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Montessori
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It's worth emphasizing that Practical Life activities are essential for the development of our little ones.
It's easy (and natural) enough to pay attention to children's "...
As adults, we have the knowledge and the adequate language to express our feelings. This is referred to as our emotional language. We can also decipher the emotions going...
In a Montessori environment, preliminary exercises refer to activities and exercises designed to prepare young children for more advanced learning experiences. These...
One of the most important things we can do as teachers to help ensure the children’s success is to offer them a prepared environment. Let's focus on what that means.
The...
Sensorial-based education plays a crucial role in a child's development, and parents can actively support this process at home. This approach to learning emphasizes the...
Summer is here! It's the school break, and the weather will hopefully get warmer. It's time to share some Montessori-inspired ideas to get you through this Summer.
The list...
Let’s talk about the love of art!
We want our students to love color, size, shapes, lines, and textures. We hope they learn that art is one of many creative outlets, which...
Embarking on a journey of fostering children's holistic development, Montessori principles provide a roadmap for nurturing their unique potential through hands-on learning,...
Summer is just around the corner, and going for a nature walk with your children every Friday is lots of fun for them. You can go to the library and let your Toddler pick out...
Food plays a significant role in Montessori. Learning about foods (it’s a big part of the language area), growing food in our garden (where possible), and preparing food (...
Play to Develop
Young minds see, hear and experience life from a first-time perspective, making practical life an exploration playground for children. Children tend to enjoy...
Maria Montessori fosters the idea that real purposeful work prepares one for real life. You may witness your child helping at home with mundane tasks, such as wiping up,...
It's re-enrollment time, and in thousands of Montessori schools all over America, parents of four year old's are trying to decide whether or not they should keep their...
Do you ever wonder why the Montessori method places such an emphasis on independence and responsibilities?
In “The Gift of Failure,” Jessica Lahey discusses how household...
Establishing a routine while maintaining daily transitions is crucial to every family with young children. Evenings and weekends can feel hectic, overwhelming, and often...
We all chose Montessori for a reason, right? Whatever that may be, we all must understand that Montessori is not quite the traditional way of learning as most of us have been...
I wanted to continue talking about movement in the classroom. I truly appreciate all of you coming to our Back to School night, and I know I probably rushed through the...
Points of interest is a valuable piece of Montessori terminology, a point of interest is something we call attention to to highlight detail to a child. As parents sometimes...
I just wanted to reach out and talk about independence. As we continue during the Winter Season, children start to wear thicker jackets, sweaters, etc. One of the things that...
Many of you are interested in finding ways to occupy your child's time in a Montessori way to give your child an environment that fosters calmness and focus.
We practice...
The children are at a transitional age during which they learn more about their abilities and how to apply them to their lives and the world around them. Montessori education...
Breakfast is a very important meal in the day, and we ask that your child get some form of protein during breakfast as they are expending a lot of energy during our 3-hour...
The Importance of the 3-Year Cycle and What to Expect
- 1st year: The child is transitioning to the Primary program. He is an observer as he gradually discovers his new...
Parents can guide children towards mastery by developing a ‘practice makes perfect’ mantra. Building persistence overcomes resistance…when you focus on these tools to build...
Learning social and emotional discipline skills that teach our children positive outcomes are one of the foundations of Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophy on how to create...
One tool Montessori teachers use to develop students' social skills is 'noticing.' By using verbal cues, teachers can use their skill of noticing to encourage students to...
Montessori said that the sensitive period for order begins at birth, peaks during early toddlerhood, and generally lasts until around age five. Characterized by an inner need...
There is a brilliant film entitled, 'Mother Nature's Child'. It spoke about the relationship of the child with nature and its importance in the development of human beings...
Imagination...we would be lost without it! As humans, we have used our imaginations to enrich every aspect of our lives. Men and women have imagined new ways to use modern...
Maria Montessori's most prominent work is her book entitled The Absorbent Mind. Throughout all her work she cites this phenomenon in children. It is the reason behind so much...
"If a child's cycle of activity is interrupted, the results are a deviation of behavior, aimlessness, and loss of interest...So whatever intelligent activity we witness in a...
Pampering is doing a task for your child when they are capable of doing it for themselves and without assistance. Since children possess an innate desire to do things for...
The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins With a Single Step
For generations, Montessori teachers have practiced methods designed to inspire your child on his or her journey to...
