Parenting

Something is going awry. A parent has raised a concern about (enter any number of possibilities here: your teaching, your classroom, the children's behavior, more homework, more time outdoors... the possibilities are as diverse as the children you serve.) What now? It's hard not to jump into … Read more about Difficult Conversations with Parents

A father I was chatting with recently pointed out the irony of my web-based-recommendation that we unplug and go outside more. I get it. The screens in front of us are important, critical tools in how we engage professionally, economically, civically. That's true and it's not changing. But as more … Read more about Look around. Look around.

You may have noticed the beautiful Math materials in Montessori early childhood and elementary classrooms. Enticing and elegant, a few minutes of exploration with these materials often help even experienced adults to better understand the relationships and principles of Mathematics. Montessori knew, … Read more about Math and the Infant/Toddler

Visitors to Montessori classrooms often comment on the beautiful materials on the shelves, the lovely wooden crafted puzzles, graceful glass pitchers and fresh flowers. The classrooms are welcoming like a living rooms prepared for guests rather than the brightly colored and washable settings we've … Read more about Materials Matters

The activity of the day is done (almost.) Dinner is ready (almost.) The table is almost set. The kids are almost settled down. You're not really in the busy part of the day, but you're not really in the slowing down bedtime part of the day either. It's the witching hour. Montessorians know that … Read more about The Witching Hour

Montessorians often talk with some pride (and maybe a little boasting) about the ways in which Dr. Montessori’s influence on early childhood has become commonplace today. Those child-sized tables that are present in every preschool setting? Montessori’s idea. The manipulative geometric shapes? … Read more about They Kindled A Flame In A Few That Spread To Many

“Some may not be interested at all, and others take more time or less to assimilate what they want.” - M. Montessori Think of all the fears teachers and parents carry for their children’s progress through school. Are they “off track?” Have they “fallen behind?” If a child misses a day or two of … Read more about “…more time or less..”

In an ideal world, parents and teachers build collaborative relationships over days, weeks and months, working well when things are going well, and establishing the trust on which they'll rely when things get tricky. Y'all. Things are getting tricky. This morning, parents around the world woke up … Read more about Montessori At-Home Day One

Ideally, we're all working together to create a world with seamless transitions for children's development, when they can move smoothly from school to home to neighborhood without the jarring transitions of rules and noise and agendas. Ideally, our children are welcome in all the same places we are, … Read more about Montessori in the Airport

We know that part of our work as Montessori teachers is to observe children. We observe to understand their development, that we may better prepare for that development in the materials and lessons we offer in the environment. Before we introduce writing as a lesson, we need to observe the … Read more about Teacher Talk: Observing Writing

Observing in a Montessori classroom offers an insight into the rhythm and climate of the prepared environment, but it sometimes needs a little translation. Because so much of the peacefulness and productivity of the Montessori classrooms is tied to the preparation of those classrooms (including the … Read more about Visiting A Montessori Classroom

As Montessori learners develop the ability to measure and "tell" time, they are increasingly motivated to use these skills beyond daily routines. We know children are fascinated by large numbers, including large measurements of time across generations or even eons. In the Elementary classrooms, … Read more about The Timelines