahead.

Curious to learn more about supporting children in developing habits that serve them for a lifetime? Visit our school today!

From Impulse to Intention: Raising Capable, Conscious Kids

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 11:00:15 GMT

In our culture, we often think of “will” in terms of willpower—gritting our teeth to do something difficult or pushing ourselves to achieve a goal. But in the Montessori approach, the will is something far more profound. We understand that, rather than being about discipline or determination, the will is the very force that propels children forward in life, guiding them from unconscious action to conscious choice.

In Montessori, supporting the development of the will is a significant part of our work. It is through this development that children become truly independent, capable of acting thoughtfully, responsibly, and with purpose.

What Is the Will?

Dr. Montessori described the will as a universal force of life. Like memory or language, it is part of our cognitive development, something we are born with and must nurture. It isn’t created. It’s cultivated. And like our muscles, the will grows stronger through repeated use and practice.

From birth, children are guided by natural instincts and unconscious drives, which create windows of opportunity in their development. Around age four or four and a half, those internal motivators begin to fade. That’s when the will begins to take over and become the children’s primary internal guide. At this stage, children start to act not just out of impulse, but from conscious decision-making.

The Four Stages of Will Development

Montessori described four stages in the development of the will:

Instinctual behaviors : These are the reflexes of infancy, such as rooting, suckling, grasping, and crying. They are unconscious and essential for survival.

Deliberate actions : Soon, babies begin to act with intention. We see this as they turn their head toward a voice or reach for a toy. These actions, while still not entirely rational, demonstrate a developing sense of cause and effect.

Voluntary actions : As children grow, they begin to make intentional choices, and this is when their will really begins to form. When children choose which snack to eat, which material to use, or whether to carry a tray with two hands, they are practicing using their will.

Conscious actions : Around age four and a half, children’s motivation increasingly comes from within. The choices they make are guided by thought, deliberation, and understanding.

The Role of the Environment

The will develops through experience. This means children’s environment, and how they’re allowed to interact with it, plays a central role.

Montessori classrooms are designed to give children opportunities to make real choices and experience natural consequences. This freedom, within clear boundaries, helps children learn how to act with purpose and to reflect on their actions.

By giving children appropriate levels of choice—“Would you like to carry the tray or the underlay?” “Do you want to walk by yourself or hold my hand?”—we offer them chances to practice decision-making in manageable ways. And every time children make a choice, they are exercising their will.

Balancing Impulse and Inhibition

Dr. Montessori also spoke of two fundamental forces in all of us: impulse and inhibition. Young children are often driven by impulse, an intense curiosity to act, explore, and move. That being said, they must also learn how to regulate those impulses.

The will is what helps children find balance. It allows them to move from reacting to choosing. In a well-prepared environment, children develop the capacity to think, “I want to do this…but should I?”

This balance supports their formation of character. We don’t want children to become compliant. Instead, we want them to develop their internal strength to persist, overcome challenges, and act with integrity. Today, we might call this “grit,” but over a century ago, Dr. Montessori recognized it as the outcome of a well-developed will.

Obedience: A Natural Outcome

Montessori’s approach to discipline is often misunderstood. In many traditional systems, obedience is demanded early, sometimes before the child is developmentally capable of giving it. But Montessori believed that internal discipline is a choice, and a well-developed will must support that choice.

She described three stages of obedience:

Children cannot obey : They do not yet have the control or skills to carry out a request.

Children can obey sometimes : As abilities grow, children can follow directions, but not consistently.

Children choose to obey joyfully : They align their will with the will of trusted adults out of love, respect, and understanding.

At this highest level, obedience isn’t about power or fear. Rather, it’s about harmony and mutual respect. But to reach it, children must first be allowed to develop their own will.

Why It Matters

The development of the will is not about producing obedient children or compliant workers. It’s about raising thoughtful, capable individuals who understand themselves, make choices with care, and live harmoniously within a community.

The Montessori approach offers something radically different: an environment where children can grow into themselves with dignity, strength, and self-direction. Schedule a tour to learn more!

Little Hands, Big Purpose: The Power of Practical Life

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 11:01:03 GMT

In our daily lives, we undertake numerous tasks to care for our homes, loved ones, and ourselves. As adults, we often move through these routines without much thought: washing the dishes, setting the table, tidying up a room. But for young children, these moments hold incredible fascination. They yearn to participate in practical matters and delight in doing meaningful work alongside the adults they admire.

In the Montessori approach, we refer to these tasks as Practical Life activities. Whether it’s dressing themselves, wiping a spill, or watering a plant, these activities help children connect to the world around them. They offer a gentle introduction to cultural norms and everyday responsibilities while also supporting the development of internal motivation, intellect, and body coordination.

Two Purposes: One External, One Internal

Every Practical Life activity serves two important purposes. The first is external and easily visible: when children wash a table, the table becomes clean. The second purpose is internal and perhaps even more meaningful: children grow in confidence, independence, and a sense of belonging.

When children are invited to participate in purposeful work, they feel like important contributors to their family or classroom community. Learning to meet their own needs — such as dressing, feeding themselves, or cleaning up — helps them develop a sense of competence and pride. Over time, these small but significant experiences lay the foundation for future independence and responsibility. By the time children become young adults, they are well-prepared to care for themselves, plan for their future, and contribute meaningfully to the world around them.

Preparing the Environment for Success

In Montessori classrooms, Practical Life activities are intentionally prepared and beautifully presented to support children’s independence. The sink is at children’s height. The soap dispenser holds just enough soap for a single wash. Every tool has a place, and children learn how to use and return each one with care.

This thoughtful preparation allows children to take on tasks that might previously have been done for them. Now, they can do it for themselves, and in doing so, they begin to see themselves as capable and responsible individuals.

Even our youngest children can begin participating in daily routines through collaboration. For infants, we might say, “I’m going to put on your shirt. Let’s slide your arm through the sleeve,” giving them the opportunity to feel involved in the process. As they grow, children begin to imitate the adults around them and eventually take on tasks in their own unique way. This process isn’t always linear — some days, more support is needed. On those days, we can offer gentle encouragement, saying, “Let’s do this together,” while still honoring our children’s role in the task.

Caring for the Environment

In addition to self-care, children in Montessori environments are given many opportunities to care for their surroundings. From watering plants to sweeping floors, these real and purposeful activities help children feel connected to their community.

Success in this area depends on a well-prepared environment. Child-sized tools and meaningful work allow the child to make a visible impact. If the plants are dry, the children water them. If a table is dirty, children scrub it. These aren’t pretend tasks — they are real contributions, and children know it.

Supporting Practical Life at Home

Parents often ask how they can support Practical Life work at home. The good news is that it doesn’t require elaborate preparation. A few intentional routines and accessible materials go a long way.

A basket in the room for laundry, a drawer with placemats and utensils for setting the table, or shelves with toys that are easy to return to their place — these simple choices allow children to take ownership of their environment.

When creating Practical Life opportunities at home, consider these guiding questions:

Will this activity help develop independence and coordination?
Can it be done independently?
What skills are needed?
Does it allow for repetition?
Is it culturally appropriate and necessary?
Is it beautiful?
Is the material child-sized?
Is it logical and safe?

The Joy of Purposeful Work

As children learn to care for themselves and their environment, they come to understand what is essential. They begin to internalize procedures, take pride in doing things “all by myself,” and discover just how capable they are.

Children naturally pour their attention into meaningful work. They experience deep satisfaction not only in the outcome but in the process itself. Through Practical Life, they develop a strong sense of belonging and the confidence to grow into their fullest, most independent selves. Come visit our school to see this for yourself!

Feeling Heard: The Practice of Active Listening

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 11:00:24 GMT

Have you had the experience of your child exploding in frustration when you try to answer a question? This can manifest in different ways. When you try to answer, your child may react or even shout, "Stop interrupting me!" This can feel baffling, especially if we don’t seem to be interrupting at all. Your child asks a question. You answer.

Looking Behind the Behavior

Children often communicate in ways that reveal deeper needs. Their words can be loud, reactive, or difficult to interpret. But often, it is not the content of our response that causes tension—it’s the speed, the timing, and the presence behind it.

In many cases, we are already forming our responses before a child finishes speaking. This habit, while unintentional, can make our children feel unseen or unheard. What they may need instead is a thoughtful pause—space between the question and our reply. This kind of mindful interaction can be especially meaningful in moments of stress or conflict.

Space for Ideas to Breathe

We use a similar approach in Montessori classrooms. As adults, we strive to pause after someone speaks. This space allows ideas to breathe and encourages deeper listening. Over time, as we practice this technique, we become more aware of body language, emotional tone, and unspoken cues. We learn to listen with the intention of understanding, not just responding.

In both classrooms and homes, this practice of active listening can significantly shift the tone of relationships. Active listening involves pausing, tuning in, and reflecting back what the speaker has expressed. It communicates, “I hear you. I understand what you’re feeling.” This doesn’t mean we need to agree with every statement, but rather we are validating the speaker’s emotions and experiences.

Active Listening in Action

When we respond with active listening, our children often become calmer and more open to cooperation. For example, if your child asks, “Can I watch a movie?” rather than offering an immediate yes or no, we might pause and say, “It sounds like you’d really like to watch something. I understand how fun that can be. I’m not willing to do that today because we already had a movie night last night.” Your child might not like the response, but when we practice active listening, children tend to be calmer and less prone to react emotionally. The boundary remains firm, but your child’s feelings are acknowledged.

In more emotionally charged moments, active listening can also help de-escalate conflict. For example, if your child yells, “I hate you!” a simple response, such as “It sounds like you’re really angry with me,” can validate their emotions and help your child identify feelings that may seem complicated or hard to name. On calmer days, we can allow our children to explore even more deeply by asking follow-up questions, such as, “Is there more?” This can lead to an even deeper connection and emotional awareness.

Deeper, More Cooperative Relationships

Children, like all people, want to feel heard. When we slow down, listen with intention, and respond with empathy, relationships deepen. The result is not only fewer emotional outbursts but also more goodwill, cooperation, and mutual respect. Active listening becomes more than a communication tool. It becomes a way of honoring each other’s humanity.

To experience active listening in action and see its impact on our children, schedule a tour to visit our school!

More Than a Method: Montessori's Vision for Humanity

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 11:01:13 GMT

At the heart of Montessori education is a deep respect for human potential. The core of Montessori philosophy and practice originated when Dr. Maria Montessori, as part of her medical school training, worked with children who had developmental delays. Dr. Montessori observed that the children needed something different, so she provided them with materials and an environment that truly supported their development. The result? The children demonstrated remarkable growth. This discovery has forever changed our understanding of learning and the human experience.

A Scientific Lens on Human Nature

Dr. Montessori approached children and human development as a scientist. Through her observations, she recognized that humans possess innate, universal characteristics and follow predictable patterns of development. At our core, we are a species designed to learn, to adapt, and to grow.

By observing children through the lens of human development, Dr. Montessori identified specific stages of growth, which we now call the Planes of Development, and a set of Human Tendencies that drive learning and adaptation from birth to maturity. These tendencies are not random. They are evolutionary forces that guide humans to meet their needs and fulfill their potential.

Education That Aligns With Nature

Montessori education is structured around supporting these stages and tendencies. Instead of imposing learning, we respect and reinforce the natural unfolding of each child’s abilities. Montessori learning environments are carefully prepared to meet developmental needs, and the adult’s role shifts from teacher to someone who serves as an aide to life. This means adults serve as guides who observe, prepare, and support rather than direct.

A Cosmic Perspective

Montessori’s vision of human development goes beyond the individual. She saw human beings as part of a cosmic web of interrelationships. In this interconnected system, each part plays a role in maintaining balance and harmony. Humans have a special place in this system, not only because of our capacity to adapt but because of our consciousness of that very role.

With this perspective, we recognize that education must also cultivate humility, wonder, and stewardship —qualities that enable us to live responsibly within this complex, interdependent world. In this context, education is not just about achieving success; it’s about supporting the growth of mature, adaptive, and aware human beings.

The Power of Adaptation

Humans are uniquely capable of adapting to a vast range of environments and social conditions. We have been able to move beyond survival and, in the process, have become creative, intelligent, and intentional in our adaptation. From birth, children adapt and evolve through interaction with their surroundings. Through their senses, hands, minds, and relationships, children construct themselves and their understanding of the world.

Dr. Montessori identified key characteristics that support this adaptation. Humans have a long childhood, noteworthy for the development of our hands, intelligence, imagination, and social interdependence. These capacities are guided by the Human Tendencies, which not only move development forward but also shape who we become.

The Human Tendencies

These universal tendencies include the drive to:

Orient to the environment
Explore the unknown
Order and make sense of the world
Abstract and think symbolically
Imagine possibilities
Calculate and reason
Work to shape and adapt the environment
Repeat and strive for precision
Perfect oneself through effort
Communicate and associate with others

These tendencies are innate, universal, lifelong, and evolutionary in nature. They cannot be eliminated, but they can be supported—or thwarted. When blocked, children will still try to meet their needs, often in less productive or more disruptive ways.

Observation and the Role of Adults

To truly support a child’s development, we observe with care to determine if children’s tendencies are being honored or obstructed. As Montessori-trained guides, we strive to look beneath behavior and recognize what drives it. This observational practice shifts our understanding of children and deepens our respect for their developmental process.

Dr. Montessori’s work challenges traditional views of education. Instead of seeing adults as the agents of growth, Dr. Montessori emphasized that children are self-constructing beings. Education should not be about imposing knowledge but about intentionally supporting the natural process of development.

Education as an Aid to Life

Ultimately, we believe that education should serve as a vital component of life itself. When we align learning environments with the science of human development, supporting children’s creative process of adaptation, we open the door to profound potential.

Montessori education offers not only a method but a visionary framework rooted in observation, science, and deep reverence for what it means to be human. It calls us to see children not as empty vessels, but as beings full of possibility, ready to become mature, capable, and compassionate citizens of the world.

We invite you to visit our school to see how Montessori environments support the potential of our young people!

Montessori’s Living Curriculum: Biology in the Classroom & Beyond

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 11:00:07 GMT

What is biology? At its root, the word comes from the Greek bios, meaning "life," and logos, meaning "word" or "reason." In short, biology is the study of life. In Montessori elementary classrooms, however, biology is more than a science subject—it’s a gateway to wonder, connection, and understanding our place in the larger story of life on Earth.

A Living Subject in a Living Curriculum

Dr. Maria Montessori saw biology as essential to what she called Cosmic Education—a curriculum designed to help children in the second plane of development (ages 6 to 12) see how everything in the universe is interconnected. In this context, biology is not just about memorizing facts. It’s about discovering how plants, animals, water, minerals, and even the air work together in a grand collaboration. Through this lens, we can discover how each species has a cosmic task—a unique role in sustaining life on Earth.

Plants, for example, draw minerals and water from the soil, but they also protect that soil from erosion and help purify the air. Animals depend on plants for food and, in turn, help pollinate, fertilize, and spread seeds. Each element takes what it needs and gives something back. In a Montessori classroom, children explore these ideas deeply, not just as scientific facts, but as part of a moral and ecological awareness.

The Importance of Real Experiences

Montessori elementary children are imaginative, curious, and developing a strong sense of morality. They want to understand how things work and why they matter. That’s why biology in Montessori isn’t taught from a textbook—it’s brought to life through real experiences and thoughtful exploration.

Whenever possible, we begin biology lessons with real specimens. A single seed, a fallen leaf, or a live plant offers more opportunities for engagement and connection than a picture ever could. Children are encouraged to observe, touch, ask questions, and form hypotheses. We may use sketches and charts to aid understanding, but hands-on exploration always comes first.

Children examine the parts of a flower, experiment with how different leaves respond to light, or observe how water travels through a stem. Along the way, they learn the functional anatomy of plants and animals, explore systems of classification, and begin to understand adaptation and evolution.

Moral Considerations in Science

Because elementary-age children are developing a sense of right and wrong, we take care to present biology with sensitivity and respect. We don’t cut living plants carelessly or keep animals for the sake of experimentation. Instead, we invite questions: Is it right to dissect a flower? What happens when we keep a bird in a cage? How does using pesticides affect bees and flowers?

These questions encourage children to develop empathy, a sense of stewardship, and a respect for life. It’s not just about learning how living things function—it’s about understanding our responsibility within the web of life.

A Dual Environment: Classroom and Nature

One of the most important aspects of biology in Montessori is that it happens in two environments: the classroom and the natural world. Children study parts of a plant in class, then go outside to identify those parts in a garden or forest. They may observe a classroom pet or bees coming to planter boxes, then learn about insect behavior and classification. This dual environment deepens understanding and builds connection.

When in Kodaikanal, India, Dr. Montessori experienced how elementary children learned by exploring hills, forests, and fields. While not every school is surrounded by nature, the beauty of biology is that it’s everywhere–a patch of grass, a few fallen leaves, or the cracks in a sidewalk where something green is growing.

How Families Can Support a Love of Biology and Nature

As parents and caregivers, we are our children’s most important guide to the natural world. And the good news is, we don’t need to be a biology expert to nurture a deep love of life sciences. Here are some simple ways we can provide support:

Go outside often . Whether it’s a walk around the neighborhood, a hike in the woods, or just time in the backyard, give children plenty of opportunities to observe and wonder.
Make collections . Children love collecting things—leaves, rocks, feathers, shells. Encourage this instinct, and use it as a way to ask questions and spark further research.
Model curiosity . If your child asks why some plants grow in the shade or why certain animals come out at night, don’t feel pressured to have the answer. Say, “I wonder that too. Let’s find out together.”
Create a nature journal . Encourage children to draw, label, and write about what they see in nature. This can be as formal or informal as they like. The goal is to create a habit of observation.
Ask big questions . Children love the extraordinary. Ask them what they think about camouflage, desert survival, or why birds migrate. Their imagination and reasoning will shine.
Use your interests . If you love gardening, birdwatching, or hiking, share that with the children in your life. Even your casual observations can spark their own questions and investigations.

From Biology to Ecology

As Montessori children grow in their biological studies, they naturally move toward ecology—the study of how all living and nonliving parts of the world interact. This final synthesis reinforces their understanding that they are part of something bigger, something intricate and beautiful.

Ultimately, biology in Montessori is about more than life sciences—it’s about living fully, attentively, and respectfully in the world. With a nurturing classroom, a natural world to explore, and the guidance of engaged adults, our children can grow up with a profound sense of connection, wonder, and care for the Earth.

Wonder and Words: How Montessori Builds Language Through Biology

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 11:00:51 GMT

In our primary classrooms, science is woven into children’s experience. Children are driven by wonder, and our classrooms nurture this natural curiosity. From the moment they step into the learning environment, children’s natural curiosity leads them to explore the living world around them.

In Montessori, we support children making sense of what they are absorbing through their senses by offering a powerful tool — language. As children effortlessly absorb new vocabulary, they also use new words to organize their thinking.

Why Start Biology So Young?

Between the ages of two and six, children reach the peak of their sensory and language development. They are in a sensitive period for absorbing vocabulary, categorizing objects, and forming meaningful connections between words and their experiences.

Biology in a Montessori classroom isn’t about memorizing facts. It’s about building a relationship with life—plants, animals, and the systems that support them. Through language-rich, hands-on experiences, children develop both a scientific mindset and a deep appreciation for the natural world.

The Foundation: Observation and Vocabulary

Everything begins with observation. Through their senses and experiences with specially designed sensorial materials, children develop the ability to notice minute details, such as leaf shapes, flower structures, and animal features. Once children have had numerous experiences, we provide language to describe sensorial qualities and scientific details.

We don’t flood children with information; instead, we provide just enough vocabulary to unlock further exploration. These words become tools for thinking and communicating.

Botany: Language Rooted in Nature

Plants are all around us, and at school, they’re part of daily life. Whether watering classroom plants, taking a nature walk, or tending to outdoor gardens, children encounter a diverse range of botanical specimens.

When in the pre-reading stage, we provide children with activities such as:

Matching real leaves to wooden shapes in the Leaf Cabinet
Learning the names of parts of plants, flowers, and leaves
Classifying plants: wildflowers, trees, desert plants, and more

Once they are reading, children begin:

Labeling the parts of plants with cards
Creating booklets and plant care guides
Using three-part cards and definition booklets to solidify vocabulary

Zoology: Speaking the Language of Animals

Animals captivate children—and provide rich opportunities for expanding language. From feeding a classroom fish to identifying birds at a feeder, children develop vocabulary through real-world encounters.

Pre-readers engage with activities such as:

Sorting animals by category (mammals, birds, amphibians, etc.)
Sequencing the life cycles of insects or frogs
Learning the external parts of animals through picture cards

Our young readers then begin:

Matching pictures and labels
Reading or creating definition booklets
Solving riddle games, such as “Who am I?” based on animal traits
Engaging in word study (e.g. animal homes, male/female/young, collective nouns)

More Than Words: Cultivating Curiosity and Connection

In Montessori, the goal isn’t to create little encyclopedias—it’s to nurture lifelong learners. When a child asks about a bug or leaf we don’t recognize, the best response isn’t an answer—it’s a shared investigation.

As adults, we might say: “I’m not sure what it is, but let’s look it up together.” This approach models curiosity, critical thinking, and the joy of discovery.

These language extensions in biology offer powerful tools for children by encouraging observation and reflection, fostering an emotional connection to living things, providing a framework for organizing experiences, and helping children develop precise vocabulary to express what they see.

Montessori biology connects wonder and words, and equips children with the tools to explore and care for their world with confidence and respect.

Looking for Ways to Bring this Home?

Go on a nature walk and label what you see
Set up a small plant care station for your child
Use picture books to explore animal life cycles
Keep a journal of new plants and animals your child encounters

We also love to share what we do, so please contact us to schedule a tour and see biology come to life for young children!

Our Montessori Bookshelf: Wonders of the Natural World

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 11:01:03 GMT

In Montessori, we recognize the importance of children being immersed in the wonders of the natural world. We want nature to be an integral part of daily life, rich in experiences that awaken curiosity and inspire awe.

Whether it’s watching ants march across a sidewalk, wondering at the shape of a cloud, or marveling at a tree's branches reaching across the sky, nature has a way of capturing children’s imaginations. Our goal is to help them see the natural world not just as a backdrop for play, but as a living, breathing system of which they are a part.

Children are often drawn to books that reflect the magic they sense outdoors. To support that connection, we’re sharing some of our favorite nature-based book series—beautifully written and illustrated titles that encourage exploration, observation, and a lifelong relationship with the natural world.

Over & Under Books

By Kate Messner with art by Christopher Silas Neal

These picture books will appeal to the youngest children, while also serving as an invitation for older children to explore. With illustrations that open windows to how we perceive the natural world, the books offer readers a glimpse into what we can discover if we look a little more closely. Whether we lift our gaze or peer deep down into the depths, there are wonders waiting to be revealed. The storyline of each book takes us on a child’s journey, with the security of a loving adult as a companion.

Messner, a former teacher, also includes descriptions of each animal at the end of the book, as well as additional resources for those who want to learn more about the ecosystem she has highlighted. Depending upon upcoming excursions or current interests, you and your child can explore the following titles:

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt

Over and Under the Canyon

Over and Under the Pond

Over and Under the Rainforest

Over and Under the Snow

Over and Under the Waves

Over and Under the Wetland

A …. Is …. Series

By Dianna Aston, Illustrated by Sylvia Long

One of the many beautiful features of these picture books is that they can be as simple or as complex as the reader prefers. For our youngest children, it’s easy enough to read the short poetic sentences written in lovely script across the page. For those who want more details, we can delve into fascinating facts and labeled illustrations. The detailed paintings share the splendor of the natural world as well as biological information that captures the imagination. Each of these titles is an invitation to awe:

A Beetle Is Shy

A Butterfly Is Patient

An Egg Is Quiet

A Nest Is Noisy

A Rock Is Lively

A Seed Is Sleepy

Mary Holland Books

The photographs in Mary Holland’s books bring us close up to the animal world. Crisp and full of detail, each page is immersive, both visually and factually. The books that focus on particular aspects of animals (ears, eyes, legs, etc.) weave together rich information with engaging commentary and questions (“Can you do that?” -or- “Can you find…?”).

The books that detail a particular animal, such as Ferdinand Fox’s First Summer and Otis the Owl, take us on a seasonal journey through the lens of that animal’s life. Each title also ends with activities, called “For Creative Minds,” for further exploration. Animal lovers will lose themselves in these books!

With over 15 books to choose from, this collection can provide days and weeks of exploration. For those who really fall in love with this series, it’s worth investing in Naturally Curious Day by Day: A Photographic Field Guide and Daily Visit to the Forests, Fields, and Wetlands of Eastern North America, which offers information about the natural world for each day of the year.

Holland’s picture book titles include:

Animal Ears

Animal Eyes

Animal Homes

Animal Legs

Animal Mouths

Animal Myths

Animal Noses

Animal Skins

Animal Tails

Animal Tracks and Traces

The Beavers' Busy Year

Ferdinand Fox’s First Summer

Otis the Owl

What’s Inside?

Yodel the Yearling

Rothman’s “Anatomy” Books

Written and Illustrated by Julia Rothman

Perhaps more suited for older readers, these books are a treasure trove of information. Easy enough to flip through to discover captivating details, and well worth moving through the thematic chapters, the pages offer sweet illustrations, short descriptions, labeled anatomy, and much more.

Rothman’s delightful drawings offer just enough detail without being too much, making them accessible yet engaging. If anything, these books are a great introduction to what nature journaling can be! If children are inspired to try their hand at nature journaling, Claire Walker Leslie’s books, especially Keeping a Nature Journal: Deepen Your Connection with the Natural World All Around You, can be another wonderful option to explore with your child!

The five Rothman “Anatomy” books are:

Food Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of our Edible World

Wildlife Anatomy: The Curious Lives & Features of Wild Animals Around the World

Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of Country Life

Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of the Natural World

Ocean Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of the World Under the Sea

Whether they’re flipping through pages while curled up on the couch or stepping outside to explore with new eyes, these texts and illustrations can help children cultivate a lasting relationship with nature. We hope these books offer a meaningful bridge between your child and the natural world—one that inspires closer observation, deeper questions, and joyful discovery.

In Montessori, we believe that fostering a love for the natural world lays the foundation for stewardship, empathy, and wonder. These books are just a starting point—an invitation to see more, learn more, and care more about the life that surrounds us every day. Please reach out to let us know what you think of these books or to recommend others. Happy reading, and happy exploring!

A Different Kind of Homework: A Montessori-Inspired Summer

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 11:00:15 GMT

With its change of pace, summer can be a lovely time to branch out into different kinds of family adventures. Even though school isn’t in session, learning doesn’t need to end! In Montessori, however, we believe summer is a time not for worksheets and drills, but for wonder, exploration, and deep connection with the natural world.

As adults, we can offer invitations to exploration. For inspiration, we are offering this list of meaningful, joyful, and skill-building experiences designed to awaken the senses, ignite curiosity, and nourish the spirit.

Here is our "Summer Homework List" that reflects Montessori values of independence, care for the environment, and learning through doing. Consider this a summer challenge! How many can your family tackle during these upcoming months?!

Explore the Great Outdoors ��

Climb a hill or mountain.

Hike a section of a trail.

Walk, bike, or skate along a bike path or greenway.

Canoe or raft down a local river.

Spend extended time walking quietly through the woodlands.

Climb a tree and observe the world from a new perspective.

Play and splash in a summer rainstorm.

Learn to Navigate and Survive in Nature ��

Learn to use a compass and a map to find your way.

Pitch a tent, build a fire, and cook a meal outdoors.

Go on a night hike with a flashlight and listen for nocturnal life.

Use Your Hands to Build and Discover ��

Make sandcastles on the beach or mud pies in the yard.

Build a fort or lean-to in the woods.

Spend hours making dams and bridges in streams.

Dig for worms.

Try catching frogs and fireflies.

Experiment with different designs for kites or paper airplanes.

Connect with the Cosmos ��

Learn to identify a few constellations and find the North Star.

Discover where north, south, east, and west are in relation to your home.

Watch the Perseid meteor shower in August.

Observe and Create ��

Build a birdhouse.

Learn to whittle a stick.

Identify local birds by sight and sound.

Learn the names of the trees around your home.

Blow bubbles and observe patterns with wind direction and speed.

Create a scavenger hunt in the yard.

Collect, Record, and Reflect ��

Start a small home museum: shells, rocks, feathers, or postcards of natural wonders.

Collect and paint rocks.

Create a sculpture or design with found objects.

Keep a Nature Journal with drawings, leaf rubbings, and observations.

Lie in the grass and observe the clouds.

Grow and Gather ��

Care for your own tomato plant.

Plant and tend a vegetable garden.

Gather locally grown foods and create a picnic.

Pick fresh berries—and bake a pie!

Why It Matters ��

Summer is an excellent time to consider what experiences will nourish our children’s love of life! With that in mind, let’s trade pencils for pinecones, screens for stargazing, and worksheets for wildflowers. This is the kind of homework children will remember, and that will support deep growth and learning.

Children thrive when they experience real-world learning, especially when it involves movement, observation, problem-solving, and connection. Plus, these summer suggestions awaken the senses, promote independence, and help children feel rooted in their environment.

If you are interested in learning more about how Montessori keeps this spirit of discovery alive all year, please be in touch. We love to share what we do!

Creating Community in Montessori Toddler Environments

Thu, 29 May 2025 11:00:54 GMT

In Montessori education, we emphasize community, not just as an abstract concept, but as a lived daily experience. From the very beginning of life, we emphasize carefully prepared environments that foster a deep sense of belonging and connection.

What Is Community?

The word community comes from the Latin communis , meaning “common, public, general, or shared by all or many.” In addition to shared space, in Montessori, we also think about community as a shared sense of meaning, values, and connection.

At its core, community begins with the most fundamental human group: the family. Families form children’s first social experience and the first place where values, culture, and expectations are passed down. This bond has helped humans survive and thrive throughout history.

Partnering with Families

In the Montessori approach, we honor and respect each family's unique values, striving to foster strong home-school relationships. Our partnership with families is a mutual journey—one in which the adult caregivers at school and home come together with a shared purpose: to nurture children’s natural growth.

Building the Toddler Community

We design our learning environments—both indoors and outdoors—to meet each child where they are, providing just the right level of challenge, comfort, and beauty. In creating community, we focus on essential, concrete elements like people, space, and materials, while also attending to intangible aspects that provide a profound sense of order.

The People : The adults—both the lead guide and trained assistants—focus on personal and professional preparation. Their role is not to direct the child but to support their natural development with presence, purpose, and peacefulness.

The Space : The physical environment must be appropriately sized, thoughtfully arranged, and aesthetically pleasing. If it’s too large, children can feel lost or overstimulated. If it’s too small, they may feel crowded and unsettled. We design every detail—from the furniture to the flow of the day—with intention.

The Materials : Everything in the classroom is purposeful, developmentally appropriate, and in harmony with Montessori principles. We carefully select materials to support children’s movement, independence, concentration, and sense of order.

Profound Order : A true Montessori community also relies on an invisible but essential structure: the order that underlies everything. Children have a fundamental need for order, especially during the first six years of life when they are in their sensitive period for order.

External order—seen in routines, consistent expectations, and a well-organized space—helps children form inner order, which is the foundation of emotional regulation, concentration, and autonomy.

If children do not experience order in their lives, they must expend energy trying to create it—energy that should instead be used for self-construction. That is why order must exist not just in the physical environment, but also in the adults’ behavior and in the flow of the day. A sense of control, predictability, and respect enables toddlers to flourish as they begin to form their personalities.

The Role of the Prepared Adult

As we create and cultivate our learning communities, we also recognize the significance of our role as adults in creating a community where toddlers feel safe, supported, and free to grow.

While we play a critical role in creating and maintaining a beautiful environment, we also recognize that it belongs to the children for their growth and development. To ensure that we support this development, we strive to master the art of observation, which enables us to identify what children need to aid their growth. With a deep understanding of the purpose of every material in the classroom, we can then connect children to meaningful work through intentional and respectful presentations.

We also practice humility, recognizing that children are often more in tune with their needs than we are. Our work with toddlers requires us to respect each child’s human potential, even when behavior is challenging, and to love unconditionally, accepting children for who they are, not who we want them to be. This practice means that we regularly reflect on our own work, always striving to improve so that we can better serve the children.

A Living, Breathing Community

Creating a Montessori community for toddlers is both an art and a science that requires intentional environments, well-prepared adults, and a deep respect for children’s developmental journey.

At its heart, the Montessori Toddler Community is a shared space where children learn how to be in the world—together. It is here they first experience what it means to belong, to contribute, and to grow with others.

Schedule a visit to see what an intentionally designed community looks like in action!

Montessori Materials Explained: The Fundamental Needs Charts

Mon, 26 May 2025 11:01:04 GMT

Exploring Human Connection: The Fundamental Needs Charts in Montessori

In the Montessori elementary classroom, we support children’s natural curiosity about what it means to be human. One of the tools we use for this exploration is the Fundamental Needs Charts, which illustrate the universal needs that connect all people, past and present.

Understanding Our Shared Humanity

The purpose of these charts is to help children recognize their own needs and see how human beings across time and cultures have worked to fulfill them. Through this, children begin to develop a deeper awareness of their place in history and the common threads that unite all people.

There are two charts that children use first as an overview and then as a tool for research.

The first chart provides a broad overview of fundamental needs, divided into material needs (food, shelter, clothing, defense, transportation) and spiritual needs (art, music, religion, communication).
The second chart focuses specifically on the human need for food, a concept that even the youngest elementary students can appreciate!

Unlike traditional text-heavy resources, these charts rely on visual representations, which makes them accessible to younger elementary children. The charts also provide a visual model of how to organize an investigation into ancient civilizations and cultures.

A Framework for Exploration

Elementary-aged children are naturally curious about how things work and why people live the way they do. The Fundamental Needs Charts provide a structured way to study history and culture, allowing children to ask meaningful questions:

How did different civilizations meet their needs for food and shelter?
How did people create art, music, and systems of belief?
What innovations, like the wheel, changed the way humans lived?
Are spiritual needs as essential as physical ones for survival?

These questions encourage children to think critically and compare cultures in a way that fosters both curiosity and respect for diversity.

From Concrete to Abstract Thinking

At first, children relate to physical needs like food and warmth because they have personally experienced hunger or cold. They also begin to grasp more abstract concepts, such as the role of art, music, and communication in human development.

We introduce the first chart through conversation:

What did you have for breakfast this morning?
How did you get to school? Did you wear a seat belt?
Why did you choose the clothes you have on today?
What do you plan to do this weekend?

We often write little slips with students’ answers. Then, we display the first chart and, together with the children, figure out how to put the different answers into the different categories. Children love this personal connection to the material, and the process lays the stage for how information can be organized thematically.

Encouraging Independent Research

The Fundamental Needs Charts do not present every possible human need–this is intentional. Instead, they provide a model that encourages children to create their own charts based on their research. This process deepens their understanding and allows them to make connections between cultures in a meaningful way.

Younger children often love making “needs” collages from magazine pictures or even charts of their own personal “fundamental needs” such as “What I Eat.” Sometimes, children may make booklets or write a story or report about a particular aspect of the chart, such as “How We Get to School” or foods that come from fish or foods that are flowers! Or they may make a chart with all the different ways human beings transport themselves, or about human houses. The possibilities are endless!

As they continue their studies, older children transition to The History Question Charts, which rely more on text and research. These allow for a more detailed examination of historical patterns, further reinforcing the idea that history is a story of human beings working to meet their needs.

Education for Peace

Dr. Maria Montessori believed that education should help children see themselves as part of a larger human family. By studying the universal needs that all people share, children develop a sense of human solidarity through space and time. They learn that while cultures may differ in their approaches, our fundamental needs unite us all.

This understanding fosters empathy, respect, and a sense of interconnectedness—essential components of education for peace. The Fundamental Needs of Human Beings Charts are more than just learning tools; they are a gateway to understanding human history, culture, and identity.

Visit our classrooms to see how our learning activities help young people become interconnected citizens!

Practical Life Has Purpose!

Mon, 19 May 2025 11:00:39 GMT

The Purposes of Practical Life in Montessori

In a Montessori classroom, practical life activities play a foundational role in supporting children’s development, independence, and connection to their environment. Because children are actively absorbing and adapting to the world around them, everything we offer in practical life serves a developmental need.

Supporting Independence

One of the primary goals of practical life is to nurture children’s functional independence—the ability to care for oneself and the environment and interact meaningfully within a community. The first plane of development (0 to 6 years) is marked by a strong drive for independence, with children eager to do things for themselves.

By the time a child enters the Children’s House (approximately ages 2.5 to 6), they have already made strides toward independence. However, they still require an environment that allows them to refine their skills. In the world, children generally encounter a number of obstacles to their independence:

Household processes (e.g., cleaning dishes in the dishwasher) may be hidden or too complex.
Tools are adult-sized and difficult for small hands to use.
Movements happen too quickly for children to absorb (e.g., tying a shoe).

The Montessori environment addresses these barriers by providing:

Child-sized tools for daily activities, such as preparing food and caring for the classroom.
A clear, ordered sequence of movements that children can observe and repeat.
The freedom to practice skills at their own pace, allowing them to move from passive observers to active participants.

Supporting the Sensitive Period for Movement

We also recognize that young children are in a critical period for refining their control and coordination. So practical life activities are designed to help children refine their movements in purposeful ways, directing children’s attention and energy toward focused, intentional actions. Walking on the line of an ellipse develops balance and control. Pouring water from a basin to a bucket refines precision. Carrying a tray teaches careful, measured movements.

One of the most challenging yet essential aspects of movement is control. It takes effort to stop pouring just before a cup overflows or use only a small drop of polish when shining an object. By engaging in these exercises, children strengthen their willpower and gradually master their own actions.

Supporting the Sensitive Period for Order

Children in the first plane of development have an innate need for external order, which is reflected in their surroundings and daily routines. Montessori environments support this in a variety of ways.

We ensure that activities have a logical sequence of steps so as children learn new concepts, they can also rely on the sequencing.

Materials are placed in a specific order on the shelves, moving left to right and top to bottom so children begin to internalize the same patterning we use for reading as they work through the easier and most concrete activities to the most challenging and abstract.

Montessori activities are color-coded. For the youngest children this means that all of the items for something like window washing will have the same color which helps children keep the set together. As children get older the color-coding is designed to help them grasp concepts like place value in math or parts of speech in language.

Once children internalize these structures, they gain confidence and independence, allowing them to complete tasks from start to finish without adult intervention.

Assisting with Cultural Adaptation

Practical life activities reflect real-world tasks that children observe in their daily lives. Children are naturally drawn to meaningful work—they want to help, imitate, and participate. For example, in Dr. Montessori’s early observations in San Lorenzo, she saw that children were fascinated by the gardener and the custodian, eagerly following and watching their work. Children see adults doing marvelous activities, and children want to learn the skills to participate! Through practical life activities, children engage in culturally relevant tasks that allow them to feel like valuable members of their community.

Supporting Orientation

Orientation is a fundamental human tendency—we all seek to understand our surroundings and how to function within them. Practical life exercises help children orient to the Montessori classroom by introducing essential routines. For example, we take the time to teach children things that might otherwise be taken for granted, such as:

How to carry a chair properly.
How to greet a friend.
How to roll and unroll a work rug.
How to ask for help.

By taking time to demonstrate these tasks, we show respect for the child and provide the knowledge they need to act confidently in their space.

Supporting the Development of Concentration

Practical life activities serve as a gateway to deep concentration. The freedom to choose and repeat exercises allows children to follow their intrinsic motivation and work toward self-perfection.

When children reach deep concentration, they experience:

Joy and a sense of fulfillment.
An increased connection to others.
A natural reduction in undesirable behaviors.

The ability to repeat an activity for as long as needed also supports children’s sensitive period for order and mastery. This is why practical life often serves as the first point of engagement for children in the Montessori classroom.

Supporting the Development of the Will

Practical life exercises help children develop willpower and self-control by bridging the gap between impulse and deliberate action.

At first, children act on instinct, but through repeated exercises, they learn to:

Act consciously and voluntarily.
Perfect their actions through self-correction.
Develop grace, courtesy, and social awareness.

Whether through learning how to clean up a spill or preparing snack to share with others, children learn to control their impulses and consider the needs of others.

Dr. Montessori beautifully summarized this transformation in The Discovery of the Child:

“The grace and dignity of their behavior and the ease of their movements are the corollaries to what they have gained through their own patient and laborious efforts. In a word, they are ‘self-controlled,’ and to the extent that they are thus controlled, they are free from the control of others.”

Practical life is far more than just pouring, scrubbing, and folding—it is the foundation for independence, concentration, order, and social development. These carefully designed activities help children orient to their world, refine their movements, and develop the willpower to act with purpose.

By embracing practical life, we give children the tools to engage meaningfully with their environment, take ownership of their learning, and ultimately, become confident, self-sufficient individuals. Contact us to schedule a tour so you can see how young children use practical life activities in powerful ways!

Mother and Newborn: A Deep Early Connection

Mon, 12 May 2025 11:00:20 GMT

The moments immediately after birth mark the beginning of a new yet deeply connected relationship between mother and infant. Though they are now separate beings, their bond remains intensely intertwined in a symbiotic relationship—one that nurtures, sustains, and supports both.

The word "symbiosis" originates from the Ancient Greek "σύν" (together) and "βίωσις" (living), beautifully encapsulating this critical early period where mother and baby live in close, mutual dependence. During this time, each provides something essential to the other, fostering survival, emotional security, and a foundation for lifelong attachment.

The Newborn’s Dependence on the Mother

Human infants enter the world in a state of immense dependency. Due to the evolutionary growth of the brain, babies are born before they reach full developmental maturity—an adaptation necessary to ensure a safe passage through the birth canal. This means that, unlike many other species, a human newborn requires continuous care and support in order to thrive. Infants’ nervous systems, movement, and even digestion are still developing outside the womb, making maternal presence essential for their adaptation to life beyond the confines of their prenatal environment.

The Mother’s Need for the Newborn

While the newborn’s need for the mother is evident, the mother’s need for her infant is just as profound. After birth, a mother’s body requires the baby’s presence to complete the physiological transition of childbirth.

Skin-to-skin contact and immediate breastfeeding trigger the release of oxytocin, which aids in contracting the uterus, expelling the placenta, and reducing the risk of postpartum hemorrhage. Additionally, prolactin, another key hormone stimulated through breastfeeding, deepens maternal attachment and fosters the nurturing instinct. As Ashley Montagu explains in her book, Touching:

“Psychologically, this intensification serves further to consolidate the symbiotic bond between herself and her child. In this bonding between mother and child, the first few minutes after birth are important. This is the beginning of that time when mother and baby are literally getting in touch with one another.”

This early connection is not just physical—it is deeply emotional. The mother’s body, heart, and mind undergo a transformation, developing an instinctive responsiveness to her baby’s needs. The mutual dependency between mother and child is what makes this period so unique and essential.

The Newborn’s Transition: Finding Security in the Familiar

Emerging into the external world is a dramatic shift for newborns. The womb was a place of warmth, movement, and constant sound—their mother’s heartbeat, breath, and voice. Birth catapults them into an unfamiliar space filled with new sensations, but certain elements can help bridge this transition. When held close, newborns find comfort in their mother’s scent, heartbeat, and voice—familiar reference points that reassure and provide continuity between the prenatal and postnatal worlds.

Meeting the Newborn’s Five Immediate Needs

Newborns enter life with five fundamental needs that ensure their smooth adaptation:

Direct contact with the mother
Adherence to biological rhythms
Temporal, physical, and social order
Space for unhindered vision and movement
Opportunities to explore with all the senses

These needs are met through three essential aspects of the mother-child relationship: holding , handling , and feeding .

Holding: The First Experience of Love

Holding, especially skin-to-skin contact, is crucial in the moments and weeks after birth. Being held provides the newborn with reassurance and an immediate sense of belonging. As Montagu describes in Touching:

“It is through body contact with the mother that the child makes its first contact with the world, through which he is enfolded in a new dimension of experience, the experience of the world of the other.”

Through touch, infants absorb the warmth, rhythm, and security of their mothers. This experience lays the foundation for trust, emotional stability, and future social bonds.

Handling: Loving, Intentional Care

Every interaction—bathing, changing, dressing—provides an opportunity for meaningful communication. Handling should be done with love and respect, fostering collaboration between caregiver and infant. When approached with attentiveness and predictability, these routine interactions create security and help the baby integrate into the social world with confidence.

Feeding: A Relationship Beyond Nutrition

Feeding, particularly breastfeeding, is not just about nourishment—it is about connection. The act of nursing stimulates hormones in both mother and baby, supporting digestive development, immune function, and emotional bonding. In fact, as the baby nurses, twenty different gastrointestinal hormones are released in the mother and infant, which stimulates the growth of the baby’s intestines and increases calorie absorption.

How feeding happens also matters. Even though newborns need guidance, we want to allow them to initiate suckling, as this reinforces their autonomy and natural rhythms. This early dynamic of mutual responsiveness creates a foundation of trust—ensuring children feel safe, heard, and secure in their ability to have their needs met.

The Lasting Impact of the Symbiotic Period

The symbiotic period, spanning approximately six to eight weeks, is foundational in shaping the infants’ perception of the world. Babies who experience warmth, responsiveness, and consistency in these early weeks develop an intrinsic trust in their environment. Likewise, through this deep connection, the mother gains confidence in her role and solidifies her bond with her child.

The profound mutual dependence of the symbiotic period is not just about survival—it is about building a relationship of love, trust, and security that serves as the blueprint for infants’ future interactions. By embracing this period with intention, awareness, and tenderness, both mother and baby emerge from it transformed—ready to take on the next stages of growth, hand in hand.

In Montessori, we are intentional about how we support each stage of development. Contact us to learn more!

A New Role: Adults in Montessori Adolescent Programs

Mon, 05 May 2025 11:00:27 GMT

Adolescents are in a new stage of development. So, how can the adults in their lives adapt? In Montessori adolescent programs, we open our hearts and minds to what is really happening for adolescents in their growth toward adulthood.

We have enormous respect for adolescents and the growth that happens during this stage of life. In many ways, the early adolescent years are parallel to the first years of life. Adolescents are newly emerging adults. They are newborns, and just like newborns, they are gaining a great deal of learning, brain integration, and social/emotional equilibrium.

Because what happens during adolescence impacts how our future adults will adapt and contribute to the broader society in adulthood, we are careful to model what it means to be an adult. We work to provide guidance and structure while respecting adolescents’ journey of self-construction. This stage of development is a period of reorganization, and we have the unique opportunity to positively influence and support this transformation.

