
An Explosion in Language Development
Almost 120 years ago, when Dr. Maria Montessori created the first Children’s Houses in the slums of Rome, she saw a curious phenomenon. Young children,

The Three R’s of Recovery: A Positive Discipline Approach to Mistakes
Do you ever feel annoyed by throw-away apologies? So often, our children pick up the habit of tossing out “I’m sorry” like a used tissue.

Our Montessori Dictionary
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

What Do We Do About Discipline?
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

A Sprinkling of Holiday Ideas
We have seen how children feel more grounded and cooperative when they have a role to play. Thus, whenever possible, it’s helpful to find little

Materials Spotlight: The Wooden Hierarchical Material
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

Our Montessori Bookshelf: Life on Earth
As children approach their elementary years, they can truly access the power of their imagination. As a result, they begin to ask big questions and

Gratitude: Why We Celebrate the Unsung Heroes
As children move from early childhood into their elementary years, they become very attuned to heroes. In fact, in Montessori we call this “hero worship,”

Nurturing the Whole Child: How Montessori Balances Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Growth
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

Materials Spotlight: Animal Story Cards
Children adore animals! Our elementary students (and even some older primary students) often love to start researching animals. To capitalize upon this interest and use

Exploring Montessori Together: Family Events and Learning Opportunities
Many of us didn’t grow up with Montessori. As a result, we often find ourselves drawing upon a great deal of trust. We may intellectually

Materials Spotlight: The Montessori Bells
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

Taking a Look at Homework
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.

Milestones in Montessori
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

Facing Frustration & Flipped Lids
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

Materials Spotlight: The Timeline of Life
Nothing quite captures the imagination of elementary-aged children more than the Timeline of Life. Developmentally our six- to twelve-year-olds can start creating temporal order and

Our Montessori Bookshelf: The Power of Plants
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

Let’s Go Outside: Benefits for Our Children (and Ourselves!)
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

Setting up a Montessori-Based Space at Home
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

A Subtle Art: The Beauty of the Montessori Three-Period Lesson
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

Supporting Our Adolescents
Tanesia R. Hale-Jones is a Montessorian, educator, social activist, poet, artist, and parent, who believes deeply in the importance of community engagement and teaching young

Memory, Learning, and Montessori
Memory is such a critical component of learning. We perhaps take this for granted without fully understanding how memory works and how to support our

A Montessori Dictionary: Elementary & Adolescent Terms
As is often the case, specialties or practices have their particular lingo. Montessori is no different! In this Montessori Dictionary post, we’re focusing on a

Our Montessori Bookshelf: Wordless Picture Books
Even though they don’t have a written narrative, wordless picture books can be an essential part of young children’s language development. These books have pictures

Pandemic Impacts on Older Kids and Teens
While there has been a certain amount of awareness of how COVID has impacted young children, we thought it would be helpful to shift our

Observation to Instruction
Do you see your child throwing their clothes on the floor in a heap? Maybe leaving things out on the kitchen table? Interrupting during mealtime?

Caring for Community
Part of being part of a community is participating in the daily routines to care for our surroundings. In Montessori, we provide numerous ways for

Independence: The Significance of Food
Throughout history, human survival has depended upon finding, preparing, and consuming different kinds of food. It is certainly understandable why food is a central part

Roles & Goals: The Montessori Guide
Our society knows teachers. Teachers give information. Teachers provide an education. Teachers instruct. In a Montessori classroom, however, the role of the adult is rather

Time for Togetherness
During the holiday season, we can unintentionally become a bit edgy or stressed. Routines change. We might travel or have out-of-town guests. While our children

Power & Potential: The Sensitive Periods
Have you ever noticed how sensitive young children can be to changes in routine? Even the slightest schedule adjustment can throw things off. On the

Shifting from “Stuff” to the Spirit of the Season
All too often the holiday season becomes about “stuff”–presents, decorations, more presents. How do we wean our children away from their focus on getting gifts

4 Montessori Quotes That Give Us Perspective
Dr. Maria Montessori was a scientist and physician, first and foremost. She stumbled her way into education when she observed the mistreatment of children put

Inclusivity in the Montessori Classroom
Montessori is a method of education as well as a general philosophy on human development. If we could summarize it into one sentence it might

Materials Spotlight: The Puzzle Maps
In this second installment of our new materials spotlight series, we celebrate and explain the Montessori puzzle maps. Beautifully, colorfully painted and carefully crafted out

Graphic Novels (ages 6-18)
Graphic novels are having a moment. There was a time not long ago when it was easy for most adults to view them as “not

7 Major Ways Montessori is Different
There’s no doubt about it: Montessori is different. From the moment you step foot into our school, you know it’s unlike any conventional school. We

What is Cosmic Education?
As your child nears the end of their early childhood years and edges toward elementary, you may begin hearing the term cosmic education. Ever wonder

Does Montessori Measure up in Creativity?
A study published in 2019 was one of a number that have aimed to determine whether Montessori education contributes to creativity in students. While continued

Great Reads! John Newbery Award Winners
Today we extend the appreciation of quality children’s literature by sharing a list of the most recent winners of the Newbery Award. Named after a

150 Years: Celebrating the Ordinary
This article is part of a series that we will share throughout the 2020-2021 school year to celebrate the 150th birthday of Dr. Maria Montessori.

6 Effective Ways to Be an Engaged Parent
Research has shown time and time again that parent involvement is critical to children’s success. We all want to take an active role in our

150 Years: The Mixed-Age Classroom
This article is part of a series that we will share throughout the 2020-2021 school year to celebrate the 150th birthday of Dr. Maria Montessori.

5 Ways to Live a Montessori Life
The more we learn about Montessori, the more it tends to seep its way into all aspects of our lives. We find ourselves seeing the

Music in Montessori Classrooms
Montessori-based research is a fairly new field of study but interest is increasing. The following is a summary of a recently published study that addressed

Mindfulness for Children
You may be very familiar with mindfulness or you may have a vague notion of a buzz word that has something to do with meditation.

Birthday Books!
We know there isn’t a perfect month to share this book list so if it’s not your child’s birth month just bookmark this article for

Bringing Food Prep Into Your Kitchen
One of the many joyful aspects of a Montessori environment is food preparation. Learning how to prepare one’s own food is a critical life skill

Why Choose Montessori?
We know parents have choices when it comes to their children’s education. We know these choices are not easy. There are many factors to weigh

Summer Learning: Finding a Balance
Families typically undergo a period of transition between the end of the school year and summer vacation. This year’s transition will certainly look very different