The Montessori Adolescent Environment

Montessori adolescent programs vary in structure but typically include:

Plans of study and work
Different forms of social organization
Micro-economy programs
Work with nature and the land

Within these activities, adults serve multiple roles in different settings, such as in the kitchen, through work on the land, in business operations, and more. However, it is essential to remember that the Montessori learning environment belongs to our adolescents. As such, we must ensure students develop concentration and independence through meaningful activities in an attractive and stimulating environment.

Creating this prepared environment is a vital piece of the adult’s work! So we work to uphold the following characteristics.

Designed for self-construction : Adolescents need an environment where their personal development takes priority over just producing a finished product. Whether running a microeconomy business or working on the land, we remember that the product isn’t the primary concern; rather, it’s the adolescent’s development and their self-construction.

Developmentally appropriate : Activities and experiences should align with where adolescents are in their growth so as to ensure engagement and relevance.

Supportive of human tendencies : We want the environment to support human tendencies, like orientation, order, association, and exploration, in a way that evolves with students’ age and maturity. This means the space and the work will look different based on what our students experienced during their elementary years!

Includes materials/activities that provide appropriate challenges and opportunities for independence : Adolescents need access to tools, technology, creative outlets, and real-world applications of their learning, from garden tools to spreadsheets, from theatrical production materials to forms of publication.

Provides Beauty and Order : While adolescents may not always maintain order, a well-organized and aesthetically pleasing environment still impacts their development and identity formation. Although adolescents experience organization as a convenience, order is necessary to operate in a microcosm of society and when you need to get things done, like cooking a meal for a group.

Ensures Isolation of difficulty : We need to observe to know if our adolescents can use the tools at their disposal and also to plan for what lessons they need to be successful. Adolescents don’t want to be incompetent. They also don’t want to be ordered about by an adult. They need our side-by-side support.

Is Scaled in Size : We want workspaces should be adaptable to accommodate the diverse physical and developmental needs of adolescents. Scaling still matters at this level because adolescents can be very different from each other in their development.

Offers Limited materials : Too much choice can be overwhelming, yet the material needs to be obtainable when the task requires it. We intentionally ensure there isn’t one of everything for everyone because research shows adolescents are more productive when working with a partner.

Encourages Care (of self, others, and the environment) : This is a beautiful thread in all of Montessori. As our young people approach adulthood, we support them in learning how to take of themselves so that they then have the capacity to take care of people around them and then their community and their planet. Encouraging adolescents to care for themselves, their community, and the world around them fosters responsibility and empathy.

The Essential Role of the Adult

Adults are an essential part of the prepared environment, acting as facilitators of human development. Our primary responsibilities include:

Creating Conditions for Growth : Providing experiences that develop social responsibility, justice, and dignity.

Modeling Respect and Civility : Demonstrating respect for people, living things, community spaces, and social norms.

Fostering Engagement : Encouraging participation through invitations to work, short presentations, and meaningful activities.

Encouraging Self-Construction : Allowing adolescents to take ownership of their learning while the adult remains in the background, blending into the work alongside them.

The Power of Observation and Patience

A fundamental role of the adult is to create conditions that naturally engage adolescents. This requires stepping back from unnecessary praise and criticism and allowing students to recognize their own successes and errors. Learning comes from experience, and we see mistakes as valuable opportunities for growth.

Adults must also develop strong observation skills, practicing patience as adolescents navigate their developmental process. Our role is to guide, not dictate, allowing adolescents to take ownership of their education.

Ultimately, we must be aware of and sensitive to adolescents' developmental needs and characteristics. We respect their potential and understand adolescents’ need to function in a social context and their drive to become independent young adults.

Side-by-Side Work

One of the most effective tools for fostering independence is working alongside adolescents. This allows them to:

Observe real work in action
Understand their role within a community
Feel valued for their contributions

The process begins with adults modeling tasks, ensuring students understand the necessary skills, tools, safety rules, and quality expectations. Gradually, responsibility shifts to the adolescent, allowing them to take ownership while we observe from a distance. Older students can take on leadership roles, further developing their skills and sense of responsibility.

Preparation of the Adult

The role of adults in a Montessori adolescent program is built on teamwork, respect, and humility. Adults must collaborate effectively, ensuring that the program serves the community of adolescents rather than personal agendas. By fostering a respectful and engaging learning environment, adults empower adolescents to become independent, confident, and socially responsible individuals.

Facilitating adolescent development is a significant challenge requiring deep preparation. Montessori adults must be willing to evolve, accept change, and continually refine their approach based on observation and feedback. Montessori education is powerful for this age group because the adults are constantly exploring how to creatively meet adolescents’ needs, from designing the learning environment to preparing themselves to support these emerging young adults.

Curious to learn more about how Montessori supports stages of development in our young people? Schedule a tour!

Cosmic Education

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 11:00:49 GMT

Elementary-aged children have an innate desire to learn about the universe, the world, places, people, and how they interact. They yearn to understand why and how. They are eager to understand not only the culture in which they live but also make sense of the magnitude of cultures (human and non-human) that make up the entire world and, indeed, the entire cosmos.

Dr. Maria Montessori developed Cosmic Education as a guiding framework for children in the second plane of development (ages 6 to 12). Comic Education is designed to nurture their reasoning minds and imagination while fostering a sense of interconnectedness and wonder.

The Philosophy of Cosmic Education

Dr. Montessori described Cosmic Education as an approach that offers children a vision of the universe and its order and a way to understand how all things are interrelated.

“If the idea of the universe be presented to the child in the right way, it will do more for him than just arouse his interest, for it will create in him admiration and wonder... his intelligence becomes whole and complete because of the vision of the whole that has been presented to him.”

– Dr. Maria Montessori

To Educate the Human Potential

Rather than teaching isolated subjects, Cosmic Education presents an integrated curriculum where history, science, geography, language, and math are interwoven into a grand narrative. This holistic approach helps children see themselves as part of both a larger human story and the natural world.

The Scope of Cosmic Education

Unlike traditional curricula focused on skills, facts, and assessments, Cosmic Education prioritizes deep exploration. As Montessori educators, we recognize that we are guides who plant seeds of interest, knowing that these seeds may germinate later in life. We encourage children to pursue knowledge freely, follow their curiosity, and make connections across disciplines.

At its core, Cosmic Education is centered around key themes:

Natural Laws: The universe follows natural laws, from gravity to the water cycle, which children observe and study. Human societies also create laws to maintain order and cooperation.

Work & Contributions : Everything in nature and human civilization has a role to play. From the work of bees pollinating plants to the contributions of scientists and artists, children see how each element of the universe is purposeful.

Interdependencies & Relationships : All systems in the universe, from ecosystems to human economies, are interconnected. Montessori education highlights these relationships to foster understanding and responsibility.

Love, Appreciation, & Gratitude : Cosmic Education nurtures a sense of reverence for the universe, whether through scientific discovery or historical narratives.

The Great Stories: A Foundation for Learning

Cosmic Education is introduced through the Great Stories, a series of imaginative, inspiring tales we share with wonder and reference. These stories not only provide a tantalizing glimpse into the marvels of the universe, they also provide a framework for deeper study. In order to bring significant concepts to life, Montessori elementary guides appeal to students’ imagination through allegory, metaphor, beautiful language, charts, and dramatic demonstrations.

The Great Stories include:

The Creation of the Universe (“God with No Hands”) – An awe-inspiring story about the origins of the universe, the formation of galaxies, and the forces that shape our world.

The Coming of Life – A journey through the evolutionary changes of life on Earth that culminates in an introduction to the fascinating Timeline of Life.

The Story of Humans – Explores the unique intellectual and creative capacities of human beings, emphasizing imagination and innovation.

The Story of Communication in Signs/The Story of Our Alphabet Story – Traces the development of written language, from ancient symbols to modern alphabets.

The Story of Our Numerals – Highlights how mathematics is another kind of human language and introduces the power of math to bring order and exactness, including how math has allowed humans to meet their needs in different ways.

These stories captivate children’s imaginations, prompting further exploration of subjects like physics, chemistry, history, and biology. They provide a unifying theme that integrates all areas of study, reinforcing the idea that learning is not fragmented but part of a cohesive whole.

Outcomes of Cosmic Education

Dr. Montessori’s vision of education extends beyond academics; it is about shaping compassionate, knowledgeable, and socially responsible individuals. She believed that understanding our place in the cosmos fosters humility, gratitude, and a commitment to improving the world.

Through Cosmic Education, children develop:

A sense of purpose, recognizing that their work and actions contribute to the greater whole.

An organized and analytical mind, capable of seeing patterns and relationships in complex information.

A deep appreciation for humanity and nature, encouraging them to become responsible stewards of the Earth.

A lifelong love of learning, driven by curiosity rather than external rewards.

Nurturing wonder, critical thinking, and interconnected understanding lays the foundation for a lifetime of meaningful learning and engagement with the world. Ultimately, Montessori’s Cosmic Education is more than a curriculum—it is a philosophy that empowers children to view themselves as active participants in the ongoing story of the universe. The best way to learn about Cosmic Education is to come see it in action! Schedule a tour today!

Tattling vs. Telling: A Montessori Approach

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 15:15:52 GMT

How often have our little ones run up to us to spill forth their grievances about other children? Sometimes, these reports are about broken rules. Sometimes, they are about hurt feelings. Sometimes, they may even be attempts to get others “in trouble.”

In these moments, we have a split second to determine how best to respond. And our response matters!

Underlying Issues

When children come to an adult to tattle, typically they are trying to figure out the rules, both explicit and implicit, as well as how those rules are enforced. Which rules are critical? Which rules can be bent or broken? When should someone intervene?

Although those “tattle” moments can feel annoying, it can help to remember that there are probably a dozen or more other times when they didn't come to an adult. Coming for help can be because they reached the point of enough is enough. In this case, the "tattling" is really a plea for help.

We can remember that children are in the process of creating their value system, and this is especially so for elementary-aged children who have a heightened sense of justice and are often acutely attuned to what is or isn’t fair.

Children who are regularly tattling, are usually those who need support with figuring out the intricacies of rules and which are the most important. Children who have clarity about this are more likely to just remind a sibling or classmate about the rule.

If we reframe how we think about a tattler, we can see that child as asking for affirmation or clarification, or even just a clear understanding of the consequences of breaking a rule.

Reframing Our Response

If we reframe tattling as a request for help, our response can shift accordingly: "It sounds like you really need some help with this. What can I do to help?" Or "I hear that you are feeling very frustrated with Jackie. Let's go talk to her.”

It’s important that we don’t just dismiss children by telling them to go work it out on their own. The reason they have come to you is for some help.

That being said, if children are seeking retribution or punishment for another, we have a good opportunity to help guide them through another approach. Maybe the two children aren't getting along for some reason and they need some support to repair their relationship.

A Step-by-Step Approach

First, take a moment to try to determine the intention behind the tattling. One way to slow down the process is to make an observation and restate the concern: “So you are upset that…” or “You are concerned about…”
We also want to acknowledge children’s feelings and need for help: “Theo, it sounds like you need some help resolving this with Tristan. Let’s go talk to him together.”
We can then facilitate a structured conversation between the children. For the most success, we want to ensure the conversation happens in a calm, neutral setting. Then we can encourage each child to express their concerns: “Theo, can you explain to Tristan what happened that upset you?”
It helps to remind both children to truly listen to each other and to ask the listener to repeat what they heard in their own words: “Tristan, what did you hear Theo say?”
In this process, we can help explore the root of the issue and see if there were any triggers that led to the unwanted behavior: “So I wonder what happened prior to Tristan throwing a stick at you. What could have caused him to want to do that?”
It’s important to allow both children to express their perspectives and repeat back what they heard.
We can also encourage the children to think critically about their motivations to guide everyone toward a resolution. Try questions like:

“What do you think I should do here?”
“What do you think should happen next?”
“What would help resolve this?”

In asking these kinds of questions, we are helping children consider their own motivations as well as how to make amends. This can help bring to light if they are seeking punishment or truly need help resolving the issue.

Children are also very sensitive to whether we are maintaining adult neutrality. Even if one child seems “more guilty,” we want to avoid taking sides so that the process is focused on understanding, communication, and relationship repair.

Helping Children Distinguish Between Tattling and Telling

Over time, we ultimately want children to build the skills to independently resolve conflicts, uphold expectations, and know when to get help for serious issues. As children develop trust in the fact that adults can be counted on to help as they form their own value systems, we can introduce them to the difference between tattling and telling.

What is Telling?

Reporting serious concerns (safety, harm, or bullying).

Seeking help when there is a genuine need for an adult’s intervention.

Example: “Someone is hurt,” or “I saw something dangerous.”

What is Tattling?

Seeking attention.

Trying to get someone in trouble.

Reporting minor issues that could be resolved independently.

Example: “She took my pencil!”

Feel free to download this visual guide to use as a discussion tool with children. It’s important to acknowledge that children often struggle to distinguish between tattling and telling. But with support, time, and intentionality, children can learn! They may even want to add to the list as they experience different instances of tattling or telling.

We want children to learn that safety and well-being are priorities while also empowering them to be able to problem-solve when issues arise. The goal is for children to recognize when an issue requires an adult’s help and how they can take responsibility in social situations. As adults, we can model empathy and accountability in this process.

We also invite you to visit our school to see Montessori conflict resolution strategies in action!

When at Wit’s End

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 11:00:06 GMT

Our children are hard-wired to test boundaries. They do this while simultaneously wanting assurance that they are accepted and belong. While this tendency may try our patience, it helps to remember that children just want to know that we can maintain both limits and connection.

Over the years, we’ve found four key approaches that, when used in parallel, can help re-establish relationships, provide clarity of expectations and routines, and help children feel understood and valued.

Mistaken Goals

Often, our children act out when their needs are not being met in some way. If we can understand what our children are trying to achieve through their behavior, we can address these underlying needs. The Positive Discipline model identifies how many behaviors stem from four mistaken goals: the desire for attention, the need for power, the hunger for revenge, and the assumption of inadequacy.

If children’s goal is attention, the coded message behind the behavior is "notice me" or "involve me usefully.” If the need is power, their behavior conveys that they need meaningful ways to contribute. If children are trying to get revenge, they are communicating they are hurting or need their feelings validated. When their goal is assumed inadequacy, expressed by giving up or wanting to be left alone, the message behind their behavior is a need for others to believe in their capability and show them small steps toward success.

We tend to have emotional responses when our children misbehave, and those feelings are the key to breaking the code of behavior. We recommend using this Positive Discipline Mistaken Goal chart . Use the first column to identify how we feel when faced with the behavior. The subsequent columns (such as how we tend to react and our child’s response) help hone in on the possible mistaken goal. Then, the chart also helps identify the possible beliefs behind the behavior, how adults may contrive, the underlying message, and proactive and empowering responses to shift the behavior.

Pausing and remembering that misbehavior is a form of communication can help us respond to our children in more supportive ways.

Playful Parenting

Play allows children to process and make sense of their lives. They need play, and as Lawrence J. Cohen, PhD, so eloquently explains in his book, Playful Parenting, children need the adults in their lives to play, too. Even though we may not feel like playing, by engaging in this way, we can create more closeness, cooperation, and confidence in our children.

When there is a particularly tricky situation that keeps arising–perhaps bedtime, getting out of the house, sharing with a sibling, or something else–using a “playful parenting” model can help. To do this, first, briefly discuss the challenge together during a relaxed time when everyone is in a good mood. This conversation should be non-judgmental and focused more on making observations. For example, “I’ve noticed that when it’s time to leave for school, you seem to get really stuck, and then I get angry because we will be late. Have you noticed that?” This can be a time for your child to share their perspective, too.

Then, with your child, try acting out the scenario in different ways: when everything goes well, when everything falls apart, with a new approach, etc. It’s also super enlightening and fun to try reversing roles. Have your child be the adult, and you be your child. Not only does this lighten the mood about a friction-causing moment, it can also provide both parties some insight into the other’s perspective. Plus, this playful approach strengthens the bond you have with your child.

Special Time

Another way to proactively cultivate a positive relationship is by scheduling “special time.” Our children need our undivided attention, yet so often, as parents, we are pulled in many directions. One way to address this is to commit to having five to ten minutes of one-on-one time with each child. Let your children know that this is when you will be with them one-on-one and 100%. If you have more than one child, each gets to choose what you both do together during that time, and it’s important to schedule separate one-on-one time with each.

Be sure to play anything they want during this time and commit to the time together. Children love this special time, and be forewarned, they tend to choose the activity we least enjoy! If this is the case, remember it is only for a short duration. Use a timer and stay committed to having the time each day. This undivided attention helps children feel secure and connected. The result? They are more cooperative with us and each other.

Let Routines Rule

If struggles arise around particular times of day (bedtime, mealtime, transitions, getting ready for school, etc.), shifting to a visual schedule can really help. The key is to collaborate (again during a relaxed time when everyone is in a good mood) with your child to create a visual schedule of what needs to happen during these typically challenging times of the day. For example, if bedtime is tough, brainstorm together about all the steps: brushing teeth, bath time, pajamas, picking out clothes for the next day, storytime, etc. Then together, you can create images, either by drawing them or taking photos of your child doing each step.

This visual schedule can be a checklist that is laminated so your child can use a dry-erase marker to check off each item they have completed, or pictures can be attached with velcro so they are movable (which allows room for the order to be changed if your child can reorder the flow of events). The idea behind this is to give children a sense of control and to also take the focus off of us reminding them of the next steps. When our children hear us giving constant reminders about what to do next, they can easily slip into resistance mode. Plus, by providing information through the visual sense (not just the auditory sense), a visual schedule helps children understand more concretely and remember the expected structure and sequence.

We’d love to hear how these techniques work for you! Parenting can be an emotionally exhausting experience. One of the gifts of these strategies is that they can also help you reconnect to the joy of raising these amazing (and challenging) beings! Also, let us know if you’d like to schedule a time to come visit in person. We love sharing insights and ideas about supporting children!

Unlocking the Magic of Language: Montessori Sentence Analysis

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 11:00:11 GMT

Did you know that the word "grammar" evolved from "glamour"? This linguistic connection reflects an ancient association between language and enchantment. When we introduce Montessori's sentence analysis work, we offer more than just a lesson—we present an enchanting gift!

We regularly witness children falling in love with language as they uncover its patterns and structures. At the elementary level, children possess a reasoning mind, an active imagination, and a deep need for communication. The Montessori sentence analysis activities appeal to these characteristics, helping children connect as they creatively discover the underlying patterns of our language.

Why Do We Teach Sentence Analysis in the Elementary?

Children are natural pattern seekers. They love to identify and understand structures in the world around them, including language.
We want them to fall in love with language. By engaging in hands-on grammar work, children develop an appreciation for the beauty of sentence construction.
Sentence analysis provides clarity. Understanding sentence structure helps children write with greater precision and confidence.
Analysis leads to synthesis. When children break down sentences, they gain the tools to build more complex and meaningful expression in their own writing.

What Sentence Analysis Involves

The elementary sentence analysis materials introduce a set of symbols (that correlate to what children have experienced with the Montessori grammar boxes and the symbols for parts of speech), along with color-coded arrows with questions on one side and grammatical names on the other.

When breaking apart the parts of the sentence, children first identify what brings the sentence to life: the verb (predicate). To identify the subject of the sentence, children ask the questions from one of the arrows emanating out from the action: Who is it that? What is it? By answering those questions, the children are able to determine the subject.

Let’s use a very simple sentence as an example: Josie jumped. The children first identify the action: jumped. They can underline this word in red and then can cut it out or tear it out in order to be able to place the word on the red predicate circle. Then they use the black arrows to answer the question: Who is it that jumped? Josie!

The subject emanates out from the predicate, reflecting standard English sentence structure. We then directly teach other sections of the sentence like direct and indirect objects. For example, Raphael planted a tree for his mom.

Once we introduce adverbials, children take off independently, excitedly creating long sentences by answering the different questions on the arrows. We also explore attributives, compound subjects and compound predicates, and even compound direct and indirect objects.

We introduce this work early in the elementary years, beginning with simple sentences and progressing to compound and complex sentences. Children first learn to analyze and name the parts of a simple sentence before moving on to more complex structures. However, because simple sentences are rare in authentic texts, once children are confident with the structure of a simple sentence, we quickly move to varied sentence types.

Children can write their own sentences on paper strips or rolls of paper (like adding machine rolls). Using this kind of paper encourages students to create longer, continuous sentences, reinforcing their understanding of sentence expansion and modification. The questions on the arrow guide children in both creating sentences and analyzing the parts of sentences. The focus is not on achieving 100% correctness but on engaging in the activity and thinking critically about sentence structure.

Where Do They Go From Here?

Children love to play with sentence analysis work! They might challenge themselves to create the longest compound sentence possible, or they might try to include all the adverbial phrases in one sentence.

To deepen their understanding, children can analyze sentences from various sources: their own writing, newspaper or magazines, read-aloud books, graphic novels, non-fiction texts, teacher-created sentences, and sentences from classmates. They love to create sentences for each other to analyze. Plus, student-generated sentences provide organic opportunities for individualized teaching moments.

Montessori sentence analysis serves as a gateway to advanced writing and grammar exploration. As children progress, they refine their understanding of sentence construction, enhancing both their reading comprehension and their ability to write with clarity and sophistication. Ultimately, children internalize essential rules of grammatical construction just by experimenting with creating, deconstructing, and sometimes even reconstructing sentences.

By engaging deeply with sentence analysis, children develop a lifelong appreciation for the structure and beauty of our language–the glamour of grammar! If you are interested in seeing how this gift continues to unfold as children grow through the Montessori program, contact us to schedule a tour!

Stages of Development Series: Maturity

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 11:00:12 GMT

This is the final post of a series focusing on each of the four stages (or planes) of development: birth through age six, ages six to twelve, ages twelve to eighteen, and ages eighteen to twenty-four. Montessori pedagogy calls for a big picture perspective that incorporates the fundamental principles of human development at each stage of development and how we can best provide for a developing young person in each stage.

A Path Toward Maturity and Contribution to Society

The journey of human development, as envisioned by Dr. Maria Montessori, is marked by four distinct planes. Each plane represents a different phase in an individual's growth, and the fourth plane, spanning from 18 to 24 years of age, is no exception. This phase, which Montessori refers to as Maturity, signals the culmination of psychological and physical growth and paves the way for young adults to step into the world as a fully formed individuals capable of significant contributions to society.

Characteristics of the Fourth Plane

The fourth plane represents a time when individuals reach the height of their development and begin to assume their role in society. Unlike the earlier planes, the psychological changes during this period are less dramatic and more internal, and the focus shifts to understanding oneself and the world beyond one’s immediate needs. Whereas the body completes its physical maturation, the mind embarks on the task of understanding how it can contribute to humanity.

In The Four Planes of Education, Dr. Montessori writes, “The individual should be the man who knows how to make his own choice of action having passed to perfection the preceding phases. He should be as a live spark and aware of the open gate to the potentialities of prospective human life and of his own possibilities and responsibilities” (p. 15). This encapsulates the essence of the fourth plane— young adults’ newfound ability to make independent choices while being aware of their potential impact on society.

In this stage, individuals are not merely focused on themselves but are also learning to engage with the world beyond their personal ego. The question that arises is not “Who am I?” but “What can I do?” This shift from self-centeredness to a broader, more collective view of life signifies the maturity that defines the fourth plane.

Conquest of Independence

One of the key aspects of the fourth plane is the conquest of independence, particularly economic independence. This phase marks a time when individuals strive to become self-sufficient within the larger society. Young adults move beyond the dependency of childhood and adolescence, assuming more responsibility for their own lives, finances, and future.

This is a period when a personal mission begins to take shape. Young adults start to solidify their goals, whether academic, professional, or personal and work toward them with a growing sense of purpose. Dr. Montessori believed that achieving economic independence was crucial, as it not only provides the means to live but also fosters a sense of autonomy and responsibility.

Observable Examples of Development

Physically, by the fourth plane, development is largely complete. The dramatic growth spurts of the previous stages have slowed, and young adults now have full mastery over their body. Health is typically stable, and there is an overall sense of well-being.

Much like the second plane, the fourth plane is also conducive to intellectual pursuits, particularly those that lead to specialization in areas essential for a future career. This is when our young adults are honing skills that will serve them in the professional world, whether through higher education, apprenticeships, or other forms of specialized learning.

The fourth plane is also a time when individuals, having developed a solid understanding of themselves, are ready to take on more significant intellectual and social responsibilities. This is when they truly start asking the big questions, such as, “How can I contribute to the world?” It is at this stage that young adults embark on the exploration of their "cosmic task," a concept Montessori introduced in the second plane, which refers to the idea that every individual has a unique role to play in the larger story of humanity.

The Role of the Supportive Environment

With significant internal growth happening during the fourth plane, the role of the external environment remains crucial. A supportive environment during the preceding planes can have a profound effect on how individuals move through this stage. If our young adults have been nurtured in an environment that promotes autonomy, responsibility, and respect for their capacity to make choices, they are more likely to enter adulthood with the skills and mindset necessary to thrive in society.

To prepare for their careers during this time, many young adults pursue higher education, either through university studies or vocational training. Alternatively, they may enter the workforce, beginning to take on professional roles that contribute to society. This is also a time when many young adults leave the family home and start families of their own, further solidifying their place in the world as independent adults.

Dr. Montessori, unfortunately, did not have the opportunity to explore this phase in depth. However, we can imagine a world where every individual has been given the best possible environment throughout the previous planes of development. In such a world, adults who emerge from the fourth plane are equipped not only with the knowledge and skills to succeed but also with a profound sense of responsibility toward the greater good.

An Enlightened Society

The ideal outcome of the fourth plane is individuals who not only seek personal success but also work toward the welfare of humankind. Young adults who have passed through the earlier planes of development with the support of nurturing environments can enter society with a strong social conscience, eager to contribute to the collective well-being of humanity. They see the interconnectedness of all people and seek ways to address societal issues and contribute to the common good.

Imagine a world in which all young adults, having been guided through the previous developmental stages, emerge from the fourth plane ready to play their roles in society—not only as self-sufficient individuals but as enlightened members of a larger human community. This vision encapsulates the Montessori ideal: a world where everyone has the potential to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of humanity as a whole.

The fourth plane of development is not merely a time for self-discovery but a time for self-realization and societal contribution. Young adults, secure in their independence, prepare to engage with the world in ways that transcend personal goals, focusing instead on broader responsibilities. By fostering an environment that nurtures growth and independence, we set the stage for a society composed of individuals capable of making meaningful contributions to humanity’s collective well-being.

Curious to see how attention to the characteristics and needs of earlier stages of development can support an enlightened society? Schedule a tour today!

Stages of Development Series: Adolescence

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 11:00:07 GMT

This post is the third installment in our series exploring four stages of human development from a Montessori perspective. The Montessori approach takes a holistic view of growth, recognizing the unique needs of young people at every stage—birth to age six, six to twelve, twelve to eighteen, and eighteen to twenty-four—and adapts learning environments to support natural development at each stage. By understanding these key phases, we can better nurture young individuals as they progress on their journey to maturity.

Adolescence (Age Twelve to Eighteen)

Adolescence is often seen as a turbulent stage in life, sometimes even labeled as dysfunctional or something to endure. However, Dr. Maria Montessori viewed this vital period of human development as a time in our lives that deserves respect and understanding.

In Montessori education, adolescence is honored as a time of transition, a phase of development that, in many ways, mirrors the first six years of life. Just as the early years are marked by rapid transformation and the shaping of the individual, adolescence marks the transformation from childhood into adulthood.

Adolescent Development

The third plane of development, which typically begins at age twelve and continues through the teenage years, is one of significant physical, emotional, and social transformation. This period is characterized by the onset of puberty, hormonal changes, and dramatic physical shifts.

Adolescents, much like children in the first plane of development, experience rapid change, but this time it is in preparation for adulthood and potential child-rearing. As a result, adolescents require more sleep and are more susceptible to health issues (e.g., acne, depression, and eating disorders).

A key focus during this stage is the conquest of social and economic independence. Humans on the journey to adulthood need to function in social organizations, which requires intellectual and social skills. Adolescents also need to experience how economic interdependency works, and they want to learn about different roles in economic systems. To do so, they need the awareness and skills to contribute in meaningful ways.

Social engagement is how we function as humans. Economic contribution and interdependency are how we meet our needs. Adolescents are no longer passive observers of society; instead, they strive to become active participants and contributors. Like during the first plane, adolescents learn best through hands-on experiences that benefit society, which reinforces their desire to contribute in meaningful ways.

Adolescents as Social Newborns

Dr. Montessori often referred to early adolescence as the "newborn" stage of adulthood, highlighting the vulnerability and transformation that adolescents undergo. This period of rapid physical and emotional development mirrors the developmental intensity of the first years of life. Adolescents are not just growing in terms of physical stature but also in terms of emotional and social maturity.

Much like a newborn, adolescents are learning how to navigate the complexities of the world around them. They are developing a sense of self and finding their place in society. The challenge of the third plane is to help them build this self-confidence and self-worth, while guiding them through the emotional turbulence that often accompanies this stage.

Holistic Development: Physical, Emotional, and Social Growth

Montessori's approach to adolescence is deeply holistic. We emphasize the importance of addressing the adolescent's physical, emotional, and social needs, recognizing that these areas are interconnected and cannot be separated in the developmental process.

Physical Development

Adolescents undergo significant physical changes during this time, including hormonal fluctuations and rapid growth. Brain development continues with an oversupply of gray matter and pruning of neural pathways, which influences behavior and learning capacity.

Key physical needs include:

● Engaging in physical activity and hands-on work

● Maintaining a healthy diet

● Ensuring adequate sleep

Emotional and Psychological Development

Adolescents experience strong emotional swings and are highly self-conscious. They are forming their identities and are very aware of peer perceptions. Balancing these emotions and navigating their evolving sense of self can be challenging.

Emotional needs include:

● Opportunities to build confidence and independence

● Safe yet challenging environments

● Support in self-expression and identity formation

Social Development

Social connections become increasingly important during adolescence. Adolescents seek peer approval and loyalty and often engage in risk-taking behaviors as they establish their place within their social circles. They learn best through collaboration and social interaction.

Social needs include:

● Opportunities for collaboration with peers

● Mentorship from adults

● Meaningful and relevant social engagement

Moral and Intellectual Development

Dr. Montessori emphasized the adolescent’s sensitivity to issues of justice and personal dignity. This stage is a critical time for developing a strong sense of fairness and the desire to contribute meaningfully to society. As they mature, adolescents begin to understand the value of their contributions to the world around them.

Though their intellectual development might seem secondary due to emotional upheavals, it remains essential. As their brains undergo significant rewiring and neural pruning, adolescents still benefit from intellectual opportunities and challenges, as well as strong moral foundations.

The Role of Work and Contribution

Just as it was in earlier planes of development, work remains a vital aspect of adolescence. Adolescents have a strong desire to contribute to society and have their efforts recognized. Through work and activity, adolescents bolster their self-esteem and gain a sense of accomplishment.

The educational model proposed by Dr. Montessori focuses on land-based work and cooperative community living, which provide ways for adolescents to engage in meaningful activities. This model supports adolescents’ physical well-being, fosters social development, and prepares them for economic independence. Through hands-on work, adolescents not only contribute to their immediate communities but also develop a sense of responsibility and understanding of the value of work.

Supporting Adolescents Through Their Development

To meet the developmental needs of adolescents, we need to offer supportive environments. Dr. Montessori envisioned a community where adolescents could live and work together, gaining both physical and emotional nourishment. Providing opportunities for physical activity, collaboration, and self-expression helps adolescents develop into confident, capable adults.

Adolescents need both freedom and guidance. While they push away from adults as they seek independence, they still require boundaries, structure, and mentorship. Adults play a critical role in supporting adolescents as they navigate this transformative stage.

Understanding adolescence through the Montessori lens allows us to appreciate this period as one of profound transformation. By honoring the physical, emotional, social, and moral development of adolescents, we can provide them with the support they need to transition confidently into adulthood. With a holistic approach that integrates meaningful work, opportunities for self-expression, and guidance from adults, adolescents can be empowered to become the capable, interdependent adults society needs. Visit our school today to learn more!

Stages of Development Series: Childhood

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:00:10 GMT

Understanding human development at each stage is crucial to fostering optimal growth. This belief forms the foundation of Montessori education, which is deeply rooted in the developmental needs of children.

This post is the second in a series that explores the four stages of human development: birth through age six, ages six to twelve, ages twelve to eighteen, and ages eighteen to twenty-four. Each of these stages, or planes of development, comes with unique needs and capacities, and understanding them allows us to better support children in their educational journey.

Childhood (Age Six to Twelve)

Unlike the dramatic changes seen in infancy and adolescence, the second plane of development (ages six to twelve) is often viewed as a period of relative stability. This phase serves as a critical time for children to build upon their early experiences while preparing for the transitions that will come in adolescence. Despite its importance, this period is sometimes overlooked in society, but it is essential for the development of social, intellectual, and emotional skills that will serve as a foundation for later life.

Key Characteristics of Elementary Children

At the core of this stage are several observable characteristics.

Physical Sturdiness and Stability

Children in this stage experience a steady period of physical growth. They lose their primary teeth and gain adult teeth. Their skin loses its baby softness. Their hair even gets coarser and darker. Their body becomes leaner and stronger, with the soft, rounded contours of early childhood giving way to a more defined physical form. Despite these changes, growth slows down compared to the rapid pace of the first plane. This time also brings greater stability in health and coordination.

Reasoning and Abstraction

While children in the first plane absorb information effortlessly and even unconsciously, the second plane is marked by a growing capacity for reason and abstraction. No longer content with simply absorbing facts, children seek to understand the underlying causes of things. They begin to ask “why” questions and develop the ability to think logically and critically about the world around them. Their imagination flourishes and they love being able to transcend time and space, mentally traveling through history or exploring possible futures.

Conquest of Independence

This is a time when children transition from sensorimotor learning to becoming intellectual explorers. The intellectual independence they gain during this phase fuels their studies of mathematics, history, geography, art, and music. Montessori classrooms provide opportunities for children to explore these subjects with the motto: “Don’t tell me. I’ll figure it out myself.” Their journey toward independence extends beyond the academic to include a growing capacity for social reasoning and moral judgment.

The Herd Instinct and Socialization

One of the defining features of children in the second plane is their social nature. Children at this age exhibit a strong "herd instinct"—the need to belong to a group and collaborate with peers. They begin forming micro-societies and creating their own rules, roles, and expectations. These experiences allow them to practice social interactions and develop their conscience. It’s worth noting that as adult-directed activities (e.g. after-school sports and classes) increase, children have fewer opportunities to work out social dynamics independently.

Moral Development and a Sense of Fairness

As elementary-age children seek independence, they also begin to develop a sense of morality. Children at this stage are sensitive to fairness and justice and are likely to voice concerns when they perceive inconsistencies. This is when we frequently hear, “It’s not fair!” This stage is about the exploration of right and wrong and the ability to question rules and authority. The drama that unfolds in the classroom is often part of this process as children navigate the complexities of social rules and develop their moral code.

A Fascination with the Extraordinary

Second plane children are drawn to the extraordinary, whether in the form of superheroes, mythical creatures, or fascinating civilizations. Their imagination is sparked by the idea of powers beyond the ordinary, and they are eager to explore cultures and histories that seem larger than life. This fascination with the exceptional provides them an avenue for exploring concepts of heroism, strength, and the human condition.

A Supportive, Community-Based Learning Environment

In a Montessori classroom, children are encouraged to work both independently and in groups. As such, the prepared environment of the second plane is designed to foster collaboration while allowing space for individual exploration. Group activities allow children to develop their social skills, negotiate rules, and practice taking on different roles within a community. Through these experiences, they are able to form their own moral code and develop their identity in relation to the group.

Children in this stage also have a thirst for knowledge that goes beyond what is available in the classroom. Montessori education encourages “Going Out” experiences—trips beyond the school to explore the wider world. These excursions allow children to engage with real-world problems, develop planning and execution skills, and build a deeper understanding of the subjects they are studying. Through these experiences, children come to see themselves as active participants in the world around them.

Montessori referred to the educational experience in the second plane as "cosmic education." In this phase, children are introduced to the universe as a whole, with an emphasis on the interconnectedness of all life. The Montessori curriculum for this stage revolves around the Five Great Lessons, which invite children to discover more about the universe, the formation of the earth, the coming of plants and animals, the arrival of humans, and the development of written language and numbers. From these lessons, all areas of study—botany, geography, history, zoology, language, and more—emerge, inspiring awe and gratitude for the universe and humankind’s place within it.

Support from Home and Community

While second plane children are eager to explore beyond the family and classroom, they still require the strong support of their home, school, and peer group. Social activities become increasingly important, as group work provides them with the opportunity to practice collaboration, moral judgment, and self-expression. A strong, supportive environment—both at home and at school—helps children navigate this important stage in their development.

Curious to see how a school environment can meet the needs of six- to twelve-year-olds while inspiring deep learning? Schedule a tour of our classrooms!

Stages of Development Series: Infancy

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 11:00:04 GMT

Imagine education from a fresh perspective—one that sees children not as empty vessels waiting to be filled but as whole individuals embarking on a lifelong journey of self-formation. From the moment of birth, children are driven by powerful internal forces that guide their growth and help them adapt to their unique time, place, and culture. This remarkable ability to evolve and adapt is a defining trait of our human species.

The Montessori approach to education is built upon this profound understanding of human development. Dr. Maria Montessori dedicated her life's work to observing how children grow and change over time, identifying key developmental stages that shape their path to maturity. Through her scientific observations, she identified four distinct planes of development, each with its own unique characteristics and needs.

In this four-part blog series, we’ll explore each of these four stages—birth to age six, six to twelve, twelve to eighteen, and eighteen to twenty-four—unpacking how Montessori education adapts to support children’s evolving needs at every phase of growth. By understanding these developmental stages, we can better support young people on their journey to becoming capable, independent, and fulfilled individuals.

Infancy (Birth to Age Six)

The first plane of development is an extraordinary period of psychological and physical growth. Newborns enter the world entirely dependent, unable to move or communicate. Yet, within just six years, they are walking, talking, and asserting their independence with intellect and will.

Characteristics of the First Six Years

During this transformative stage, children require ample sleep to support their rapid development. However, when they are awake, their curiosity knows no bounds. They explore their surroundings with boundless energy, using their senses to touch, smell, taste, hear, and examine everything in their environment.

Conquest of Independence

One of the primary goals during this stage is achieving functional independence. Children are eager to take care of their own needs and are naturally inclined to observe and imitate the actions of adults. The mantra of children at this stage is: “Help me do it myself!”

Sensitive Periods

Children in the first plane experience sensitive periods—windows of opportunity when they are uniquely receptive to acquiring essential skills.

Movement : Young children need movement to develop brain-body integration.

Order : They crave order to make sense of their surroundings, learning what happens and how objects are used.

Language Acquisition : This is a critical period for language development, during which children absorb words and speech patterns effortlessly.

These sensitivities drive children’s development, shaping their understanding of the world.

Observable Milestones

One of the most profound achievements in this phase is the acquisition of spoken language. Talking to newborns, for example, stimulates vocal cord development, and astonishingly, their vocal cords vibrate when adults speak to them. From being essentially mute at birth, toddlers can have a vocabulary of around 200 words by age two and an impressive 10,000 words by the end of this phase. This makes it essential to provide a language-rich environment during these formative years.

Physically, this period is one of monumental growth. Children progress from being immobile to sitting, crawling, walking, speaking, and independently eating. As adults, we must be mindful of supporting rather than hindering this development. We want to offer rather than limit growth opportunities for our children!

The Sub-Planes: Ages 0 to 3 and Ages 3 to 6

The first plane of development can be divided into two distinct sub-phases:

Ages 0 to 3 : Children’s development is largely unconscious, driven by innate forces. During this phase, children absorb the world around them and do so without any filters. It’s important during this time that adults respect children’s natural developmental path without imposing external motivations.

Ages 3 to 6 : During these years, children become more consciously aware of their actions and motivations. This is when we see the emergence of children’s willpower and the powerful drive to classify and understand their environment. Children become more conscious learners.

As they grow, children naturally identify patterns, similarities, and differences based on their experiences. They construct their understanding of the world from scratch, and active experiences in their environment play a crucial role in shaping their cognitive development.

Social Development in the First Plane

During their first three years, children form strong bonds with their primary caregivers and family, finding comfort in a small social circle. They prefer solitary exploration and engage in parallel play.

By age three, children seek a broader social experience beyond the family. They require opportunities to interact with peers and engage in community life, which fosters independence and social development.

Creating a Supportive Environment

Providing the right environment is crucial to supporting children during their early years. Key elements of an optimal environment include:

A Secure Home : A safe and loving home helps children build trust and confidence in the world around them.

Freedom to Explore : Children need space and opportunities to move and explore safely, both indoors and outdoors.

Language Exposure : A rich linguistic environment helps children build vocabulary and develop confidence in self-expression.

Participation in Daily Life : Involvement in practical life activities helps children develop independence and a sense of belonging.

Cultural Experiences : Exposure to family traditions, rituals, and cultural practices helps children adapt to their culture and understand their place within it.

As children develop over the course of this stage of life, they also benefit from being part of a social community and, in the process, learn valuable lessons about cooperation, sharing, and responsibility.

By understanding the characteristics and needs of the first plane of development, we can create environments that nurture children’s natural growth, independence, and exploration. We invite you to visit our school to see for yourself how a prepared environment can meet the needs of our youngest children!

Why do Montessori Classrooms Have Long, Uninterrupted Work Periods?

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 11:00:02 GMT

The Montessori method of education was born from Dr. Montessori's scientific observations as she explored how to support children’s optimum development. In her studies, Dr. Montessori found that children need a block of uninterrupted time to go through cycles of focus and consolidation. Children two and a half and older need at least three hours to move through rhythms of focus. Often, the most growth and meaningful work happens toward the end of a three-hour block of time.

The Flow State

We can think about this in terms of the current-day understanding of what it means to get into a flow state. Sometimes, people describe a flow state as “being in the zone.” It’s when we are so immersed in and focused on what we are doing that a sense of time and our surroundings disappears.

This concept of “flow” was introduced in the 1970s by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a psychologist whose studies of happiness and creativity led to his articulation of this highly focused mental state conducive to creativity and productivity. When Csikszentmihalyi’s grandchildren started going to a Montessori school, he was delighted to see how Montessori learning environments allowed young children to achieve this state of flow.

Long Uninterrupted Periods of Time

To get into their state of flow, children need about a three-hour block of uninterrupted time. Therefore, we have designed school and classroom schedules so that children can benefit from an interrupted morning work cycle.

Part of the morning routine involves children having enough time to greet their peers and go through their transition process without being rushed as they enter the classroom environment. When children are ready and in the classroom, the teachers (also known as guides) can focus on giving lesson presentations and supporting children as they start their day.

During the work cycle, children are engaged in a variety of activities–some they choose some the adult guides them toward, and some individual or small group lessons. This opportunity to make choices of activities that have personal meaning and engagement provides several cognitive, emotional, and social benefits.

Benefits of the Work Cycle

When children can focus without interruption or externally driven transitions to another activity, they experience deep concentration. With all of the competing distractions in our world, this extended time to settle into their tasks and explore without pressure allows children to develop the “mental muscles” to sustain their focus.

Neuroscience shows that deep focus activates the prefrontal cortex, the brain area responsible for executive functions like planning, decision-making, and problem-solving. When frequent interruptions happen, the prefrontal cortex can’t engage fully, leading to fragmented thinking. Basically, when interruptions occur, the brain must reset and reorient itself, which can significantly impair learning and problem-solving. Plus, we know it takes time to transition into a focused state mentally, and shorter periods don’t allow this natural process to unfold.

Deep focus enhances memory retention, comprehension, and problem-solving skills. When children aren’t stressed by racing against a clock or knowing they will be pulled out of an engaging activity, they develop a more relaxed and open mindset. This mindset helps children retain their learning, approach challenges confidently, and solve problems more effectively. Children who concentrate deeply are also more likely to feel a sense of calm and satisfaction, which helps them manage their emotions more effectively.

In summary, Montessori’s uninterrupted work periods allow children to fully utilize their cognitive resources, making the learning process more efficient and satisfying.

Work Periods in Action

In her book, The Absorbent Mind , Dr. Montessori wrote about the profound benefits of deep concentration. She also observed that when children are allowed to work without interruption, they often become calmer, more focused, and more confident.

The list of benefits goes on and on! From promoting responsibility and time management to strengthening intrinsic motivation and curiosity, long, uninterrupted work periods have broad implications for children’s success as lifelong learners.

The teacher also plays a vital role in observing and supporting children during these work cycles so that children can be guided into healthy challenges, new learning, and necessary practice. Children learn that with the freedoms of this uninterrupted time, there are also clear boundaries and expectations. Thanks to the calm, respectful atmosphere of Montessori learning communities, work periods tend to have an ordered, busy hum.

Montessori Explained: Handwashing as a Learning Activity

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 11:00:02 GMT

Why do Montessori classrooms have a hand washing basin and pitcher when children can just access the sink? Isn’t this an antiquated experience?

To answer these questions, it helps to step back and explore why young children are drawn to an elaborate hand-washing process, the benefits of breaking down a series of steps, and what children are really accomplishing through the experience.

Practical life exercises provide the foundation for Montessori early childhood programs. These practical life experiences are foundational and significant for young children’s development. Yet they often don’t receive the appreciation they deserve, especially with the many academic benefits of the Montessori sensorial, math, and language materials.

To understand the value of practical life activities, we must understand the nature of young children, which Dr. Montessori did over 100 years ago.

Why Practical Life?

The exercises of practical life began to serve a practical need. Dr. Montessori had responsibility for children who were being destructive in a building in the slums of Rome. The proprietors needed to take care of the building, yet the children were unkept and out of control.

As a doctor, Dr. Montessori knew the importance of hygiene in preventing illness. So, one of the first things she did was provide water basins and cakes of soap. Then, Dr. Montessori showed the children how to wash their hands and faces.

What happened was unexpected. Once the children washed their hands and faces, they didn’t stop. They kept washing long after their hands were clean.

Dr. Montessori said the children repeated the activity as if driven by an imperceptible force. Instead of stopping them, like adults are apt to do, Dr. Montessori watched. She wanted to see what would happen. With her curiosity, patience, and powers of scientific observation, Dr. Montessori observed a need that went way beyond washing hands. From these practical beginnings came a very significant discovery for Dr. Montessori.

A Deeper Purpose

Dr. Montessori discovered the fundamental difference between work as the adult experiences it and work as the child experiences it. While work for the adult brings on fatigue, work for the young child is energizing. This is because children under age six are in a period of self-construction. They are developing their intelligence, memory, language, will, and movement.

Young children are motivated to interact with their environment to develop these essential aspects of themselves. Their goal is self-construction! Adults often don’t recognize this vital urge young children have to work. So typically, adults stop children from doing something because the action seems too tiring, too complicated, too messy, or because it will be more efficient and faster for adults to do it themselves.

But something deep within is propelling young children to this kind of activity. So, in our prepared environments, we offer motives of activity that will match children’s developmental needs. One of these essential experiences is hand washing.

The Benefits of Hand Washing as an Activity

In addition to the typical handwashing at a sink, Montessori toddler and primary classrooms also include a hand washing station with an apron, a basin and pitcher, soap, hand and drying towels, a bucket, and sometimes even a nail brush or hand lotion when appropriate.

We break down each step of washing hands: wetting our hands, washing with soap, rinsing, drying our hands, cleaning the wash area, drying the area, and restocking any necessary supplies.

In the process of filling a pitcher with the appropriate amount of water, pouring the water into a basin, and emptying the basin into a bucket to take back to the sink, children practice crucial gross motor skills that help them with equilibrium and crossing their midline.

As they learn how to get the fronts and back of each hand wet and lather each finger, their palms, the backs of their hands, and their wrists, they refine their visual motor coordination and fine motor skills.

The hand-washing exercise also helps children develop a sense of order through a logical sequence of activities. Practicing this sequencing lays the foundation for children’s future ability to handle sequences that aren’t as logical, especially as they move into work with mathematical and language materials.

A Love for the Process

Young children love this care of self-activity, which involves being able to access and use water in a purposeful way. They can often be found repeating the process over and over. Children can also become very focused on the drying process and show remarkable attention to detail as they take care to wipe up any drips or spills.

As children master these steps, we introduce additional challenges, like using a nailbrush to clean nails or applying lotion when their hands are clean and dry.

The process is lovely to observe, and we invite you to schedule a visit to see how hand washing helps children with the vital process of self-construction!

Supporting Children's Social Lives

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 11:00:02 GMT

We’ve all experienced it. Those days when our children come home feeling the sting of a recess exclusion, a series of slights from a friend, or some other social discontent. They unload their hurt onto us, and we feel heavy with the weight of their pain.

Childhood is a time of profound social development. Our children are navigating their social lives, and learning how to handle social struggles is a process that can ultimately build resilience, empathy, and problem-solving skills. Social challenges are a normal and essential part of childhood development. But that doesn’t make the process any easier (especially for us as parents!).

Letting the Process Unfold

When our children come to us and unload their latest story of social exclusion, teasing, or friendship drama, it is important to make sure they feel heard. This means our job is to reflect back what we hear in an empathetic way, while also acknowledging any hurt or complex feelings. In practice, this may sound something like, “Wow, it sounds like you were feeling really hurt when your friend stormed away from you during the game at recess.” Our children need to know that they can vent and that we will listen.

Avoid Getting Too Involved

We are hard-wired to want to shield our children from pain. As a result, instead of just listening and acknowledging, we can tend to hold onto our children’s hurt feelings and may even feel compelled to intervene.

Unfortunately, our intention to alleviate the pain can often have unintended consequences. Sometimes, our intervention may be that we regularly check in with our children about the social dynamic. For example, the next day asking, “How did it go with your friend during the game at recess today?” We don’t realize that our children have often moved on from the previous day’s hurt. Childhood friendships and social interactions ebb and flow multiple times a day.

But when we keep harking back to hurt, we inadvertently do what psychologist Michael Thompson calls “interviewing for pain.” In doing so, we refocus our children’s experience on one incident they have likely mostly forgotten. Each day, when we ask again about that friendship or social interaction, our children either realize that this topic really gets our attention and/or begin to think of themselves as victims.

Support Problem Solving

Instead of “interviewing for pain,” we can ask questions that support our children’s problem-solving skills. So, after acknowledging the hurt feelings when our children first share them, we can plant some problem-solving seeds, “I wonder how you are going to handle a situation like this in the future.” Or, if we are really concerned about our child’s emotional or physical safety, we can check in about what they need, “This seems like a serious situation. Do you feel like this is something that needs to be communicated to your teacher? How can I support you in getting some help?”

Non-interference doesn’t mean neglect or ignoring something serious. Instead, we are focusing on encouraging our children to talk about their feelings without solving the problem for them, offering perspective or guidance only when asked, and observing from a distance unless safety is at risk.

If we recognize red flags (such as ongoing bullying or harmful behaviors), we can step in thoughtfully by collaborating with our children to find solutions, which may include consulting with teachers or counselors if necessary. Ideally, this is done with our children’s awareness so they aren’t blindsided by others knowing what they shared with us, especially if they thought they were sharing it in confidence.

A Developmental Necessity

Ultimately, our children learn to navigate the complexities of human relationships through their own experiences. The ups and downs of social interactions are opportunities for growth in emotional resilience, conflict resolution skills, understanding social boundaries, empathy, problem-solving, and independence and confidence.

Think about the many benefits. Social setbacks, such as disagreements or feelings of exclusion, help children cope with disappointment and bounce back. Arguments and misunderstandings teach children how to resolve conflicts constructively. Through trial and error, our children learn to negotiate, apologize, and compromise—skills essential for healthy relationships throughout life. They learn about boundaries and how we all impact each other in different ways, leading to insights into different perspectives and feelings.

Social challenges push children to think creatively about how to navigate tricky situations. Each successful navigation of a social challenge reinforces our children’s belief in their ability to handle similar situations in the future. This builds self-esteem and independence and helps our children realize they don’t always need an adult to solve their problems.

By stepping back and allowing children to experience and work through these situations on their own, we give our children the space to develop essential life skills. The key is to provide a supportive environment where children feel safe to share their feelings and seek advice.

A Foundation for the Future

Rest assured, our children have an amazing ability to learn and grow from social experiences. By not interfering in our children’s social lives, we show a tremendous act of love that empowers them to build the skills they’ll need for lifelong social success.

Remember, childhood social interactions lay the foundation for future relationships in school, work, and personal life. Navigating these early challenges helps children develop teamwork, compromise, and emotional intelligence skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. Our children need us to let the process unfold, avoid getting involved, and support their problem-solving. In doing so, we are sending our children an important message that we believe in them and their ability to handle challenges.

Interested in learning more? Schedule a visit to see how our classrooms support healthy social learning.

Our Montessori Dictionary

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 11:00:03 GMT

We recognize that Montessori education can have some lingo that might need a little explanation. So in this Montessori Dictionary post, we’re going to focus on a few terms (some familiar, some perhaps not so familiar) that apply to both the early childhood years and beyond.

When possible, we’ve included some quotes from Dr. Maria Montessori and we encourage you to take a look at her work. Dr. Montessori was a woman well before her time and her books, such as From Childhood to Adolescence and To Educate the Human Potential , can be a source of insight and inspiration!

Grace and Courtesy

Grace and courtesy is an essential aspect of Montessori environments and supports children as they develop social relationships. Grace is how we move through the space around us, and courtesy is how we treat each other.

In the Montessori primary classroom, grace and courtesy is considered one of the areas of practical life. For example, adults give lessons on how to interrupt, how to accept an offering, how to offer help, or how to introduce oneself. These lessons are offered in small groups and the technique used is role-playing. Little social scenarios are acted out and provide a model for behavior that is situational. Like all other learning activities, grace and courtesy lessons are practiced and repeated. They provide a respectful way of learning expectations and aiding social skills before they are needed.

Grace and courtesy is never offered as a form of punishment or correction. We make sure children don’t experience embarrassment by being corrected by adults on the spot, as this makes children feel disrespected and not safe. Dr. Montessori reminds us of this in The Secret of Childhood: “I have come to appreciate the fact that children have a deep sense of personal dignity. Adults, as a rule, have no concept of how easily they are wounded and oppressed.” In time, if we offer these grace and courtesy lessons, and give children a safe place to practice, children will eventually perform these skills independently.

Human Tendencies

Human tendencies are unconscious, universal drives that support our adaptation to our particular time and place. All humans are born with innate needs and drives and are wired to adapt to their environment. The human tendencies – to orient, explore, order, abstract, imagine, calculate, work, be exact and repeat, perfect oneself, and communicate and associate with others – help aid this adaptation.

Dr. Montessori alluded to human tendencies when she wrote about the inner drive she observed in children and how this drive helps individuals construct themselves to develop into maturity: “Their behavior led us to become aware of a fundamental truth, namely that the child works for his own inner development and not to reach an exterior aim and that when he has done this work he has not really developed a special ability but he has developed something in himself.”

Prepared Environment

The Montessori environment is carefully prepared so that children can satisfy their human tendencies and thus develop to their fullest potential. The prepared environment takes into consideration what children need at their particular stage of growth, and as individuals on their own trajectory of development. The prepared environment consists of the physical and psychic aspects of the environment, of which the adult is a key part.

Through interactions in a prepared environment, children can construct who they are as human beings. As they go through this process of self-construction in their environment, children learn, grow, adapt, and create. The prepared environment is part of the triad of the child, the environment, and the adult, all of which are interconnected components.

Sensitive Periods/Sensitivities

Dr. Montessori was first and foremost a scientist and she was interested in what was happening prior to observable signs of human development. She was curious about what was going on in the mind before the skill manifested itself. For example, she wanted to know what was happening during the many months prior to children speaking their first word.

Without the high-tech tools that neuropsychologists and psychologists now have to measure brain activity, Dr. Montessori had to rely upon observation. She watched children, took notes, and made charts about what they did. As a result, she discovered that a particular object or aspect of the environment would have an irresistible draw for children. This attraction would last for some time. Children would keep going back to the same activity or element of the environment and would be continually drawn to it. Then the day would come when it held no more interest and something new would be attractive.

Dr. Montessori observed this phenomenon over and over again, which led her to believe that there must be something innate in children that was driving this interest. Building upon the work of biologists, Dr. Montessori adopted the term, sensitive period, to describe transitory periods of psychic development. Beyond the Montessori world, sensitive periods are now referred to as critical periods or windows of opportunity.

What does a school look like that focuses first on grace and courtesy, human tendencies, a prepared environment, and sensitive periods? Schedule a tour to see for yourself!

What Do We Do About Discipline?

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:00:04 GMT

We often get asked the question, “How do you handle discipline issues?” We love this question because in Montessori we think about discipline from a different lens.

We start by being curious because misbehavior is a form of communication. Children want to do well and do the right thing. So what are they trying to tell us when they misbehave?

Unmet Physical Needs

Children often misbehave due to unmet needs. At a very basic, physical level, this might be due to being hungry, tired, or overstimulated. So we look at children’s environment and what could change to better support those needs. Perhaps the problem is due to missing their sleep window and being overtired? Or maybe there’s a need for a more protein-packed breakfast so as to not fall apart mid-morning. It might be that a room full of people is causing too much sensory input and a little time in a quieter space or fresh air is just what’s needed.

Unmet Emotional Needs

Other times children might have unmet emotional needs. Dr. Jane Nelson provides an excellent overview of unmet needs in her Positive Discipline work. Positive Discipline aligns well with Montessori because both are based in teaching children respect, responsibility, and problem-solving skills.

In Positive Discipline, Dr. Nelson outlines unmet emotional needs and categorizes these as four mistaken goals. The essence of Positive Discipline is that children develop behaviors in response to feeling disconnected or powerless in certain situations, so they unconsciously use four strategies to try to get their needs met. Unfortunately, these strategies tend to backfire because the behavior isn’t effective! So our goal is to support children in learning new ways to meet their needs.

Mistaken Goal #1: Attention

The first mistaken goal is attention. We see this when children show behaviors like whining, interrupting, or causing disruptions of some sort. They are seeking attention but can’t yet distinguish between positive attention and negative attention. So, when adults respond with annoyance, irritation, or even by giving in, we are inadvertently reinforcing the attention-seeking behavior and children’s underlying belief that they only belong when they have our attention (even if our attention is based on frustration!).

A way to help children meet this need is to offer positive attention, encouragement, and connection at times when they aren’t showing misbehavior. Another proactive approach is to find engaging and meaningful tasks for children to do, which helps provide them with a sense of belonging and connection.

Mistaken Goal #2: Power

When we, as adults, feel angry or challenged in response to children’s behavior, that’s usually a sign that the mistaken goal is one of power-seeking. This kind of behavior can quickly escalate into power struggles, defiance, or even other ways to exert control such as through tantrums or arguing. When children have an unmet goal of power, they have an underlying belief that they can belong only when they are in control or when they can prove that no one can boss them around.

We can support children who have this unmet need by practicing collaborative problem-solving during times when things are already going well. In the moment of challenge, we can avoid power struggles by offering limited choices in a firm but kind way.

Mistaken Goal #3: Revenge

One of the more confusing forms of misbehavior is when children do things that seem intended to hurt others, such as hitting, name-calling, and other destructive actions. When acting this way children are demonstrating that they don’t feel loved so they will hurt others as they feel hurt. What’s tricky is that this behavior often leads to others feeling hurt and wanting to either distance themselves or retaliate.

In order to address this mistaken goal, we need to focus on repairing the relationship and over time addressing the underlying hurt. Empathy and restorative practices help in the process of healing emotional wounds. This mistaken goal requires us to get genuinely curious without any form of accusation or disapproval.

Mistaken Goal #4: Assumed Inadequacy

When children give up easily, withdraw, avoid challenges, or refuse to try, they may be operating under the belief that they belong only by convincing others not to expect anything from them. Our reactions may include feeling helpless, giving up, or even taking over tasks our children were expected to do.

An alternative approach is to encourage small steps toward success and to focus on effort over outcomes. Over time, by breaking up tasks into smaller, manageable parts, and providing side-by-side support without taking over and doing the task for them, we can help children develop more confidence and belief in their abilities.

Shifting our Thinking

When thinking about misbehavior, we shift our approach to first consider what physical and emotional needs children are trying to communicate. Then we focus on long-term solutions while practicing kindness and firmness. Consistent encouragement, respectful communication, and proactive planning help us address what might typically be seen as “discipline issues” so we can guide children toward healthier behaviors. Part of this includes helping children begin to understand their own needs, learn how to communicate respectfully and establish healthy habits and boundaries.

Do you want to learn more about how school can nurture children’s emotional well-being and their sense of belonging? Schedule a tour to see how we create environments of mutual respect and cooperation!

Materials Spotlight: The Wooden Hierarchical Material

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 11:00:01 GMT

The Wooden Hierarchical Material takes up a great deal of space in our primary and elementary classrooms, and for good reason! This key math material helps children understand the hierarchy of numbers and physically represents units through millions.

The Concrete Material

The Wooden Hierarchical Material comprises cubes, prisms, and squares that vary in size and color according to the different place values they represent. Units are green. Tens are blue. Hundreds are red. This pattern continues throughout the families or categories, so unit thousands are also green, ten thousands are blue, hundred thousands are red, and then unit millions are green. Units are represented as cubes, tens as prisms (or a line of ten units), and hundreds as squares (constructed from ten tens side-by-side). Due to this repeated pattern that is reinforced through shape and color-coding, children can visualize the structure of our decimal system.

The Presentation to Children

When we present the Wooden Hierarchical Material, we first connect with other math materials children have used, like the golden beads and the stamp game. In this way, children can build upon their prior knowledge of place value and how 10 of one category are exchanged for one of the next category (e.g. ten units become one ten).

The material is constructed to reinforce the relationship between base-ten numbers in concrete form. As we place the blue ten bar to the left of the small green unit, we remind children how when ten units get together, they make a ten. We also point to the little green marks on the bar and use the unit to count that ten of the units make up the ten bar. Young children love double-checking this correspondence!

We repeat this process to show how ten of the blue ten bars correspond to the ten sections on the red hundred square. Then how when 10 hundreds get together, they make a thousand. When we place the green thousand cube to the left of the red square, we leave some extra space between them because we are starting a new family (or category). This green thousand cube is units of thousands, and we can continue the process with tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands. Children love getting to the green unit of the millions cube and often want to try to imagine or represent ten million, hundred million, and beyond!

The Many Benefits

Because children can physically explore how ten of the thousand cubes make a line that represents 10,000, just like ten of the unit cubes make a line that represents a 10, they develop a strong understanding of the hierarchical value of numbers and their position in the decimal system. Similarly, they can experience how ten 10,000s make up a 100,000, and ten 100,000s make a million! This physical manipulation helps them better grasp abstract mathematical concepts, such as the process of exchanging, exponential growth, and the concept of powers of ten.

As children develop their number sense, the Wooden Hierarchical Material strengthens their understanding of large numbers. The repetitive and visual nature of the material helps solidify children’s mental image of numbers and place values, making future math concepts easier to grasp.

Children’s Continued Work

When children are first introduced to the Wooden Hierarchical Material, we often play games, asking volunteers to show particular items (e.g., “Can someone show me the 10,000?"). In this way, we activate children’s reasoning minds and draw their attention to connections within the material. Once we ensure that the quantities and names are clear, children often like to explore the material further by considering what comes next after one million, making a connection to geometry (point, line, plane/square), measuring, and even labeling the material with the numeric symbols and written names for the different quantities. Children love to quiz each other as they place the cards showing “one million” or “1,000,000” on the correct item.

Montessori in Practice

This work is great fun for our oldest primary children and youngest elementary students. They love to lay out the materials, explore the relationships, and label the quantities with numeral cards. Children develop an intrinsic love for mathematics in this self-directed learning and discovery process.

The Wooden Hierarchical Material is one of many ways Montessori education helps children develop a deep, intuitive understanding of numbers, place value, and mathematical relationships.

Visit our school to learn more about how Montessori supports strong math skills!

Gratitude: Why We Celebrate the Unsung Heroes

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 11:00:05 GMT

As children move from early childhood into elementary school, they become very attuned to heroes. In fact, in Montessori, we call this “hero worship,” and we consider it an amazing opportunity!

Our elementary-age children are figuring out their moral compass, which partially sparks this strong attraction toward heroes. Often, we see children become focused on sporting personalities, movie and television stars, singers, and sometimes even teachers! Children may even choose to emulate a classmate or slightly older peer.

Understanding the Self & the Group

As children use their imaginations and look toward heroes, they are really thinking about how to actualize their own potential. Thus, they become very observant of others. They begin to recognize individual strengths and apply them to their own practice, society, community, and family. Children invite each other to work based on their strengths, and then they feel seen. In this process, children begin to recognize that the strength of the group is their own strength. Hero worship drives all kinds of prosocial development.

Thus part of hero worship is stepping into leadership roles in the community and learning how to lead and how to follow. Our children experience the joy of belonging to the group and being part of something together. In this hero worship, we see the cultivation of cooperation and collaboration.

All Kinds of Heroes

Children of this age are also incredibly open to stories of history's great innovators and heroes. So we introduce a variety of heroes through books, songs, storytelling, and casual observations. Montessori children love to lean into research and want to explore the histories and stories of their heroes.

In this process, we emphasize how heroes are all around us! How can we show gratitude for those who deliver our mail or help us when we’ve gotten hurt?

As our children explore these heroes and fall in and out of admiration and emulation, it’s important to remember that while we can’t control our children’s choice of friends or heroes, we can offer lots of different options. In this process, we make sure to provide exposure to non-typical heroes, including unknown heroes.

In the various stories we tell in our Montessori curriculum, we often emphasize how we will never know who those first humans were who did all sorts of important things like picking up a burning branch after a lightning strike and figuring out how to save and use fire, creating a hole in a small bone and using it as a needle, discovering how to save seeds and plant them, or leaving cave paintings to share a message. As we explore early human history and children discover that there are so many unknown heroes, we always pause to offer some gratitude for those who discovered and created so much.

Elementary children look up to power, strength, and beauty in whatever form that occurs, and this isn’t always in the form of a human hero. There were the first plants that began to cling to the land and adapt to life out of the water, the Carboniferous amphibians whose fins eventually became legs, tiny cells each with its own job so that the body runs smoothly, and leaves that work like food factories for plants.

Giving Thanks to All Kinds of Heroes

With our children’s tendency toward hero worship and their admiration for heroes of different kinds, we can also help our children understand what they value in a hero. Often our children recognize and respond to stories of people (and non-human entities!) who overcome hardship, endure loss, and sacrifice for others. We also draw their attention to the fact that one does not need to be important or famous to be a hero.

In this season of gratitude, let’s remember to celebrate many different kinds of heroes and offer our thanks for how they have contributed (or continue to contribute) in varied ways. We also thank you and hope you’ll schedule a time to observe our gratitude-filled classrooms in action!

Nurturing the Whole Child: How Montessori Balances Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Growth

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 11:00:03 GMT

One of the gifts of Montessori education is that we can truly focus on the whole child —cognitive, social, emotional, and physical. Our approach is not just about academics but also about nurturing life skills, emotional intelligence, and social relationships.

The Montessori approach to child development revolves around the understanding that children are naturally curious, care deeply about others, and can be intrinsically motivated. When provided with the right environment, children can deepen both their love for learning and their appreciation of and care for the community.

Prioritizing the Prepared Environment

One of the keys to balancing social-emotional learning with cognitive and physical development is prioritizing the impact of a prepared environment. In Montessori, a prepared environment is a place specially designed to appeal to children’s sensitive periods for learning, as well as their core human needs and tendencies. When designing these prepared spaces for children, we work to ensure children feel safe and supported so they can reach their potential. The Montessori-prepared environment is a place where children can feel at home as they develop their inner selves and outer skills.

Our carefully prepared Montessori classrooms are calm and orderly, foster independence and decision-making, and provide varied opportunities for peer interactions in mixed-age classrooms. As a result, children can develop their emotional regulation skills in child-centered spaces.

Opportunities for Conflict Resolution

In addition, we weave in opportunities for conflict resolution. This means we actively model and support children as they learn to communicate their feelings through words. In addition to promoting self-awareness through identifying and naming emotions, we also teach active listening, problem-solving, and techniques for self-regulation (from deep breathing to using calm-down spaces).

Adults serve as mediators and guides rather than arbitrators and judges. Through guided discussions, we help children think reflectively about social interactions, practice respectful communication, facilitate peaceful solutions, and model how to handle conflict. Ultimately, we want to empower children with tools they can use even if an adult isn’t present!

Respect for Others

One key to this is cultivating respect for others’ perspectives and patience for alternative approaches. Because children work together in a variety of ways through their care of the classroom environment and small group projects or lessons, they develop a deep sense of compassion and empathy. Our mixed-age groupings and peer-to-peer learning activities promote collaboration and mentorship. So, in addition to the adults, older children also serve as models of emotional regulation and conflict resolution for younger peers. The result is that Montessori children develop a deep tolerance for and appreciation of difference.

Deep Appreciation for Community

Children thrive when they have a sense of community and belonging. So, we promote inclusivity and respect for diversity within the classroom. The Montessori curriculum includes a range of activities that encourage group cohesion and empathy-building, which leads to trust and respect among our students.

The long-term benefits of Montessori’s focus on social-emotional learning and conflict resolution are that children develop lifelong social skills such as a deep sense of empathy, effective communication with various people, and the ability to cooperate with grace and goodwill.

The Montessori method nurtures social-emotional learning and equips children with essential conflict-resolution skills they can use in their classroom communities and social interactions outside of school.

Do you want to learn more and perhaps even support these practices at home? Schedule a visit today!

Exploring Montessori Together: Family Events and Learning Opportunities

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 11:00:02 GMT

Many of us didn’t grow up with Montessori, so we often find ourselves trusting this unique method. We may intellectually understand how this method supports our children and their development, but we don’t always have the experiential knowledge to explain how and why it works!

We recognize that life is pretty scheduled, and we also want to provide you with information that can help you navigate others’ questions and queries (as well as your own!). Plus, we know that the more involved you are and the more opportunities you have to be connected to what we do, the more your child will benefit from Montessori’s child-centered approach!

Goals for Family Education Events

We have some goals in mind as we design parent and family education events. We want to deepen your understanding of Montessori philosophy and practice. We want to work together in partnership, and we often hear that families want to better understand how Montessori can be implemented at home. We are excited to help with this, especially knowing that when we are all aligned, we can work together to foster independence, responsibility, and self-discipline in our children.

Supporting Your Child’s Development

Our hope is that as you learn more about what we do and as we learn more about what you do, we can use a shared understanding of Montessori principles to support your child’s development both in and outside of school. Understanding developmental stages through a Montessori lens often leads to children feeling a stronger sense of belonging and connection because they feel understood and supported. This can translate into easier day-to-day interactions, better collaborative problem-solving, a long-term love for learning, and an increase in confidence and independence.

Partnership in the Parenting Journey

We want to help build a strong home-school partnership. Through consistent and varied communication and learning opportunities, we hope to create a collaborative environment and opportunities for meaningful dialogue. Parenting is a tough job, and we want to ensure you know you aren’t alone on this journey! Through different platforms, we aim to address common misconceptions and help you feel good about answering questions that come up at family gatherings and neighborhood events!

We value an engaged community, and we want to support your connections with other Montessori families. Sharing experiences and challenges with like-minded parents helps us all stay afloat during the ebbs and flows of raising children. We want our Montessori community to provide both emotional support and practical advice.

Ultimately, we want you to better understand Montessori so you can be an effective advocate for your child’s education and feel prepared for the transitions your child will experience throughout the different stages of life.

Materials Spotlight: The Montessori Bells

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 11:00:02 GMT

Music is a form of language. Because our young children effortlessly absorb language, we, of course, provide them with opportunities to express themselves musically! One key material we use for this is the Montessori Bells.

The bells are perfectly tuned, each designed to deliver a distinct, pure tone when gently played with a mallet. Also aesthetically pleasing, the bells invite children into the world of music. This helps children develop a keen ear for pitch and tone while encouraging an appreciation of musical instruments and expression.

The Montessori Bells

In our primary classrooms, the Montessori Bells are easily accessible on a specially designed wooden stand or table, each bell arranged in order according to its pitch.

There are two sets of 13 bells. One set has black and white stands and is set up in the back to serve as a control and is arranged like a piano keyboard (the white bells represent whole notes, while the black bells serve as the sharps and flats). The other set of bells has stands of natural, varnished wood, so we call them the brown bells. Each brown bell is paired with a white or black bell, and these 13 pairs of bells comprise the chromatic scale beginning at middle C.

The bells sit on boards that also serve as guides. The brown bells rest on a pattern of black and white rectangles corresponding to the keys of a piano.

Playing One or Two Bells

After our youngest children learned how to care for materials and had plenty of experience discriminating sounds with our sound cylinders, we showed them how to play a single bell. This is a multi-part process: how to carry the bell, use a mallet to gently strike the bell to make a tone, appreciate the sound the bell makes, use a damper to stop the tone and return the bell to its proper place in the set.

Returning the bell to its proper place prepares children for future work of pairing and grading the bells. So, we take time to model how to check that the tone of the brown bell matches the corresponding white (or black) bell behind it.

Once children learn these steps, they can select any of the brown bells to play. Eventually, we also show children how to choose and play two different brown bells. This experience helps children focus on the fact that the two bells look the same but sound different. Then, upon returning the bells to the set, children also get to work on finding where each brown bells goes (because there are two empty spaces) by matching the tone of the brown bells to the white or black bells in the back.

This may seem like quite an elaborate process for just “playing a bell or two.” However, we carefully break down each step so that even our youngest children can learn how to use this delicate instrument with precision while also beginning to hone in on the slight variations in each bell’s pitch.

Pairing

When we observe children’s success with this initial process, we introduce the challenge of pairing. This experience begins with the adult letting the child know in the lesson that the bells are on their boards in a particular order. We play up the brown bells and down the white bells so the child can hear the gradation and experience the impression of the C scale. Next we model how to remove four brown bells from their boards, mix them, and place them in an open space off to the side.

While showing this process, we reflect aloud how we could match the brown bells to their pairs when we had just two bells. We point out that we can use the same technique to find the matching pairs of the bells we just mixed up and moved to the side.

We start by moving one of the brown bells to a space in front of the first empty white space (always working from left to right). We play the white (control) bell and then the brown bell. If they sound the same, we move the bell up onto the white space on the board. If they sound different, we slide the bell to the right to be in front of the next empty white space and we repeat the process until finding the brown bell’s match and location. When all the brown bells are paired, we again play up the brown bells and down the white bells to check they are in the correct order.

Once we finish modeling, we select the same four bells, mix them to the side of the workspace, and invite the child to pair the bells. We stay long enough to see successful matching of the first bell, then we fade into the background and observe. If the child is successful, we remove the same four and invite the child to do it again. If the first round was successful, we invite the child to remove all the brown bells and pair them!

Grading the Diatonic and Chromatic Scale

After children can pair all eight bells successfully, we introduce grading. This time, children learn how to put all the brown bells in order by paying attention to the degree of difference between each tone. This time, rather than using the white control bells to determine the order of the scale, children mix up and play the brown bells, using their awareness of the change in pitch to compare and reorder the bells. This requires children to have an acute awareness of each tone and how they differ. We start with just the white bells which represent the whole notes, and later introduce mixing in the black bells to make the chromatic scale (with sharps and flats).

Language Material

After children have successfully paired and graded the diatonic scale, we also introduce the “writing and reading” component of the bells. Children learn the symbols and names for the pitches and match the pitches with their notes.

When writing in language, we have thoughts we want to express and we can write them down. Composers have melodies in their heads and they write those melodies by using the notes of the staff.

We use beautiful staff boards with small wooden circles so that children can learn how to place the notes on the staff and eventually even write their own music, similarly to how they write with the moveable alphabet. Like with spoken language, children first explore through writing and then reading melodies.

Musical expression is woven into our primary classrooms. Schedule a tour to hear for yourself!

Taking a Look at Homework

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 11:00:04 GMT

Many of us grew up with some form of homework, so it can feel a little strange when our Montessori kids come home without it. In fact, we may start to wonder what our children are missing by not having homework.

Perhaps some worries have crossed your mind: Don’t my children need additional practice to help improve their retention? Doesn’t homework help reinforce concepts learned in school? Doesn’t homework serve as a tool for teaching responsibility, self-discipline, and time management?

Let’s lean into these questions to explore what happens in Montessori classrooms and whether homework meets children’s developmental needs.

Do our children need additional practice to help improve their retention?

Unlike our youngest ones, who love endless repetition (it can be hard to read that favorite book one more time!), once our children reach the elementary years, they crave variety. Thus, the key is to provide lots of different kinds of opportunities for practice. For example, in Montessori classrooms, we have SO MANY ways for students to practice their multiplication facts: the large bead frame, bead bars, bead chains, multiplication board, checkerboard, and bank game, just to name a few.

We find that children love to practice and challenge themselves. So should we assign practice for them to take home? Author and researcher Alfie Kohn spent years reviewing the available research (as well as interviewing parents, teachers, and students), and he sums up his findings with the following statement: “Homework is all pain and no gain.” In fact, in studying the research, Kohn found that having and doing homework during the elementary years does not improve learning. That being said, in high school there is a small correlation between homework and test scores, although no clarity about whether doing the homework leads to higher test scores.

We’ve also found that when children are engaged and loving their varied practice at school, requiring that they continue the practice at home can actually backfire. For example, when children are made to do academic work at home, we see that they are less likely to engage with similar learning activities at school. That being said, when children are excited about their learning and initiate continuing at home, we encourage and celebrate this extension of their work!

Does homework help reinforce concepts learned in school?

We want children to see themselves as life-long learners. One way we support this is to avoid the dichotomy of home versus school. Learning doesn’t stop or start at the classroom door! Perhaps at school, a child is suddenly passionate about sea turtles. We explore how this learning can extend into the community: visiting a local aquarium for a real-life encounter, finding sea turtle books from the local library, watching a sea turtle documentary, etc. Some of this could happen through going-out trips from school and just as easily could also be something the child’s family embraces to support the learning experience.

Home learning (rather than preassigned homework each night) is meaningful and relevant. Just as an adult might be motivated or excited about a project at work and want to continue some of the process at home at night or over the weekend, we want our students to realize that their learning has no bounds of time or space! This could work in the other direction, too. Maybe a child asks a question at home one night about how stars are formed, which leads to a deep dive at school into types of stars, galaxies, and even chemistry.

This understanding that learning happens throughout all the aspects of our lives is a hallmark of Montessori education. We emphasize deep, hands-on engagement with varied kinds of learning materials. Our curriculum is designed to support an explosion of imagination and curiosity. Children can ask questions, explore, and work through big concepts at their own pace.

Does homework serve as a tool for teaching responsibility, self-discipline, and time management?

Montessori education is grounded in a deep respect for young people. Our unique approach is designed to cultivate responsibility, self-discipline, and time management skills. Montessori classrooms provide children with the freedom to choose their work, but within a structured environment and framework. This freedom is tied together with responsibility and teaches students to make well-informed choices about how they spend their time and what tasks they prioritize. Through one-on-one conferencing and daily adjustments, classroom teachers provide guidance and reflection that empowers students to think about their own learning process, including what parts could use more attention.

Instead of relying on external rewards or punishments, Montessori emphasizes intrinsic motivation. Students engage in activities because they are interested and find satisfaction in completing them, which nurtures self-discipline. Plus, children work at their own pace without direct competition. This allows them to focus deeply on their tasks, developing concentration and persistence, which are core aspects of self-discipline.

Ultimately, there is work to be done and sometimes even deadlines to meet. As we experience in the adult world, if we have procrastinated, lost focus, or just had to tend to other things, the work doesn’t go away, and sometimes we have to bring it home to make sure we get it done. The same applies to Montessori students. Sometimes they will need to bring some work home to meet a deadline or work through a challenge that needs more attention.

Guides may also work with older students to create individual learning plans so that they can more consciously plan their day or week to meet their goals. We scaffold this skill so our young people can learn how to incorporate goal setting, planning, and time management into their lives.

In a supportive way, we integrate choice, autonomy, and responsibility into students’ daily routines. The result? Montessori students feel empowered, take ownership of their learning, and have the gift of devoting afternoons and evenings for rest, family bonding, and exploring personal interests.

Interested in seeing for yourself how all of this works? Schedule a tour today!

Milestones in Montessori

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 11:00:05 GMT

In Montessori education, we look at milestones for babies and toddlers through three key lenses: movement, language, and social/emotional development. Each child progresses at their own pace, so while the sequence of milestones is common, the timing varies. Here’s a brief guide to supporting your child’s unique journey as they grow into remarkable young people.

Movement Milestones

Physically, our infants and toddlers are experiencing rapid and intense changes. They are interacting with the world through movement and their senses. In Montessori we call this the time of the “unconscious absorbent mind” because children are absorbing everything around them with no filter. Through movement, they begin to make sense of their environment, family, and culture. When it comes to movement, we focus on three primary areas: myelination, equilibrium, and hand development.

Myelination

Newborns' movements are initially reflexive, like sucking and grasping, but they become more controlled as the process of myelination takes place, which allows electrical signals to pass more quickly from the brain to the muscles.

To support this development, give your child plenty of freedom to move. Keep them out of restrictive devices like car seats and carriers as much as possible and let them reach, grasp, and struggle a bit on their own. These natural movements are essential for building strong neural connections.

Equilibrium

Gross motor skills help children develop equilibrium or balance. Babies start by lifting their heads, rolling, and eventually sitting upright. Tummy time plays a crucial role in helping them develop strong neck and torso muscles, which are the foundation of movement.

By 12 to 18 months, most children begin walking and carrying objects. Over the next couple of years, they refine their balance and coordination, running, climbing, and jumping with more confidence. Encouraging these movements is key to their physical development.

Hand Development

Fine motor skills also emerge in the first few years. What starts as reflexive hand movements soon evolves into deliberate control. Babies initially use a raking grasp, which eventually becomes a precise pincer grasp around nine months.

From 10 to 18 months, children gain more control over their hands and fingers, learning to point, stack blocks, and scribble. By age three, they can easily use utensils for feeding and can pick up small objects between their thumb and forefinger. Offering your child opportunities to practice these fine motor skills—like playing with blocks or drawing—boosts this essential area of development.

Language Milestones

Just like movement progresses from slithering to creeping to walking, language skills progress from babbling to talking. Movement and language development move in parallel until about six to eight months of age, at which point one may dominate while the other often plateaus for a bit and then takes off a little later.

Language development follows two threads: expressive and receptive language.

Receptive Language

Receptive language is how our children understand the language around them. Our babies love hearing the voices of caregivers, and they pay attention to their faces. Eventually, around four to six months, they begin to understand specific words, like no, and the meaning behind tones of voice. This is also when they begin to play social games, such as “peak a boo.”

Over the next few months, our little ones start to understand simple commands and gestures, which evolves by about 12 months to understand instructions and go or point to familiar objects when named. From 24 to 36 months, toddlers are typically able to follow two- to three-step instructions and understand spatial concepts like “in,” “on,” and “under.”

Expressive Language

Expressive language involves how children communicate with the world. Early expressions come through body language and crying, which later evolve into cooing and babbling. Between four and six months, our babies vocalize pleasure and displeasure, babble with consonant sounds, put vowels together, and even try to repeat sounds they hear. In the six to eight-month range, our little ones continue babbling and start to drop unused language sounds for the native language(s) they hear.

From eight to ten months, their babbling incorporates consonant-vowel combinations (e.g. “ba, da, ma”), and differentiated babbling may start to resemble real words. They will also begin to use more gestures such as pointing, waving, and reaching to show their interests, needs, and even things they do not want. From 10 to 12 months, this kind of babbling continues, and they may even combine gestures with words.

After 12 months, we begin to see an explosion of expressive language, with vocabulary expanding at an impressive rate. They start by using single words, usually nouns, and this may include using one word for several objects. Then, between 18 and 24 months, our children are acquiring eight to twelve new words a month, and after about 50 words this increases exponentially. This is also when we hear children use two-word phrases with nouns and verbs.

By the time they’re three, our little ones can use pronouns, ask questions, and string together sentences to communicate their needs and experiences.

Emotional Milestones

Emotional development, the ability to understand and express emotions, is largely shaped by a child’s social relationships. During their first year, babies begin to notice emotions in others and respond to social cues. They may express their own needs and show interest in caregivers. By two or three, children can regulate their emotions better and express a broader range of feelings.

To support emotional growth, it’s important to maintain a calm, consistent environment. Show warmth and affection, encourage the expression of emotions, and teach strategies for managing big feelings like frustration or sadness.

Social Milestones

Social development enables children to form positive, rewarding relationships with others. In their first year, babies are focused on bonding with caregivers. They’re learning how to engage, gain attention, and participate in simple social interactions.

By 12 to 24 months, children start engaging in back-and-forth interactions and begin developing empathy. Parallel play—where they play alongside others but not directly with them—often evolves into cooperative play by age two or three. At this stage, children start sharing, taking turns, and communicating more effectively with peers.

You can nurture social growth by modeling healthy relationships, reading your child’s social cues, and facilitating interactions with other children.

Healthy Development

Our infants and toddlers are going through a dramatic change in terms of a sense of self and their attachments. It’s important to remember that children follow a common sequence in their development, but not always a common timing. We offer these milestones as a reminder for how to remove obstacles to children’s development while also supporting their own unique path as they grow into amazing young people. You are also welcome to schedule a visit to our school to see how we support our youngest students as they develop in amazing ways!

Facing Frustration & Flipped Lids

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 19:37:50 GMT

You’ve experienced the scene before. All is quiet and calm. The kids are playing outside. Maybe you are even focused on something you’ve wanted to do for a while. And the next thing you know, the door slams open, and everyone comes in, teeming with frustration.

At first, you may try to piece together the details: a game, something stolen, someone who felt excluded, others defending their territory. Removed from the situation, you can probably see the dynamics at play: someone felt left out and wanted to belong but didn't know how to ask, so they do something that gets them some negative attention.

Feeling Disconnected

Our children don't necessarily use the most constructive ways to let us know what they need. Rather than say, "I feel disconnected, and I need some extra love and attention," they are more likely to hit or throw tantrums or, as they get older, say or do mean things to get us to notice. In our imaginary scene, a child who wanted to belong decided to take something to get the other children to pay attention.

In situations like this, other kids typically don’t respond well. They get defensive and usually respond with a fair amount of their own fury. When children retaliate, they aren’t thinking about any consequences of their actions, much less about another child's motivations! Even if we try to listen and have a conversation about what happened, children will often tend to become inflamed again.

Shifting Gears

This is when it is helpful to remember that we can shift gears to help children understand what is actually happening in their brains! Ideally, we find something that children can relate to and that changes their focus.

A pet reptile is an excellent option. “So you remember the gecko we saw at the pet store? She has a very basic response. If threatened, she has three options: to fight, to freeze, or to flee.” From there, we can explain how we all have a very reptilian part of our brain, the amygdala. When we feel threatened, we tend to go back to basic responses: fight, freeze, or flee.

Flipping Our Lid

We also have our frontal lobes, which allow us to think more logically and consider other options. Despite having a rational part of our brain, it is easy to do what Daniel Siegel has termed "flipping our lid."

We can show children what this is like by representing our brain with our hand. When we curl our thumb into our palm it is like the amygdala, a primitive part of our brain essential for basic functions. The amygdala is our alarm center and responds from a place of instinct. Then we can curl our fingers over our thumb so they can represent the frontal lobes of our brain, which help us with self-control, empathy, and decision-making.

When we get upset, we can "flip our lid." Our fingers (representing our frontal lobes) fly up and are out of commission, leaving our thumb (representing our amygdala) exposed. When this happens, we tend to act from the more reptilian part of our brain.

Getting Curious

When we provide this model for children, they often focus intensely on how our brains function. Yet there is still a challenge: What should we do when we are intensely upset, have a flipped lid, and are in the midst of a challenging moment?

It helps to really sit with the question with our children and lean into a place of curiosity. What if we had a plan for when we get into these kinds of moments? What if others around us were able to do this, too? What if our communities, our governments, and our countries were able to manage flipped lids? What kind of world would we experience?

When given the opportunity to explore options together, our children tend to rise to the occasion. They might decide to use each other for support when they feel overwhelmed by feelings of anger or frustration. They might also begin to think more about others’ needs and how to help them feel more included. Our children are so capable of moving from a place of not knowing to taking initial steps to figure out their own plan of action. While our children won’t have all the answers, we can help them carefully consider how to manage themselves in the face of challenges.

Curious to learn more about how we help children we confront frustration, recognize the need to belong, and even just manage overstimulation? Schedule a tour and see for yourself how Montessori helps us all grow in beautiful ways!

Grammar the Montessori (Fun) Way!

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 11:00:02 GMT

The study of words, grammar, is all about understanding how words function and how they relate to each other in a sentence. In essence, grammar represents the rules that we use, either consciously or unconsciously, as we speak and write. And in Montessori classrooms, grammar is incredibly fun!

In early childhood, children effortlessly absorb the language(s) in their environment, including the grammatical conventions people around them use. So in our primary classrooms, we first offer a series of games to introduce children to the functions of words.

The Games

The games provide a sensorial experience of the function of each part of speech. For example, when we invite children to the “article game,” we play around with asking for items using either the article “the” or “a” depending upon if we are thinking of a definite object (like the laundry basket) or an indefinite one (like a red pencil, which could be any of the red pencils in the classroom).

Or with the “preposition game,” we give commands using prepositions (words that show relationship) such as: “Put your hands on your stomach.” “Put your hands under the chair.” “Put your hands behind your back.” Each time we only change the preposition, so that children experience what happens when we change that one word.

Children also love the “verb game” and the “adverb game” because they get to engage in all sorts of actions that can get more and more complex depending upon the series of commands from “run” and “skip” to “walk loudly” or “tiptoe angrily” to multi-step requests like “Walk to a friend. Say hello to the friend. Come back to me. Tell me the friend’s name.”

Our primary children consider these games to be delightful and often request them again and again!

A “Feel” for Language

Eventually, children in our primary classrooms move on to grammar-based activities that involve a great deal of reading. Using little paper slips and objects, we present a variation of the grammar games that isolate the different parts of speech and help children intuit the patterns in our language. We write words and phrases on the paper slips, and the children read them. We also label different objects or items in the classroom. We also begin introducing symbols for each part of speech.

For example, by the time children have learned about nouns, articles, and adjectives, we can introduce conjunctions as words that connect. We can write little slips for individual objects (“a green pencil,” “a red pencil,” “a pink pencil”). The children collect those pencils and we connect them with a pink ribbon. We also highlight the word that connects each of the objects (“and”) by writing it in red. Finally, we add each of the symbols that represent each part of speech.

Because children of this age are very tuned into syntax, they quickly develop a “feel” for how words are used in sentences. A great example of this is how young children might say, “I runned as quickly as I could.” Just through experience, they are able to identify how past tense is formed by adding “ed” to the verb. All that is needed next are opportunities to learn about how some words don’t follow that particular rule.

Systematic Study

In the elementary years, we embark on a systematic study of the different types of rules, such as those that direct the formation of the past tense. In addition to learning about suffixes (such as “ed”) that affect tense, elementary students learn about auxiliary verbs and even study the mood and voice of verbs. The children also discover that our irregular verbs have a historical origin. In fact, many of the seeming inconsistencies of our language have a fascinating historical story!

For that reason, whenever possible in elementary, we link grammar to history. The word grammar, for example, comes from the ancient Greek term grammatike tekhne, which means “art of letters.”

As we embark on “the art of letters,” our elementary children dive into several disciplines, including morphology (the structure of words), syntax (the arrangement of words), phonology (the pronunciation of words), semantics (the meaning of words), and etymology (the history of words). We distill these disciplines into three main areas: word study, parts of speech, and sentence analysis.

The Grammar Boxes

In next week’s blog, we’ll highlight a deeper exploration of how one material, the beloved Grammar Boxes, connects these key areas of study. In addition to helping children understand how words have a function to perform and how the sequence of words and surrounding words determine the function, the Grammar Boxes also support the study of words and lay the foundation for sentence analysis.

Our grammar lessons and presentations are quite lively and involve a great deal of activity.

Keeping the Big Picture in Mind

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 11:00:06 GMT

As parents, we want the best for our children. It hurts when they encounter setbacks or challenges. When they experience frustration or failure, we want to fix things so they don’t suffer.

Lessons Learned

However, physical and even emotional discomfort is a significant part of how we grow and learn. In fact, mistakes and failures have a number of benefits including an increase in self-confidence, creative thinking, problem-solving, and patience.

When children learn that they can overcome obstacles, they build self-confidence and are more willing to challenge themselves in new activities. In addition, when children can experiment and have room for error, they can explore and create new approaches, which leads to flexibility and expansive thinking.

Success requires time and continuous effort. When children aren’t afraid of failure, they understand that progressing isn’t always a straight line. Rather than being afraid and giving up when faced with difficulties, children are more willing to take a circuitous route, try different directions, or experiment with diverse options. This process also helps children develop logical thinking skills and the ability to solve problems confidently.

Home-School Partnership

So that our children can reap these benefits, it helps if we stay in communication about challenges that may arise. Whether social, emotional, academic, or intellectual, it’s inevitable that our children will experience some level of difficulty at some point in their school years. Our hope is that we can work as partners to identify any challenges or areas of discomfort and also provide the structure, freedom, patience, and confidence to allow kids the opportunity to struggle.

In Montessori, we are well-trained to observe children, balancing both a deep awareness of developmental milestones and the knowledge that individual children have their own pace and trajectory as they develop as young humans. We recognize that some children may need additional support and we also want to make sure we aren’t rushing in too soon to rescue them, which can lead to a decrease in self-confidence and resilience.

A partnership between home and school means that we ask you to trust the process while also staying in dialogue with us about your hopes and fears for your child. Conversely, we commit to communicating what we observe about your child’s progress and areas for growth.

Over the many years of schooling and parenting, we’ve found that an investment in longer-term learning and growth necessitates tolerance for some shorter-term disappointment.

Communication Road Map

Good communication is the heart of positive partnerships! To that end, we offer some tips for cultivating and maintaining this long-term relationship in support of your child(ren). First and foremost, we rely upon timely communication and yet also want to respect everyone’s busy lives. If something comes up, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us to share what is on your mind. We want to better understand what your child is experiencing or any concerns you have.

We also ask that you consider a big-picture perspective. If your child complains about something bad happening, take a deep breath and acknowledge that they might need to let off some steam or just feel some big emotions. Listen without judgment and reflect on what you hear. Once they are done, you can ask if they want some help solving the problem or communicating with someone at school.

It helps to think about how to set the stage for your child to be their own self-advocate. If they want help, you can offer to brainstorm solutions, draft an email together, or even role-play how to handle the situation differently. Often, though, our children just need to let out their upset or frustration so they can move on with their day. They need us, as parents, to be a safe place to vent.

When or if you do contact the school, please let us know if your child is aware that you are sharing your concerns or observations so we can approach the situation with the utmost respect and care.

It’s also important to remember that, as adults, we are constantly modeling for our children. Approaching even challenging circumstances with thoughtfulness, care, and goodwill shows our children how they can tackle tough situations with grace.

Long-Term Goals

When we talk about what we want for our children, we often discover some common themes. We want our children to be adaptable, kind, and hard-working. We want them to be creative and confident in their abilities. We want them to be self-reliant and independent while also collaborating with others and learning from those with different perspectives. We want them to live peaceful lives, celebrate present moments, and have a sense of purpose.

While we don’t want to see our children struggle, one of the most important things we can offer them is the chance to confront and work through challenges. We commit to being your partner in this process. Please schedule a visit to the school, observe the classrooms, and connect with us about how we can work together!

Our Montessori Bookshelf: In Honor of Grandparents Day

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 11:00:01 GMT

Grandparents (and “grandfriends”) are such valuable parts of our children’s lives. In honor of Grandparents Day (September 8) and the desire to use the whole month to do “grand” things, we’re sharing our favorite picture books that highlight the value of connection between grandparents and their grandchildren.

We hope your children and their grandparents can perhaps share some time together, or at the very least that your children can read these books with you and reflect upon what they value about their grandparents. Maybe after reading these stories, grandparents and grandchildren can share and create their own stories together!

Berry Song

by Michaela Goade

With mystical illustrations that are also grounded in botanical bounty, this book shares the joy of a child’s connection with her grandmother and weaves it together with the power of sharing traditional ways of honoring the land and its gifts. After responsibly harvesting food together, the child and her grandmother cook, feast, and share. The seasons change, and the story continues as the girl takes her little sister’s hand to begin the process again. The extensive author’s notes are also incredibly powerful and worth savoring.

Drawn Together

by Minh Lê, Illustrated by Dan Santat

“Sometimes you don’t need words to find common ground.” This book perfectly illustrates this tagline. The story even starts without words, just images in the comic or graphic novel style of getting dropped off at his grandfather’s house. We see all the ways they don’t connect and yet when the boy decides to pull out some paper and draw, the grandfather gets his sketchbook. A whole new world opens up between them, and the narrator begins to use words to share the experiences of grandfather and grandson. The illustrations both show contrasting generational and cultural experiences and how a shared love for drawing can bridge a divide.

I Love Saturdays y Domingos

by Alma Flor Ada, Illustrated by Elivia Savadier

Two sets of grandparents offer two very different sets of cultural experiences, which are lovingly depicted in this story of how a young girl appreciates her Saturdays and Sundays. With Spanish carefully woven throughout the storyline, especially to show the contrast between Saturdays y Domingos (and Sundays), we encounter the joy and delight of different traditions and daily routines. By the end of the book, the two sides of the family come together for the girls’ birthday and demonstrate the significance of togetherness.

Kiyoshi's Walk

by Mark Karlins, Illustrated by Nicole Wong

In addition to being a lovely portrayal of how a wise, quiet grandfather helps his grandson discover his own answers to his questions, this book is an excellent introduction to haiku. The story begins with Kiyoshi watching his poet grandfather compose a haiku and wondering aloud where poems come from. His question leads grandfather and grandson on a neighborhood exploration full of wonder, connection, new poems, new questions, and ultimately profound insights.

Nana in the City

by Lauren Castillo

A Caldecott Honor book, the story begins with a young boy coming to visit his Nana in the city. He finds the place too loud, busy, and scary, so his Nana promises to show him how wonderful the city can be. While he sleeps, she knits him a red cape for him to wear and feel brave during their excursion throughout the city. With a newfound perspective, he is able to see the extraordinary and why his Nana wants to be there (and how he can look forward to visiting again!).

The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story

by Tina M. Cho, Illustrated by Jess X. Snow

With a stunning use of color, The Ocean Calls reminds us of the power of patience and how traditions are passed from one generation to the next. Dayeon longs to be a treasure-hunting mermaid like her grandma, yet also holds deep fear from a previous experience in the ocean. Her “what if” questions are calmed by her grandmother’s calm presence and reminder about haenyeo tradition. Although subtle, the book also visually shares the power of a community of women serving as support.

Time for Bed, Old House

by Janet Costa Bates, Illustrated by AG Ford

It can be a treat to sleepover at a grandparent’s house, but it can also be scary, too. So Isaac’s grandfather takes a different approach, leading Isaac on a tour through the house to “put it to bed.” They move slowly and quietly. They dim the lights. They draw the blinds. And they check on all the sounds. The cozy illustrations make you feel right at home, and some include a perspective that makes it feel like you are in the room, too. The best part is how the story shows the arc of how Isaac takes ownership of the process and, as a result, feels safe and secure.

The Truth About Grandparents

by Elina Ellis

If you are your children are in the mood for some fun-loving frolic, this book is just what you need! The child narrator introduces their “really old” grandparents (plus their “wrinkly faces” and “funny teeth”). While the words on the page state one thing that the narrator has heard about old people, the illustrations show the child’s experience sharing adventures and all sorts of fun with their grandparents. Full of zest and joy, this book can’t help but bring out some smiles (and maybe even some ideas for fun things to do together!).

When Lola Visits

by Michelle Sterling, Illustrated by Aaron Asis

With simple illustrations, the story focuses on the scents of summer, including all the smells and experiences that are part of a grandmother’s summer stay. The repeating refrain of “summer smells like” weaves together a whimsical, wispy nostalgia, while also showing how different traditions “like kalamansi pie and fireworks on the Fourth of July” can come together in powerful ways for young children. The book also brings together the contrasting feelings that can arise when the beauty of summer ends and the promise of a new school year begins.

Where Are You From?

by Yamile Saied Méndez, Illustrated by Jamie Kim

This is a perfect book for when children feel stumped by the question, “Where are you from?” The main character asks her Abuelo. What he shares is both beautiful and inspiring, reminding his granddaughter, and perhaps all of us, of the places and ancestors who are so much a part of who we are. But this expansive answer doesn’t satisfy his granddaughter who wants to know where she is really from. His answer captures the essence of who she is and where she is from and establishes the power of personal love and ancestral connection.

We hope you enjoy these books as much as we have! Here is a printable copy of the list of books . We also love to have grandparents and grandfriends come to the school for a tour. Contact us to set up a visit!

Montessori 101

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 11:00:02 GMT

As the school year gets into swing, we thought it would be helpful to review some key elements of Montessori education and how what we do supports children’s development.

The Montessori method focuses on children’s important process of constructing themselves into the amazing humans they are becoming. Respect for this process of self-construction, along with a prepared environment that supports the development of self-discipline and freedom within limits, forms an entire system wherein children develop independence, creativity, character, awareness of their learning style, and skills for self-advocacy.

The Prepared Environment

Dr. Maria Montessori pioneered this understanding of the effect of the environment on human development. In Montessori-prepared environments, children benefit from carefully designed spaces that meet their developmental needs at each stage of their lives. The materials in the classrooms offer young people keys to their development. In addition to the beautiful physical environments in Montessori, the prepared environment includes a community of children and trained adults.

Individualized Instruction

We focus on the fact that learning starts with the child. Montessori guides observe children’s interests and abilities and use those observations to create an environment in which children can really flourish. This requires a comprehensive knowledge of child development, keen observation skills, and awareness of how to adjust according to where individual children are in their process of learning and growth.

The Montessori Guide

The Montessori guide needs comprehensive training and a new way of thinking to focus on individualized instruction. An integral part of the Montessori approach is that the guide must respect each child’s process of self-construction and provide opportunities to help children develop their potential. An extended relationship over time in a multi-age classroom enhances the guide’s ability to be effective in this role.

Multi-Age Groupings

While every child works at their own level, younger children learn through the observation of older children, and older children reinforce their learning by helping younger children. Older children also have opportunities to develop leadership skills while serving as role models. Our communities emphasize and encourage cooperation and social responsibility. A strong community develops as children develop social and academic relationships with others of various ages. The multi-age group allows for natural socialization far beyond what is found in homogenous age grouping.

The Toddler or Infant Community

Our youngest children are working toward a number of self-sufficiency goals. To learn to make sense of the world, infants and toddlers need permission to explore, clear and logical limits, natural and logical consequences, positive role modeling, opportunities to make choices, and consistent procedures and ground rules. During this critical developmental time, children are able to extend their concentration through independent choices, purposeful activities, opportunities for repetition, and time for completion. They also benefit from exposure to grace and courtesy, group experiences, and positive attitudes toward new things. The learning materials in the Toddler Community include extensive language exposure, practical life activities, sensorial exploration, and gross and fine motor development.

The Children’s House or Primary

Designed for children three to six years old, our primary program nurtures children’s individual development while offering them an experiential understanding of the value of interdependence. The classroom community also provides a carefully curated array of choices for individual activities that aid children’s work of self-construction.

The Montessori guide helps children develop their ability to choose freely, sustain focused and concentrated attention, think clearly and constructively, resolve conflicts peacefully, and express themselves through language and the arts. Through the active development of their will and the satisfaction of their authentic needs, children develop self-discipline and become connected in a socially cohesive way.

Areas of activity at the Children’s House level include practical life, sensorial organization, language, mathematics, and cultural subjects. The extensive sets of Montessori materials in each of these areas are designed to appeal to children's deep interest and inspire repeated activity. Because children of this age absorb so much effortlessly, they can take in vast amounts of information and grasp sophisticated relationships and principles wholly and effortlessly.

The Elementary Program

The Montessori philosophy continues in elementary and provides an unparalleled opportunity for growth in this new period of life. Children of this age have immense powers of imagination and creativity and are trying to understand themselves as social beings. The elementary environment provides an appropriate balance of freedom and responsibility and an expansive curriculum to support children’s curiosity and problem-solving to prepare them for the challenges of the future. The elementary program encourages a mature sense of justice and fairness, reinforces oral and written communication, provides cyclical experiences in all academic content and skills, and fosters the development of imagination and creativity.

The curriculum expands the sense of order that was nourished in the early childhood environment to study the order of the universe. Life is interrelated. Lessons dovetail between such subjects as geology, botany, history, language, math, and geometry. One of the goals of the program is to inspire children to explore ideas and interconnections while also developing an understanding of their individual learning styles, needs, and goals. The Montessori interdisciplinary approach to elementary education supports children as they view the world and even the universe with a continued and intense sense of wonder.

The Adolescent Program

This program provides opportunities for adolescents to gain self-knowledge, belong to an accepting community, and learn to be adaptable while empowering them with academic competence and a vision for their own future. In all academic subjects, students do personal and group work integrated by overarching themes. The focus is on asking large questions, researching, interpreting, and connecting all of the disciplines.

Adolescent students apply and integrate all subjects through hands-on work that is connected to their greater community. They engage in elements of work on the land as an economic enterprise through the care of plants and animals, the maintenance of simple machines, and the understanding of land use. They also participate in local internships, class businesses, and community service. Because creative and physical expression is key during this stage of development, we offer adolescents multiple ways to explore different forms of self-expression. The adolescent program is designed to usher healthy, self-confident, well-prepared young adolescents into the next phase of their development.

A Strong Foundation

Our mission is to prepare children for life. All children are naturally curious and love to learn. We support this innate drive by providing environments that meet children’s developmental needs, creating a staff of loving and well-prepared adults, and building a community of families that actively support this mission. We celebrate each child’s individuality and help them discover how they can best contribute to our world and culture. This unique model offers children an incredible gift of independent thinking, self-assurance, inner discipline, and a love of learning. Schedule a tour to learn more!

A Healthy Relationship with Work

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 11:00:02 GMT

As adults, our relationship with work is rather complicated. We pay others who have more expertise, more time, or more willingness to do work that we don’t know or want to do. We invent machines to work for us. We often aim for expediency and efficiency. We value our non-working time, like vacations, personal time, and leisure. We think about retiring early. Recently, in history, there has also been a notion that we should find work that is the most fulfilling, makes use of our gifts, and follows through on our passions.

The Value of Work

However, the truth is that humans need to work to thrive. Often, we find a sense of purpose, meaning, and connection through work. Those who have retired know how it feels to drop out of the social organization of productive human activity and perhaps wonder about contributing to the community, group, or society.

We establish our identity through work and, in the process, contribute to a complex web of interdependent activities we share with others. We provide service to others, and this gives us a sense of belonging. What we do to accomplish our purpose in life is our work.

“Joy, feeling one's own value, being appreciated and loved by others, feeling useful and capable of production are all factors of enormous value for the human soul.” – Dr. Maria Montessori, From Childhood to Adolescence.

Purposeful Work

Appreciating the varied types of work we do in our lives to care for ourselves, to care for others, and to care for our environment, is not something we are particularly practiced at doing in our culture. Yet in Montessori, we prioritize these three pillars: care of self, care of others, and care of our surroundings. We recognize that children gain deep satisfaction through work that has a purpose. They want to feel and be useful!

Work that is purposeful or meaningful comes from an internal drive while also being connected to the environment and to others, which leads to a sense of responsibility. For our youngest children, this can be as simple as noticing that laundry needs to be folded or that snack needs to be prepared and then wanting to play a role in getting that work done. Older children may feel compelled to share their research or discoveries with classmates.

Adult Work vs. Children’s Work

In her observations of children, Dr. Maria Montessori began to see how the work of adults differs from the work of children. While adults work to minimize effort and make our external environment better meet our needs, children use their environment to develop their internal capacities. Because children’s work is their own development and self-construction, their work doesn’t follow the same patterns, look the same, or have the same outward manifestations as adult work.

More often than not, adults do not recognize children’s work for what it is, which can result in a kind of conflict between adults and children. Often, adults try to keep children away from any adult work because they can seem to get in the way.

According to Dr. Montessori, this is primarily due to the complexities created by modern life. There was a time in human history when children’s need to self-construct through their own activities was more naturally and easily met by just being around as adults worked to secure food, build shelters, or make tools. This work was more immediate, concrete, and apparent. Children could observe, explore, imitate, and, little by little, participate in adult work.

However, the work of modern humans is more complex and abstract, making adults’ work more inaccessible to children and thus making the presence of children often an interruption, distraction, or nuisance. As a result, children are often separated from the everyday work of adult life.

The Importance of Self-Construction

By nature, children are compelled to do work that ensures their own development. Children’s work is the work of self-construction. Often this work even feels like play!

In Montessori, we recognize the fact that children are forming who they will become as adults. Thus to fully support children’s work of self-construction, we offer children purposeful activities so they can learn how to contribute meaningfully to their communities. Our youngest children slice fruits and vegetables that are served for snack. They arrange flowers to make the classroom more beautiful. They sweep the floor and wipe the tables. As children get older they take on more responsibilities, from taking care of dishes to answering the phone, to running class meetings to organizing trips.

Beyond caring for themselves, each other, and the environment, we also help children develop a healthy relationship with intellectual challenges. Because the purpose is self-construction, rather than external rewards, children love to lean into learning. They see mistakes as opportunities for growth. They want to gain mastery. They delight in self-improvement.

Montessori children grow into adults who understand the value of work in its many forms. To see how this happens, come visit our school! We love to share what we do.

Back to School in Five Steps

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 11:00:02 GMT

We hope you are enjoying this last stretch of summer! As the school year approaches, we wanted to suggest some ways you can help your child (and yourself!) prepare for the transition back to school.

Encourage Mealtime Independence

Food preparation and meals are important parts of our daily lives. At school, children will be involved with preparing food, setting the tables, pouring water to drink, and cleaning up after themselves.

So we recommend practicing this at home! Children can be part of preparing the table and then clearing the dirty dishes after the meal. We recommend having a clear routine for cleaning up, which can include putting dirty dishes in the sink, dishwasher, or dishtub after eating. We also encourage using regular cups and glasses for meals and snacks, as well as saving a water bottle for when in the car or on walks. Younger children can be encouraged to use silverware to feed themselves. By eating family style meals sitting at the table together, you can also model and practice good table manners.

Older children can be involved with setting the menu for meals and even helping with grocery shopping. They can start to map out what they want to pack for lunch and be part of the process of getting their food ready in containers and everything into their lunch box. This also helps children have ownership and buy-in about what they are eating.

We also recommend that your child have food containers that are easy to open and close. Going to the store and having your child try opening different kinds of containers is a great way to find some that work well!

Think About What to Wear

Younger children are becoming independent with their dressing and undressing, and it helps them practice these skills at home. Even young toddlers are capable of doing quite a lot of taking off and putting on different items, and they love to do things for themselves. We recommend giving your child the time and encouragement to do things for themselves, including taking shoes off, pulling pants up, unzipping jackets, and so on. Choosing clothing and shoes that are easy for your child to put on and take off is a big help for the transition to school.

Older children can gather their belongings to make sure they have everything ready for the first day of school (and every subsequent day!). They can check the weather to determine appropriate outerwear and shoes, practice setting out their clothes the night before, and prep items needed for after-school activities.

Prepare a Goodbye Routine

To be ready for the first days of school, we recommend preparing your child (and yourself) for what drop-off will look and feel like. It can be helpful to drive by the school and casually notice with your child(ren) where drop-off will happen. As adults, the more clear we are about the routine, the more secure our children will feel.

Short and sweet transitions are key. The longer we linger the harder it is for our children to recalibrate and settle into the classroom. To that end, figure out your goodbye process ahead of time. Perhaps it is one hug and two kisses, plus a wave goodbye. Whatever you decide, stick with it. Our children are hard-wired to test our limits and they will want to figure out if they can negotiate two hugs and a wave goodbye then more hugs. However, if that negotiation is successful, they actually feel less secure because then they can’t rely upon a predetermined plan.

To help ensure the goodbye plan is a success, practice! While at home and when everyone is in a great mood, suggest a game of pretending you are doing drop-off at school. Remember (or create) the goodbye routine and then act it out together! Take turns being the adult and the child (children love getting to be the adult). Playacting is a fun way to work through what can be a stressful few moments.

By establishing clear and firm routines, we help our children develop trust and confidence. If we feel hesitant or unsure, our children absorb those feelings. So we want to exude assuredness!

Adjust Schedules

If our children have been staying up later during the long days of summer, it helps to gradually shift bedtimes and establish a consistent routine. Rushed mornings tend to be more difficult, so putting some additional effort into getting enough sleep and having plenty of time in the morning can really help the transition back to school.

Although earlier mornings can be tough, children do so much better when they can get to school with enough time to settle in. We recommend trying to come on the early side of the arrival window so that children aren’t overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of last-minute or late arrivals. Coming late can also mean that they miss out on some of the benefits of the Montessori work cycle.

We recommend a gradual transition to the school year schedule. If children have been going to bed later, start easing into a bedtime that is earlier by using 15-minute increments over a series of days. Easing into the new schedule is more helpful than just hoping for the best on the first day of school.

As always, please let us know if you need anything or have any questions. If you are curious to see more about how we help children transition into Montessori, schedule a visit!

Why Try? The Impact of Screen Time

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 11:00:03 GMT

Let’s face it. Parenting is hard. And frankly, things seem so much easier when our children are occupied with an iPad, phone, or similar device. Plus, they need skills for the digital world. And that’s how kids connect today, right?

So much pulls us toward more tech time for our children. But is this really what is best for their development? A study from August 2023 found that screen time for one-year-olds leads to developmental delays in communication and problem-solving when the children are aged two and four.

The impact continues as our children get older. Jonathan Haidt explains the high costs of a phone-based childhood in his book The Anxious Generation—How The Great Rewiring Of Childhood Is Causing An Epidemic Of Mental Illness. The first section of the book outlines the decline in teen mental health and well-being since the smartphone took over our lives. Haidt argues that this new technology, along with parental overprotection, has shifted our children’s lives from play-based experiences to an unprecedented state of fragmentation, disconnection, and even deprivation.

It’s interesting to hear children’s thoughts on this topic, too. When asked, kids are pretty self-aware of the impact screen time has on their lives. They speak about how they can be disconnected from others when they are on their devices and how getting outside actually helps them feel better. Young people also recognize that screen time can lead to crankiness, headaches, and even not-great sleep. They can identify “video game brain” and how hard it is to come out of that state. Young people are self-aware enough to notice how it’s easy to fall into an expectation that screen time will soothe a bad day but that, in reality, it doesn’t and how taking a walk would be so much better.

Families whose children participated in Screen-Free Week from May 6 to 12 shared some lovely results. During that week, their children were kinder, better able to regulate their emotions, and more present in what they were doing. Children reported reading more, spending more time with their family, and reveling in being outside.

So what do we do? Our lives are so intertwined with technology that breaking already established habits can seem insurmountable.

One first step is to be open with our children. For younger children, this can be as simple as setting limits and stating that things will be changing. Our little ones rely upon us to set the routine. They will test us, of course, because they need to know if we are going to hold true to a limit. But the process is pretty straightforward: decide to limit screen time and stick with the plan.

Our older children will appreciate some genuine conversation, which means also listening to their thoughts and concerns. When they feel heard and their opinions valued, young people can be pretty open to hearing adults’ perspectives. Through thoughtful conversation, we can explore options for reducing screen time. The next step is to try it out. Treat the process as a collaborative experiment, with the intent to come back together and discuss what worked and what was challenging.

If moving toward less screen time seems daunting, also remember that we can call upon our community! Make a commitment with other families and find ways to support each other. Publicly state your intent and goals. Share successes and challenges. Plan screen-free playdates and organize experience-based outings.

Our children deserve the best we can offer them during these crucial developmental periods of early childhood and adolescence. Yes, giving them an iPad or phone, letting them watch videos, or giving in to another online game can give us a little respite, but are these choices really serving our children well?

For additional support and resources, visit:

The Anxious Generation

Screen-Free Week

Screen Time Action Network

A Healthy Relationship with Feedback

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 11:00:00 GMT

In Montessori, we want children to embrace mistakes as opportunities to understand how to improve. Our goal is for children to understand that feedback is important for knowing what still needs to be done and what still can be learned.

What does feedback look like in Montessori classrooms?

We take care to cultivate a culture of feedback. Even at the early childhood level, we start this approach with a gentle noticing that allows children to begin to develop some self-assessment.

For example, when we see that someone has left their chair out, rather than reminding and instructing by saying something like, “Push in your chair,” we offer an observation, “I see that your chair is out.” By making a neutral observation, we provide children with the chance to notice and make a choice. They can make their own realization: “Oh, I forgot to push my chair in!” As a result, children can have agency in the process.

In social situations, we can use similar reflections. When someone is unkind to a peer, we might say, “It looks like your friend/sibling/classmate is feeling hurt.” We can also wonder aloud: “I wonder what would help them feel better. Should we check?” Or “Would you like some help checking in with them?”

Ultimately, children want to do the right thing. But when we over instruct or always dictate what should happen, we deprive children of the opportunity to develop their own inner drive to make the right choice and follow through with action.

How does Montessori support self-assessment?

Many of the Montessori learning materials are “self-correcting” or have a built-in “control of error,” which means children can tell if they have done an activity inaccurately and try again without an adult needing to intervene. In our primary classrooms, the sensorial materials offer an excellent example of how the materials help children assess their own mistakes. If the largest cube isn’t used at the base of the pink tower, and then the next largest is placed progressively after, the tower won’t be stable. If the last knobbed cylinder doesn’t fit in the last space in the cylinder block, it’s clear that the pieces need to be rearranged.

Because the materials are designed to give feedback, children begin to learn early on that they can recognize, understand, correct, and learn from mistakes. As the materials get more advanced, children are able to use answer keys to check and correct their work. They can use control cards to see if they have used labels or identification markers accurately. Children are able to take control of their own learning and not rely on adult correction or judgment. The result? Children are motivated to try new things and take risks in their learning.

How does this approach work with more advanced academics?

As children get older and need feedback on essays or other work, we are careful about how we frame our responses. We recognize that our responses can significantly impact motivation, self-esteem, and a love of learning. Therefore, rather than emphasizing failure with red marks and X’s, we emphasize areas for growth.

A focus on growth can start with noticing what is right. For example, perhaps an elementary-aged child is working through a series of geometry lessons and has tried to abstractly determine the area of different shapes. By noticing what has been mastered, we are providing feedback about areas of strength: “Wow! You really aced a number of questions about area. You must feel really confident with calculating the area of squares and rectangles!”

Recognizing what is going well sends a message that students’ efforts are valuable and that their hard work toward mastery has an impact. It’s important to note that this is slightly different than praise. Rather, we are highlighting success instead of focusing on failures. It’s a subtle shift but one that makes a huge difference.

In addition, we ensure that any feedback offers room for students to revise and improve their work. Whether children are working on honing an essay or mastering long division, we ensure that they have the chance to incorporate the information, repeat or revise their attempts, and move toward mastery.

In reality, children love checking and discussing their own answers! Their conversations about mistakes, corrections, and revisions are the place where really fruitful learning often happens. Older children typically enjoy debating and discussing wrong answers with each other. In the process, Montessori students begin to understand mistakes as a place to explore and grow, which ultimately strengthens their critical thinking skills.

Why is a healthy approach to feedback beneficial?

The authors of Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well researched feedback and found that learning how to receive feedback effectively is key to healthy relationships and our professional lives. We want our students to develop a healthy and positive relationship with feedback, so they understand that feedback is a gift that allows us to become better as people and at what we do.

Montessori children develop confidence and self-sufficiency through work with self-correcting materials, thoughtful space for revision and mastery, and intentional messaging from adults. They learn to appreciate opportunities for critical thinking and problem-solving.

We invite you to come see how children embrace opportunities for growth and mastery. Schedule a tour today!

Imagination, Creativity, and Fantasy: A Montessori Perspective

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 11:00:08 GMT

So what’s the deal with Montessori and fantasy? Does Montessori encourage creativity? What about imagination? Don’t children love make-believe?

A lot of the questions we hear like this often emerge due to some misconceptions about the relationship between Montessori philosophy and concepts of fantasy, imagination, and creativity.

What is imagination?

Imagination allows us to visualize things that aren’t present or haven’t been experienced directly. We use our imagination to be creative, solve problems, generate ideas, and explore possibilities. Our imagination allows us to take in information and organize it in new and creative ways. Imagination is a central aspect of childhood. As children shift from early childhood into their elementary years, they are able to use their imagination almost like a superpower to explore ideas and concepts throughout time and space.

What is creativity?

Creativity is how we generate new ideas, sometimes in artistic ways. It allows us to come up with original concepts or solutions, often because we are thinking about something in a new or different way. Creativity also helps us transform ideas and approach problems from a unique perspective. It is cultivated over time through exposure to different kinds of sensory input and appropriate freedom and support for creative expression.

What is fantasy?

Fantasy is a diversion from reality. It is the realm of make-believe. We use our imagination to create fantasy because it involves things that are impossible or improbable. But unlike imagination, which can encompass a wide range of ideas, fantasy is focused on the extraordinary and the fantastical. When thinking about or immersed in fantasy, we do not worry much about reality.

One misconception is that Montessori doesn’t allow fantasy. To explore this, we should also recognize that there is self-generated fantasy and imposed fantasy.

Pretend Play vs. Adult-Generated Fantasy

Children love to engage in pretend play, a self-generated form of fantasy. Often, in pretend play, children explore roles they see in real life by pretending to be in those roles. It’s pretend for them, but they are working out what different roles mean. Whether pretending to play school or house or creating a construction scene with excavators, this is young children’s way of processing the world around them.

Where pretend play can become confusing for young children is when they have seen different kinds of fantastical things that seem real, such as Superman jumping off a building or a normal boy turning into Spiderman by being bitten by a spider.

Young children are still distinguishing the line between fantasy and reality. It’s worth noting that even if our young children can repeat back that they know something is real or pretend, a true cognitive understanding of the difference doesn’t fully form until children developmentally shift into their elementary years. This is why we sometimes see children trying to get bitten by a spider so they can become Spiderman, or trying to jump off the top of the stairs so they can fly like Superman.

As adults, we have a tremendous responsibility to allow children to create their own fantasy rather than imposing fantasy on them. For example, superheroes, fairy tales, and fictitious animated characters are adult-created fantasy. When we impose fantasy on our children, even if they like it, we are inadvertently depriving them of the opportunity to develop their own imagination. If children are in awe of adult-created fantasy, their creative expression often becomes more limited because they are trying to recreate something others have imagined.

The Real World is Amazing

From birth to about age six, children effortlessly absorb everything about the world. They are like sponges! This is the time when we want to introduce children to all sorts of exciting information. The options are almost limitless: species of mammals, names of flowers, land and water forms, countries in all the continents, types of clouds, pollinators, geometric solids, types of triangles, and the list goes on.

Children are fascinated by the natural world. They gain so much inspiration from their sensory explorations and interactions in their environment. Neurologically, young children are developing mental order and categorization for all their future understanding. We want to give them real information so that they have a solid foundation for their imagination and creativity to truly soar.

If we introduce children to fantastical, unreal things during the early years of their development, we divert their learning from what is amazing and wondrous about the world. In the process, we also create unnecessary confusion. For children who are still learning to discern the difference, the world of fantasy can be disorienting and even, at times, frightening.

As adults, we understand the difference between reality and fantasy, and there are times when we enjoy the diversion into the world of fantasy. For our youngest children, let’s give them the gift of building their understanding of the truly remarkable world around them. By doing so, we help them lay the foundation for a rich imaginative, and creative life.

Curious to see more about how Montessori inspires creativity and imagination? Schedule a visit to our school . We’d love to connect with you!

Developing Body Awareness

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 11:00:02 GMT

We know that our youngest children are sensory-motor learners. They are learning constantly through their movement and sensory input. Think about babies and how fascinated they are with their own hands and feet – moving, touching, looking at them with wonder and delight. This experience gives them feedback about their body, so they can identify what makes up themselves and what is external in the world.

What is Body Schema?

Body schema is the internal awareness we have of our body and the relationship of our body parts with one another. It’s essentially a perception of where our body ends, and the external environment begins.

Our senses and movements are key to this awareness. When newborns feel the sensations of clothes on their bodies or when something touches their skin, these experiences give an awareness of body boundaries.

Why is the Development of Body Schema Important?

The development of body schema helps build the idea of the essence of ourselves. To have a positive idea of who we are and what our essence is, we need to have positive experiences both physically and psychologically. When children get

feedback from their environment, they develop their ideas of their body scheme and ultimately their self-image.

A healthy development of body schema and self-image leads to the unity of mind and body. When our children start any kind of movement, they need the coordination of their mind and body. And to achieve more deliberate and precise movements, they need clear awareness of all of their body parts.

How Does Body Schema Develop?

Body schema is developed through sensory experiences and movement, and this begins in utero! By 12 weeks unborn babies can feel the amniotic fluid, umbilical cord, and their hands in their mouth. After birth, newborns’ body schema develops more intensely through ways that we feed, handle, hold, bathe, change, and massage them.

In their first year of life, children experience dramatic changes to their body schema as they move from lying down, slithering, crawling, standing, and then walking. We thus want to offer our infants lots of opportunities to freely explore so their body schema can adjust through new accomplishments.

As children move into toddlerhood, early childhood, and middle childhood, their body schema continues to develop, but much less rapidly. However, once our children reach adolescence, they experience dramatic body changes which lead to the development of a new body scheme. For this reason, adolescents benefit from various forms of exercise and physical expression so they can develop better awareness and control of their bodies.

How Can We Help?

We want to give children activities that encourage them to use their maximum effort. This begins with the motivation to slither and crawl, then progresses to carrying items while walking upright, pushing wagons, jumping, and so much more! When our little ones use their whole body in effortful ways, they are fully present and aware of their bodies and their movements.

We can also help by using correct language for body parts. When we are giving our babies and toddlers a bath, or supporting them with getting dressed, we can playfully and positively name each body part: I’m washing behind your knee. Push your heel down into your shoe. I’m pulling the sleeve over your elbow. As children grow older, we can play games of imitation where they can mimic others’ body

positions. Children love games like Simon Says which provide a playful way to home in on body awareness. Obstacle courses are great for older children.

What Should We Avoid?

Children need so many opportunities for movement! However, we rely so much on car seats and other containers that we can inadvertently hinder our babies’ development of body schema by limiting their ability to move freely. We can take them out whenever possible and let them be on a blanket on the floor.

It’s also helpful to ensure children have clothing that promotes movement and allows children to use their hands and feet. In our worry about newborns scratching themselves, we cover their hands at a time when they most need to explore this amazing part of their body and develop an awareness of how their hands and fingers move in the space around them.

When babies have prolonged use of pacifiers, they can also begin to feel like the pacifier is part of their body, which leads to great upset when the pacifier isn’t available!

The key is to remember that children need sensory feedback to develop a healthy sense of where their body is in space and how they can move their various body parts in coordinated ways. This leads to a mind-body connection that builds a healthy self-image.

What is the Result?

When children have these formative sensory-motor experiences with their bodies, they develop a strong trust in the world and themselves. The self-confidence that emerges leads to a healthy integration of mind and body and an accurate and positive perception of body scheme and self-image. Ultimately this leads to a positive attitude towards life!

Looking Deeper: Understanding Needs Behind Behaviors

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 11:00:02 GMT

Now that we are transitioning into the summer months, it’s a good time to take stock of some family dynamics. Usually when thinking about how things are going, we focus on children’s behaviors. Yet reflecting upon ourselves and our actions can also be a helpful first step.

First Look at Needs

Psychiatrist Rudolf Dreikurs has explored how human behavior has a purpose. Sometimes we are aware of the purpose and sometimes it is unconscious. Through his work with children, Dreikurs described how to understand behavior by first acknowledging the needs a person is trying to fulfill.

At the most basic level, we all need food, sleep, love, and protection. Certainly, if children (or adults) are starting to act out in some way, the first question to ask is if they are hungry, tired, or not feeling well. Once those basic needs are met, we can consider what else might be at play.

As humans, our need for belonging, connection, or significance is a strong force. If we don’t feel loved or accepted, we may do something (often unconsciously) to get

affection or attention, maybe lash out to get even with whoever doesn't seem to be noticing these needs, or perhaps even retreat into a discouraged mode.

Understand Mistaken Goals

Dreikurs identified how many behaviors stem from four mistaken goals: the desire for attention, the need for power, the hunger for revenge, and the assumption of inadequacy. If our goal is attention, the coded message behind the behavior is "notice me" or "involve me usefully" If we need power, our behavior sends the message that we need meaningful ways to contribute. If we are trying to get revenge, we are communicating that we are hurting or need our feelings validated. And when we assume inadequacy by giving up or wanting to be left alone, the message behind the behavior is that we need people to believe in us and show small steps toward success.

Although Dreikurs focused on children, the principles apply to us all. When we "act out," what are we trying to communicate to those around us? First and foremost, we should check and see if our basic needs are being met. Are we taking time to breathe? Are we eating nourishing food? Are we getting substantial sleep? If we are taking care of our basic needs, we can reflect upon what else might unconsciously be motivating our actions. Do we need someone to notice our efforts? Do we feel powerful in our lives? Are we doing work that matters? Are we holding onto a grudge? Are we discouraged?

Practice Self-Acceptance

Children need the adults in their lives to peer behind their behavior, consider underlying causes, and provide empowering support. As adults, however, we often need to do this for ourselves first. At the heart of the process is self-acceptance. We need to love ourselves unconditionally and give ourselves the time and space to attend to our unconscious motivations.

One of the first acts of loving kindness we can do is take care of ourselves, notice our own needs, and patiently honor our efforts. When we are clear about our own needs, we can then be more effective in interpreting our children’s unmet or unspoken needs.

Examine the Clues

Once we have given ourselves some grace, we can better pause and notice what might be behind our children’s behavior. If we’ve considered our own unmet needs, we can have more empathy for what might be unconsciously motivating our children.

A key to this is to see what emotions we feel when our children act out in some way. The Positive Discipline approach, which is based on Dreikurs’ work, offers a helpful tool called the Mistaken Goal Chart.

When our children display some sort of bothersome or upsetting behavior, we can use this chart to hone in on three significant clues that let us know what our children actually need.

The first clue can be found in recognizing what emotions our children’s behavior brings up for us. Do we feel annoyed and irritated, angry and challenged, hurt and disappointed, or hopeless and inadequate?

The next clue is how we react to the behavior. Do we coax? Give in? Fight back? Retaliate? Give up? Try to over-help?

The third clue is how our children respond to our reactions. Do they stop temporarily but then resume the behavior? Does the behavior intensify? Is there retaliation? Or just passivity?

Peel Back the Layers

By using the Mistaken Goal Chart, we can begin to peel back the layers and start to understand what beliefs may be underlying children’s behaviors. This process helps us also look at how we may be contributing to the behavior and what the coded messages mean. Once we understand all of those pieces, we can shift our responses so as to better empower our children in proactive and helpful ways.

Rather than falling into unconscious patterns this summer, let’s first consider and acknowledge our own unspoken needs and proactive ways to take care of ourselves. Then, let’s take the same compassionate approach with our children. Often, we all just need to feel a sense of belonging, connection, and significance. Here’s to creating that together this summer!

As always, please also feel free to schedule a visit . We love connecting about all things children and child-rearing!

Our Montessori Bookshelf: The Parent Corner

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 11:00:01 GMT

This summer is a great time to carve out a little adult time and disappear into some good books! While we certainly advocate for some mindless escape, we also recognize that all the extra time with family might mean you’d like some parenting resources, too!

With that in mind, we’re sharing a few of our recent favorite resources for parents and caregivers. While these aren’t specifically Montessori books, they are so aligned with what we do that we just had to share!

Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans

by Michaeleen Doucleff

While in the midst of parenting a feisty toddler, NPR correspondent, Michaeleen Doucleff was covering medical stories in remote areas of the world. An exhausted and slightly strung-out new mom, Doucleff noticed distinct differences in the parenting practices of cultures she visited and those she was trying to uphold in her home in San Francisco. So, she shifted gears and immersed herself, with her two-year-old in tow, in three cultures — the Maya, the Hadzabe, and the Inuit, all of which excel in instilling confidence, kindness, and helpfulness in their children.

What Doucleff experienced and learned as she lived with families in these three cultures is quite simply profound. She saw firsthand how her host families interacted differently with her daughter, Rosy, who blossomed as a result. As Doucleff began to internalize different parenting practices, she also found that her relationship with Rosy transformed.

It’s worth noting that none of the cultures Doucleff experienced are frozen in time: families have smartphones, children have plenty of screen time, junk food exists, and the kids still have to get out the door to get to school on time. However, a significant difference that Doucleff found is that the families’ parenting is grounded in thousands (perhaps tens of thousands) of years of tradition that support the gentle and kind growth of helpful, self-sufficient little humans.

One of the most endearing parts of the book is Doucleff’s vulnerability in sharing her parenting challenges. So often we want to keep those parenting fails tucked away within the confines of our home and feel mortified when they rear their heads in the drop-off line or at a play date. Doucelff shares the messy details with honesty and in the process inspires a whole new level of compassion for what it means to parent in the Western world where we don’t necessarily have easy access to our extended families, a wide social safety net, and long-standing traditions that support our parenting journey.

With an engaging narrative flow, Hunt, Gather, Parent offers a clear organization of four core elements that comprise a common thread of what Doucleff calls a universal (non-Western) approach to parenting. Plus, in each section, she offers practical steps for trying out these different elements, including ways to “dip your toe” into the approach, as well as ways to “jump in.”

While Doucleff wrote the book to explore how to better connect with and support her toddler, the concepts and advice apply for all-aged children (and even work for teens and pre-teens!). The results are stunning. Even just dipping your toe into a few strategies is transformative.

If there is one book to make sure you read this summer, this is it!

13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don't Do: Raising Self-Assured Children and Training Their Brains for a Life of Happiness, Meaning, and Success

by Amy Morin

So often we want to rescue our children, clear the path for their success, and ensure they are happy. But in the process, are we helping them develop the internal skills they will need throughout life?

After experiencing a series of personal tragedies, Amy Morin, a clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and foster parent, began thinking about what helps people be resilient. Ultimately this led to her book, 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do. As people read her book, she heard time and time again that readers wished they had learned the skills of mental strength and resilience from an early age. So, she created this incredibly helpful guide for parents and caregivers.

Each chapter is devoted to what to avoid so that good, healthy habits can be cultivated. The 13 things mentally strong parents don’t do are:

They Don’t Condone a Victim Mentality
They Don’t Parent out of Guilt
They Don’t Make Their Child the Center of the Universe
They Don’t Allow Fear to Dictate Their Choices
They Don’t Give Their Child Power Over Them
They Don’t Expect Perfection
They Don’t Let Their Child Avoid Responsibility
They Don’t Shield Their Child from Pain
They Don’t Feel Responsible for Their Child’s Emotions
They Don’t Prevent Their Child from Making Mistakes
They Don’t Confuse Discipline with Punishment
They Don’t Take Shortcuts to Avoid Discomfort
They Don’t Lose Sight of Their Values

To make it manageable, Morin provides real-life examples and breaks them down to examine any underlying problems and key issues. She also provides a little self-reflective opportunity for readers to look at how these issues might come up in our personal and parenting lives, before then examining why we might be falling into some unhelpful patterns.

With a better grasp of what we are doing and why, Morin helps us look at how each approach can affect our children in the long run and what we can do instead. Every chapter is full of concrete techniques and steps, as well as troubleshooting guidelines and common traps. To drive the message home, Morin recaps each of the 13 points with what is and isn’t helpful.

If you need a straightforward, easy-to-digest guide to changing some parenting habits, this is the book for you!

No More Mean Girls: The Secret to Raising Strong, Confident, and Compassionate Girls

By Katie Hurley

Many of the books written to address the “mean girl” dynamic are geared toward pre-teens and teens. However, in her work, child and adolescent psychotherapist, Katie Hurley, observed more and more of this “mean girl” dynamic starting as early as age three. Even though they are in the midst of these interactions, our young girls don’t necessarily have the skills to cope with such sophisticated social challenges.

Recognizing that these difficult topics can also feel overwhelming for parents and caregivers, Hurley breaks down the components of how we can support our young girls in a variety of ways. In addition to digging into the bigger concepts – such as developing healthy friendships, distinguishing between likability and popularity, building an authentic self, having a voice and expressing yourself, and developing leadership skills and social responsibility – Hurley weaves in two key ways to practice concrete support through sections she calls “Parent-Teacher Conference” and “Girls Can!”

The Parent-Teacher Conference boxes offer key points to digest, look for, or try. They are incredibly helpful as touch-points throughout the book and offer an easy-to-access way to flip back and reconnect with essential elements of each chapter. The Girls Can! sections provide games and activities to try with the girls in your life, as well as ways to introduce concepts we might not be used to talking about.

While this is primarily a guide for parents of girls ages three to thirteen, so much also applies to our boys, especially those who are perhaps more sensitive. Incredibly practical and chock full of what to do, this is the type of book in which you’ll thoroughly dog-ear the pages!

A Summer Path to Independence

Mon, 20 May 2024 11:00:01 GMT

Has your child ever vehemently resisted the idea of summer camp? Perhaps between not knowing anyone and having to try new things, they may think the experience is just short of sheer torture!

In the face of our kids’ resistance, it can be hard to insist on our children’s engagement in a summer camp experience. But it’s important to remember the very real benefits of having broader social experiences, stretching in new ways, and trying new skills.

Offering Clear Support

When our children resist, it’s important to acknowledge their feelings while also staying firm about what will happen. Often, they have an underlying desire to take on a new challenge and maybe even some frustration, perhaps with their own fears and uncertainties.

The process is similar to what happens with infants on the cusp of crawling. They rock back and forth on their hands and knees, sometimes crying in exasperation. They want to crawl, to move toward some interesting object on the floor, but they seem to feel unable to make that first move.

A Path Toward Independence

From birth, our children are on a path toward independence. When they are very young, we can clearly see the stages, from being held in arms to sitting, then from sitting to crawling to walking. We witness them begin to babble and then talk. With each new skill, our children develop self-confidence and learn what they are capable of achieving.

The more children have the opportunity to explore their environment confidently, the more they master developmental tasks and establish new skills, all of which help to support a widening sense of independence.

The urge to become independent is strong. As adults, we can be supportive of this natural process, even when our children are entering into activities that feel challenging and even initially unattainable.

Letting Go

If you are exploring summer camp as a step toward independence, be sure to check out Dr. Michael Thompson’s book, Homesick and Happy: How Time Away from Parents Can Help a Child Grow. Thompson clearly outlines how important it is for our children to have their own experiences, especially those that are not under parents’ purview.

This letting go can take great effort for both children and their parents. “Every child has to practice being independent,” reminds Thompson, “and every parent has to practice letting his or her child be independent.”

In order to achieve independence, children need to be able to experiment with what they can do and be able to judge their own limitations and abilities accurately. The summer camp experience, whether overnight or day programming, offers children this chance to push their limits, without worrying about varied reactions from parents.

Their Own Experiences

Thompson conducted hundreds of interviews with campers and former campers for his book, Homesick and Happy, How Time Away from Parents Can Help a Child Grow. Overwhelmingly, children described how their camp experiences helped them realize how strong and competent they really are. Thompson reminds us of the importance of being away from home and out of parents’ loving, yet sometimes overbearing, watchful eye. “When children are away from their parents, they do not have to view their own life and achievements through the lens of my-athlete-father-standing-on-the-sidelines-watching-me or my-mother-is-worried-that-I’ll fail. When a child is on his own, the experience is his alone, the satisfaction belongs only to him and he does not have to filter it through what his parents think and feel.” When in a summer camp program, children can fail, learn, and succeed on their own terms.

With an engaged and expanded learning environment that is often extremely experiential, camps help our children realize new abilities and different ways to deal with challenges, which helps them feel more competent and capable. As a result, they build up their problem-solving skills and sense of agency.

Opportunities Abound

In addition, our children get to form healthy new relationships, with peers and friends, as well as adults who are not their parents. In a summer camp atmosphere, children get to practice social skills in a relaxed environment and with adult leaders who can offer different kinds of guidance.

In addition to introducing new people and activities, camp experiences help children learn about their strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes, all of which help them form a strong sense of identity. Finding their strength, as well as making hard-won progress in areas of difficulty, helps children build self-esteem and identify worthwhile hobbies and interests that they can continue to pursue as they get older.

Often, children’s responses after the camp experience speak to their awareness of claiming their space and being aware of a parental reaction. For example, one eight-year-old, after the first day of camp, told her camp counselor, “Don’t tell my mom, but summer camp is really fun.”

This summer, let’s offer our children the opportunity to face something that might at first feel uncomfortable but that offers them so much. Contact our enrollment team to learn more about our summer programming!

The Power of Color

Mon, 13 May 2024 15:00:01 GMT

When you look inside a Montessori classroom, you’ll notice the general attractiveness and warm quality of the room. As you peruse the environment, you may also notice the array of colorful materials on the shelves and how they stand out in contrast to some of the neutral feel of the rest of the room.

These colorful learning materials are designed for beauty so young children will be drawn to them. However, this isn’t the only reason Montessori materials have distinct colors. The color-coding also helps with organization and structure in the learning environment and perhaps even more importantly, plays an important role in facilitating children’s cognitive development and learning.

Creating External and Internal Order

In our toddler and primary classrooms, practical life—activities like scrubbing a table, cleaning a window, watering a plant, or creating a flower arrangement—are set up so that all of the objects for a particular activity are arranged by color. This way, young children can rely on color cues to know what objects go together and to independently access supplies, like getting a dry apron.

Sensorial materials often use color to help isolate a quality and help children develop their perception. For example, when discriminating dimensions with the pink tower, all of the cubes are the same shade of pink. Color-coding is also used to help children pair two identical sets of materials, like when matching sounds with the sound cylinders.

These forms of color-coding help children with both the order in their surroundings and also in constructing an internal sense of order.

Integrated Throughout

The color-coding becomes even more interesting as children move into more academic subjects, such as language, mathematics, and even geography.

When our primary children begin to use puzzle maps, they start with the continent map, a two-dimensional representation of Earth, and the continent globe, which shows the planet as a sphere. The puzzle map and the globe show the continents, and each is painted a distant color: North America is orange, South America is pink, Europe is red, Asia is yellow, Africa is green, Oceania is brown, and Antarctica is white. As children begin to learn the physical representation of each continent, they also associate a color with that continent. All other learning materials that involve the continents–such as picture packets, information cards, or booklets–maintain this color scheme.

In the math materials, children learn to associate a quantity with both the number of beads represented and the color of those beads. The beads are the same size but change only by the number on the bead bar and the color. So a ten bar is always constructed of ten gold beads, a nine bar with nine dark blue beads, eight with brown, seven with white, six with light purple, five with light blue, four with yellow, three with pink, two with green, and one with red. This color scheme is consistent throughout all the math materials that use the bead bars, from the simplest lessons in the primary to advanced cubing and cube roots in the elementary and beyond.

Similarly, there is clear and consistent color coding in other materials and concepts, such as with the hierarchy of numbers to designate place value or the role of different parts of speech with the grammar materials.

Strengthening Neural Pathways

While this color coding does continue to help with organization and structure, now the color also helps children with their cognition and memory. Color has long been used as an effective tool in marketing, through brand recognition, consumer attitude, and purchasing decisions.

How the brain processes color impacts our children’s attention, comprehension, and retention. Dr. Maria Montessori may not have had all the current-day studies at her disposal, but she did recognize the power of color in the learning process.

We now know that color connects neural pathways and integrates different forms of intelligence, which allows learners to construct more consolidated meaning and make deeper cognitive connections with content.

When learning the quantity of six, children count the six light purple beads on the bar to determine the quantity of six. At the same time, neurologically, they are creating pathways in their brain for quick and easy recall when they see the light purple bead bar so they can immediately think “six” in the future rather than having to count the beads.

Later, when children start to use the bead bars for advanced work with compound multiplication, the distributive law, squaring, cubing, and so much more, their neural connections are strengthened by a clear and concrete understanding of the quantity and the associated color.

Leading to Abstraction

The color-coding in math, language, and other subjects, also helps children move from the very concrete to more abstraction and symbolic representation.

Because they learn to associate nouns with black equilateral triangles and verbs with red circles, as children analyze sentence structure, they can begin to parse out the subject and predicate by using those two color-coded shapes and eventually even just the color.

With the understanding that our decimal system place values have associated colors–units are in green, tens are blue, hundreds are red–children can better conceptualize the pattern in the numerical hierarchies because unit thousands are also green, ten thousands are blue, hundred thousands are red, and then unit millions are green, and so on.

This color-coding also helps when we move into operations with larger numbers and quantities. When children move from very tangible representations of a bar of ten beads to represent ten and a square of one hundred beads to represent a hundred, they use small color-coded tiles with just the color and number. Thus, children can manipulate a blue tile with 10 printed on it and a red tile with 100 printed on it, and (thanks to the neural pathways established) fully understand what those tiles represent as they add, subtract, multiply, and divide.

A Powerful Aid

The power of color is fully integrated throughout Montessori classrooms and provides an amazing aid to children’s cognitive development. In addition to helping memory and learning, the color brings beauty and appeal to our learning environments while also supporting children’s independence!

We recommend coming to see this for yourself. There are so many examples of how color brings learning to light. Schedule a tour today!

Walking on the Line

Mon, 06 May 2024 11:00:01 GMT

Young children are developing their body control, concentration, and equilibrium. In Montessori, we intentionally provide opportunities for them to practice these skills.

Dr. Maria Montessori was especially curious about helping children acquire equilibrium. She developed the “walking on the line” exercises after observing children's interest and delight in walking on curbs or along any line they could find.

What is Walking on the Line?

We first start by creating a designated place for children to practice the balance, control, and focus needed to walk along a line. The “line” is often in the shape of an ellipse and can be in the classroom, another indoor space, or even outdoors. The line can be temporary (e.g. chalked on the ground), slightly more enduring (e.g. created with fabric or electrical tape on the floor), or painted onto the surface for a more permanent line.

Walking on the line is a favorite activity and although it is mostly found in primary classrooms, elementary children also enjoy walking on the line challenges, too!

Preliminary Activities

The first activity on the line is simply walking on it with natural steps. That being said, we start with preliminary exercises to help children master small components to ensure success when multiple children are involved.

The first stage is learning how to come to the line. We introduce a signal (e.g. one drumbeat) and show children how to put their toes on the line and face towards the center when they hear that signal. Then we play a short game with the children. We might have them hop inside the line, then use the signal as an indication to come back to the line, or go for a walk and come back to the line, take a step backward and come back to the line, and so forth. All of this is to practice hearing the signal and coming to the line in the designated way.

When children can do this consistently, we may introduce another challenge. This time, with a new signal (perhaps two drumbeats), children learn how to make space so they can spread out on the line without touching their neighbors.

Once they have mastered this, children are ready to learn how to turn to face the same direction. We often need to assist so children learn that facing the same way means looking at the back of their neighbor’s head (rather than at another student’s eyes). This new skill requires a new signal (e.g., rubbing the drum)!

Learning and practicing these various preliminary activities can take days or even weeks. We take our time rather than rushing the process, as children delight in each component. Once they know all three signals, children love playing a game that incorporates coming to the line, making space, and turning to face the same direction.

Walking to a Beat

With these foundations in place, we introduce walking to a beat. Children know how to come to the line, space themselves out, and turn to face the same direction. Now, they try to walk on the line, with each step corresponding to the beat of the drum. When the beat stops, they stop. This is quite a challenge for our little ones, but also great fun.

As always, we make a game of the experience. We may offer little suggestions or points of interest to aid their success. If we notice little feet moving off the line, we can suggest that children “follow the line” if. Or we may challenge them with different kinds of instructions: walk with your whole body, hold your chin up, relax your arms, or keep your body very still.

We also try to model a natural heartbeat rhythm for the children to walk to. When the beat stops, we teach the children to stop and turn to face the inside of the ellipse.

Walking with Changing Rhythms

When children are walking consistently to a beat, we let the children know we may change the beat and they can change their steps to follow the beat. We start with the natural beat, then introduce different modulations, from speeding up, coming back to a natural rhythm, slowing down, to coming back to the original beat. We always end with the natural rhythm, for it brings children back to a place of calm.

Equilibrium Exercises

With equilibrium exercises, we introduce challenges such as walking on the line heel to toe or carrying objects such as beads on a string, a container of water, an object on a tray, or a sphere on a spoon. Sometimes children try to walk carrying a bean bag on their head without the bean bag falling as they walk. As an added challenge, children can try turning their heads to the right and left.

We also introduce ways for children to adjust to a changed center of balance. In a “follow the leader” method, we start by walking with hands at our side but then change and move them in the air, on hips, or even hands-on shoulders. While these adjustments may seem simple for adults, continuing to walk heel to toe while making these movements can take a lot of concentration and balance for our young ones!

Rhythm Exercises

When children have made good progress with their equilibrium, we can help them turn their attention to walking on the line with music. We may use the bells, tone bars, or prerecorded music so children can walk on the line when they hear the music and stop when the music stops. We eventually introduce different types of music that inspire different types of movement, from walking to marching to galloping or skipping.

Alternating between the types of music helps children become attuned to how their movements change according to what they hear. We always end with a slow, sedate walk on the line to bring everyone’s heart rate and energy level down.

Movement as Expression

With all of the walking on the line activities, children begin to become more aware of what they can do with their bodies and, as a result, develop more conscious control of their movement. Ultimately, movement is an essential component of human expression. To see more about how these kinds of movement activities help children’s development.

Our Montessori Bookshelf: The Power of Plants

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 11:00:03 GMT

In Montessori, we want to ensure that children are immersed in the wonders of the natural world and biology is interwoven into daily life through experiences and more formal lessons.

Certain themes permeate our study of biology, one of which is the fact that all forms of life have needs, which must be satisfied if the organism is to be able to survive and reproduce. A top priority is the need for food. This is one way we distinguish plants from animals. Plants can make their own food. They have to satisfy their needs wherever they grow.

Our presentations help children appreciate how alive plants are! We want to help children identify the miraculous powers of plants, which leads to explorations of plant anatomy and the functions of parts of plants. Often children are then inspired to cultivate and care for their own plants.

Children are captured by the beauty and power of the plant world. Because they often love to pour through botany books, we’re sharing some of our favorites. We hope these books inspire more investigation, exploration, and perhaps even some home-based growing and gardening!

Flowers are Calling

By Rita Grey, Illustrated by Kenard Pak

This book is an excellent introduction or companion to Montessori lessons on the story of the flowers, parts of the flower, and how flowers ensure pollination. Grey weaves together a lovely narrative of what creatures do or don’t respond to flowers’ calls. The simple rhyming storyline appeals to the youngest children, while specifics about adaptations of particular flowers and pollinators can spark the interest of older investigators. The end of the book offers an invitation to children to look again at the flowers before them and offers insights into what children may see–color, pattern, shape, smell, and time of opening–and what those means in terms of the types of pollinators the flowers are trying to attract.

From Seed to Plant

By Gail Gibbons

Although seemingly simple in its illustrations and text, this picture book provides an excellent overview of multiple botany lessons we explore in Montessori classrooms: from pollination to seed dispersal, parts of a flower to parts of a seed, and more! This is a handy reference book for young children and a perfect introduction to complex concepts. Plus, a seven-step “From Seed to Plant” project at the end of the book is a perfect activity for young botanists.

Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas

By Cheryl Bardot, Illustrated by Jos. A. Smith

Although in picture book form, this is an excellent introduction for more advanced thinkers and budding scientists who are curious about genetics and/or botany. The story follows the life of Gregor Mendel, a curious young boy who, despite great obstacles, was able to continue his studies and eventually conduct elaborate experiments to better understand how species pass on genetic traits to their offspring. This fascinating story of perseverance and exactitude also overlays nicely with a study of botany. The author’s note at the end is worth a read, too!

Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood

By Tony Hillery, Illustrated by Jessie Hartland

This true story by the founder and director of Harlem Grown provides an inspiring reminder of the power of people coming together to create change. A trash-filled lot across from a school gets transformed into a community garden. Little details in the story, like the protagonist’s wilting plant, offer a reminder that it’s possible to try again, with bountiful results! Additional resources at the end of the book offer steps for starting a garden anywhere, as well as websites and additional books for both children and adults.

Jayden’s Impossible Garden

By Mélina Mangal, Illustrated by Ken Daley

Sometimes it is the power of many that makes a difference and sometimes it is the power of a few. This story is about one boy who believes that there is nature amidst his city streets, how he finds someone who feels the same way, and what they create together by paying attention to the little things that bring them joy. The result? They highlight the beauty around them and can show others the magic of nature, right in the middle of their city. For children inspired by this story, there are instructions at the end (which require a bit of adult support) for inviting nature into our lives through recycled crafts, such as a coffee container planter and milk jug bird feeder.

Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life

By Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm, Illustrated by Molly Bang

With classic Molly Bang vibrant colors, this picture book brings the complexity of how photosynthesis connects the energy of the sun and all living things on Earth into a format that even young children can enjoy. The text provides a perfect balance of being accessible to all ages and yet rich enough with scientific concepts to appeal to elementary learners. For those especially keen on the science, the authors provide a complete breakdown of the concepts with each idea connected to thumbnail images from pages throughout the book. And if that weren’t enough, the book provides a meditative, heart-centered message that can help readers feel both grounded in themselves and connected to the universe.

Miss Rumphius

By Barbara Cooney

Although not specifically about botany, this inspiring tale is a must-have for any home library. A little girl shares the story of her great-aunt Alice (or Miss Rumphius), a story with an underlying message of how one person can make the world more beautiful. After many worldwide adventures, Miss Rumphius realizes she can help the wind and birds spread lupine seeds. So she does. One of the most beautiful aspects of this story is how it weaves together the cycles of life with how we can inspire the next generation to continue making the world more beautiful, in whatever ways we can.

Plants that Never Bloom

By Ruth Heller

An excellent follow-up to The Reason for a Flower, this book explores the magical world of fungi, ferns, algae, and more. It references the ancient nature of some of these non-flowering plants and also the peculiar exceptions, such as gymnosperms. This picture book provides a wonderful launching pad for further studies of the plant world!

The Reason for a Flower

By Ruth Heller

In her rhyming prose and vivid illustrations, Heller takes us on a lively journey through the purposes and practicalities of flowering plants. She artfully blends text and image, while ensuring the information is precise and accurate. The Reason for a Flower is a wonderful companion to any study of flowers and at the very end plants a seed (pun intended) for the companion book, Plants that Never Bloom.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt

By Kate Messner, Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal

From the creators of Over and Under the Snow, this picture book takes young readers on a seasonal journey through the seen and unseen of a backyard garden. While a child and her grandmother tend the soil, enjoy their harvest, and shift with the seasons, a whole host of organisms also do their work down in the dirt. This is a great way to introduce the interconnectedness of life and how humans are amongst many amazing creatures doing beautiful work. The end-of-book details about all the animals illustrated throughout the pages are an amazing bonus, too!

We hope these books inspire some outdoor exploration.

Let’s Go Outside: Benefits for Our Children (and Ourselves!)

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 11:00:03 GMT

Our world–and as a result our children’s world–is increasingly dominated by screens and schedules. As such, the importance of reconnecting with nature has become more important than ever.

Dr. Maria Montessori believed in providing children with an environment that encourages exploration, independence, and self-discovery. Central to Montessori philosophy is the concept of the prepared environment, where every element is thoughtfully designed to support a child's natural development. Nature, with its infinite wonders and stimuli, serves as the ultimate prepared environment, offering boundless opportunities for social interaction, emotional regulation, and self-awareness.

Social-Emotional Benefits of Outdoor Play

As humans, we are biologically designed to be outdoors. E.O. Wilson described this predisposition to connect to nature as the “biophilia hypothesis.” Numerous studies outline quantifiable benefits to being out of doors. Business Insider even offers “11 Scientifically Proven Reasons You Should Go Outside.”

For children, spending time outdoors promotes emotional well-being and resilience by providing opportunities for risk-taking and self-discovery. In nature, children can push their boundaries, overcome obstacles, and learn from their mistakes.

Think about the very act of climbing a tree. In addition to practicing courage and perseverance, children have the chance to trust their instincts, assess risks, and develop confidence in their abilities. The result? Children develop a sense of agency and self-efficacy, laying the foundation for healthy emotional development and positive self-esteem.

Another profound social-emotional benefit of outdoor experiences is the opportunity for unstructured play and peer interaction. In the natural world, children are free to engage in imaginative play, negotiate conflicts, and develop essential social skills. Whether building forts, climbing trees, or playing games, outdoor play fosters cooperation, communication, and empathy as children navigate social dynamics and collaborate with peers.

Time in Nature Promotes Self-Regulation

Time in nature also helps us heal. The children’s book, When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang offers a reminder about the power of going outside when we need to find some inner peace. In the story, Sophie, a young child upset by a sibling interaction, runs outside. Dis-regulated and angry she runs and runs until she can't run anymore. Then she cries. She climbs her favorite tree and the wide world comforts her.

When children hear this book, they hang onto every word, as if soaking up Sophie’s experience. Yet how often do we let our children slam the door, run outside, and seek solace in nature? How often do we, as adults, do this?

One reason why we can find solace in nature is due to being immersed in a unique sensory experience. From the soothing sound of rustling leaves to the calming sight of flowing water, the outdoors provides a multisensory environment that promotes relaxation, stress reduction, and emotional grounding.

Cultivating Inner Calm and Interconnectedness

By spending time in nature, children have an opportunity, like Sophie, to connect with their inner landscape while being immersed in an external landscape. This process cultivates a sense of belonging, purpose, and interconnectedness. As children explore natural ecosystems, observe wildlife, and experience the cycles of the seasons, they develop a profound appreciation for the beauty and complexity of the natural world. This sense of awe and wonder instills a deep sense of stewardship and environmental responsibility.

In Richard Louv’s book, Last Child in the Woods , he coins the phrase “nature-deficit disorder” to describe the costs of our alienation from nature. Think about your children. Do you see a difference after they’ve spent time outside? Maybe it’s the fresh air, or the room to run, or just the possibility they find in a corner of a grassy field. Think about yourself and the difference in your feelings when you take the time to be outdoors, even if only to take a stroll down the street as the day shifts to dusk.

In this age of trying to provide our children with the best opportunities, shouldn’t we be giving them more time outside? This spring is an excellent time to pay attention to those opportunities for children to connect to their place and just be outside. If you need fresh ideas for the children in your life, and even for yourself, Richard Louv’s recent book, The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life: 500 Ways to Enrich Your Family’s Health & Happiness , is an excellent resource.

A Collective Responsibility

We have a collective responsibility to ensure that our children have ample opportunities to explore, discover, and connect with the natural world around them. By prioritizing outdoor experiences in education, we support children's social-emotional well-being, resilience, and sense of connection with nature and each other.

The Montessori approach to education emphasizes the vital role of the outdoors in children’s development and we invite you to visit our campus to learn more about the symbiotic relationship between Montessori principles, time in nature, and the profound benefits of outdoor experiences.

Setting up a Montessori-Based Space at Home

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 11:00:00 GMT

As parents, we want to nurture our young children's growth and independence. Because Montessori philosophy centers on supporting children’s natural development through a carefully prepared environment, we can turn to Montessori principles to help us create ideal home spaces for our toddlers.

Understanding the Montessori Philosophy

At the heart of Montessori is the understanding that children are active, self-directed learners. Dr. Maria Montessori observed how children thrive intellectually, emotionally, and socially when provided with a nurturing environment and the freedom to explore. A Montessori room embodies these principles by offering a space where our toddlers can engage in purposeful activities, make choices independently, and develop essential life skills.

Their Developing Personality

The interrelation between children and their environment is vital, as experiences in the environment help form our children’s personalities. During the first few years of life, children are forming an incredible number of neural connections and there is a continual feedback loop between a child’s genetic code and the environment.

A child’s genetic code determines how they interact with their environment, and then their interactions influence how the genetic code is expressed. As children interact with their environment, mental pathways form. Patterns in the brain are established and repeated experiences have a larger impact. Ideally, we want our children’s neural pathways to be healthy patterns of emotion and thought.

As such, our toddlers’ space should have both boundaries and opportunities that help them develop a healthy sense of security, order, and engagement.

Practical Tips for Creating a Montessori Room at Home

Choose the Right Furniture
We can begin by selecting furniture that aligns with our toddler's needs and capabilities. Opt for child-sized pieces such as low shelves, a small table and chair, and a low bed or mattress on the floor. These elements empower children to navigate their environment with ease, promoting a sense of autonomy and confidence.

Create Inviting Spaces
Designate distinct areas within the room to cater to various activities and interests. A cozy reading nook outfitted with books at eye level encourages literacy and quiet reflection, while open shelves with a few manipulative toys invite exploration. Be sure to also have ample space for movement. Try getting down to your child’s level to see how the space looks and feels from a child’s perspective.

Simplify and Declutter
Embrace minimalism in a toddler's room by paring down to the essentials. Make sure that each item has a designated place and that part of the routine is returning the item to where it goes. This cultivates your child’s sense of order. Over time, gradually rotate toys to help maintain interest and engagement.

Promote Independence

Foster your toddler's burgeoning independence by arranging the room to facilitate self-care and autonomy. Install a low mirror to aid in dressing and grooming activities. Provide accessible storage solutions for clothing and personal belongings. Incorporate a step stool in the bathroom to allow your child to practice handwashing, toothbrushing, and general self-care.

Include Natural Materials
Infuse the room with elements of nature by incorporating toys made from natural materials and limiting the amount of plastic and battery-operated items. Look for natural items that stimulate children’s senses and foster a deeper connection to the natural world. Opting for sustainable and eco-friendly options also promotes environmental stewardship.

Prioritize Safety
In order for your toddler to navigate the space independently, you’ll want to feel assured that the room is meticulously childproofed to eliminate potential hazards. Anchor furniture to the wall to prevent tipping, secure cords out of reach, and regularly inspect the room for any safety concerns.

Follow Children's Lead
Above all, honor your toddler's unique interests, preferences, and developmental pace. Observe their interactions with their environment and adapt the room accordingly. If you see them wanting to climb on a table or shelf, offer safe alternative climbing options. By tailoring the space to their evolving needs and abilities, we support their developing curiosity and engagement. In this process, they develop a sense of agency and self-confidence that will serve them well throughout life.

Creating a Montessori-inspired room at home doesn’t have to be hard! Plus, by thoughtfully curating the environment to align with your toddler’s developmental needs and interests, you lay the foundation for a lifetime of joyful learning and exploration. Embrace simplicity, foster independence, and above all, cherish the wonder and curiosity that define childhood. In a safe, inviting space created especially for them, your toddler can thrive, flourish, and become the best version of themselves.

If you would like some inspiration, come visit our school to see how we create spaces for young children that cultivate curiosity, independence, and a love for learning.

A Subtle Art: The Beauty of the Montessori Three-Period Lesson

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 11:00:02 GMT

In Montessori education, we have a subtle art for connecting children to new concepts, a technique we call the Three Period Lesson. This structured approach is designed to introduce and reinforce new concepts in a way that works with children’s natural learning tendencies. It consists of three distinct phases, each serving a crucial purpose in the learning process.

The First Period: Naming

In this part of the lesson, we focus on helping children create an association of the item or sensorial perception with its name. This is basically a statement of vocabulary, but its simplicity should not disguise the great importance of this period. Proper execution is vital to success, and as such, Montessori guides execute this part of the lesson with extreme exactitude. We take great care to avoid any peripheral information which would serve only to cause confusion. The emphasis here is on clear articulation and repetition, allowing children to absorb the information through auditory and visual cues.

If the lesson is focused on sensorial perception, we first help a child awaken that sense before giving any vocabulary. For example, if we are introducing a very young child to the vocabulary for temperature, we use a set of thermic bottles. We first isolate the hottest and coldest of the bottles. We feel the “hot” bottle, invite the child to feel it, and state: “This is hot.” Then we have the same procedure with the cold bottle, first feeling, then stating: “This is cold.” If necessary, we may repeat the experience, associating the bottle with its attribute: “Hot....Cold.” We take great care in pronouncing the vocabulary or attributes clearly and distinctly so that children can easily absorb the vocabulary. We also make sure to avoid any additional descriptions or explanations.

The purpose of the first period is to help children connect the sensory data stored in the right hemisphere of the brain with its precise language stored in the left hemisphere of the brain. This neural connection fixes the perception in children’s minds and provides an index to the sensorial impression, making it accessible to the conscious mind.

The Second Period: Association

In this phase, we focus on having children recognize the object in correspondence to the language. It is a way for us to see if a child has been successful in the association of the perception with its name, as presented in the first period. In the second period, we use the vocabulary in a series of lively and fun declarative commands that encourage repetition.

For example, if presenting large and small with a cylinder block, we might ask: “Which one is large?” “Which one is small?” “Put the large one here.” “Put the small one here.” “Show me the large one.” “Point to the small one.” This activity has a game-like feel and offers children the chance to repeatedly hear the vocabulary and associate it with the corresponding attribute or object.

During this period, we do not ask children to recall the vocabulary. Because there is active participation that reinforces the association between the name and the object or concept, this period is about reinforcement. It is the longest of the three periods and is the most important one in terms of serving as an aid to children’s memory. Every time a child hears the vocabulary and associates it with the corresponding attribute/object, it activates the necessary synaptic connections in the brain and strengthens neural pathways.

If a child is not successful in the second stage, we have two choices: return to the first period or gracefully end the lesson and offer it again another day. It might be that a child just needs more time to work with the materials sensorially. Regardless, if the child isn’t experiencing success at this stage, we recognize that we need to re-associate the sensory impression with the name. We don’t point out the error to a child, though, because that only serves to embarrass the child or cause them to feel defeated. Nor is it helpful to continue on with the lesson, for if the associations are not happening, more repetition would only serve to cause further confusion.

The Third Period: Recall

This last part of the lesson is just a quick test and serves as a verification that a child has successfully retained the association given in the first period. For the first time, we no longer provide the vocabulary, and instead, the child must produce it from their memory. We simply ask: “What is this?” If the child can successfully answer, then we can verify that the association has been created. If the child is not successful, we end the lesson by repeating the first period. This is not done as a means of correction but to ensure the child leaves the material with an accurate impression.

Once the Three Period Lesson ends, we allow children to continue working with the material. Often we see that they have renewed enthusiasm for the material after making these new mental associations.

A Powerful Approach

By following this structured approach, we provide children with multiple opportunities to engage with new information and reinforce their learning through repetition and active participation. This approach is powerful and effective for three main reasons:

Respect for the Child's Learning Pace
The three-period lesson respects the individual pace of each child's learning journey. By breaking down new concepts into manageable steps, we cater to the diverse needs and abilities of children.

Promotion of Active Engagement
Through interactive questioning and hands-on activities, the Three Period Lesson encourages active engagement and participation. Children are not passive recipients of information but rather active participants in their learning process, leading to deeper understanding and retention.

Facilitation of Meaningful Connections
By associating new concepts with real-life objects or experiences, the Three Period Lesson helps children make meaningful connections between abstract ideas and concrete examples. This approach fosters holistic understanding and lays the groundwork for future learning.

Above all, the beauty of the Three Period Lesson lies in its simplicity and effectiveness. The technique is subtle yet consistent, the lessons are brief yet powerful, and the language is precise yet expansive. Ultimately, the Three Period Lesson empowers children to become active learners, capable of exploring the world with curiosity and confidence. We invite you to schedule a tour to come see this technique in action!

Six Steps to Problem Solving

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 11:00:01 GMT

So often when we are bumping up against frustrating behavior from our children, we forget that one very effective way to work through the challenge is to include our children in the process!

Step 1: Identify the Issue

The best way to approach this is to first identify the challenge. Perhaps your child is having a hard time getting ready in the morning. Or maybe you are experiencing bedtime struggles. It might be as seemingly small as cooperation with brushing teeth. Or the issue may revolve around food: packing foods your child will eat, being willing to engage during dinner time, or eating a hearty breakfast before heading to school.

Whatever the problem, first identify it in one simple sentence. Hone in on exactly the challenge or conflict, so it’s easy to state clearly.

Step 2: Ask For Time to Talk

Then you’ll want to find a time when everyone is in a mellow mood, perhaps feeling particularly happy, or even just well-fed and rested. At this point, it’s important to check in with your child by asking something like: “Is now a good time for us to talk?” Or “I’d like to brainstorm with you. Is now a good time?”

It’s best to be at your child’s eye level and/or get together in a comfortable place that encourages connection. Then state the problem as simply and clearly as possible. It is especially important to avoid guilt, blame, shame, and exaggerations. One way to frame the conversation is to start with something like: “I have a situation that I want your help with.”

For example, if your child has been struggling with leaving the house on time in the mornings, you might try stating: “I’ve noticed that our mornings have felt stressful and rushed.”

You can then share the impact or how you feel: “As a result of rushing, I feel anxious and then start to get impatient and a little grumpy.” Followed by what you want: “I’m hoping we can figure out a new routine for our mornings so we can leave the house on time.”

Step 3: Listen to Your Child’s Perspective

After stating your take on things, it’s important to allow your child the space to share how they feel and what they want. All too often, we push our agendas, our perspectives, and our needs onto our children without opening up space and listening to what might be going on for them.

By sharing your perspective without accusation or insistence, and then asking for their feedback and needs, you are demonstrating that you are committed to a collaborative approach. After your child has shared what is happening for them and what they need, you can explore if brainstorming possible solutions could help.

Step 4: Brainstorm Together

If brainstorming seems helpful, get a piece of paper and create a list of ideas or solutions. If your child is younger, you can do the recording. Regardless, free up each other’s thinking by not criticizing or rejecting any ideas during this brainstorming process. Let your imagination run free. If possible, try to model some “out of the box” thinking and make the process as fun as possible. It’s even okay to get a little silly: “I know! We could invent a robot that puts on your coat and gloves for you!” Offering encouragement can help, too. “That’s a great idea. I never thought of that.” Or “Oh, that gives me another idea!”

It’s important to not go into this process with a hidden agenda. Children are attuned to when we just want things to go our way. In the process of being open to ideas, you’ll likely find some unexpected solutions. Whenever possible, it’s also helpful to generate ideas in which both parties can win.

Step 5: Cross Items off the List

Once you’ve generated a list of possible solutions, go through the list together. Give your child the opportunity to first cross out any ideas that won’t work for them, and you can do the same. In this process, you can both talk about why particular ideas will or won’t work from your particular perspectives. After crossing out ideas, you’ll be left with some options. Together you can pick one of the suggestions, or a combination of ideas, as a solution to try.

Step 6: Test it Out

Emphasize that you can both agree to try the idea and then come back together in about a week to see if it is still working. You can write the agreement on a fresh sheet of paper and, if appropriate, both sign the paper to show a commitment to trying this new idea. Be sure to also thank your child for their cooperation! Be sure to also follow through with checking in with each other after trying out the solution for a week. If it isn’t working, review the list together and see if there is another idea worth trying.

Creating an agreement ahead of time model’s respect. The result? Our children feel more willing to cooperate because the process has been collaborative.

Curious to learn more about how to include children in a problem-solving process? Schedule a time to come in to observe and talk more!

Navigating Sibling Dynamics

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 11:00:00 GMT

As parents, we want our kids to get along. Yet sibling dynamics can vex even the best of us. We cringe at how much our children can hurt each other, then melt when we see them treating each other with kindness. Their fights can drive us crazy, causing us to worry about whether they will like each other as adults.

Fortunately, we can implement strategies to prevent problems between siblings, set the stage for healthy interactions, and practice some techniques for managing conflict in the moment.

One of the first steps is taking time to understand our children, ourselves, and the situation. Without taking time to assess these three aspects, we often end up interfering in sibling conflict, which may stop the fight in the moment but that may also inadvertently increase competition and misunderstanding.

Check-In with Ourselves

When conflicts arise, it helps to first check in with our own feelings. Having awareness of our mental and physical responses allows us to practice self-regulation. We can breathe in deeply through our nose and our mouth. We can pause before responding. We can even express our emotions: “I’m realizing that I’m not feeling very calm right now. Because I’m starting to feel upset, I’m going to take a minute to try to regain some control.” Our children don’t need us to get on the roller coaster!

Describe and Empathize

Another technique to help in the moment is to describe what we see and to empathize. When we describe what we see in a non-judgmental way, we help our children become aware of what they are doing. This allows them the opportunity to choose if they want to continue. The real key is to do this in a neutral way: “I’m noticing that both of you seem to really want to sit on the bean bag chair. Sometimes it can be hard to both want the same thing.”

Examine the Hidden Beliefs

When children exhibit behaviors, they have unspoken beliefs behind that behavior. To better understand our children and these beliefs, we can start to reflect on any hidden messages. Some questions to consider include: Do our children feel like they need to win, be first, have an item, etc. to be significant in the family? Are they trying to determine their place in the family? Do they feel wronged in some way and want to cause hurt back to others? Do they feel they are being treated unfairly? Are they trying to fight back to have a sense of justice? Is fighting a way to assert power in the situation?

We don’t need to have answers to the questions but rather recognize that our children might be operating based on some mistaken beliefs. It’s important to remember that what happens to us isn’t as important as the beliefs we have about what happens to us. Our children just want to belong and feel significant and might need some support in developing new beliefs to feel accepted and important.

Shift the Beliefs

One way to shift their thinking is to practice putting children in the same boat. When we take sides in an argument or conflict (for example, by reminding an older child to be kind to their younger sibling or assuming wrongdoing in some way), we reinforce competition or hard feelings between siblings. Instead, we can give our children a choice or hold both responsible. If something has been broken, both can be involved in making repairs or amends. If they are fighting in the car, we can pull over and explain that we’ll be happy to get going again when they have resolved their conflict or have decided to stop arguing. If tattling is a regular occurrence, we can empathize and wonder how they will solve the problem together. We can also make sure we aren’t setting up situations that cultivate jealousy or competition by forcing sharing or putting one child’s needs before another’s.

Provide Special Time

Another way to help our children feel belonging and significant is to schedule special time. Our children need our undivided attention, yet so often as parents, we are pulled in so many directions. One way to address this is to commit to having five to ten minutes of one-on-one time with each child. Let your children know that this is time that you will be with them 100% and that they get to choose what you both do together during that time. Even if it is that activity that you just can’t stand, remember it is only for a short duration! Use a timer and stay committed to having the time each day. This undivided attention helps children feel secure and connected. The result? They are more cooperative with us and each other.

New Skills

Ultimately helping our children navigate sibling dynamics involves teaching new skills. We can help our children learn how to express themselves kindly and firmly, perhaps even practicing how to share concerns during family meetings. We can involve our children in finding solutions through problem-solving strategies. We can emphasize the value of different perspectives and needs by appreciating each child’s unique qualities and building gratitude into our routines.

What we model and promote in our families helps set the stage for how our children navigate not only sibling relationships but their interactions in the world. If you’d like to learn more about how we cultivate respectful, cooperative relationships and help children learn how to resolve differences with respect and kindness, come visit our school!

The Impact of Grace and Courtesy

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 12:00:03 GMT

In Montessori, we emphasize two words on a pretty regular basis: grace and courtesy. But what does grace and courtesy really mean? How are they an essential part of Montessori classrooms? And what role do they play in supporting the development of social relationships?

What is Grace? What is Courtesy?

Let’s first isolate each word. Google’s Oxford Languages defines “grace" in two parts: 1. simple elegance or refinement of movement, and 2. courteous goodwill. Courtesy is defined simply as: the showing of politeness in one’s attitude and behavior toward others. Stated another way, grace and courtesy comprise how we move through the space around us showing respect for ourselves and others.

Grace & Courtesy Lessons

In our toddler and primary classrooms, grace and courtesy are considered to be part of practical life learning and we devote significant time to grace and courtesy lessons. For example, the adults give explicit instruction on how to walk around someone’s work on the rug, how to wait your turn, how to offer help, how to tuck a chair under the table, or how to introduce oneself. These lessons are offered one-on-one or in small groups and we often use role playing as a technique for exploring the skills.

We are very careful about how we introduce grace and courtesy to children. If we see something that needs to be addressed, we try to avoid confronting the child in the moment and we never offer grace and courtesy lessons as a form of punishment or correction. We are careful about this because children are often embarrassed when corrected by adults on the spot. When this happens, they can feel disrespected and not safe, and thus much less likely to perform the act on their own accord.

In the Older Years

As children enter their elementary and adolescent years, our approach shifts slightly. Elementary-age children are more focused on their social interactions and are learning how to navigate the ups and downs of friendships. As such, much of the grace and courtesy work at this level provides children with tools for communicating directly and respectfully, sharing perspectives thoughtfully, and even being discreet about something potentially embarrassing. In addition, they are learning how to interact with the broader community as they arrange visits or interviews, conduct themselves according to the norms of different communities, and explore how to be a host or be a guest.

The Goal

The goal in Montessori education is that these acts of grace and courtesy aren’t rigid expectations, like insisting that children say please and thank you. Rather, they become part of how children want to be and interact. Dr. Montessori is quoted as saying: “…the essential thing is that [the child] should know how to perform these actions of courtesy when his little heart prompts him to do so, as part of a social life which develops naturally from moment to moment.”

Like all other exercises in Montessori prepared environments, we offer opportunities to regularly practice and repeat grace and courtesy skills. Because these experiences are part of the normal functioning of the day, they provide a respectful way for young people to learn expectations and for adults to provide scaffolding and assistance for social skills.

The Results

In time, as we offer these grace and courtesy opportunities and give children a safe place to practice, our young people eventually perform these skills independently.

When you visit our school, you’re likely to see two young children sitting together one patiently showing the other how to tie their shoes. Or perhaps if you observe in a classroom, a couple of students might ask if you would like them to serve you tea or water.

Our children bring a sad classmate a tissue or rush to assist when someone has a spill. They tuck their chairs under tables so others don’t trip over them. They carefully place a tray upon a table. They greet each other and adults in the hallways. They hold the door open when they see someone coming their way.

In the process, Montessori children move beyond the basic niceties and think deeply about their impact on those around them. We’d love to show you this in action! Schedule a tour to see the ways that grace and courtesy help children recognize themselves as caring individuals within a supportive community.

Materials Spotlight: The Geometry Cabinet

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 12:00:02 GMT

Nestled on a shelf in Montessori primary classrooms you’ll find a small wooden cabinet with six to seven slim drawers. It may not look like much from the outside. Even when you slide out one of the drawers, you’ll just see six wooden square divisions each with a wooden inset with a small knob in the center. As you continue to pull out the different drawers, you’ll discover that each wooden inset is a series of geometric shapes: circles that vary in diameter, rectangles with the same height but varying in width up to the square, different triangles, regular polygons, quadrilaterals, and curved figures.

This is the Geometry Cabinet, an important and well-used material in Montessori primary (and elementary) classrooms. With a multitude of uses, this material serves to help children not only enhance their visual and muscular memory, it also provides a foundation for advanced geometry work as well as preparing children’s hands for writing.

The Foundation for Geometry

First and foremost, the geometry cabinet introduces plane geometry. Often, you’ll see a demonstration tray on the top of the cabinet. This tray contains insets of the equilateral triangle, square, and circle. These three shapes form a foundation in geometry: the circle calculates angles, the triangle constructs, and the square measures area.

Another fun way to think about these three shapes is in terms of polygons. The equilateral triangle is the polygon with the least possible number of sides. The circle can be thought of as a polygon with infinite sides. The square represents the rest of the polygons. Of course, this is something Montessori children get to explore in their elementary years. In the primary classroom, we use this demonstration tray to introduce how to use the geometry cabinet trays and insets, as well as to provide children with the first impression of the three fundamental shapes in geometry.

A Tactile Experience

One of the first things we do with the geometry cabinet is demonstrate how to use the knob to pick up the shape with the non-dominant hand and then trace the whole perimeter of the shape with the index and middle fingertips of the dominant hand. We also show how to trace the outline of the aperture that the shape fits into. This careful, meditative action is designed to both give children a tactile impression of the shape and to help them develop the fine motor control necessary for writing.

Once children have this experience with a few shapes, they move on to tracing and matching the shapes from a whole drawer and then even mixing up the shapes from multiple drawers to trace and match into their aperture. When children get good at this process, we introduce taking away the visual sense by wearing a blindfold!

From Concrete Objects to Abstract Symbols

We also introduce sets of cards for each geometric shape. In the first set, the figure is filled in completely. In the second set, each figure has a one-centimeter-wide outline. In the third set, each figure has a one-millimeter-wide outline. Children select an inset shape and go through the stack of the first set of cards until they find the one that matches the shape. Then they place the inset exactly onto its matching card.

By placing the inset shapes onto the cards with thick to thin outlines, children are learning how an abstract symbol can represent a concrete object. This is preparation for reading! If children can recognize and distinguish between a trapezoid and a parallelogram, they will be more likely to be able to distinguish two other shapes like a cursive b and a cursive z. When children have a lot of experience recognizing shapes, they will be more able to recognize the shapes they encounter in letters because symbols are shapes defined by lines. Think about the progression of abstraction from a filled-in trapezoid, to the outline of trapezoid, to the letter A.

Rich Language

As children are working with these shapes, we also revisit the material to introduce vocabulary. Even the youngest children are learning the names of quadrilaterals (rectangle, square, rhombus, parallelogram, isosceles trapezoid, right-angled trapezoid), curved figures (circle, oval, ellipse, quatrefoil), triangles (equilateral triangle, right-angled isosceles triangle, acute-angled isosceles triangle, obtuse-angled isosceles triangle, right-angled scalene triangle, acute-angled scalene triangle, obtuse-angled scalene triangle), and polygons (pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, nonagon, decagon). Because young children absorb this language effortlessly, we offer them the exact names. Rather than just “triangle,” Montessori children learn how to differentiate triangles based on their angles and sides. They can just as easily name an acute-angled scalene triangle as they can an ellipse.

Memory Games

We also use the Geometry Cabinet to play a series of sensorial games that help children perfect their perceptions and make their mental classifications conscious.

In the first memory game, the geometry shapes and their apertures are mixed up between two locations in the room, far enough apart to allow more time for children to hold the memory of the shape as they move through various potential distractions to find the match. The second game is a little harder because the shapes are placed in scattered locations around the room. When children go to find a specific shape, they must retain the impression in their memory for a much longer time and not be distracted by the other images they are receiving. In this process, children are exercising their skills of memory and recognition.

The third memory game is one in which children try to find an object in the room that has the exact match of the shape. This experience allows children to move from working with the geometric qualities in their isolated form in the material to helping discover the qualities of the shapes in the world around them.

The final game is a group experience with one of the trays containing one type of shape that changes in dimension, such as the six circles with increasing diameter, or the six rectangles with increasing width. In this game, the children work together to show the sequence of gradation in the shape. In a more difficult version of this game, children take their piece and experience it (look at it, touch/feel it, etc.) and then put the shape behind their backs. They then try to lay out the pieces in the correct order of size without seeing each other’s shapes!

Multiple Benefits

While the main purpose of the Geometry Cabinet is to help children develop the visual discrimination of shapes (an important skill used in learning and especially reading), there are so many other benefits. The activity of tracing their fingers along the edges of the shapes and frames helps prepare children for using a pencil to make the shapes that form letters. Grasping the knobs helps them refine their pincer grasp. They learn important vocabulary and also increase their concentration and fine motor control.

A simple material with so many benefits, the Geometry Cabinet is a material worth coming to see. We invite you to visit to experience first-hand how children interact with this foundational geometry material. Schedule a tour today!

We Can Serve as Guides

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 12:00:04 GMT

As adults, we often step into particular kinds of roles with children. We can be parents, aunts, uncles. We can be coaches, mentors, teachers. Each role has a set of expectations, often with an unspoken rule that the adult knows best and that children will learn from us.

Yet the roles adults can play in children’s lives can be much more nuanced. We can facilitate, suggest, model, and observe. The world can teach and the adults can serve as guides in a process of learning and discovery.

Be Curious

In the Positive Discipline approach, adults guide growth and learning by asking “curiosity questions.” The key is not to rely on scripted questions but rather to be genuinely curious, perhaps asking questions like:

· How do you feel about what happened?

· What were you trying to accomplish?

· What did you learn?

· How do you think you might use what you learned?

· What ideas do you have for solutions?

Avoiding the question “why?” is also important as it can sound accusatory and can lead to a child feeling defensive.

Sometimes a young person in our life is struggling, perhaps lashing out verbally or doing everything they can to emotionally hurt others. If we can wonder what might be behind their behavior, we can shift our approach. We can also be curious about what we want or need in the interaction. For example, sometimes when a young person is struggling, we just want to know how we can help that person feel better. If that is the case, we can ask the question full-heartedly: “What can I do to help you have a better day?”

Shift to Support

When we shift our roles and think about how to learn more about what our children are feeling, thinking, and exploring, we become meaningful guides. Rather than dispensing information, we can help children make discoveries. This is an essential part of what Montessori teachers do each day in our learning communities.

For example, elementary-aged children often make amazing connections in their learning. An elementary student can be ecstatic due to a discovery about the periodic table, as recently happened with a young learner: “Look!” she exclaimed. “Gold has the symbol Au because the Latin name for gold is aurum. Au for aurum!” Because this young person had discovered this connection on her own, the knowledge was so much more invigorating and inspiring than had an adult instructed her about etymology and periodic table symbols.

Honor the Process

In How Children Learn, John Holt describes children’s process of learning: “The child is curious. He wants to make sense of things, find out how things work, gain competence and control over himself and his environment, and do what he can see other people doing. He is open, perceptive, and experimental. He does not merely observe the world around him. He does not shut himself off from the strange, complicated world around him, but tastes it, touches it, hefts it, bends it, breaks it. To find out how reality works, he works on it. He is bold. He is not afraid of making mistakes. And he is patient. He can tolerate an extraordinary amount of uncertainty, confusion, ignorance, and suspense.”

Children naturally want to figure out the world and themselves. Thus, we can be thoughtful guides through this remarkable world of ours. We can entice. We can inspire. We can show possible paths.

In our Montessori classrooms, we recognize the incredible power in children’s process of experimenting, observing, making mistakes, and experiencing the world around them. Rather than serve as the experts dispensing knowledge, we act as guides.

Curious to see how the role of adults can shift? Schedule a tour to see how we support children in nuanced ways.

The Capstone Years

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT

There are key times in children’s lives when they can consolidate emerging parts of themselves before moving into a new area of growth and change. Two significant times of change for young people are around age six and then again around age twelve, the kindergarten and 6th-grade years. Both biology and Montessori theory offer insight into why these are significant times in children’s lives.

Montessori’s Planes of Development

Dr. Maria Montessori believed that children’s work is to construct the adults they will become. This is really important work! Adults can support children’s self-construction, but not actually do it for children. Children are able to accomplish self-construction through their own activity and interactions with the environment.

Dr. Montessori’s observations of this self-construction led her to develop a theory of four planes of development. When looking at children’s development from a scientist’s point of view, Dr. Montessori found that development did not occur steadily but rather occurred in phases or planes. Dr. Montessori considered that the change in children, as they moved from one plane to another, was so profound that it resembled a rebirth.

Each plane or phase of development lasts for approximately six years: infancy (0 to 6), childhood (6 to 12), adolescence (12 to 18), and adulthood (18 to 24). The turning point around age six is when children are moving from infancy into childhood, and similarly, around age twelve they move from childhood into adolescence.

Biological Changes

Biologically, considerable hormonal changes happen during these two transition times in children’s lives. While our society generally recognizes the biological shifts that happen as young people move into adolescence, we are less well-versed about what happens in our six-year-olds.

It doesn’t take much, though, to realize change is afoot! Think about what we see in terms of dramatic physical changes around age six: their teeth start to fall out, their hair gets coarser, they lose that baby-soft skin, and they start to become leaner and lanky. Similarly, our twelve-year-olds are on the brink of adolescence, another period of dramatic physical growth and change.

However, there can be a gap between these physical signs of maturity and the cognitive and emotional development happening for our six-year-olds and twelve-year-olds. Often children at these ages are moved too quickly into an environment that both doesn’t meet their needs and doesn’t honor the internal growth that still needs to occur. When this happens, they lose the environmental stability that allows them to develop a deeper sense of self-confidence and to truly consolidate the intellectual and emotional skills they have been developing over the previous years.

Capstone Years

In Montessori, we recognize the importance of these transitional years and intentionally design our learning communities to support young people during this time. The six-year-olds and twelve-year-olds are the oldest in their classroom learning communities. They know the routines and expectations, they have secure relationships, and they get to help others who are newer to the classroom communities.

Because they aren’t trying to assimilate into a new environment, our six- and twelve-year-olds can serve as leaders for their mixed-age classrooms. They can focus on challenging work and big personal achievements. By being with their younger classmates, they can see where they have grown and how they got to where they are now.

These are the capstone years, the final piece to complete the critical building-up that has been happening during the previous formative years. The level of mastery allows our young six-year-old and twelve-year-old leaders to integrate their social, emotional, and intellectual selves.

During these capstone years, children gain a sense of self-confidence and self-satisfaction from their ability to successfully navigate the bigger projects that were beyond their capabilities in the earlier years. Plus, they do so in a community of adults and peers who have shared in their learning experience over several years.

By having the opportunity to integrate their learning in a safe, stable, and secure environment, our young learners can do their important work of self-construction. We invite you to visit our classrooms , so you can see for yourself the significance of these capstone years.

Trust the Process: Montessori as an Intentional Approach

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 11:00:08 GMT

In Montessori, we focus on supporting children’s intellectual, emotional, social, and academic growth. A scientist first and foremost, Dr. Maria Montessori was interested in creating optimal learning environments so that young humans could reach their potential with as few adult-created obstacles as possible.

Thus, in Montessori, we think differently about the role of the adult and even how learning materials are used. One of the adults’ roles, for example, is to put children in touch with activities so that children can learn through doing. With this experiential approach, children can use their hands, engage through movement, and even make mistakes. The adults are not the dispenser of information or even the right answers. Rather, we help children learn how to learn, which includes understanding themselves as learners, figuring out how to use failure as a starting place for growth, and exploring the process as much as coming to an end product.

To achieve this, the Montessori method has a very intricate approach that relies on providing children with building blocks over the course of their educational journey. Montessori guides engage in an individualized, long-term process of introducing children to a series of skills and information, all to help children experience ah-ha moments. We know that when children discover something for themselves, they own that information deeply. Sometimes we’ve seen children feel like they are the first discoverers of a new piece of knowledge, a linguistic tool, or a mathematical trick.

For example, when children are learning the process of compound multiplication, we move them through a series of activities that connect their prior knowledge of place value, patterning they have experienced for years through different Montessori materials, and a color-coded system for quantities. As they work through steps that show how compound multiplication works, children often realize that they can take shortcuts rather than putting out and exchanging various colored bead bars on a material called the checker board. Once they start taking these “shortcuts” they are demonstrating that they have internalized the steps for multiplying multi-digit numbers. Sometimes in this process, children feel like they are discovering a fabulous secret or have invented a new mathematical method. However, we know that they are taking the necessary steps to abstractly compute the answer in a compound multiplication problem.

One of the gifts of a Montessori education is that children have the opportunity to discover so much in their own way and in their own time. Rather than rote learning or memorization, children are given the chance to make connections. Through multiple learning experiences, these connections become interconnections that create complex neural pathways that often show up later in life. There is a reason why a Wall Street Journal piece coined the term “Montessori Mafia” to refer to a number of former Montessori students who have gone on to become what could be called tech titans and engaged innovators!

If this process of discovery isn’t happening for some reason, Montessori guides are trained (and the materials are designed) to provide scaffolding so that children can still build upon prior knowledge and make progress toward mastery. Even so, sometimes extra support is needed and when this is the case, collaboration is key. Montessori works most effectively when there is a strong alignment between home and school. So, if a child needs some additional help or outside services, we work to coordinate with a tutor or support person so that everyone is working in alignment.

If you ever want to show your child a shortcut or introduce some outside-of-school practice, we request that you take a moment to check in with your child’s classroom teacher. It might just be that your child is on the brink of discovery. They could be at the culmination of years of carefully designed preparation. They might be just about to make an important connection or realize a significant insight. And when someone is on the edge of understanding, it is a tremendous gift to allow them to have their moment!

We thank you in advance for appreciating the intricacy of our approach and for connecting directly with us if you want to explore how to support your child(ren)’s learning. And of course, if you are interested in more about what happens when children can discover the process for themselves, we’d love to show you! Schedule a tour to see how Bellevue Montessori students own their knowledge in powerful and profound ways.

In Support of Spoken Language

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 11:00:01 GMT

Our children’s early years are essential for developing strong language skills. So, in Montessori, we pay particular attention to how we support young children’s receptive and expressive language development.

The exercises we use to enhance children’s spoken language development don’t have a large physical presence on the classroom shelves because many are games or conversations. But the integration of these spoken language activities into a prominent part of children’s daily experience in our Montessori classrooms.

The Purpose

Young children are expanding their vocabulary at an astonishing rate: from recognition of about 50 words at age one, to about 1,000 words by age three, to at least 10,000 words by age five! We know that children absorb language effortlessly, so in Montessori we provide children with expansive vocabulary enrichment through a series of mindful oral language exercises.

We also recognize that the adult is the most important language material in the classroom, so we use precise language whenever we are communicating with children. We offer rich, full, and beautiful language because we know we are providing an essential foundation for children.

Our Favorite Activities

We keep oral language alive and lively through a variety of purposeful activities.

Classified Picture Books

We choose wordless picture books that focus on a theme that is familiar to children or that are classified around a sequence (e.g., Amanda’s day). In the classroom, we sit down with one child and take a “picture walk” through the book to help the child interpret the picture clues. The adult doesn’t tell what is happening and rather asks the child about what they see. This process not only helps children develop their expressive language skills but also sets the stage for future reading and story interpretation.

True Stories

When we tell true stories, we invite a group of three to five children to join us. Sometimes we use little cultural artifacts or objects as we share stories about everyday life, or we offer little snippets about geography, art, music, biology, and geometry. The key to these stories is that they are based in reality and are not fictional stories. In sharing these stories, we offer children interesting and rich language, as well as spark their interest and imagination!

The Question Game

For this activity, we gather a small group of children who have a common experience. Then we ask a series of questions about that event. Being mindful to solicit answers from a variety of children, we focus on asking questions that can form a sequence and illuminate details. We then summarize the story based upon the children’s responses.

Because children live in the moment and often don’t remember what happened yesterday, we try to do this activity on the day the common experience occurs. In addition to modeling how to tell a story and how to create complete sentences from one-word answers, we are also providing preparation for creative writing by taking an event and structuring it sequentially and highlighting details.

Conversation at a Picture

To engage children in this activity, we invite a small group to a piece of artwork on display and start a conversation about what the children observe in the picture. We focus on using “w” questions such as: What do you see? Where do you think they are? Why do you think…etc. We keep eliciting conversation by asking more questions: Do you see anything else in this area? Do you notice anything else about this scene? When the conversation begins to fade, we summarize the observations in a small narrative or story.

Reading Literature

We work to read quality children’s literature every day! When we do so, we highlight the book’s title, the author, and the illustrator. Under the age of six, children live in the present and are trying to adapt to the world around them. Because they are still too young to distinguish between fantasy and reality, we make sure to choose books that are grounded in reality.

Reciting Poetry

When reciting poetry, we do so from memory. We recite poems over a series of days and, just like with singing, children learn the poems by themselves and love to recite them. Children also absorb phonetic skills from any onset rhyme. Popular nursery rhymes support children’s process of learning to read!

Objects in the Environment

This activity is actually a series of games that follow a “listen and do” type format. After gathering a group of children, we explain that they will say something to do and when a child hears their name, they get to do that action. We start with simple, one-step commands: Touch a shelf. Stand by a window. Walk around a table. We then progress both in complexity in terms of the types and categories of objects as well as by offering double commands: Find a friend and shake hands. Choose a book and place it on a table. Play a bell and hum a tune. While quite fun, these games also have the added bonus of helping children develop their auditory memory.

Classified Pictures

For this work, we have collections of pictures representing categories of objects (types of transportation, furnishings, appliances, playground equipment, etc.), as well as cards with illustrations of geographical, geometrical, biological, and scientific terms (parts of a flower, land and water forms, polygons, etc.). When doing this activity with a child, we first name the classification (“These are all fruits.”) to help establish mental order. Then we play a little game to teach the vocabulary for the items pictured on the cards.

The Sound Game

The sound game helps children become aware of the phonemes in our language. We collect ten known objects on a tray and play an I Spy type game that isolates the beginning sounds of the objects, then later the ending sounds, and eventually the sounds in the middle of the words. The whole purpose of this game is to help children become aware of the sounds that make up words.

Spoken language activities are the foundation for children’s receptive and expressive vocabularies. In addition to enhancing their vocabulary and providing an overarching structure for future work in writing and reading, engaging children in language games also helps increase their listening and comprehension skills. Above all, we take the time to listen to children’s own spontaneous efforts to express themselves, so that they gain confidence in speaking and feel that their thoughts have meaning.

Come see (and hear!) all this spoken language work when you schedule a visit . We love to share what we do!

Social Benefits: The Elementary Years

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 11:00:03 GMT

It is easy to focus on the academic benefits of Montessori education. In fact, an August 2023 meta-analysis of 32 studies highlights how students in Montessori programs, in comparison to students in traditional schools, show higher performance in language, math, general academic ability, and executive functioning. Clearly, the Montessori method has a powerful impact on student performance. Academic vigor, though, isn’t the only thing that matters in our children’s lives.

The social-emotional benefits of a Montessori education are also incredibly significant. This is especially apparent at the elementary level when children are figuring out who they are as social beings. The near-peer learning in mixed-age Montessori elementary programs helps our young people develop their collaboration strategies, problem-solving skills, and conflict-resolution techniques. Plus, Montessori environments support what our children are going through developmentally. We are working with human nature, rather than against the strong forces that drive our young people.

Collaboration

At the elementary age, it is all about the “we” because children of this age have a strong gregarious nature. They want to do things together and thus group work is an integral part of Montessori elementary classrooms. In the process of working together on projects, elementary students practice important communication skills and learn how to lift each other up in their group work. We want elementary children to know that collaboration will take us further than competition, so we help children learn how to encourage each other in supportive ways.

As they develop these collaborative skills, each individual comes to recognize not only the power of the group, but also what it means to belong to a group in a meaningful way. As children experience themselves as part of a group, they are engaged in important social construction.

Practice Society

This social construction can be seen as the way that elementary-age children begin to practice what it means to create societal structures. In Montessori, we sometimes think about elementary communities as “practice societies”.

It is “practice” because children are engaging in something they haven’t already mastered, which means they aren’t going to be good at it at first! We recognize that children need to work at creating their “practice society” and there will be gradual improvement. This also means that there will be mistakes, including conflict and hurt feelings. In Montessori communities, we have the time and space to support children as they work through this process. We value the importance of this social development!

The word “society” comes from the Latin root for companion. Thus, being in society implies having friendly associations with others. We want elementary children to find joy in associating with each other. During the elementary years, children benefit from real jobs that contribute to their community and begin to appreciate how to make sure everyone gets their needs met collaboratively. So, we support children in this work of forming a society based on joint cooperative work in a positive, productive environment.

Hero Worship

Elementary children look up to power, strength, and beauty in whatever form that occurs. Because they look toward heroes, we use the elementary years to introduce a variety of different types of heroes (even non-human ones!).

In looking toward heroes, children are thinking about how to actualize their own potential. They become very observant of others. They love to research and look into the histories and stories of their heroes. They begin to recognize individual strengths and apply those to their own practice society, community, and family. They even begin to invite each other to work based on their strengths. As a result, individual children begin to feel truly seen. Eventually, they even begin to recognize that the strength of the group is their own strength. Hero worship drives all kinds of prosocial development.

Part of hero worship also involves stepping into leadership roles in the community, which means both learning how to lead and learning how to follow. Rather than just acquiesce, Montessori students develop a joyful obedience. They find joy in belonging to the group and being part of something together.

Building & Solidifying Skills

In the process of working with peers of varying ages, children make connections with different types of people and realize that learning can happen from those who are both older and younger! Through connection and conversation, children practice their patience, listening skills, and communication strategies. As classmates engage collaboratively on both projects and classroom responsibilities, they learn how to work toward one goal, lean into each other’s strengths, prioritize tasks, and organize their time. Part of this happens because in mixed-age elementary classrooms, students don’t have the stress of comparing themselves to peers of the same age. They have space and time to develop their skills, collaborate based on interests, and practice what they have recently mastered.

We see much of this social and emotional growth in how Montessori children interact with people both in school and out in the broader community. Because they have had the experience of adults as partners and allies, we see that Montessori graduates know how to seek help, ask questions, and generally converse with people of all ages.

But don’t just take our word for it! Come visit our school to see how our students are developing and practicing the social-emotional skills that lead to their success as thriving, whole people in the world. Schedule a tour today!

Why Intrinsic Motivation Matters

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 11:00:04 GMT

Think of a time when you did an activity because you wanted to do it–maybe weeding your garden, reading a book, taking a walk, or rearranging your bedroom. Your motivations arose entirely from within you. You likely felt pure joy or satisfaction in the very act of what you were doing. In these activities, you may have also felt a sense of meaning or purpose. Or maybe you felt like you were accomplishing something positive. This is the experience of intrinsic motivation. Stated another way, intrinsic motivation is when we engage in a behavior because it is personally rewarding rather than for an external reward or to avoid punishment.

Now contrast that experience with when you feel like you have to do something. Let’s imagine the same activities, but the impetus for doing them was different: weeding because you were stressed about the neighborhood association expectations, reading an assigned book because you got roped into a book club, taking a walk to keep up with a workplace exercise challenge, or rearranging furniture to make your house more attractive to a potential buyer. When you are motivated by extrinsic factors, rather than those from within, the experience is different.

Why Intrinsic Motivation Matters

In Montessori, we work to help children develop their intrinsic motivation. But why do we care so much about intrinsic motivation?

There are three main elements of intrinsic motivation: being able to act independently, feeling that one’s efforts matter, and developing satisfaction from the experience of mastery. We want our children to have these three experiences as they move through learning and life. When we are intrinsically motivated, we think and act with a sense of our growth potential and how we can have a positive impact on the world.

In Montessori environments, rather than handing out punishments and rewards, we encourage children to find and connect to internal motivations. In doing so, children develop a sense of autonomy, purpose, and mastery, all skills that contribute to high emotional intelligence.

In addition, intrinsic motivation is connected to having a growth mindset. When children have a growth mindset, they understand that they can learn from mistakes and that their abilities can evolve and grow. This leads to a willingness to embrace challenges and to see failure as an opportunity to learn. Some describe this as having cognitive hardiness, which is when we are motivated to work hard, try again, and incorporate new learning when facing challenges.

Extrinsic Motivators are Everywhere

All too often, children have a barrage of extrinsic motivators in their lives: from the seemingly positive external incentives like verbal praise (“good job!”), sticker charts, and grades, to more negative methods like punishments, time outs, and verbal reprimands.

Alfie Kohn, author of Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes , explains how incentives can seem to work in the short run, but that the strategy ultimately fails and can even cause lasting harm.

Research shows that extrinsic motivators work for the short term but that they don’t produce long-term change. For example, Mary Budd Rowe, from the University of Florida, found that students who were generously praised by their teachers responded to questions in an unsure voice, backed off from an idea as soon as an adult disagreed, were less likely to persevere with difficult tasks, and didn’t regularly share ideas with peers. Joan Grusec, from the University of Toronto, discovered that young children who received frequent praise for displays of generosity tended to be slightly less generous on an everyday basis than other children were.

Likely this backsliding happens because every time children hear “good sharing” or “good job” the actions they were doing become something that aren’t important in their own right. Rather their actions become a means to an end: getting praise. The actual value of the action becomes usurped by the adult response. In addition to creating praise junkies, we can actually rob children of the opportunity to have satisfaction and meaning because of what they have done. When we doll out external motivators, we encourage children to look to adults for approval or attention.

Lifelong Benefits

When children are intrinsically motivated, they want to do well because it’s the right thing to do or feels personally satisfying. As a result, they develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments. Furthermore, when facing bad days or setbacks, intrinsically motivated children can persevere. They are able to get back up when they feel knocked down. With this kind of cognitive hardiness, children are able to believe in themselves. They are confident in their abilities. These skills can last a lifetime and help our children find true success in the world.

Curious about what this looks like amongst a community of learners? Come visit the school and see how Montessori children use their intrinsic motivation in powerful ways!

Babies to Toddlers: Communication for Connection

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 11:00:02 GMT

Our ability to communicate through language is a key part of what makes us human. Indeed, it is language that binds together communities and provides the communicative power for people to work together.

As these human connections and civilizations developed, language has played a significant role in how the human mind has developed. This powerful force begins to arise before birth and significantly impacts our developing children.

Prenatal through Birth

In utero, the baby’s auditory system begins working quite early. A 13- to 14-week-old fetus is already listening to sounds. Thus, talking to a baby while in utero is extremely important not only for providing the baby with familiar points of reference after birth but also for providing the unborn baby with the opportunity to develop their auditory skills.

After birth, the newborn is able to recognize the mother’s voice and shows an awareness of human voices over other sounds in the environment. Babies’ brains are designed to not only perceive speech sounds but also to discriminate and categorize many diverse phonemes (individual sounds of speech).

Two to Three Months

During the first two or three months, the baby’s cries are a form of early communication, and biological changes in the baby allow them to begin modulating their sounds. With some physical changes maturing by around three to four months of age, babies engage in lots of experimentation. They will begin cooing and gurgling, which then eventually develops into babbling. They can clearly produce vowels and do so in an almost joyful way!

Thus, as adults in the baby’s life, we should respond to these vocalizations with interest, to begin a back-and-forth dialogue that provides the baby with feedback and engages their interest in communicating more.

Five to Seven Months

Next, the baby will begin to produce consonants and later put together a string of syllables. Between five and seven months, babies begin to play around with sounds. Now they aren’t just expressing their physical and emotional state of being, and instead are experimenting with sequences of all sorts of sounds, including consonants. Between seven and eight months syllables emerge in their babbling and by the end of the first year they will create more variation that starts to mimic sentence format.

As the child discovers their ability to produce sounds, they experiment with various possibilities and joyfully exercise these abilities. They will also begin to notice how certain sounds (like mama) can cause delighted responses in adults.

This give-and-take in communication elucidates another aspect of language development. Not only is the child learning how to produce language through sounds, they are also learning that sounds, especially when put together in certain ways, have meaning. Babies begin to find patterns in the stream of spoken language. By the time babies are nine months old, they are able to do more than just notice sounds; they are able to hear sequences of sounds.

Nine to Twelve Months

From nine to twelve months, babies enter an exciting period of identifying more words in the language stream, wanting to communicate and share, remembering units of sound that form words, and beginning the early stages of actually pronouncing words. As a child enters this time of intentional communication, it is worth noting that their understanding of language is more progressed than their ability to produce language.

In this phase, a child will often use one word over and over, perhaps to communicate different things. This is a critical time. When we respond to a baby or toddler’s intention to communicate, we give a message that legitimizes these attempts to communicate, thereby empowering the child to keep trying. How we respond to an emerging communicator in fact determines how successfully the one-year-old will be able to communicate.

“Babies at nine months whose mothers followed the baby’s lead, who responded to what the baby was interested in, had larger comprehension vocabularies at thirteen months.”— How Babies Talk: The Magic and Mystery of Language in the First Three Years of Life

12 Months and Beyond

The period from 12 to 20 months (about 1 and a half years) is marked by remarkable growth in vocabulary. Although new words seem to accumulate slowly and with effort in the first part of this phase, there reaches a point at the end of this period of growth in which new words emerge daily and effortlessly. This is when children have an explosion in their awareness of and use of nouns, and is a valuable time for the young toddler to be introduced to a meaningful and rich vocabulary.

After a toddler learns about 50 words, there is a tipping point, and their vocabulary development takes flight. After about 20 months (about 1 and a half years), the child experiences an increase of hundreds of new nouns, prepositions, verbs, and adjectives, as well as the use of grammar and parts of speech. The almost two-year-old is learning new words at an astonishing pace: approximately nine new words a day, which is 63 new words per week.

Their use of phrases lengthens and becomes more complex as the child in this phase quickly acquires all the basic rules of syntax. The other remarkable aspect of this language development is that the child is able to understand that a leaf is a general term for a variety of types of leaves, whether maple leaves, willow leaves, oak leaves, etc. As toddlers add words to their vocabularies, they are actively sorting and categorizing the words.

This is when our little ones begin to describe not only their surroundings but also their own emotions and responses to different stimuli. From eighteen to twenty-four months, the toddler uses simple sentences for self-expression. The turning point is when the child is able to refer to themself in the first person, rather than the third person.

With this increased sophistication, the older toddler begins to use language in a more practical and social way. Language is used to accomplish goals and the child becomes more aware of the pragmatic use of language.

This pattern of language development is predictable, although with some typical ranges in terms of the child’s exact age of mastery of each stage. With only a few slight differences based on particular languages, the general pattern of developing language fluency is the same.

Humans are hard-wired to communicate, and thus connect and collaborate. The interactions and support we provide to the child from before birth and through these sensitive first three years are instrumental.

Materials Spotlight: The Interdependencies Cards

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 11:00:02 GMT

In Montessori, we talk a lot about independence. Yet interdependence is another vital aspect of our humanity and a key part of Montessori learning communities.

All of us depend on the help of other people. We are social beings and we evolved to be interdependent with our fellow human beings. None of us exist in isolation.

Interdependence is woven into how our classrooms operate and at the early elementary level we also have a material that provides children with a window into how humans depend upon each other.

The Interdependencies Cards

To introduce this material, we start by gathering a small group of children and ask about a recent meal or their favorite foods. When someone mentions bread, or perhaps the adult offers that they ate toast that morning, we ask where the bread came from. Together the group follows the trail of origin of the food, exploring questions like: And where did the supermarket get the bread? Who baked the bread? From where did the baker get the flour? Finally, the trail leads back to the farmer.

As a group, we marvel at how many people it takes to bring bread to us. If the children are interested, we continue with other food or breakfast items, always arriving at the beginning when the farmer has planted the seeds.

At this point, we often go to the shelf and get the first set of Interdependencies cards.

Where do we get our food from?

These cards provide a physical representation of the group’s discussion of the origin of our food. Because someone bought their bread at the supermarket, we place the “shopkeeper” card. We continue explaining how the shopkeeper bought the bread from the baker, placing the “baker” card to the left of the shopkeeper card. We continue the process until the array is complete: the farmer - the miller - the baker - the shopkeeper.

We comment on how many people are involved in the process before asking another question: How does the miller get wheat from the farmer?

The children discuss and we explore how the farmer needs some way to get the wheat to the miller. Perhaps a truck is used, or maybe a train, but some form of transport is needed. We then place the cards to represent that transportation and repeat for other producers.

Then we suggest thinking about the baker a little more. We explore if the baker needs help and can discuss adding a dough maker, oven tender, and packager around the baker card.

If the baker needs help, then likely the miller, farmer, and even the transporters need help, too! All these people work together to bring us our bread. What would it be like if we had to do it all for ourselves?

These interdependency exercises bring awareness to children in a developmentally appropriate way. Though the materials are quite simple, the children feel great satisfaction from using their reasoning minds to make the chain of production and human work apparent. The cards also help the children order the sequences we discuss.

Production & Exchange

At another time we use other sets of cards to explore what farmers produce, who depends upon the farmer, and who the farmer needs. When children have worked with these different sets of cards and explored the interconnections, we can use the cards to introduce how goods are exchanged among people and how the medium of exchange today is money.

We introduce this concept by thinking about how people generally can’t just trade what they produce. The baker, for example, won’t want shoes every day that the shoemaker needs bread! Thus, people invented money, which is exchanged instead. So, when the shoemaker needs bread, she gives the baker some money, and receives some bread in return!

We continue in this manner, discussing various exchanges and visually representing the connections by drawing colored lines between the different producers to show how there is a complicated network of goods flowing from person to person and of money flowing in exchange.

Additional Services

Once children appreciate this initial introduction to economic exchange, we explore how each of the people on the cards also needs services like police, roads, water supply, garbage collection, libraries, and health services.

We talk about how people got together and decided to 'chip in' to pay for these services. Then in the center of the array of cards, we place a card showing a red bowl. We draw a green line to the bowl card and talk about how each person pays some money to a central collection agency. This money is called 'taxes', and the government uses tax money to provide services.

Young elementary students are often fascinated by this work and like to lay out the cards to show different models. Even older elementary students have ah-ha moments as they begin to understand economic concepts and the idea of what taxes represent. Sometimes children even want to make a set of interdependency cards of their own for some product they choose. At other times children extend the work by organizing Going Out trips to a bakery or a farm.

Although the material we use to highlight interdependencies is relatively simple and seemingly unsophisticated, it is quite important. Plus, elementary children find the work intriguing and love the message the material conveys.

Family-School Partnership

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 11:00:02 GMT

Our children really thrive when home and school environments work cooperatively, communicate well, and share similar educational values and expectations. When families devote sincere effort to learning about Montessori principles and how to reinforce these at home, there are positive effects. We want to partner with you in support of your child!

What does a home-school partnership look like in action?

In order to reinforce and extend your child’s experience at school, we recommend exploring how to support your child’s independence and problem-solving, staying up to date with school-home communication, and learning about positive-based discipline.

Supporting Independence

To support independence, it’s important to remember that even the youngest child can engage in real-life activities around the house. They can help set the table, fold the laundry, feed any pets, and tidy a room. Older children can contribute to home life by participating in household chores such as loading and emptying the dishwasher, putting away groceries, gathering trash/recycling, preparing simple meals, and more elaborate pet care.

In this process, we want to provide children practice with self-care skills. This can range from putting on their own shoes, to picking out their clothes for the next day, to planning and packing their lunches. Providing children with these opportunities builds independence, confidence, and life skills. Even with very young children, the Montessori approach is “help me to do it myself.”

We also want to give our children the opportunity to overcome challenges. They might struggle to get their shoes on at first. Rather than swoop and just quickly do it for them, we can break down the steps and offer some simple verbal guidance: open the velcro first, pull here, open the straps, slide your toes into the shoe, push down, etc. With older children, this scaffolding may take the form of brainstorming how to communicate with friends about a social misunderstanding, or offering to draft an email together to the teacher to share what has been upsetting your child. When we provide support for problem-solving rather than “fixing” a problem, we help our children build self-esteem, their sense of purpose, and the determination to master life skills.

Communication is Key

Although staying up to date with communication seems like a simple step to staying in partnership, lives get so busy! To prioritize our children’s educational experience, we can take some simple steps to make sure we are in alignment and not working at cross purposes.

At the core, we want to maintain respectful, direct, and active communication with each other. This can be as simple as communicating with your child’s teacher in a timely manner about significant changes or events in your child’s life. Life outside of school has an impact on your child’s classroom experience, and communicating with your child’s teacher will allow them to better support your child during times of transition or challenge.

Although conferences offer a lovely opportunity to collaborate, please remember that you don’t have to wait until regularly scheduled conferences! Please share observations and concerns about your child or their classroom experience directly with the child’s lead teacher. Doing so allows the adults at school to be more responsive to your child’s needs in a timely manner. We want to know your thoughts and feelings sooner than later!

Another good step is to familiarize yourself with the handbook each year. It’s easy to think it only requires one read, but it’s worth revisiting the handbook annually to review school policies and remember important procedures and expectations. Similarly, reading communications from the school and classroom is an effective way to stay current about any updates or changes and to build a trusting partnership with your child’s classroom guides.

We want to hear and understand your perspective. We also want to share how we work to uphold the mission and vision of the school and Montessori pedagogy in a way that balances individual needs with community needs. Communication is key!

Practice Positivity

We work hard to model respect and positivity. To support this, we ask that you also model respect for your child. This can take the form of practicing positive discipline (read more about this on the Positive Discipline website).

Practicing positivity can also mean assuming the best intent. For example, if misunderstandings or conflicts arise, either at home or at school, as adults we can demonstrate respect. We can work toward a resolution with graciousness and model being open to hearing another’s perspective. Children are watching and listening. If we speak of community members in positive terms, even if there is a concern or disagreement, our children will learn how to approach potentially tense situations with thought and care.

Thank you for being willing to understand and support the school’s policies, stay in communication, support independence, and serve as a role model for all children. We appreciate it when families are willing to learn about and trust the Montessori model of education. This awareness helps us work together to collaboratively support children’s development most effectively. Children thrive when they experience their home and school environments as being in sync!

Our Gifts to Children

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 23:00:00 GMT

The brain of a young child works differently than the brain of an adult. Sensorial experiences shape children’s brains, forming neurological webs that last throughout their life.

The fact that our interactions with young people help shape their future selves opens up an incredible opportunity. Each experience can be a gift. Often the simplest moments can carry the most meaning.

During the rush of this season, we have the opportunity to slow down and really be present with the young children in our lives. By being open to the wonder and delight our children experience, we gain new perspective while also giving the best gift of all: our total attention.

This may mean taking a deep breath and momentarily turning off the chatter of the to-do list, squatting down to a child’s eye level, smiling, and just listening or seeing what they want to share. A helpful holiday mantra can be: Talk less. Listen more.

In addition to giving our full attention, whether for 20 seconds or 20 minutes, we can also offer to teach a young person a new skill. The key to these teaching moments is to focus on each distinct step so the skill is simple and attainable. Even very young children can be involved with tasks like setting the table, wrapping gifts, and tending to simple household maintenance. They appreciate being involved with routine activities and they want to contribute in a meaningful way.

Dr. Jane Healy, author of numerous books, including Your Child’s Growing Mind , reminds us that children need the opportunity to repeatedly practice activities that seem second nature to adults: “Self-help skills and household jobs are very important for the child to master–help your child, but encourage him to do it himself even if the job isn’t done exactly your way!”

When encouraging or supporting a child in trying a new skill or participating in a new task, be sure to take the child’s perspective into account. Showing how to do something is often the most effective and verbalized instructions can be kept to a minimum. In fact, it is best to not talk while showing something and to not show something while talking! This allows the child to focus on absorbing one kind of sensory input, thus keeping the information clear in their mind.

These kinds of ordered and clear experiences are key to a child’s development. “Impressions do not merely enter his mind; they form it,” explained Dr. Maria Montessori, a physician turned educator who spent intensive time observing children, making scientific notes, and thus coming to an enlightened understanding of childhood development.

Dr. Montessori observed how children respond positively to organization, both in terms of expected routines and physical space. Current research, such as that comparing the HOME inventory (Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment) to longitudinal information collected in the Bayley Mental Development Inventory, shows that organized environments lead to higher intelligence scores.*

We all know that the holiday season throws our routines and even our physical settings a bit askew. With this in mind, children benefit greatly from adults in their lives maintaining a calm sense of order during this busy time.

In order to create a calm, ordered environment, we ourselves need to have balance and clarity in our own lives! Staying present in the moment, breathing deeply, and ultimately taking care of our own needs allows us to offer our best selves to the children around us.

What we offer to our children, in terms of our presence, special activities, or toys, can provide opportunities to aid their development. During this time of gift-giving, for example, we can provide objects that have an intelligent purpose and help children contribute in a meaningful way to the order around them. Child-sized, yet real, items are particularly valuable: cooking tools, building tools, yard tools, and even mops and brooms.

Children don’t stay young for long, and the early years are extremely formative. In her book, Understanding the Human Being: The Importance of the First Three Years of Life , Silvana Quattrocchi Montanaro explains the significance of a young child’s experiences: “Everything that comes from the environment is received, processed and stored in the brain cells with no effort using a form of unconscious absorption. This intense mental activity is always going on, even in prenatal life, and it characterizes ‘the absorbent mind’.”

For those interested in learning more about optimal environments for these “absorbent minds,” schedule a visit to our school. We can share more about setting up home environments that best support child development and show how our learning environments are specifically designed for neurological growth.

Knowing that the young children around us are absorbing everything about their surroundings, this season let’s give them our attention, meaningful ways to contribute to daily tasks, and a calm, ordered environment. As a result, we’re helping some remarkable young people as they develop into capable, caring young adults.

*For more information on this research, check out the book, Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius by Angeline Stoll Lillard.

The Stereognostic Sense

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 23:00:00 GMT

In Montessori toddler and primary classrooms, we offer specially designed materials to help young children refine their senses. In addition to the five senses—tactile (touch), visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), olfactory (smell), and gustatory (taste)—we also support children’s stereognostic sense.

What is the stereognostic sense?

The word stereognostic comes from the Greek words “stereo” which means “around” and “gnosis” which means “to know.” Having a stereognostic sense means being able to identify the shape and form of a three-dimensional object, and therefore its identity, through tactile manipulation without any visual or auditory input.

“They are very proud of seeing without eyes, holding out their hands and crying, ‘Here are my eyes!’ ‘I can see with my hands!’”

– Dr. Maria Montessori, The Montessori Method

Children develop a mental picture of an object through the use of touch and movement. This tactile and muscular experience allows them to recognize an object by feeling and palpating without seeing or hearing the object. Everything we touch helps form a memory.

Young children are absorbing everything, so the more experiences they have with objects and parts of their environment, the more accurate their perceptions will be. Thus, the combination of language (naming objects), the tactile experience, and muscular memory provides children with a more complete and precise understanding of the world.

Mystery (or Stereognostic) Bags

In our toddler and primary classrooms, we have special “mystery bags” or “stereognostic bags” to support the development of children’s stereognostic sense. These drawstring bags contain objects children have already encountered in their environment. We make sure children know the names of the objects, too.

The first bag we introduce has a set of four to six objects that belong to a classified group, such as kitchen utensils, art supplies, bathroom items, etc. These are real items that children have used in their lives.

The next bag has four to six general objects that are not grouped in any category (e.g. a comb, rock, sponge, funnel, cloth, etc.).

The third bag has three to four pairs of objects that are very different from each other.

The Experience

When we introduce each of these bags, we first show how to carry the bag and invite the child to take the bag to a table. We then carefully demonstrate how to open and close the bag and give the child a turn to try opening and closing. Next, we peek inside the bag and remove one item at a time, naming each object as we remove it from the bag and place it on the table. We also give the child a turn to feel each item. When all the objects are removed from the bag and lined up on the table, we name one and invite the child to place it in the bag. We repeat this until all the objects are back in the bag.

Then the fun begins! We explain that we are going to reach into the bag to find an item. Putting both hands into the bag (and without looking in the bag) we feel around and grasp an object. With some enthusiasm, we say the item’s name before we remove the item. Then we take the item out of the bag and show it to the child. Often the child watching takes great delight in the fact that we were able to name the object before seeing it. We repeat with the other items and

then invite the child to try. When using the bag with the paired objects, the only difference is that we select one item, name it, remove it from the bag, and then try to feel for the matching item.

We regularly rotate the items in the bags so children have lots of opportunities to feel for what is in these “mystery bags”. Children find the experience to be absolutely delightful!

The best part is that when children try to recognize an object through touch alone, their brain receives the sensorial input and then forms a three-dimensional image that provides a more complete understanding and precise perception of the object.

“When the hand and arm are moved about an object, an impression of movement is added to that touch. Such an impression is attributed to a special, sixth sense, which is called a muscular sense, and which permits many impressions to be stored in a ‘muscular memory,’ which recalls movements that have been made.”

– Dr. Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child

The stereognostic bags are just one example of the many carefully designed materials we introduce in Montessori classrooms.

The Origins of Language

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 23:00:00 GMT

Dr. Maria Montessori felt that in order to support children’s development of language, we first need to appreciate the evolution of language. In fact, the language today’s children use is a culmination of language evolution from the dawn of humans.

Languages have expanded and grown to match the complexity of our cultures. Because language is changing and evolving, children create their language as it exists in their environment. Although a child born thousands of years ago had no less potential for developing language than a child today, our languages have grown in fullness and complexity.

Evolution of Spoken Language

Although we don’t have any records documenting the beginning of spoken language, we can imagine that certain experiences or events drove humans to produce different sounds. Over time these utterances likely became internalized and came to represent an experience.

Language is necessary for humans to work together cooperatively. In his memoir, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood , Trevor Noah relates his experience growing up in South Africa, where there are at least thirty-five indigenous languages, eleven of which are official languages. As someone who speaks seven different languages, Noah experienced first-hand how language can bridge divides: “Language, even more than color, defines who you are to people.”

Early humans developed language as a means of communication, but humans were isolated into small tribes or clans. Each group developed their own agreed upon communications. As populations increased and migration happened, communities came into contact. Some words got shared. Some new words were created. Etymology gives us the histories of the roots of words, and as such, historians can study the evolution of language and human migration through words and their roots.

The vocabulary of any language is related to the culture of that community. For instance, the Eskimo language has 27 different words for snow, while Hawaiians have no words for snow. Languages constantly evolve as new experiences emerge in our culture. Currently, we can see this in how words are added or removed from the dictionary. A couple of decades ago, for example, “Google” was not a verb!

Primitive spoken languages were primarily nouns interspersed with some adjectives, verbs, prepositions, and conjunctions. Primitive languages actually sounded a lot like how young children speak. As cultures evolved and became more complex, languages evolved their own vocabulary, grammar, and syntax.

Evolution of Written Language

At some point, humans also developed symbolic language as a way to record their thoughts. These records began as pictures, such as the cave paintings that date from over 30,000 years ago. In the beginning, the pictures were realistic and over time became more symbolic, moving from pictograph alphabets to phonetic alphabets. With a phonetic alphabet containing a limited number of symbols, people could begin to create any word. The birth of the alphabet greatly simplified the writing system. As civilizations evolved, expanded, and became more sophisticated, the expansion of language in written form became more universal.

The roots of modern American English reflect the diversity of the culture. While the English language originated in Britain, the Romans added a Latin influence and the French Saxons and Anglos added their own influences. As colonists came to America from different countries, they brought their language to a place where the Native Americans had their own languages. All of these influences were incorporated into American English.

This diverse history of the language is what makes it complicated and full of exceptions. Some words retained their original spelling while others were adapted and modified. This varied origin story explains why we can have a sound represented in so many different ways. Just think about the sound “sh” which can be represented in: shock, sugar, emotion, charade, social, and tissue.

Once humans developed a writing system as a way of recording thoughts, another skill had to be acquired — reading. If writing is recording our thoughts, reading is interpreting the thoughts of others.

Development of Language

Just as the evolution of writing and reading happened with humans, there is just as much magic, mystery, and power that happens when each child learns to read. In our prepared environments, we offer children the keys to their language because we have a deep appreciation for the origins of language itself. By understanding the history of language, we can better appreciate what children are accomplishing when they acquire these skills.

Our exercises for language are not designed to teach language directly, but to offer support to children’s developing personalities. The method we use in our classrooms evolved from Dr. Montessori’s discoveries about how children learn. What resulted is a revolutionary method that is in harmony with the child’s developmental needs. Children can learn to write and read without even realizing that it is happening.

Collaborative Problem Solving

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 23:00:00 GMT

Often when we get upset with our children, the first thing we want to do is solve the problem. Tell them what needs to happen. Take control. Sometimes even become a bit dictatorial!

In those times of frustration or anger, our rational thinking tends to take a back seat to our emotions. We forget what might be happening in our children's internal (and sometimes external) lives. We rush ahead instead of taking the time to help guide our children.

Yet our children look to us for assistance and support. When our children are struggling, they need us to show compassion, patience, and empathy.

Changing Our Perspective

Dr. Ross Greene, a clinical psychologist and author of Raising Human Beings , among other publications, makes an impassioned plea on his website, Lives in the Balance , asking adults to recast how we think about challenging behavior. When children are behaving in challenging ways, Dr. Greene explains, it is "because they're lacking the skills not to be challenging. If they had the skills, they wouldn't be challenging.”

Dr. Greene also emphasizes two vital themes to better support our children. "Kids do well if they can," he states, and, "Doing well is always preferable to not doing well.”

If we wholeheartedly embrace the fact that our children want to do well if they can, we can take what Dr. Greene calls a “dramatic departure from the view of challenging kids as attention-seeking, manipulative, coercive, limit-testing, and poorly motivated. It’s a completely different set of lenses, supported by research in neurosciences over the past 30 to 40 years, and it has dramatic implications for how caregivers go about helping such kids.”

How can we help?

It's worth noting that all children at some point demonstrate challenging behaviors. So how do we, as adults and caregivers, help children with these challenges?

The first step is to think about what difficulty a child is facing. The challenging behavior arises because of a difficulty. Listing specific difficulties helps us shift our thinking away from the behaviors that can cause us frustration.

Next, at a time when the behavior isn’t happening, we can find a time to connect and make sure it's a good time to talk. At that point, we can state what we've observed: "I've noticed it's been difficult for you to finish breakfast before we need to leave for school.”

The Empathy Step

Then (and this is key) we ask, “What’s up?” or “What’s going on?”

This statement of a non-judgmental observation, and then an invitation to share, initiates what Dr. Greene calls the Empathy Step. The Empathy Step is an information-gathering process in which we really try to understand the child's perspective and experience. We listen without reacting and ask questions or reflect back answers in order to peel back the layers of what is really going on for the child in those moments of challenge.

During this time of reflective listening and questioning, it's essential that our child is heard, really heard. All too often, we try to jump in too quickly with advice or solutions, without giving enough time and space for our young person to share valuable perspectives and insights. Just this process of listening can be incredibly healing. If a child isn't used to us really listening, or we aren't used to asking questions rather than offering solutions, check out this cheat sheet for how to get to the heart of the matter.

Assuming our child has been able to share what's really going on in those moments of challenge, we summarize what is distressing to them and share our own concern. For example, "I understand, and my concern is that I feel stressed and anxious when we are rushing to get out the door in the morning." We then invite our child to work together with us to find a solution that can meet everyone's needs.

Being Heard and Validated

When using this process with children, it’s often the case that we sometimes don’t even get to the last steps of stating a concern and initiating a collaborative problem-solving process. Sometimes it makes sense to listen to what our child has to share about what is going on and then let that really settle. Sometimes just the process of being heard is significant enough for shifts to occur for our child, as being heard helps them feel validated.

In those moments of frustration or upset, let's try to slow ourselves down and remember that the child in front of us wants to do well. Our job can be to listen and empathize. And in doing so, we can support that young person in solving problems, learning new skills, and becoming a more whole human being.

Please schedule a tour to come visit our school and see how collaborative problem-solving works with children. We’ve found that it can also be helpful in our interactions with adults, too!

Halloween, Montessori-Style

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:00:04 GMT

Whether we are excited about the delights of Halloween or reluctant to face the excess of sweets, the holiday is upon us! In Montessori, we try to approach holidays as an opportunity to learn more about culture, which includes understanding the history as well as related traditions. As with other aspects of culture, we also think about how to give and show respect in a way that is developmentally appropriate. Above all, we keep in mind what makes sense for each child.

Teach the History

How did Halloween begin? This is an excellent time to explore the origin of Halloween with your child. Young children appreciate a very simple explanation that is linked to the rhythm of the year. For example: “Around this time, when the nights are getting longer and darker, different cultures have different ways of marking this shift from summer into winter. In our culture, one way people have celebrated the change of seasons is by dressing up and visiting neighbors.”

With older children, it’s fun to do a little research together into Halloween’s ancient Celtic origins. Telling a little teaser story can spark some interest in learning more. For example: “Did you know that Halloween began over 2,000 years ago? It wasn’t called Halloween then, though. Its name was Samhain (pronounced ‘sow-in’), which means ‘summer’s end.’ Back then winter was a dangerous time, so people got together to face some of the superstitions and fears, and also to play games and eat together before winter began. Let’s see what else we can discover about this celebration and traditions over time!”

If you are interested in learning more with your children, here are some helpful links for collaborative research:

The Origins of Halloween Traditions

This History of Halloween for Kids

Halloween History for Kids: Six Facts They Should Know

Practice Grace & Courtesy

It’s not often that we march up to multiple houses and demand treats! As such, we want to be thoughtful about how we introduce the practice of trick-or-treating to our children, uphold our family values, and model showing manners while having fun.

Young children will likely benefit from some demonstration before they jump into the experience. Role-playing with a family member, friend, or neighbor can set children up for success before they are in the awkward situation of standing before a stranger uncertain about what to do (or not do).

With older children (and their friends if they are trick-or-treating as a group), it’s also helpful to collaboratively review expectations such as walking on people’s sidewalks rather than marching through yards, only approaching houses with porch lights on, the protocol for knocking and/or ringing the doorbell, how to politely respond or engage when someone comes to the door, and what to say as you leave (e.g. “thank you” or “Happy Halloween!”). In addition, Halloween is an excellent time to review road safety around crossing the street and checking for cars.

Remember Developmental Appropriateness

Our young children are still distinguishing between what is real and what isn’t. As such, Halloween can be an exciting and yet sometimes disorienting time. Our language can help. Just like with toddlers when we say, “This is a picture of a giraffe” rather than “This is a giraffe” when we present a language card with a giraffe image, during Halloween festivities, we can be specific about how we talk about people in costumes or even decorations. For example, we might say, “Oh look, there is a person dressed up in a witch costume!” rather than “There is a witch!” Or we might offer some explanation if our children are hesitant, “Those bat and spider figurines hanging on the porch look so real, but when I look more closely I see how they are made of plastic. Can you see that, too?”

If fears do arise, acknowledge your child’s feelings, let them know it’s okay to feel scared, and make sure they feel heard and supported. The last thing we want to do is minimize our children’s fears. Sometimes this means making some modifications to the Halloween plans. Ultimately, we want to make sure the festivities are fun for our children. This might mean considering other options, like decorating pumpkins versus dressing up like zombies. Low-key or autumn-themed activities might be best if children are feeling anxious or fearful.

However your family chooses to celebrate the season, remember we have an opportunity to model respect and thoughtfulness, as well as the importance of having some fun! Let us know what you love to do this time of year.

Materials Spotlight: The Color Tablets

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 11:00:00 GMT

Young children are constantly absorbing information about the world around them! Some of it is very concrete, while some is abstract.

Color as an Abstraction

Think about the color red. Red as a quality does not exist in nature. Red can be represented in physical things, but you can’t bring “red” to another person. We can find a red apple, a red street sign, a red flower, but we can’t find just red. Red is an abstraction.

In Montessori environments, we are mindful of how we introduce young children to these kinds of abstractions. We try to represent the intangible quality in a physical form and to isolate it so that children can really focus on the quality and the language connected to that attribute. Every variable is held constant except for the one characteristic to experience and explore. We do this to give children the clearest, most precise images we can.

These materials that we use to introduce the abstract concept of color are called the color tablets because each color is represented on a tablet. The tablet with red looks exactly like every other tablet in our color box, except for its color. Each tablet has the same size, weight, and shape. The only variation is the color. This materialized abstraction allows us to put “red” in the child’s hands to experience and explore. The Montessori color tablets are organized into three boxes.

First Color Tablet Box

The first color tablet box is composed of three pairs of color tablets: red, blue, and yellow. These primary colors represent the extremes of color. With this first box we awaken children’s sensory awareness by introducing how to pair the matching color tablets. There are two of each variable and children find their mates. Cognitively it is easier for children to notice sameness than difference.

In this first stage, we also demonstrate how to handle the material and how to experience the sense. If a child can’t distinguish the extremes of the set, we get important information about their sensorial perception. Sometimes the child isn’t successful at this first stage because they aren’t yet comprehending the concept of sameness. Thus we must be very careful to let children know how we are pairing the items by finding the matching tablet that looks exactly like the one we have selected first. This isn’t just random pairing, but rather is based upon a specific perception. Often children don’t spend too long with this first box of color tablets, although some young children will be drawn to the simple beauty of the three primary colors.

Second Color Tablet Box

With color box two, the focus is still on finding similarities, however, there are more variables. For example, color box two has primary colors and secondary colors, as well as brown, gray, black, and white. This adds more variables for children to search through to find the match and thus requires them to use a finer level of discrimination. When we add more variables, the differences between them become smaller and not as extreme. This challenges children’s exactness and precision.

Third Color Tablet Box

The third box of color tablets is divided into seven or eight compartments each with a gradation of one color from dark to light. Children begin using this box when they have been successful pairing with more variables because grading by shade requires a higher level of discriminating difference. The child’s attention has to be focused on a slight unit of difference. Is the blue just lighter than the last shade of blue? This is cognitively much harder!

Just these three steps are not enough to ensure the maximum amount of depth of experience with the materials. Thus, we extend work with the color boxes by offering language and memory games.

Language Extensions

After children have some experience with the material and we observe that they are successful in consistently pairing two colors together, we offer children language to accompany the abstraction. Language fixes the sensorial quality in their minds and aids memory and recall. We don’t want to give language to images that are not clear, because that confuses children. When children are successful pairing colors, we offer the names of the colors. Then when children are successful in grading the shades of a color, we offer the comparative terms (darker than, lighter than) and superlative expressions (darkest red, lightest red).

Memory Games

Memory games help children discover sensorial qualities in the world around them. In the first memory game, children put one set of the paired color tablets in one location and the second set in random order somewhere else in the room. The trick is to have the second location be just far enough away so as to allow enough time for children to retain a memory of the color. To play the game, children place a “memory marker” next to one of the color tablets lined up in the first location. They then hold that color, such as “red”, in mind and walk to the second location. There they find the red tablet and bring it back to place it by its mate. Children then move the memory marker to another color tablet and continue.

When children are successful with this, they can try a harder variation of this game in which they use a tray to place the second set of color tablets in scattered locations around the room. When children go to find the matching color tablet, they must retain the impression in their memory for a longer time and not be distracted by the other things they see as they walk around the room.

Children can also play a game of matching each color tablet to a material in the classroom. For this game, children use the memory marker to indicate which color tablet they are using. They then study the color tablet, leave it on the rug or table, and then search the environment for an object that has the same exact shade of the color. When they find the object, they bring it back and place it next to the selected color tablet.

Keys to the World

If we think about the world of color, we realize there are an infinite number of colors, shades, etc. We don’t give children every color of the world. We give the keys: the primary colors, then the secondary colors, then black and white, and a few other colors. Every other color is made from those keys!

The color tablets are one of the more lovely and inviting materials we use in the Primary classrooms.

Our Montessori Bookshelf: Captivating Chemistry

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 11:00:02 GMT

In Montessori classrooms, elementary students are able to study every fascinating thing under the sun (and beyond!). Montessori children are exploring the world, not the inside of a textbook.

That being said, there is structure to the Montessori learning environments as we provide the room for young people to explore threads and interconnections as they consume everything they can about the universe. In this quest to understand the physical world (past and present), children find themselves in the realms of astronomy, physics, meteorology, geology, and chemistry.

We thought we’d share some of our favorite books that support children’s fascination with the chemical world. While most of these books are most appropriate for elementary ages and up, younger children might also enjoy a few of them.

Chemistry for Curious Kids: An Illustrated Introduction to Atoms, Elements, Chemical Reactions, and More!

By Lynn Huggins-Cooper, Illustrated by Alex Foster

This is a helpful reference book for children who are just starting their foray into chemistry, as well as those who are further along in their understanding. Although the book is organized into chapters–States of Matter, Chemical Building Blocks, The Chemistry of Life, the Periodic Table, In the Lab, and Chemicals All Around Us–it’s quite easy to flip to different pages and peruse what draws your interest. The pages are chock-full of beautiful, colorful illustrations that draw attention to key concepts and the easy-to-access texts makes even dense information understandable.

Every Day, Chemistry

By Julia Sooy, Illustrated by Bonnie Pang

This picture book takes us on a little journey through a child’s day and how chemistry is part of just about everything we do. Younger children will enjoy this book’s engaging illustrations, while also taking in foundational information that will inform their elementary years. Older children can benefit from the big picture context of how chemistry doesn’t just happen in a laboratory, and is rather an essential aspect of life. The last few pages of the book provide some easy to access explanations about the difference between chemical reactions and physical changes.

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Elements: The Powers, Uses, and Histories of Every Atom in the Universe

By Lisa Congdon

After some introductory pages, this book dives into a visually appealing investigation into each element on the periodic table. The simple yet powerful illustrations accompany fascinating descriptions for hydrogen through fermium. Accentuated with little standout tidbits–like the element category, year discovered, who discovered by, and fun facts–the information is clear and easy-to-read and includes amazing historical details. Young researchers will love this book!

The Kitchen Pantry Scientist: Chemistry for Kids: Homemade Science Experiments and Activities Inspired by Awesome Chemists, Past and Present

By Liz Lee Heinecke

More than just a random collection of science experiments, this book offers a thoughtful expedition through time, highlighting 25 chemists from ancient history through today. Moving in historical order, each overview of a chemist is accompanied by a lush illustration and fascinating facts, as well as a step-by-step way to have a hands-on experience with the concept or their work. This book is a must have for kids who both love history and science!

The Usborne Illustrated Dictionary of Chemistry

By Jane Wertheim

This reference book is jam-packed with information and illustrations. For those who want to keep digging into the details, the bottom of each page references which pages to go to for more details about a term or concept. This higher-level reference book will definitely appeal to visual learners and provides excellent review or jumping off points for further research.

Women in Chemistry

By Mary Wissinger, Illustrated by Danielle Pioli

We want our children to ask questions about this world, and this book encourages just that! A girl’s question, “What is the world made of?” takes us along a path of inquiry that artfully weaves in women’s contributions to chemistry, foundational information about matter to ribosomes, and ultimately the power of curiosity. This book not only serves as an excellent introduction to chemistry, but also a way to center female scientists!

You can click here to download a printable booklist . If you explore any of these books with your children, let us know what you think! We also invite you to schedule a tour to see how children at our school learn about advanced concepts in a way that appeals to their interests and curiosity.

Honoring Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 11:00:00 GMT

Hopefully, we have all been hearing and sharing more Land Acknowledgements, which recognize and honor the Indigenous Peoples who are the original stewards of the lands on which we now live. Acknowledging the land we occupy is by itself a small gesture. Yet this first step of showing respect and support can become more meaningful when coupled with informed action, authentic relationships, and work toward reconciliation.

To help ourselves and our children become more aware, informed, and accountable, we can start by sharing stories about the present-day life and culture of Native Peoples, celebrating indigenous activism, and learning about the history of the people whose land we live on.

All too often our children have unconsciously absorbed harmful stereotypes about Indigenous Peoples or that Native Americans only existed in our country’s past. Thus, we need to be very intentional about providing current, accurate, and respectful information on Indigenous Peoples’ Day and throughout the year.

Show Representation

Mainstream culture often presents native peoples as fierce, war-like, and to be feared, or sometimes in a more romanticized, puristic way. Children absorb these kinds of stereotypes through sports mascots, books, movies, and even place names. Non-native authors sometimes also unintentionally reinforce stereotypes or conflate different tribes’ cultures and histories.

Countering these messages takes conscious work.

An easy way to begin is by infusing our home and school libraries with books that show native people living in our current time period. Young children cannot distinguish between the past and the present and showing Native Peoples in current day settings disrupts the false narrative that Native Americans are a “people of the past.” One of the best sources we’ve found is Rebekah Gienapp’s list of indigenous children’s books.

In addition to reading stories and sharing books with more accurate representation, we can also incorporate books, art, and music created by American Indians. If you’d like some sources to help begin this journey, check out:

Native American Musicians We Should Know

Embracing Contemporary Native American Art as Contemporary Art

Why Study Native American Literature

Project 562: A multi-year national photography project dedicated to photographing over 562 federally recognized Tribes, urban Native communities, Tribes fighting for federal recognition, and Indigenous role models

Meet Indigenous Speakers and Learn How They’re Keeping Their Languages Alive

Through their own words, music, performance, and advocacy, Native American and Indigenous artists share important insights into their hopes, fears, traditions, and stories. In the process of taking in more respectful representation, our young people can offer more acceptance and experience more genuine appreciation.

Focus on Your Community

We can also accompany our children on a journey of learning about the original people who lived on the land we now occupy. This investigation is most suitable for children as they enter their elementary years, as it means digging into some history. In this process, we can help our children appreciate how there are multitudes of Native American nations and that each has their own language, culture, history, and traditions. As we learn about the Native Peoples of our place, we can then be more specific as we talk about native culture. For example, “This book is about the Mohican people.”

An amazing interactive resource that can help children also appreciate geography through a cultural lens is the Native Land Digital map: https://native-land.ca/ . Because the map does not show political boundaries, children can visually discover some of the fluidity of native territories and languages. The site also provides links to local Native American nations for more information.

Celebrate Activism

As we learn more about and honor our Native Peoples, it’s important that we and our children are also aware of indigenous struggles and victories. We can start by introducing one of the many movements for native rights . We can also find local events that feature Native Peoples and then ideally support those events that give back to the Indigenous community.

As we learn with our children, we can also explore ideas for making reparations. The Land You Live On: An Education Guide by Native Land recommends first honoring a nation by taking the time to learn how to pronounce a nation’s name correctly. Three options listed in The Land You Live On are:

Respectfully ask someone from the nation.
Check the nation’s website for a phonetic pronunciation on their “About” page, an audio recording of their name, or videos that include people saying the nation’s name.
Call the nation after hours and listen to their voicemail recording.

The Native Land Education Guide also encourages thoughtful reflection in order to make Land Acknowledgements more meaningful. Helpful questions provided include:

Why is this acknowledgment happening?
How does this acknowledgment relate to the event or work you are doing?
What is the history of this territory? What are the impacts of colonialism here?
What is your relationship to this territory?
How did you come to be here?
What intentions do you have to disrupt and dismantle colonialism beyond this territory acknowledgment?

On this Indigenous Peoples’ Day, let’s commit to having a greater consciousness and disrupting false narratives throughout the year. In this process, we can help our young people feel more empowered to provide support and take action!

The Power of Three

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 11:00:02 GMT

In Montessori, the number three shows up a lot! We have the three-hour work cycle, three-year age spans, the three-period lesson, and the three-stage learning cycle. While there is considerable spiritual significance to the number three throughout human history, in a Montessori context, the importance of these threes is grounded in scientific observation of human development, characteristics and needs during different stages of growth, and how our brains synthesize information.

Three-Period Lesson

The three-period lesson model came from Édouard Séguin (1812-1880), a physician and educator known for his work with children with disabilities. Séguin used the three-period lesson to help children make an association between an object and its corresponding term.

The three-period lesson captivates young children and rouses interest. Dr. Maria Montessori began to use three-period lessons to help young children connect language to the perception of an idea, and ultimately create a permanent acquisition in their memory. There are three discrete stages to this approach.

The First Period: Naming

This first stage of the lesson is when we introduce vocabulary and help children make the connection between their experience and the language. In this first stage, we want to isolate both children’s impressions and the matching word.

At the infant and toddler level, we start with real objects or small replicas. With young children, we have about four objects in a basket. We pick up one object and name it. We then allow a child to have a turn feeling the object and having their own sensorial experience of the item. In the process, the child brings together the name and their sensorial experience. We continue this with each object, saying the name multiple times. For example, “This is the _____. You can feel the _____. You can place the ____ here.”

We also use a similar process for introducing vocabulary through language cards which have a picture of one isolated object on the card.

As children get a little older, we start introducing language for more abstract concepts. For example, if we are introducing tactile experiences, we offer children two different tablets that are identical except for one feature: one has rough sandpaper on it and the other has smooth paper. We feel the rough tablet and say: “It is rough.” Then the child feels the rough tablet. We repeat the same process for the smooth tablet.

The Second Period: Recognizing

This is the longest part of the lesson because we want children to have many experiences with the object or quality and its name. We rearrange the objects or cards and then ask children to place them in different locations or to point to a particular one. We might ask, “Which is rough?” Or say, “Place the _____ on my hand. Place the ______ here.”

We approach this second stage in a playful, game-like way although the goal is to cement the concept in children’s memory. If children make a mistake, we do not correct. Instead, we merely reinforce the correct vocabulary: “You handed me the picture of the cheetah.”

The Third Period: Remembering or Recall

We ask children aged three and older to recall the name that corresponds to the object by isolating the object or image and asking for its name: “What is this?" If children aren’t able to remember, we just try the three-period lesson again on another day.

We don’t use this third stage with children younger than age three because they might not yet be ready to produce the sound. Plus, this request for recall isn’t a great idea to use with children when they are in their oppositional stage (around age two)!

The Elementary Years

Elementary-aged children engage with new material in a similar, yet more sophisticated way. The learning process echoes the three-period lesson but isn’t exactly the same.

The first period involves a presentation by the adult, which can include the great stories, impressionistic charts, materials, experiments, and demonstrations. The focus is on introducing specific concepts, activating student interest, and providing a big-picture view before going into specific details. Rather than being vocabulary-based as with younger children, these lessons are intended to introduce elementary students to the wonder of the universe. In this first period, the adult gives only what is absolutely necessary for the lesson, so the students can move into their own exploration.

The second period is the longest part of the learning activity and is an exploratory phase of learning when students freely choose follow-up work. We want to see how far children can go with what they have learned, so the second period offers repetition with variation and encourages extension and elaboration of original concepts. Once they have done extensive work, students have reached the third period.

During the third period, the adults are discreetly and indirectly assessing children’s learning. Through conversation and observation, adults can see if the students can recognize the concept and perhaps apply it to a new or novel situation. Unlike with younger children, there is no expectation for students to perform or produce evidence of their learning. The onus is on the adult to observe and gather data that will help direct future lessons and even re-presentations.

In Adolescence

A similar learning cycle also exists in the Montessori adolescent community as a way to support learning, development, and self-creation for teens.

Similar to what happens in elementary, this first stage is a lesson or experience offered by an adult. It is an invitation to work and contribute to community needs by addressing a specific, concrete issue. In the first stage, adults can also elicit student input by asking adolescents for options and choices about the work they want to do and how they want to do that work.

During the second stage, students engaged in freely chosen work that is activated by interest or a recognition of a need in the community. The adults are there for guidance as adolescents work with skills and ideas and begin to consolidate them. This stage can include research, experimentation, inquiry, data collection, discussions to enhance collective understanding, physical and practical work to accomplish a task, and consultation with experts. Throughout the second stage, the adults are looking for what draws students into the task, what keeps them working, and what drives their contribution to produce, think, and question.

In the third stage, adolescents can offer what they learned by giving back to their community. Unlike in the elementary years when the adults are discretely observing for understanding, now there is an expectation that adolescents can produce a product at the end of their work. This sharing of knowledge and understanding is both a consolidation of concepts and skills, and a way to acknowledge that the work exists within the context of community. Products of the third stage can include a demonstration, publication, or implementation.

While these three stages take on slightly different forms from infancy through adolescence, the goal is the same: to effectively support young people as they integrate their learning.

Family Challenge: Support Young Lunch Packers!

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 11:00:03 GMT

At the start of this new school year, we’ve been thinking about how to offer ideas for integrating Montessori learning at home. With this in mind, we'd like to present you with a family challenge. You can think of this challenge as your homework. Even though we don’t really assign homework in Montessori, we do like to collaborate to help children develop their skills and confidence!

Children in Montessori settings do a lot of food preparation. Food preparation is a big part of their practical life experience at school and a big part of becoming functionally independent in the world. So, our challenge is this: Rather than taking on the sole responsibility of preparing lunches for our children, let's make a commitment to move toward helping our children become their own lunch packers!

Seems Daunting?

Maybe you already have a quick and easy routine for packing lunches. Or maybe it feels a little bit like a drag you stumble through every day. Regardless, preparing lunch is a part of our daily lives. Many of us try to fine-tune lunch packing to make it as efficient and painless as possible. The thought of including our children in that process may at first seem completely overwhelming and impossible.

We recognize the challenge may feel uncomfortable, but bear with us! Not only does helping our children learn how to pack their own lunches help prepare them for important life skills, it also supports their Montessori experience in a pretty significant way. Plus, all too often we see children open up their lunch at school and complain that the food is something they don’t like or want. The side benefit of having children be part of the process is that they have some responsibility and accountability for what they bring. If it's food they helped choose, prepare, and/or pack, they know what they have!

Let’s break down the steps for supporting children as they learn how to prepare their food, pack their lunch, or even just be part of even putting items in their lunch bag or box. Keep in mind that this family “homework” challenge can even start with toddlers!

Shop Together

A wonderful way to enlist children’s involvement is by including them in some part of the shopping experience. Young children can be part of selecting certain food options off the shelf and putting them in the cart. Older children can help make a grocery list, figure out the cost of different items, and keep track of what is needed while in the store. Even a little bit of involvement in picking out lunch food options helps children have a sense of ownership and control.

Choice within Limits

In order to have a balance between wants and needs, it’s worth also weaving in some conversation about balancing different food groups and having plenty of healthy options. Some families have success with collaboratively creating a list of different choices within each food group. Decide as a family what you prioritize then list various options from food groups (e.g. grains, vegetables, fruit, dairy, and protein). It can help to create a visual guide so even young children can see what their choices are when thinking about what to plan for and purchase.

Accessibility

After coming home from the grocery store, children can be part of putting away the items they will be using to prepare and pack their lunches. Accessibility is key. Having a designated spot for lunch foods helps with the packing process. Low cabinet shelves or even low drawers work well. If possible, also find an easy-to-reach space in the refrigerator for perishable items.

It can help to have clear containers so children can easily see their options. For example, after purchasing grapes, children can help wash them, remove the grapes from their stems, and then place the ready-to-eat grapes in a glass or plastic container to store in the refrigerator. Similarly, carrots can be washed, cut, and stored in water in a see-through container. If this system works for your family, even non-perishable items, like crackers, can be removed from their packaging and placed in a clear storage container with other accessible lunch foods.

Easy to Make & Easy to Eat

Young children tend to love having small portions with lots of variety. So when preparing food, think about how children can help with this step. They might like to help cut a sandwich into mini-sandwiches, peel and section a clementine, or slice some cucumbers. With a variety of different choices, children can try combining foods in different ways. They might like to sample a piece of cheese with their apple slice or see how cream cheese tastes on a cracker. Older children can create their own wraps, roll-ups, or sandwiches or choose some dinner leftovers to put into containers for the next day’s lunch.

When children are part of preparing food, there can be some mess involved. It’s good to allow a little time and space for spills to happen. We can show children how to clean up after themselves, while also remembering that the youngest children won’t necessarily be able to clean it all up themselves. When we collaborate in the process, we are helping our children learn how to do it themselves. Whatever path makes sense for your family, just remember that when children are part of the preparation process, they are more invested in trying and eating a variety of foods.

Plan Ahead

Because mornings can be rushed, it often helps to do a little planning ahead of time. Some families like to use the weekend to map out a lunch menu with their children. This can be posted in an easy-to-reference place in the kitchen. When it’s time to get the foods ready or put them in lunch containers, children can just look at the lunch plan for that day. Some families go as far as collaborating with their children to get as many lunch foods as possible ready over the weekend so that their kids can just put that day’s items into their lunch bag or box each morning. Other families might set up a routine so that children are part of emptying and washing their lunch containers when they get home from school and then can use that time to get their lunch set up for the following day. Children may even like to get their lunch packed the night before, store the whole lunch bag in the refrigerator, and then just grab the lunch and go in the morning.

Your kids are more capable than it may seem! Although the process may feel overwhelming at first, remember that you are helping your child learn valuable life skills and reinforcing their Montessori education. If you’d like to come visit the school to see children’s food preparation in action, schedule a tour . We would love to support you with this Montessori challenge!

Supporting Independent Sleep

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 11:00:05 GMT

In Montessori, we talk a lot about independence because we want to help children in their process of becoming capable young people! For our youngest children, this means supporting them in mastery of basic functions such as eating, toileting, and sleeping. Supporting independent skills in these three areas is significant because these are parts of life where children ultimately have complete control over what does or doesn’t happen. So, it makes sense for us to avoid setting up obstacles in these areas and instead help children develop skills that will build up their confidence.

Our Language Matters

The language we use is indicative of our goals. For example, when children are learning to use the toilet, we make sure our language reflects that process. We aren’t “training” children like we might train a pet. We are helping them learn life skills so they can be well-functioning humans who understand cultural norms. In fact, we even call what we do “toilet learning” because children are learning how to take care of their bodily needs by using the toilet.

Similarly, when thinking about children and their sleep, we are not “sleep training” like we might crate train a new puppy. Rather, we are supporting children’s natural process of learning how to settle themselves, self-soothe, and eventually fall asleep independently.

Importance of Sleep

With more and more research about the role sleep plays in brain development, growth, and learning, we have a responsibility to educate ourselves about how best to promote healthy sleep hygiene. A 2007 study states “that the most fundamental requirements for healthy growth and development in young children include a) loving support and protection by parents/caretakers, b) adequate nutrition, and c) adequate sleep.” A 2020 review of sleep and early brain development details how “sleep plays a critical role in learning and memory, emotional regulation, and related brain structure development.” Establishing healthy sleep practices in the early years is critical for our children’s development. So how can we best do this?

Focus on Four Factors

To help our children have trust in us and strengthen a secure attachment, we need to provide safe boundaries. This includes helping them learn what is acceptable and what isn’t regarding sleep. Just like we hold boundaries for dental hygiene, we can uphold healthy sleep habits, too!

To promote healthy sleep hygiene, we can focus on four factors:

Establishing an environment that is conducive to sleep,
Maintaining regular routines,
Provide suitable associations for the onset of sleep, and
upholding limits while adjusting throughout childhood.

Sleep Environment

To create a place that is conducive to sleep, it can be helpful to think about our own sleep needs. Are we more likely to fall asleep in a bright, noisy, active environment, or in one that is dark, quiet, and calm? The same applies to our children. A comfortable sleep environment should be dark because sleep hormones are triggered by darkness. Black-out blinds or curtains help immensely. The designated sleep space, whether a bedroom or other area, should also be calm, quiet, and free of distractions like toys or other interest-provoking items. Finally, it’s best if the room temperature is slightly cooler.

Regular Routines

Our children depend upon us to establish healthy and consistent routines, including times for rest. When children stay up past their nap or bedtime, they can enter into an overtired zone. At this point, they experience a stress response, which leads to the release of adrenaline and cortisol. This influx of chemicals causes a “second wind” and children can become even more energized and awake, despite their intense need for sleep.

To avoid this vicious cycle, it’s important to learn our children’s sleep window, which is the time it is easiest for the brain to switch to sleep. Children actually give us cues as to when they are in a window for sleep. They might begin to have some difficulty listening, lose focus, or become a little more irritable. Some children may rub their eyes, go for a comfort object, or seek contact with a caregiver.

Every child is a little different, but when they start to indicate they are in a sleep window, it is time to wrap up the routine. The process should be very simple, for example, pajamas, toileting, teeth, one story, a hug, and a kiss. It’s better for extensive reading and a long bath to happen before the sleep window because these activities can very easily push children past the window of opportunity and lead to them entering the overtired zone. A predictable, simple pre-sleep routine allows children to unwind and feel secure in knowing that sleep is happening next.

Sleep Onset Associations

When children fall asleep, they form associations with the conditions that are present at the time when they actually drift off. So if we rock our children, read to them, or even snuggle in their bed next to them until they fall asleep, our children learn that they need that condition to be present in order to fall asleep. This also means that as children awake slightly during normal sleep cycles, they look for the same conditions they had when they first fell asleep. If children can’t recreate those on their own, they become dependent upon adult intervention, which can then lead to more frequent night wakings.

Thus, we need our children to go to bed when they are drowsy but still awake, so they can develop appropriate sleep onset associations. We can sing a song, read a book, or rub their back. However, we need to end any of these activities before our children actually fall asleep. We need to leave them while they are heavy-eyed but not yet asleep! Transition objects can help children, too. Some might like a special blanket, doll, or stuffed animal, which they can use to self-soothe as they drift off to sleep.

Limits & Adjustments

Sleep patterns change throughout early childhood and beyond. So while children need us to be consistent, they also need us to understand developmental changes. It can help to use resources like the Sleep Foundation to check on recommended hours of sleep for different developmental stages.

As children get older, they also get more sophisticated in trying to prolong the bedtime routine or keep us engaged when actually we should be stepping out of the process to allow them to fall asleep on their own. Work collaboratively with your child to establish or re-establish the routine (and the limits). Write down the routine and revisit it before bedtime. Stay calm and consistent.

Children are hard-wired to test the boundaries and are just checking to make sure we are going to stay true to the agreement. If you feel like you are going to break down and not be able to uphold the agreement, find someone who can be your backup or reinforcement. If you are doing bedtime alone, find a friend who you can text or call and who will remind you about staying true to what was established.

Above all, make sure you are taking care of yourself! If you are sleep-deprived it is much harder to hold limits or think clearly about the long-term goal of helping children become independent and capable young humans!

Looking on the Positive Side

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 22:29:16 GMT

Our brains are hardwired to look for problems and generate solutions. In The Neuroscience of Change , Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist, and lecturer at Stanford University explains how this brain state has been helpful for human evolution so we can improve our state of being. Looking for what’s wrong, however, often prevents us from seeing what is good in the present moment.

Because of our negative bias, we can easily become focused on what children need to do better: pick up their clothes, get ready faster, be quieter, solve math problems better, make less mess, and on and on. As a result, our children can easily be bombarded by what they are not doing right.

Clear Feedback & Encouragement

In Montessori environments, we focus on offering clear, accurate feedback and encouragement, which includes acknowledging children’s work and effort. We want children to develop an internal drive to be independent, responsible, thoughtful learners and community members.

To support this development, our feedback and encouragement focus on what is happening for children internally. We acknowledge what children might be feeling and the effort involved. Instead of focusing on what the adult is feeling, we reflect upon children’s experiences. So rather than saying, “I’m so proud of you,” we might say, “You look very proud,” or “You worked so hard. Congratulations!”

Phrases of encouragement or positive feedback work best when backed up by evidence. For example, “I noticed how your friends looked relieved when you offered to help sweep up the spilled rice. They seemed to really appreciate your kindness.” Or “I saw how you looked frustrated and then how you took a deep breath. You showed a lot of self-control at that moment.”

State the Positive

Developmentally, young children need to hear requests or reminders framed positively. They need to know the expected behavior, and they need us to state what we expect to see. If we say, “don’t hit,” young children cannot easily differentiate between the commands “hit” and “don’t hit.” The last word they hear is “hit,” which is the image that lasts in their minds. Thus, statements like “don’t run” or “don’t hit” aren’t as effective for our young children.

Rather than saying what not to do, we focus on the behavior we want to see. Statements like “walk, please,” “touch gently,” or “please talk quietly” offer a clear and positive image of what to do. Children hear how to be successful and thus can more easily be successful.

Catch Them Doing Something Right

In addition to these clear directions, we can recast children’s self-image by acknowledging times they make a good choice. In doing so, we are providing our children with positive attention. All too often, children get attention when they are engaged in behaviors we don’t like. Children then quickly learn that they need to act out in some way if they want attention. To counter this trend, we need to catch our children doing something right.

Building a Foundation

If we are caught in a cycle of only seeing the negative, one way we can change our outlook is to make a list of all the things our children have done right over the course of a day. When we start noticing and acknowledging the good stuff, we help create a positive feedback loop. Young children also love hearing a story about their day that highlights the positive choices they have made.

In Different Learners , Jane M. Healy, Ph.D., offers a strong reminder about the profound influence we have on our children: “One thing brain research tells us – loud and clear – is that the way we raise and teach our children not only helps shape their brains but can also influence or even alter the way genes play out their roles.”

In this season of new growth, let’s offer positive reminders and in-the-moment acknowledgments to help our young people develop successfully. By doing so, we will also be helping ourselves see the world in a more positive light.

Pandemic Impacts & Optimal Child Development

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 22:18:25 GMT

We’ve enjoyed some return to normalcy after the intensity of the early COVID years. However, it’s important to remember that our young children are still living with some of the impacts of the changes we all experienced. One of the reasons the COVID years have affected our children is that so much critical development happens in the first few years of life.

While the home is an incredibly nurturing place, many of our children were limited to only being at home, which led to fewer opportunities for socializing and learning different kinds of relationship skills. To further complicate the scene, many of us were also trying to juggle our own changes in work and life.

With all this in mind, we’ve been focusing on identifying some impacts of COVID and sharing strategies to support optimal development in our young children.

Socializing with Peers

During the early COVID years, children didn’t have as much time to be around others, especially other children. Even when we could be with other people, we all needed to maintain a physical distance.

Yet children learn how to navigate social situations through play. Think of the rough and tumble romping of wolf puppies. It is through those interactions that the pups strengthen social bonds and learn how to navigate social status in the pack. Similarly, during interactive play, children learn to negotiate, share, wait for a turn, follow the rules of a game, and consider others’ feelings.

Our children now have an intense hunger for socialization while their socialization skills are still developing.

To support their social development, we can:

provide plenty of opportunities for unstructured, imaginative play with peers
observe to see if children are hanging back or avoiding interactions
offer gentle help for joining into play or suggest phrases children can use to ask to participate or play
recommend tasks they can do to help the group
identify real-time emotions
model positive communication

Before intervening, though, it’s also important to give time and space for children to negotiate and problem-solve. Children learn best through opportunities to make some mistakes, and just like with the wolf pups, the learning might look a little messy at first!

Connecting to the Real World

Many of our children have had more screen time over the past few years. According to Carlota Nelson, director of the documentary Brain Matters, too much screen time can impact children’s concentration and focus, reduce their ability to control impulses, and affect their capacity for empathy.

Young children need lots of opportunities for concrete, tangible, hands-on play. They need to use their bodies and hands to manipulate the world around them. Plus, multi-sensory experiences help children develop strong neural pathways.

To help this real-world connection, we can:

provide more time in nature and green spaces
incorporate more movement, exercise, and free play into the day
play board or card games with our children (or just play with them!)
make sure to practice and model face-to-face interactions and eye contact
engage in healthy human touch
reduce passive screen time

As an added bonus, these pursuits also provide children with more opportunities to experience a language-rich environment. As we know, the amount and quality of language children experience directly correlate with the rate of their language development. Thus, they need plenty of experiences to develop their language skills through listening to and interacting with a variety of people around them.

Developing Independence

Being home more with our children led to lovely family time, however, it also may have increased our children’s reliance upon our presence while decreasing their tolerance for uncomfortable situations. Yet, as children grow, they need opportunities to develop independence. These experiences are immensely important for children to build a sense of self while also increasing their self-esteem, frustration tolerance, and perseverance.

Rather than shield our children from challenging situations, we can make sure they have practice with experiences that can be a little anxiety-provoking. Anxiety is a normal human feeling and helps our bodies prepare us for something that might be hard. Our children can gain practice in how to regulate themselves; they need opportunities to be a bit out of their comfort zone.

To develop our children’s confidence, we can:

create opportunities for children to talk and share their thoughts
engage in warm, responsive conversation (with lots of listening!)
experience and discuss stories or situations together
teach practical life skills for self-sufficiency
include our children in household chores

As children become more confident, they are better able to handle transitions, experience less anxiety, and become more flexible. If you need any more convincing, Psychology Today references a study showing that children who started contributing to family chores at age three or four were more likely to have successful relationships, engage in rewarding careers, and be more self-sufficient in their lives.

As we shift into more regular routines after the intensity of the pandemic, let’s use this time to bring out the best in our children.

“We then become witnesses to the development of the human soul; the emergence of the New [Human], who will no longer be the victim of events but, thanks to his clarity of vision, will become able to direct and to mold the future of [human]kind.”

– Dr. Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind

What is the Montessori Three-Year Cycle?

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 23:11:24 GMT

When visiting a Montessori classroom, it can at first be surprising to see children of a range of ages in one room. Visitors often ask how children of very different sizes and abilities can all be supported and challenged in one classroom. There are many factors, but one reason the mix of ages works so well in Montessori is that we have “three-year cycles.”

What is a Montessori Three-Year Cycle?

In Montessori, a child will typically enter a classroom as the youngest child and then stay in the same learning community for at least three years. Over the course of those three or so years, they cycle through a rhythm of growth and development.

When children first come into a new classroom, it is a bit like what happens when transplanting a perennial flower: they need some time to establish their roots. This first year in a classroom is when children are exploring their environment and making sense of their new community.

During their second year, children are more established and, like perennial flowers, they often show more growth and blossom a bit more. This is when children experiment in a learning space where they feel comfortable and established.

By their third year, children are the experts in their community. Similar to perennial flowers, children’s growth becomes exponential and abundant. They truly blossom. The children who have benefited from a three-year cycle show what happens when they have had an opportunity to establish their roots, extend themselves, and then have the time and space to bloom in exciting new ways.

Evolving Roles

Because children in Montessori classrooms are with each other for a series of years, their learning community becomes a family. As they move through the years together, children get the opportunity to play the role of the youngest, middle, and oldest child, and experience the responsibilities and opportunities that come with each of those roles.

The younger children look up to their older peers, quickly learning through observation how to behave, what is acceptable, and even what to look forward to in terms of advanced work. The oldest in the class serve as mentors, leaders, and even teachers. As the older students master certain skills or materials, they have the opportunity to share what they have learned and, in the process, can synthesize their learning. Through this mutually beneficial process, children move through the process of developing aspiration, building confidence, and demonstrating mastery.

Consistency of Community

By having a consistent community for at least three years, children are able to build a foundation that serves them in multiple ways. In addition to having time to gain mastery, children establish long-term relationships with their peers and the adults in the environment.

With their training and sensitivity to developmental needs, Montessori teachers understand individual children’s learning styles, rhythms, and needs. They can tailor their presentations to the individual, recognizing where and how to help children stretch beyond their comfort zones. As a result, children are able to feel secure enough to take risks in their learning.

One of the additional benefits is that over the course of multiple years, a meaningful and supportive partnership develops between families and the Montessori guides. A consistent community provides support that empowers our children and families.

Zone of Proximal Development

The three-year cycles of Montessori mixed-age classrooms provide children with scaffolding to work in collaboration with a skilled teacher and more knowledgeable peers. Supportive learning environments allow children to make connections that they wouldn’t necessarily be able to make on their own. Psychologist Lev Vygotsky called this scaffolding the “zone of proximal development.” As children grow within their zone of proximal development, they develop more confidence and are able to practice new skills and abilities. They have social support through meaningful, purposeful interactions with others.

As children solidify their learning and consolidate their knowledge, they experience new possibilities for growth in a family-like learning community. This mixed-age experience is an essential component of what we do, and our three-year cycles make it possible

Toilet Learning: The Montessori Way

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 23:01:22 GMT

As parents, we quickly learn that children have control over three things: eating, sleeping, and toileting. Rather than engage in power struggles, however, we can help children develop the skills they need to manage and gain mastery over these essential aspects of life.

In Montessori learning communities, young children learn how to prepare snacks, fall asleep without assistance, and dress themselves. In addition, they learn how to control their sphincter and stay dry. This process, which we call “toilet learning" or “toilet awareness,” takes time, yet it is a vital part of becoming independent.

Because we are helping children with an important aspect of their independence, we try to avoid the terminology of “toilet training.” After all, we aren’t training our children like we might train a dog! Rather we are helping children feel the success of becoming fully independent as they become masters of their own body functions.

The process takes time but doesn’t have to feel daunting. Here are some key aspects of toileting the Montessori way.

Establish Body Awareness

Toilet awareness starts at birth. From the earliest days of life, we talk to our infants about what is happening as we change their diapers. We might say, “Your diaper is wet from your urine,” or “I am wiping your poop off your bottom.”

To help our infants become aware of being wet or soiled, it’s best to use cloth diapers. Disposable diapers are very effective at wicking away moisture, which leads to children not connecting the act of eliminating pee with the feeling of being wet. As children shift into toddlerhood, they can begin to wear cloth underwear.

Useful phrases:

“Does your diaper feel wet or dry? Is there poop in your diaper?”
“Your underpants feel so heavy! You must have had a lot of pee come out.”
“I see you are squatting down and pushing. Your poop is coming!”

Collaborate

When a child is wet, we help them to the bathroom and collaborate with changing out of their wet underwear. We allow them to sit on the toilet to see if any urine is left that can be pushed or released into the toilet. Then once they have on dry underwear, they return to their activity.

Children need to feel involved in the toileting and changing process. They can assist in getting clean underwear or diaper and putting any soiled items in their appropriate place. This gives children the feeling of some power or control in what is happening.

Useful phrases:

“You can hold your shirt up while I pull down your pants.”
“You can open the Velcro on this side of your diaper, and I’ll open the Velcro on that side.”
“I’ll have a turn to wipe your bottom, and then you can have a turn!”

State the Facts

We are careful to stay matter of fact through the toileting process. Going to the toilet is a very natural thing to do, so we treat it as such. When children have wet or soiled their underpants or cloth diapers, we show them the dirty pair of underpants or diapers and where they should go. When appropriate, we may even deposit feces from their underwear or diaper into the toilet. Children very quickly begin to associate and understand the process. Even when they begin to use the toilet successfully, we avoid clapping and celebrating and instead stick to the facts.

Useful phrases:

“Everyone poops!”
“Pee and poop go into the toilet.”
“It’s time to try sitting on the toilet.”
“Your underpants are wet. Let’s change into some dry underpants. Do you remember where to find your dry underpants in the bathroom?”
“Look, there’s some pee on the floor. Please bring me the clean-up bucket from the bathroom so that we can dry the puddle.”

Keep it Light and Friendly

Children are very sensitive to adults’ emotions, even when we try not to show them! Thus we make sure to have a positive, light, and friendly attitude toward the toileting process. Our approach helps children feel comfortable with their normal bodily processes. So we make sure to avoid any facial expression, comment, or tone of voice that conveys disgust or dislike, frustration or impatience. We stay relaxed and positive, so children can feel that way too.

Useful phrases:

“We can always change into dry clothes!”
“Everyone used to wear diapers—even Mommy and Daddy! Now we can use the toilet. You can, too!”

No Tricks or Treats

We offer the toilet, but we never force children to sit on the toilet. We also avoid asking children if they would like to sit on the toilet. There is a happy middle in which we suggest that they sit on the toilet or let them know it is time to sit on the toilet. Ultimately, we trust that children will incorporate this part of daily life into their routines. Young children love the consistency of routines, so we ensure, from the very beginning, that toileting is a regular part of the day.

Bribing, reward charts, and punishments may have short-term results but do not work for the long-term goal of helping children develop independence, self-assurance, and mastery of this essential part of their humanity. We allow children the time to be successful. Rather than scolding or over-congratulating, we know that children will learn through experience and feel proud of their accomplishments.

Useful phrases:

“It’s time to sit on the toilet.”
“You peed in the toilet. You did it all by yourself.”

Respect the Process

Often when adults change children, it is all done so quickly that children aren’t even aware of their bodily functions. Rather than rushing, we take time to explain what is happening and offer opportunities for collaboration.

It’s showing the utmost respect to children when we help them learn how to do something for themselves. When children are able to respond to their body’s needs, they are one step closer to being fully functioning, independent young people.

Art for Self-Expression

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 22:54:50 GMT

Numerous theories and a lot of research expound upon the importance of artistic expression. For young children and adolescents, art is an especially crucial form of personal expression. As such, children need to experience their own process rather than to produce a piece that someone else wants. In Montessori, we also have sensitivity to different expressive needs throughout different stages of development.

Process vs. Product

For young children, the process of making art is much more important than the product. When infants and toddlers are engaged in art activities, they are expressing feelings that they may not yet have words to express. Thus, during these early years, we focus on offering young children a variety of different artistic mediums.

When children are using different art materials, we first provide opportunities to work with larger spaces and then later move into the smaller, more refined possibilities. For example, we start with painting at the easel, then as children develop more coordinated hand movements, we offer smaller paper or objects to paint.

Use of Tools

In addition to introducing different kinds of materials, we also show young children how to use different tools. We show how to use just a little water and the tip of the brush with watercolor paints. We explore different techniques with crayons. We introduce various tools–like knitting needles, crochet hooks, or looms–for fiber arts. Whatever the form of art, we offer the tools required for successful expression through that form.

We also open up a range of possibilities for children to explore. For example, in introducing clay, we show how to carefully get out the clay, how to use different techniques such as forming coils and slabs, how to cut, carve, or roll the clay, and how to store it when finished. We may also show examples of clay sculptures, whether in books or museums. With all of this information, children have a range of inspiration when they decide to work with clay.

Adult Response

To support young children’s artistic expression, we offer objective comments: “Oh, how interesting…the lines go up and down,” or “I can see you used a lot of red and blue paint today.” We want to be very careful with what we say so we don’t give any indication of judgment, either good or bad. Young children do not yet have the language to explain their art. Therefore, we want to make sure our comments don’t inadvertently create expectations for children.

In Montessori, adults don’t insist that children express themselves artistically or tell children what to express. When children choose some form of artistic expression, adults allow them the freedom to be with themselves while in the process of creating art. With this in mind, children’s artwork is individual, creative, non-competitive, and often connected to other subjects. We don’t expect children to learn to imitate adult creations or turn out products that all look alike.

Into the Elementary Years

From six to twelve, children began to use art in a more cognitive way. Often elementary-aged children began to want their artwork to be very realistic. They may focus more on the finer details of a particular piece of art rather than on the overall composition. As a result, children of this age can become discouraged if they feel their art “doesn’t look right.” Their determination is relentless. Because they will often insist upon realism, even at the risk of giving up on their artistic ability, we offer many different sub-skills to help children refine their techniques.

Art in a Montessori elementary classroom is often connected to students' intellectual pursuits. When studying Ancient Egypt, students may want to create a portrait in profile or a model of a pyramid. If they are immersed in learning about a country, they might learn about the symbolism of the flag’s colors and sew a sample flag.

All of this work is aided by the fact that children of this age love big projects. To support their artistic and intellectual pursuits, we provide elementary students with a kind of mini-studio so they can access the materials they need to create big projects and share their learning with their peers.

Through Adolescence

During adolescence, young people need even more opportunities to form, shape, express, and clarify their inner thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Artistic expression can be a vital outlet during this turbulent time and can allow adolescents to not only reach a better understanding of who they are but also to be able to connect deeply with others through shared expression.

Questions of identity and fitting in weigh heavily on adolescents. Without ample opportunities for expression, these already perplexing questions can fester. Adolescents need creative outlets to keep their spirits vibrant!

In addition, expressive opportunities allow adolescents to merge their emotions with their intellect. It’s best to have a variety of avenues for artistic expression: instruments readily available to pick up, an art studio to transfer complex feelings into visual art, or opportunities for a dramatic interpretation of academic content.

Vital Form of Expression

In Montessori, we feel strongly that young people need artistic outlets so they can have balance in their physical, emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual, and creative development. A Montessori environment supports the development of the whole person, thus allowing children to explore their personal creativity.

Art is a vital form of expression throughout different stages of growth. Through art, children can express what they are feeling, elementary-age students can integrate their learning and refine their skills, and adolescents can better understand themselves and their connections to others. Creating art can allow our young people to reveal feelings that they could perhaps not express in words. Thus, we offer children a variety of art mediums and different experiences, as well as the freedom to choose and experience the form they have chosen.

The Role of the Montessori Teacher

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 02:26:31 GMT

What, exactly, is the role of the Montessori teacher? How is it so different from that of any other teacher?

Sometimes it’s easiest to begin by explaining what a Montessori teacher isn’t.

A Montessori teacher is less like the traditional idea of an instructor, and more like a gentle guide. They don’t consider it their job to give a child information. They rather lead children in the general direction and give them the tools they need to find the information themselves.

Maria Montessori once said, “The greatest sign of success for a teacher...is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.’”

Montessori Teachers Cultivate Independence

In a Montessori classroom, rather than seeing a teacher at the front of the classroom giving the same lesson to every child, the teacher will be working quietly with individual children or small groups. While that is happening the rest of the children are free to spend their time doing the work that calls to them. A Montessori teacher works hard to create structures that allow children to be independent and to trust themselves as learners.

One large part of what a Montessori teacher does is to intentionally prepare a classroom environment that is developmentally appropriate, is inviting to children, and supports them on their journey to work independently. This environment is constantly changing in tiny ways as the teacher notices new and evolving needs of the students.

Montessori Teachers are Trained to Think Like Scientists

Parents should know that Montessori teachers are highly trained. Most have recognized Montessori credentials in addition to their college degrees. Montessori certification programs are intensive and demanding; one might compare them as being the equivalent of another college degree. These training programs don’t just teach Montessori educators how to use the specialized materials; there is extensive coursework about Montessori philosophy, child development, and integrating the arts.

When it comes to assessments, Montessori teachers don’t rely on standardized tests; they rely on the power of observation. They have notebooks brimming with evidence of what their students have mastered, need more support with, and are curious about. They are constantly recording what they notice children working on, how that work is being executed, and ideas they might have in anticipation of a child’s next steps. Montessori teachers literally sit beside a child and determine exactly what they know about a wide range of content areas.

Montessori Teachers Think Long-Term

Because of Montessori’s three-year cycles, teachers have the unique ability to consider their big picture when working with students. There is a natural tendency to allow the children to genuinely learn at their own pace. Getting to know a child and their family well over the course of a few years really supports this approach.

Montessori Teachers are Often Called ‘Guides’

...and for good reason. While children in Montessori classrooms have an abundance of choice in their educational pursuits, Montessori is based on the idea of ‘freedom within limits’. It’s the Montessori teacher’s job to carefully craft those limits. Children rely on having a certain amount of structure in place. This gives them comfort and a safe place in which they can take risks and try new things. Montessori teachers set some boundaries and then carefully help students navigate within them.

What if your second grader loves to read but tends to avoid math? Their Montessori teacher will find ways to ensure the math still gets done. Sometimes this involves a gentle discussion with a child about time management skills, priorities, or setting goals. Sometimes the teacher will find a way to integrate the child’s interests into the less desirable work. Sometimes all it takes is a minor change in the environment. Montessori teachers gives children freedom, but they assist children in finding their way to success in this environment.

Montessori teachers value independence, self-reliance, and intrinsic motivation.

They also value cooperation, kindness, and strength in community.

Still curious? Call us to set up an appointment today to observe in a classroom. See what Montessori is really all about.

Independence: The Foundation of Freedom

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 22:47:39 GMT

In order to be truly free, we need to be able to make our own choices, which means having the skills and abilities to then act upon our choices. Without independence, we can’t truly be free.

As children’s independence grows, so does their opportunity for freedom. They have more choices available and more to consider. The freedom children experience in our prepared learning environments is directly related to their independence. Over multiple years in their classrooms, children feel like masters of their environment and younger children look up to them as if they have superpowers.

In order for children to develop this freedom and independence, we make sure that the following opportunities are present in our classrooms:

To Choose Their Own Activity

Even at a young age, children have ideas of what they want and don’t want to do. This independence will only increase when children have opportunities to make decisions. In Montessori classrooms, we provide opportunities to make choices, but it is not a free-for-all!

The classroom is set up with a variety of activities designed to meet developmental needs. Children are free to choose any material they have been shown or that they have the ability to do. Thus, children must have the skill before being able to choose.

To build this ability to make a choice, we start by offering children choices about very simple things. When an activity has two parts, we might ask: “Would you like to carry the box or the tray?” Then we give another opportunity to make a choice: “Lovely! You may carry the tray to any table that you choose.”

Over time children develop the ability to make increasingly more complex choices and they build the skills that allow them more options in their learning environment.

To Work Without Interruption

Once children choose an activity, they are free to do it for as long as they like without anyone else (adult or child) interfering with their work. In this way, we protect children’s focus and concentration. As a bonus, because the materials are self-correcting, children don’t need an adult for validation.

The adults in Montessori classrooms work to protect children who are actively engaged in purposeful activity from interruption (even if this is a three-year-old washing a table and water is pouring off the table!). If children get interrupted a lot, their concentration becomes broken which can result in them not wanting to take risks or engage in activities that challenge them.

The experience of being interrupted can happen a lot to children. They try to start doing something and someone comes along and stops them or finishes it for them. Yet children need to be able to deeply dive into activity in order to develop concentration and focus.

To Move Freely

Children are free to move about the classroom. Rather than having an assigned table or workspace, they can choose to work where they want and also with whom they want. They have the liberty to get up and move, get a drink when thirsty, or go to the bathroom when needed. If there is a group activity in the classroom, children are even free to choose whether or not they want to participate.

To Communicate With Others

Children also have the freedom to communicate. They can speak to whomever they want and when they want, as long as it is not disturbing their own or others’ work. This freedom is a gift to children who are often asked to be quiet and not to talk. Children in our learning environments have the freedom to speak and the ability to be heard, which means that the adults in the classroom make it a priority to be respectful when children want to communicate something.

To Work at Their Own Pace

Unlike in traditional environments where children move together along the same path (this half hour is story time, this is math time, etc.), Montessori children have the freedom to work at their own pace. To facilitate this, our schedule is specifically designed to offer large blocks of uninterrupted time so children have the freedom to spend the time they need on the activities they choose.

Working with learning materials is how children are developing themselves. They need time to reflect and integrate what they are learning. Therefore, children also need to be able to repeat an action as often and as long as they would like to do so. When children are new to Montessori classrooms, we sometimes need to let them know about the opportunity to work at their own pace and rhythm by reminding them, “You can do this for as long as you like!”

Limits

In order to support this foundation of freedom, Montessori classrooms have a few basic limits that support independence. In addition to ensuring that children aren’t distracted or interrupted in their work, we help children learn that materials can only be taken off the shelf and must be returned to their proper place on the shelf. These basic rules are clear social signals to children as to when a material is available for use: when a material is on the shelf it is available, and when the material is not on the shelf, it is not available.

Children are also part of restoring materials so that they are ready in their proper place. In the process of making the activity beautiful for the next person, children learn how to replace wet towels with dry towels, how to dry drips of water off a tray, or how to replace anything that was consumable. When the materials are restored and returned to their proper place on the shelf, then children can access the materials independently.

Development of Independence & Freedom

As children gain skills and abilities, their independence increases and so do their choices. Activities are available and ready for use so that children are not dependent upon anyone to get things for them. Children can choose where they do their work. The lessons we offer are designed to provide just enough information for children to continue the activity independently. We offer these liberties in harmony with children’s skills, abilities, and level of independence so they can experience a variety of freedoms in their learning community.

The Benefits of Multi-Age Grouping

hello@montessorithrive.com (Montessori Thrive) — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 02:16:22 GMT

One hallmark of a Montessori education is the use of multi-age classrooms.

Infants and toddlers may be together or separate, with a toddler classroom serving children 18 months to three years. Primary classrooms are for children ages 3-6, with preschool and kindergarten-aged children together. The elementary years serve children ages 6-12; some schools separate into lower (6-9) and upper (9-12) elementary, while many split elementary into two groups. Even Montessori middle- and high-school students learn in multi-age classrooms.

While Montessori is not the only type of education that utilizes this approach, it’s not what most people are used to. What are the benefits of structuring a classroom this way? Read on to learn more...

Learning at an Individual Pace

Children in multi-age classrooms tend to have a little more flexibility when it comes to mastering skills within a specific timeframe. We know that learning is not linear, and that learners have periods of significant growth, plateaus, and even the occasional regression. In multi-age classrooms, children are typically able to work at their own pace without the added pressure of keeping up with the whole group, or even being held back by the whole group.

When children in a classroom range in ages, everyone has someone they can work with, regardless of their skill level. Children don’t feel left behind if they struggle with a concept, and they also don’t feel bored by repetition of something they have already mastered. Teachers who teach in multi-age classrooms typically have deep knowledge for a range of developmental abilities, leaving them well-equipped to differentiate instruction for each individual child.

Building Stronger Relationships

Traditionally children move from one class to the next each year. This means not only a new set of academic expectations, different routines, and different classroom structures, but a different teacher.

In multi-age classrooms teachers have a longer period of time to get to know a student and their family, and vice versa. When teachers really get to know a student, they are able to tailor instruction in regards to both content and delivery. They know how to hook a specific child onto a topic or into a lesson. They know what kind of environment a child needs to feel successful.

Parents have an opportunity to get to know teachers better this way, too. If your child has the same teacher for two or three years, the lines of communication are strengthened. Parents get to know the teacher’s style and expectations. The home to school connection becomes more seamless, and the biggest beneficiary is the child.

Mentors and Leaders

When a child spends multiple years in the same class they are afforded two very special opportunities.

Children who are new to the class are fortunate enough to be surrounded by helpful peer mentors. Children often learn best from one another, and they seek to do so naturally. First and second year students watch as the older children enjoy advanced, challenging work, and this inspires them. They look to the older children for guidance, and the older children are happy to provide it.

After a year or two in the same room, students have a chance to practice leadership skills. In Montessori classrooms, the older children are often seen giving lessons, helping to clean up spills, or reaching out a comforting hand to their younger friends.

The best part is kids make the transition from observer to leader in their own time. It doesn’t happen for all children at the same time, but when it does it’s pretty magical to observe.

Mirroring Real-Life

There is no other area in life in which people are split into groups with others who are exactly their chronological age. Whether in the family, the workforce or elsewhere, people ultimately need to coexist with people older and younger than themselves. Doing so makes for a more enriching environment, replete with a variety of ideas and skills.

Why not start the experience with young children in school?

Moving On

While staying in the same class for multiple school years has many benefits, a child will eventually transition into a new class. While this can feel bittersweet (for everyone involved!) children are typically ready when it is time.

The Montessori approach is always considering what is most supportive of children depending on their development. When formulating how to divide children into groupings, Maria Montessori relied on her ideas about the Planes of Development. There are very distinctive growth milestones children tend to reach at about age 3, another set around age 6, and yet another at age 12. The groupings in our schools are intentional, and they give kids a chance to feel comfortable in their community, while also preparing them to soar forward when the time is right.

Materials Spotlight: The Bead Chain Cabinet

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 22:35:59 GMT

Visit any primary or elementary Montessori classroom, and you’ll immediately notice a stunning display of colorful glass beads hanging in an open cabinet. Children (and adults!) are drawn to the order and elegance of the bead chains. Beyond their initial aesthetic appeal, the bead chain material offers an amazing array of intellectual opportunities for young children to those in their elementary years.

Color-coding

One of the brilliant aspects of the Montessori math materials is how they provide children with multiple ways to make neural connections. For example, each of the bead bars represents a quantity, and each bead bar is also color-coded so that the quantity is connected to a color: a bar with two green beads represents two, a bar with five light blue beads represents five, a bar with eight brown beads represents eight, etc. This color coding allows the child’s brain to establish multiple quick ways to understand the quantity: the number of beads, the color, and the size.

Appealing

In the Primary Classroom, young children are attracted to the beauty and fragility of these colorful glass beads. Long before they are ready to use the bead chains, young children can learn how to dust and care for the beads. They develop a respect for the materials and understand how special they are. Often young children will watch in awe as their older classmates learn how to carry, lay out, count, and label the bead chains.

Linear & Skip Counting

As they practice counting the bead chains, four- and five-year-olds solidify their understanding of teen numbers, as well as quantities from units to tens, to hundreds, to thousands. Eventually, the focus of work with the bead chains shifts from linear counting to skip counting as children begin to focus more on the labels that indicate the end of each bead bar. For example, on the 100 chains, children label and name 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, etc. Children can also layout, count, and compare the 100 chain and 1,000 chain side-by-side, providing the sensorial experience of the different quantities laid out in a linear fashion.

Multiplying

As children move into their elementary years, they are solidifying their skip counting in relation to mastery of multiplication. They love to quiz each other by turning over some of the labels to see if their friends can figure out which of the multiples is missing. So for the short chain of multiples of seven, for example, they might turn over one label to see if their friend can figure out the missing multiple: 7, 14, 21, __, 35, 42, 49.

The bead chains are also used to provide an impression of common multiples, which is critical for future work with fractions. Children lay out two long chains side by side, label the chains, and then find all the common multiples and also begin to intuit the concept of the lowest common multiple.

Squaring & Cubing

The other fascinating aspect of the bead chains is how they geometrically represent the concept of squaring and cubing. Children learn how to fold up the bead chain so that it creates a square made up of four rows of four: 4 x 4 = 16.

This work can continue with the long chains, each of which creates the cube of numbers one through ten.

In addition to the hanging chains of bead bars, the bead chain cabinet also contains beautiful squares of each number, which can be stacked to create cubes, as well as the actual cubes for each number. The squares and cubes can be used for explorations with powers of numbers as well as more advanced work when students start to explore working outside of the base ten number system.

As children move into more advanced mathematics, they will often briefly revisit this foundational material to cue their memory when working with exponents.

Spiral Curriculum

The bead chain materials provide a perfect example of the spiral nature of the Montessori curriculum. From early linear counting, cycling into an understanding of multiples, to preparation for squaring, cubing, and base number work, children come back again and again to the beauty and breadth of the bead chains.

Montessori Basics: The Planes of Development

hello@montessorithrive.com (Montessori Thrive) — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 02:08:59 GMT

Maria Montessori based her entire educational philosophy on the idea that children developed through a series of four planes. Each of these planes is easy to recognize and has clear, defining characteristics. If we study and understand these stages, we can approach our interactions with children with a new perspective.

Learning about the planes of development isn’t just for Montessori educators. Understanding your child’s development can help at home, too.

The First Plane: birth-6 years

During this stage children absorb everything like sponges. They are, indeed, excellent examples if what Montessori called ‘The Absorbent Mind.’ This is a time in which we are able to utilize what Montessori called sensitive periods of learning. While each child is different, there are typical patterns that emerge in regards to brain development and general readiness to learn particular skills.

During the first three years of this plane, all learning is done outside of the child’s conscious mind. They learn by exploring their senses and interacting with their environment. During the second half of the plane, from about 3-6 years, children enter the conscious stage of learning. They learn by using their hands, and specialized materials in the Montessori classroom were developed with this consideration.

During this time, children have a wonderful sense of order. They are methodical and can appreciate the many steps involved in practical life lessons in their classrooms. The organization of the works on their classroom shelves is intentional, which appeals again to this sense of order.

The first plane is a time in which children proclaim, “I can do it myself”; it is a time of physical independence.

The Second Plane: 6-12 years

During the elementary years children begin to look outside themselves. They suddenly develop a strong desire to form peer groups. Previously, during the first plane, a child would be content to focus on their own work while sitting near others. In the second plane, a child is compelled to actually work with their friends. It is during this time that children are ready to learn about collaboration.

During the second plane there is a sudden and marked period of physical growth. This may be a contributing factor to the observation that many children of this age seem to lack an awareness of their body, often bumping into things and knocking things over. Children begin to lose their teeth around this time as well. Their sense of order and neatness tend to fade a bit during this plane.

Throughout the second plane, children’s imaginations are ignited. Since Montessori education is based in reality, we find ways to deliver real information to children through storytelling and other similar methods. For example, when teaching children about the beginnings of our universe, Montessori schools use what is called a Great Lesson. The first Great Lesson is a dramatic story, told to children with the use of props, experiments, and dramatics (think: a black balloon filled with glitter is popped to illustrate the Big Bang, with bits of paper in a dish of water used while talking about particles gathering together). This lesson is fascinating for children in the way it is presented, but gives them basic information about the solar system, states of matter, and other important concepts.

Children in the second plane have a voracious appetite for information, and are often drawn strongly to what we in Montessori call the cultural subjects: science, history, and geography. While we support their rapid language and mathematical growth during this time, we are also responsible for providing them with a variety of rich cultural lessons and experiences.

It is important to note that children develop a sense of moral justice at this time. They are very concerned with what is fair, and creating the rules to a new game is often as important (if not more so) than playing the actual game itself.

This is the period of time in which children are striving for intellectual independence.

The Third Plane: 12-18

The third plane of development encompasses the adolescent years. During the second plane, children become aware of social connections, but in the third plane they are critical. During this time children rely heavily on their relationships with their peers. They feel a strong desire to remain independent from adults, although they are not quite ready to do this entirely. It is our job to find ways that allow them to experiment with independence while also providing a safe structure in which they may do so.

Children in the third plane tend to require more sleep, and they sleep later than when they were younger. They long for authentic learning experiences, and Dr. Montessori imagined just that. Her ideas of Erdkinder (children of the earth) led her to contemplate a school setting that would support children’s development during this time. She imagined a farm school, in which children would work to keep the farm operational, but also contribute to planning and decision making while doing so.

During the third plane children are refining their moral compass while developing a stronger sense of responsibility.

The Fourth Plane: 18-24

The final plane is a time in which young adults are striving for financial independence. They are often living away from home for the first time, and use this time to figure out where they fit into their society. Many make choices to further their education and/or explore career paths.

It is during the fourth plane that people begin to develop a truer sense of who they are as individuals.

Each plane of development should be mindfully nurtured. If a child is able to experience one developmental phase in a rich and carefully prepared environment, they are ready to fully take on the next phase when it is time.

Power & Potential: The Sensitive Periods

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 19:23:00 GMT

Have you ever noticed how sensitive young children can be to changes in their routines? Even the slightest schedule adjustment can throw things off. On the positive side, young children also have the incredible ability to internalize the order of their daily activities. They intuitively know when something is supposed to happen during a regular day.

It’s also pretty amazing how quickly young children absorb the intricacies of language, how they progress so seamlessly from sitting to crawling, walking to running, or how they can be so focused on tiny details and objects.

During these times in their lives, children seem to be compelled by an irresistible force. Think of the little one who wants to climb up the steps again and again. We can try to stop them, but they are undeterred! Despite the great effort involved, the activity almost seems effortless to them.

In Montessori, we pay close attention to these periods when children focus intensely on mastering a new skill, creating deep understanding, or refining their abilities. We call these times “sensitive periods.”

What are Sensitive Periods?

Dr. Maria Montessori used the example of newly hatched caterpillars to paint the picture of sensitive periods. These young caterpillars hatch from eggs in protected nooks but are drawn toward the light, where they can eat soft, tender leaves at the ends of branches. The young caterpillars aren’t aware of the fact that going toward light will provide them with a food source. Instead, they are responding to a biological impetus. Once that need is satisfied, the caterpillars no longer have the desire to move toward bright light. That sensitive period is over, and they shift into the next stage of their development.

Like the young caterpillars, young children in a sensitive period become incredibly absorbed with acquiring or mastering a new skill and hone in on the activity that aids their development. Neurologically, this is the time when groups of neurons become more active than others and establish key neural networks in children’s developing brains. These windows of opportunity are transitory and marked by children’s passionate focus on mastering a skill or characteristic.

In Montessori, we focus on four main sensitive periods:

Order
Language
Refinement of the Senses
Movement

Sensitive Period for Order

The sensitive period for order is most intense from birth to three years, although it continues through age six. When children are under the influence of the sensitive period for order, we see their intense interest in the order of things in routines (time, order of events in the day, etc.) and their environment. Young children can show great distress if this order changes.

As adults, we can appreciate that order makes our lives easier; planning our meals and picking out clothes ahead of time makes our week flow more smoothly. Organization and order are a convenience and make us more efficient. Young children need orderly environments in a different way. The order in their surroundings or routines becomes the basis for their relationship with the world. If that foundation of order is changing all the time, it’s like trying to build a house on a shifting foundation. Many changes in the environment or schedule cause children to constantly adapt, which diverts their energy away from other necessary forms of their development. Children with a predictable and ordered environment feel secure, trust their environment, and establish an internal order.

Sensitive Period for Language

Children are effortlessly absorbing language from birth. The first three years of life are focused on the development of spoken language, and the last three years are focused on the expansion and refinement of language, including writing and reading. During this sensitive period, children learn the intricacies of the language spoken around them. They hear sounds and begin to try to imitate them. They hear the rhythm of phrases and sentences. They begin to internalize the nuances of grammar.

Because children absorb all aspects of language, they need rich language experiences. Thus, we want to provide a lot of vocabulary by naming real things in the environment and engaging in meaningful conversation, even with our infants!

Sensitive Period for Refinement of the Senses

Young children learn about their world through sensory experiences. The sensitive period for refinement of sensory perceptions starts at birth and begins to fade around four and a half.

This sensitive period does not make children’s eyes see better, ears hear better, or tongue taste better, but it does help children distinguish between finer and finer differences. Children who have access to sensorially rich environments can begin to refine their senses, have clearer perceptions, and be able to organize and classify their impressions. Neurologically, this sensitive period is when children create neural networks that help them interpret their environment through visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, and tactile perceptions. An enriched experience allows children to develop powers of sensory discrimination, like perfect pitch, that will last a lifetime.

Sensitive Period for Movement

Movement is how children come into contact with their environment, express their developing personality, and develop their independence. So much movement development happens from birth, and children focus on refining their movements from about two and a half to four.

Children in this sensitive period benefit from having their movements directed toward some purposeful aim. For example, children want to imitate and participate in daily life, like cooking and preparing food. As parents, we often give our children play kitchens. With no other options, children will play with the pretend kitchen for a while, but this doesn’t satisfy them for long. They are much happier preparing real food for themselves and those around them. Meaningful activity, like food preparation, helps children refine their movement, adapt to their culture, and contribute to their community in a purposeful way.

Power & Potential

Although “sensitive periods” refer to the particular times when children are most open to developing a specific skill or trait, the name is a profound reminder. We need to be sensitive–treading mindfully and with great care–to the power and potential of these periods of development.

During the sensitive periods, children develop the skills and characteristics of order, language, refinement of the senses, and development and refinement of movement without apparent effort. Once the sensitive periods have faded, children can still achieve and develop certain characteristics, but they must do so with work and effort. Plus, the skill or characteristic isn’t as fully integrated and absorbed. Think about how hard it is to learn a second language as an adult!

Most delightfully, when children are in a sensitive period, and their needs are met, they experience deep inner joy and a sense of satisfaction.

Mutual Respect & Making Deposit

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 18:55:34 GMT

Montessori classrooms depend upon a web of mutual respect. This culture of respect is established from the very beginning: from how the classroom is arranged and sized for the children, to how we greet each other at the start of the day, to how the adults refrain from interrupting children’s concentration. Dr. Maria Montessori emphasized that, as adults, we must have the utmost respect for children, because they are in the process of constructing themselves and are the hope for the future of humankind.

Mutual respect does require maintenance, though. As Montessorians, we are always tending to the emotional environment of the community. One way we do this is by continual practice of different ways we can show grace and courtesy toward each other and our surroundings. We do know, however, that situations arise when tensions start to run high, misunderstandings proliferate, and irritation takes over. We are all human, after all.

Because it’s helpful to have some support when things start to fray, we thought we’d share a strategy that can be helpful when frustrations, fallings-out, or rifts are on the rise.

First, imagine a scenario in which there is a small slight. A look from across the room. A forgotten request. Not listening to what is being said.

Usually, this isn’t such a big deal. However, if we are feeling particularly annoyed or frustrated by something that happened previously, we might mutter about how we can’t believe so and so did that again, how could they look at us like that, how they never pay attention, and on and on. Our response tells a lot about how we are feeling about the other person involved.

If we find ourselves in a situation where a progression of misunderstandings and misinterpretations is causing a rupture, it can be a good time to pause and consider the concept of an emotional or relationship bank account.

Dr. Stephen R. Covey explores the idea of an emotional bank account in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families, and Sean Covey introduces the relationship bank account in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens. The essence of this “bank account” is that we have different connections with the people in our lives, and between each of us we have an unseen measure of how we are connecting. We can visualize that measure as a bank account. Just like with a bank account, we can make deposits or withdrawals.

When we greet a co-worker in the morning with a smile and a compliment, we are making a deposit. Over time, with lots of deposits, a large cushion of goodwill is created in our relationship bank account. When a large cushion is there, our co-worker is likely to be understanding when one morning we scowl and barely mumble, “morning.” They might wonder if we are okay and want to do something to help us feel better.

But let’s imagine that instead of making regular deposits into our relationship bank account, we have either not taken the time for a kind greeting, or perhaps have been complaining about something they’ve done. These little acts end up draining our relationship bank account, like multiple small withdrawals, until there is little to no cushion of goodwill between us. If that’s the case, when we scowl and mumble, “morning,” the other person might react with anger and frustration, fed up with our attitude and ready to retaliate.

In simple terms, our relationship or emotional back account is like a cup that gets filled or emptied. When exploring this idea with young children, it can be helpful to draw or get a real cup, fill it up while imagining different acts of goodwill, then empty it while exploring little thoughtless or unkind acts. Children love to brainstorm different ways to fill the cup, perhaps even creating a poster or drawing together to have a visual reminder.

Older children are often intrigued by the connection to a financial bank account. Even the logical exploration of deposits and withdraws can help older children shift out of the emotional centers of their brains, which then allows them to approach a potentially tense situation with more calm and clarity.

Really, though, we can use this strategy in all of our relationships. When we can think about the little acts of kindness, honesty, patience, and unconditional love and acceptance as being ways to build up our relationship bank accounts, we can more easily shift gears in how we relate.

Ultimately, this practice can allow us to become more mindful of the actions between us. We can look across the room with warmth. We can acknowledge a mistake and work to make amends. We can listen with acceptance.

When we make deposits, we connect and cultivate goodwill. These deposits happen on a regular basis in Montessori classrooms.

Sensorial Superpowers

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 18:47:02 GMT

Young children are in a powerful process of creating an understanding of their world and where they fit in. To do this, they rely upon their senses as an interface to the world. Everything that comes into young children’s minds comes through their senses.

During the first few years of life, children absorb sensory input without discrimination. Then, around age two-and-a-half to age three, children begin to bring images from their subconscious into their consciousness. They begin to work with these images and in the process, embark on an important journey of building their intelligence.

The Sensorial Materials

To support this development, Montessori programs offer carefully designed sensorial materials. The materials isolate each sensorial quality and offer children what Dr. Maria Montessori called the “keys to the world.” In addition, the sensorial materials support children’s classification of impressions and lead to precise levels of conscious discrimination. Children who have these experiences in the formative period of brain development establish a foundation for a lifetime of order, precision, and logical, reasoned thinking.

How do sensorial materials accomplish all of this? Well, they have some significant purposes!

Sensorial materials support children’s classification and categorization of sensorial impressions. For young children, the first three years are like collecting impressions and throwing them into a closet. The images or concepts are a bit of a hodge-podge jumble. Thus, going in and accessing what is needed from this unorganized collection can be a challenge. Because this warehouse of impressions doesn’t have order or classification, children need to develop mental organization, so their collection of impressions becomes useful.

The sensorial materials help children classify and categorize all impressions they have absorbed and unconsciously stored since birth. When children interact with the sensorial materials, images emerge from their unconscious memory and into their working memory. As children use the materials, these impressions become part of their conscious memory. When children are accurate in distinguishing sensorial differences, we give language for the images, which helps the concepts become fixed in children’s minds.

Children aren’t born with organized brains with predetermined categories, so this neural organization must be built up through experience.

It’s important to understand that sensorial exercises don’t make children’s ears hear better, eyes see better, or tongue taste better. Instead, the materials help children develop powers of discrimination to analyze smaller and smaller degrees of difference.

When we take in sensorial input, everything goes into our brains. Then the brain has to make discriminations, a skill that develops through experience and the process of making finer and finer discernments. The materials offer children a clear means to classify and increase their perceptive powers, which are important mental abilities.

Sensorial materials support children in the development of abstractions.

What do we mean by abstractions? An example of an abstraction is the notion of “red.” Red as a quality does not exist in nature. Red can be represented in physical things, but we cannot bring “red” to a person. Red is a quality. It is an abstraction.

Children may already have some abstractions, but when they are young, the number is limited because they haven’t had sufficient experience to develop the abstraction. Furthermore, children don’t typically get to experience sensorial qualities in isolation. The Montessori sensorial materials isolate each quality and give children the opportunity to have enough experience to develop abstractions.

Because we, as adults, have a lot of experience in the world, it can be challenging for us to understand what children need to create abstractions. For example, to better understand the significance of abstractions, imagine being told about a quince. If you haven’t had a quince before, it is hard to pull up the image in your mind, much less what it tastes like. However, if you hear a description that a quince is a fruit, you can pull up an idea of what a fruit is. Then if you hear that a quince is in the same family as an apple and pear, you can pull up an image that brings you closer to imagining the fruit and perhaps even the type of skin it has.

But without these experiences and the organization of images, children can’t pull up the same level of abstraction. Imagination helps us, as adults, to do this: pull up images in our minds of something we haven’t experienced before based on abstractions. To imagine, we must have abstractions. This area is most related to the development of intelligence.

Sensorial materials support children’s development of accurate and discriminating recall of perceptions. The materials engage children’s memory, help them access information from their memory, and support them in using their intelligence. Memory is a tool of the intelligence, but because children aren’t born with memory, they need support with developing it. While children have an unconscious memory, they must take the impressions they have absorbed and build memory from them. The sensorial materials help this process.

Memory needs practice and experience to become stronger; it is only increased through activity. We want children’s memory to be strong, and thus we provide lots of experience with the materials and variations with the materials. With each sensorial material, there are many ways to extend the activity and help children with recall.

One significant strategy is giving language to each perception. The language is based on what is isolated in the materials–thick/thin, large/small, long/short, right-angled isosceles triangle/right-angled scale triangle, rough/smooth, heavy/light, ovoid/ellipsoid, bitter/sweet. The vocabulary is extensive and rich and ultimately fixes the perception in children’s memory.

The second strategy we use is playing games that challenge children to hold the perception in mind for longer and longer periods. For example, they might put each of the pink tower cubes scattered about the room so that in rebuilding the tower of cubes from largest to smallest, they have to remember the size of the previous piece in searching for the next largest cube. Some sensorial games also help children notice particular qualities in the environment rather than just in the materials. One favorite is searching for items in the classroom that have exactly the same shade as each of the color tablets.

Through repeated experience with the sensorial materials, children develop clearer and more accurate perceptions and create reference points that they can use throughout life. Dr. Montessori talks about the possibility for children to develop touchstones, a fixed, accurate reference by which this quality can be accessed. These points of reference can provide a lifetime tendency for order, precision, and recall, for example, hearing the note of G without any other reference or being able to look at a pane of glass and know if it will fit into the window frame.

Sensorial materials help children develop life-long tendencies towards order and precision. We don’t know what touchstones might develop for each child, but Dr. Montessori says that touchstones developed during these early years will remain with children throughout their lives. If children can get accurate discriminations while in this time of sensitivity to sensorial input, this precision will remain with them into adulthood. Of course, children’s unique interests will also lead them to their own level of proficiency.

Functionally, this tendency toward order and precision will be important as children move into more academic work in language and math. They will be able to access powers of discrimination that will aid them in future endeavors.

Sensorial materials also provide indirect preparation for further study.

This indirect preparation means that we are taking advantage of children’s spontaneous interest and activity and thus planting the seeds for other areas that children will explore as they age. When we introduce shapes–from a decagon to an ellipse to a quatrefoil–through the geometry cabinet, children visually discriminate the shapes while also tactilely experiencing the shapes by tracing around them. Multisensory input is stronger than input through just one sense. Tracing the shape also helps to prepare children’s hands for writing. This is how the sensorial materials provide indirect preparation for further academic study.

Dr. Montessori talks about the sensorial area as being most strongly related to the development of intelligence. Working with sensorial materials requires a very different engagement from the practical life work of washing hands or scrubbing a table. Practical life activities help children coordinate movement and follow a sequence with a logical beginning, middle, and end. Sensorial materials don’t have the same kind of logical sequence. They are open-ended and exploratory. Children must consider each piece and how it works in relation to the other pieces. In working with the red rods, for example, children have to examine each rod’s length in relation to the other rods. Thus, children have to make a reasoned distinction every time they move a piece of material. This process engages the intelligence and elevates children’s level of awareness. In addition, children have to hold the images in their minds, which helps their memory.

Having an ordered, classified mind is also the foundation for intelligence. When children struggle in more academic areas like language and math, we better consider how to support their mental order and classification. Academic work can be difficult to do when the mind isn’t prepared well. However, if children can recognize and distinguish between a trapezoid and a parallelogram, they will be more likely to be able to distinguish two other shapes like “g” and “q.” When children have a lot of experience recognizing shapes through sensorial materials, they can recognize the shapes they encounter in letters. Sometimes we go back and explore if perhaps children recognize the shapes but don’t have a strong memory. We then use sensorial games specifically designed to help different forms of memory (auditory, visual, etc.).

The sensorial area is an essential foundation for more academic work because language and math are completely based on abstractions. Words represent concrete things, but the words themselves are abstractions. The sensorial area is critical for providing the foundation for abstract thinking.

Outcomes

Although the sensorial materials may look relatively simple, they provide so much! When children use these materials, they refine their powers of discrimination, create an ordered mind, enhance their memory and recall, categorize their impressions, and build a foundation for rational thinking and intelligence.

As children achieve these skills, they experience life with an increased level of richness, becoming aware of the lovely details of their world. With a prepared mind, children can see things in a new light and with new enthusiasm. This is perhaps one of the most delightful outcomes of children’s work with the sensorial materials: they develop a whole new appreciation of the life around them–dimensions, shapes, smells, sounds, textures, and tastes–which is what gives life value and beauty.

Toothbrushing for Toddlers!

Sun, 23 Oct 2022 17:25:17 GMT

In Montessori, we put a lot of emphasis on young children learning basic self-care skills. A big part of self-care is something we do every day, at least twice a day: brushing our teeth! This is a tricky one, though, because we want to teach independence while also ensuring that our children’s teeth are clean and cavity-free.

Because COVID has brought about some shifts in the practical life activities that traditionally happen in our early childhood classrooms, we thought we would combine a “materials spotlight” with a little “how to at home.”

It’s important to remember that when we introduce toothbrushing, we are not only helping young children develop lifelong oral hygiene habits, but we are also helping them develop a sense of capability. As parents and caregivers, we partner in the process so that years later our children haven’t become dependent upon us for a necessary skill.

In showing and supporting toothbrushing, we want to really isolate and slow down each part of the process. As adults, we often move quickly through the activity. We don’t have to think about the separate steps of what we are doing, because we can rely upon habit and muscle memory. Young children, however, are consciously working through each component. Thus, we have to be very intentional about demonstrating the procedure. In the process, we also highlight what we call “points of interest” which are like little benchmarks that focus children’s attention and help them remember key components.

As with all practical life activities, we want the experience to be meaningful and embedded in a real-life context. Thus, we introduce toothbrushing when it makes sense: after eating!

After enjoying a snack or a meal, we invite a child to the sink to brush their teeth. We often make a point of noticing that we have just eaten and want to clean our teeth, so the child makes the connection of why we are going to use a toothbrush.

Small travel-size toothbrushes work well for children. The toothbrushes can have a case or small enclosure for the toothbrush head and some way to designate which brush belongs to which child (such as a photo of the child). We start by modeling taking our own toothbrush out of the holder and placing it on an empty tray.

Depending upon the child and their age, we might have the child try each step right after we show it. Or if the child is a little older, we may show a series of steps and then invite the child to try. One of the gifts of Montessori is that we can tailor each activity to a child’s needs and temperament.

After the child takes their toothbrush and puts it on the tray, the adult selects a toothpaste container and shows how to open and close it. Because we want the child to only use a small amount of toothpaste, it can be helpful to prepare individual portions of toothpaste. Contact lens holders work quite well for this.

After demonstrating how to select, then open and close the toothpaste container, the adult places it on the tray with their toothbrush and invites the child to select their own toothpaste container, open and close it, then place it on the tray. One critical detail is closing the toothpaste container. We aren’t ready to use the toothpaste yet, so having the container closed helps communicate that we aren’t ready to use toothpaste. We are just making sure that the child knows how to access the toothpaste.

At this point we are getting everything set up, so we want to have the layout prepared for all the steps, including rising our mouths with water after toothbrushing. In the classroom setting, we’ll often have a small pitcher of water and small glasses turned upside down, but at home often just a small glass will suffice. Ideally, the glasses look different from regular drinking glasses because this water will be used for rising rather than drinking. Because this process often happens in the bathroom, small stainless-steel cups work well. Regardless, we next select a glass or cup and pour a small amount of water from the pitcher into it so that the cup is about 1/4 full. We place the cup on the tray with our toothbrush and invite the child to pour water into their own cup and place it on the tray.

Now that everything is set up, we open the toothpaste container and leave it open on the tray. We pick up our toothbrushes and wipe bristles into toothpaste. It can be helpful to show how to hold the toothpaste container with one hand while getting toothpaste on the bristles of the brush.

We then place the toothbrush down on the tray and use both hands to close the toothpaste container. The child can also have a turn preparing their toothbrush with toothpaste.

The materials are ready, so it is time to demonstrate brushing teeth! This is best done slowly and with a wide-open mouth. We start on one side, perhaps the left, brushing our top teeth with clear, deliberate circle strokes. We then pause and brush the back of those top teeth. Pausing again, we then move to the back of our left top teeth with circular strokes. Staying on the same side, we brush our left bottom teeth with circular strokes, then the tops of those teeth, then the backs. We pause between each section and repeat on our right side.

In the end, we brush our tongues lightly. Then we place our toothbrushes onto the tray. With almost a bit of exaggeration, we make sure the child sees that we need to spit the toothpaste into the sink. After ridding our mouths of the excess toothpaste, we then pick up the glass and take some water into our mouths. We swish the water around and around and then spit right into the center of the sink, repeating if necessary. It’s nice to also have a small cloth or hand towel to model drying our mouth after this process.

We rinse the toothbrush under the faucet for a few seconds and tap the toothbrush on the side of the sink to get excess water off the brush. Then we invite the child to have a turn with the toothbrushing, spitting, and rinsing.

In the end, we return our toothbrush to its holder. One at a time we take the used items, the toothpaste container, and the cup, to the dirty dish cart to be washed. After the child takes their used items to the dirty dish cart, or at home perhaps another appropriate place, we invite them to brush their teeth whenever they would like to clean their teeth.

Depending upon the child’s engagement while presenting this activity, we may determine different points of interest by using a pause, slightly exaggerating the movement, or merely showing our own intense interest. Some possible points of engagement for toothbrushing can include getting toothpaste on the toothbrush, the downward or upward brushing strokes, swishing water to rinse our mouth, spitting into the sink, or tapping the toothbrush on the side of the sink.

In a school setting, the adult will model and allow the child to practice brushing teeth independently. At home, it’s also best to establish an understanding that at key times, for example in the morning and in the evening, the adult will be taking a turn to help ensure the child’s teeth are clean. For example, during the evening routine, the child gets a chance to clean their teeth, and then they know you, as a parent or caregiver, will then do a final toothbrushing for them. This can be done by putting your hand over the child’s and continuing the brushing process after the child is done, or by just asking the child to hand you their toothbrush when they are done so that you can have a turn brushing their teeth.

The important thing to remember is that we want to support young children as they build the manual dexterity necessary for this important self-care skill. Just like we wouldn’t do all the coloring for them when they want to use crayons, we don’t want to do all the toothbrushing for them when they are learning to use the toothbrush. We want to give the message that they are capable and can practice cleaning their teeth. At home, we also want to make sure they understand that because dental hygiene is so important, we will also have a turn making sure their teeth are clean.

We hope you have great success at home! Let us know how it goes.

Ready for the Universe: Geography for the Elementary Age

Sun, 09 Oct 2022 19:33:16 GMT

When children enter a Montessori elementary classroom around age six, they have undergone a great transformation. Whereas they previously wanted and needed to explore their immediate environment on a sensorial level, now they want and need to explore by using their intellect and imagination.

The study of geography takes on a whole new meaning at this age when children are fascinated by the smallest particles and the largest stars. They want to know why the seasons differ in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. They are curious about what made the Grand Canyon. They want to know why ocean currents affect the weather.

This desire to know why propels children to discover relationships and functions, not just learn facts. They are also fascinated by the extreme and the outstanding. They are drawn to the very large and the very small. They ask Why? What for? How is this related?

The Universe

Elementary-age children have a consuming interest in everything! To cater to this all-embracing thirst for the reasons of everything, we begin with the universe. One of the earliest lessons we introduce is the story of the universe. From this first story, children are delighted by a myriad of lessons and activities which fall under the general heading of ‘geography.'

Beginning with the universe gives elementary children a big-picture context. In Montessori, rather than encountering bits of disconnected knowledge, children learn about the order and harmony of the universe, as well as the relationships that exist between all things.

“If the idea of the universe be presented to the child in the right way, it will do more for him than just arouse his interest, for it will create in him admiration and wonder, a feeling loftier than any interest and more satisfying. The child's mind then will become fixed and can work. The knowledge he then acquires is organized and systematic; his intelligence becomes whole and complete because of the vision of the whole that has been presented to him and his interest spreads to all, for all are linked and have their place in the universe on which his mind is centred.” — Dr. Maria Montessori, To Educate the Human Potential

Constructing Understanding

Dr. Montessori observed that children around the world tended to ask similar questions at this age. The geography presentations and lessons support these fundamental reoccurring questions.

Our goal is to help elementary children have an explosion into understanding. However, this kind of understanding does not come from adults explaining everything.

Instead, we give children experiences and just enough information so they can find out more and make associations. When children make their own connections, real and lasting understanding happens. Even better, the children respond with enthusiasm and excitement!

Geography Topics

Children in a Montessori classroom do not encounter subjects grouped under curricular headings. Subjects are integrated because children are building their minds. They are exploring their world, rather than the chapters of a textbook. Although there is a structure in the classroom environment, children have the opportunity to explore different many different aspects of geography including:

Space, Earth, and the Universe
Composition of the Earth
Nature of the Elements
Sun and Earth
Work of Air
Work of Water
Life on the Land
Interdependencies
Economic Geography

The lessons we present, and the resulting children’s explorations, lead into astronomy, physics, chemistry, meteorology, geology, and more. For example, as we look more closely at how the earth revolves around the sun, children learn about solstices and seasons, climatic zones, and flora and fauna found in particular regions.

Aids to Understanding

For each topic, we provide imaginative aids, often in the form of stories, colorful impressive charts, and a variety of experiments. Many of these instructive aids have been selected to provide impressions, not just facts. The aim of our geography presentations is to intrigue the children and spark their imagination. We want them to be inspired to find out more!

We concentrate on giving key information, discussing reasons, and illustrating details, all of which draw children’s attention to certain phenomena. Once interest is there, children want to learn as much as they can. It is as if we are giving elementary students keys to knowledge and understanding. Once they have the keys, they can open doors and continue their explorations.

Geography is a vibrant aspect of the Montessori elementary and generates spontaneous, active, self-renewing interest! A love of learning blossoms in the children, and many develop a lifelong fascination with elements of geography.

Grasping the World: Geography for Young Children

Sun, 02 Oct 2022 19:11:16 GMT

Between mass media and family travel, young children are exposed to all sorts of language about their planet. They may hear phrases like “going around the world,” “as the world turns,” or “the other side of the world.” Young children absorb this information yet still need concrete experiences to help make sense of what “the world” even means!

Over 100 years ago, Dr. Maria Montessori observed how younger children were drawn to the globes that older children were using. Through careful observation, Dr. Montessori came to understand how young children crave a concrete understanding of concepts like the world, the earth, and the globe.

Concrete Materials

In Montessori, we offer concrete materials so children can experience accurate representations of these abstract concepts. We start by providing a small globe. The land surfaces are covered with fine sandpaper and the water surfaces are covered with smooth blue paint, so children can tactically explore the distribution of land and water surfaces over planet earth. With the globe, children get to literally grasp the shape of the planet and have a richer understanding of phrases like “going around the world.”

We also have a set of materials so children can learn about different kinds of land and water forms. Children can pour water into beautifully created models of an island, lake, peninsula, gulf, isthmus, strait, cape, bay, archipelago, or system of lakes. The water flows into the water area (painted blue) and moves around the land area (painted brown). As children learn the names of these land and water forms, they also explore folders with photographs of actual land and water forms from around the world.

Montessori classrooms also have a second globe to show how the land surfaces are divided into continents. Each continent is painted a different color (green for Africa, red for Europe, orange for North America, pink for South America, brown for Oceania, and white for Antarctica). The color coding of the continents stays consistent throughout all the materials, which helps with association and retention.

Once children have grasped this concept of the land and water distinctions on the globe, we show them a flat puzzle map divided by the Eastern and Western hemispheres with each continent (color-coded as above) as a separate puzzle piece. This continent puzzle map gives children the chance to see all of the continents at once as they look on a two-dimensional map.

We also offer maps of each continent to show the political partitions formed by countries. Each puzzle piece is a country, with the knob for picking up the piece located at the country’s capital. Children initially use these puzzle maps in a very sensorial way, taking the maps apart and putting them back together. As children engage with this experience, we begin introducing the names of the continents and then the countries. Young children absorb this vocabulary effortlessly and delight in learning the names of all the countries. As children get older, they also enjoy taking on additional challenges, sometimes even closing their eyes, feeling all the way around the puzzle piece, and then naming the country!

Cultivating Appreciation

Although this is all rather impressive, it’s important to remember that our purpose is not to turn children into walking encyclopedias. Even when children may come to rather astonishing intellectual skills, these abilities are a by-product. Our purpose is to offer young children activities to help them understand their place in the world, become aware of the oneness of humanity, and appreciate the incredible variation among people that results from physical geography and humans’ creative efforts and inventions.

To help in this effort, we share collections of pictures of human life organized by continent. These pictures offer impressions of different modern cultures, lifestyles, and traditions. The pictures reflect commonalities of human needs and the great variety of ways humans fulfill these needs. The photographs highlight regional food, farming, shelter, transportation, daily life, traditions, and the physical geography represented in landmarks, climate, flora, and fauna.

As children develop a relationship with the world around them, they may also explore more about the different places in the world, including climates, plants, and animals. Often children love to begin creating their own maps by carefully tracing the puzzle map pieces and coloring and labeling the continents and countries.

In Montessori education, children absorb a great deal of geography skill knowledge! But our focus is on giving children the opportunity to develop a constructive and creative relationship with the whole world, as well as a love for how our planet offers a diverse home to the whole of humanity. Schedule a tour to see this love of geography in action!