I was reflecting with another teacher about some of the struggles I've been having on the playground (gunplay, monsters, etc.). Although it's easy to be reactive and point...
What a Child Absorbs
During the first years of life, the child will absorb, like a sponge, whatever is in the environment: ugliness or beauty, coarse behavior or gentleness,...
Does your child start their day with a healthy breakfast?
At times, some children can be cranky mid-morning or start asking for food earlier than snack time so let's address...
Some of you have been asking more about how to bring Montessori into your homes. So, I'll be extending a little further:
Designing and preparing a Montessori...
Choosing the best school to fit your child’s needs and strengths—whether it’s traditional, parochial, private or homeschooling—can often be decided only after internally...
Perhaps the best outgrowth of watching a Montessori elementary school in action is seeing how peer-age learning helps younger and older students grow while preventing...
During our Parent/Teacher conferences, many of you were asking about how we deal with temper tantrums here in our classroom, so I would like to expand more on this subject....
As a Montessori parent, I can imagine you have heard numerous times the importance of independence. I hope that you see how, inside the classroom, independence is encouraged...
But the Montessori Method is over 100 years old!
Should we, as educators and parents, be following a method that was created over 100 years ago? Haven't times...
Historically, Montessori students do better mastering specific tasks than their counterparts in traditional schools primarily due to what, when, and where preschoolers are...
Here are some guidelines on how to observe.
Be Open, Accept Another Way: Know that there is more to every situation than you can know. Each has a history and...
The Montessori Environment is a prepared environment designed to aid your child in their search for independence, concentration, and happiness. Children need an interactive,...
At Lifetime Montessori School (LMS) in San Diego, a private toddler, preschool, and elementary school in Santaluz, our teachers work on identifying skill sets in children at...
In California, transitional kindergarten (TK) was designed to be a bridge between preschool and Kindergarten. If a child turns five years of age between September 2 and...
This upcoming year, I have a different set of hopes for our school.
My 2021 Montessori school resolution: getting back to normal!
2021: Where Old Normal Meets New Normal
...
Dr. Maria Montessori spent her life observing and interpreting children’s behaviors.
Her approach to education focused on teaching each child as an individual, thereby...
The 2020 pandemic has thrown our lives all out of whack. Parents are running on empty. Many families are juggling work and life balance while struggling to patch together...
As we near the start of the holiday break at LMS, we ask that you continue employing your social commitment to our school and community while at home with your family. To...
EQ is every bit as important as IQ
Emotional Intelligence, also known as Emotional Quotient (EQ), is based on the concept that parents and children can build strengths in...
At Lifetime Montessori School and thousands of others, once in a while parents are called in to discuss their child’s aggressive behaviors. In an instant, parents may feel...
As young toddlers begin to learn independence, here are some hygiene tips for parents to implement.
Basics
Let’s start with the basics by educating our children about...
Parents Describe Their Feelings While Juggling Jobs, Kids, and School
Sheltering-in-place is helping me learn more about my family and children. The main thing I’ve learned...
Parents Can Now See The Campus By Watching Videos Online
Three Lifetime Montessori school virtual tours are now available for parents to see their Toddler, Primary,...
Yes, perhaps in the same way that athletic academies are good for gifted athletes
Frequently, our teachers are asked 'is Montessori school good for a gifted child?’ The short...
This upcoming September, many public school system districts will give each entering kindergarten student their iPad. It’s an interesting development to think that a five-...
Many toddler and preschool teachers are trained to identify specific behavioral signs in our youngest students who may have difficulty expressing themselves. Whether these...
It’s that time again when the too-fast days of summer dwindle and parents and teachers look forward to a new school year. Here are Back To School Tips to help prepare your...
Give Your Child Dedicated Moments During Your Day To Build Love and Stability
Building on the Montessori Method
How many times have you seen today’s moms multitasking?
“...
Did you know that six million children in America have food allergies?
What about your child? Are you and your school ready for the unexpected?
Eight common allergens are...
As a parent and a teacher, I believe that sometimes we need to pause and look at our actions and our boundaries when it comes to parenting and disciplining our children.
I am...
Practicing the Montessori lifestyle at home is something that can be rewarding for you and your child. Many of the things we do in class can easily be implemented at home...
The weather has been beautiful and we have been spending extra time out in the sunshine. I was watching one of our new little ones examine a flower in Mrs. Stone's garden....
Do Unattended Children Become Independent or Victims of the Pediatric Patrol?
Free-range parenting is the concept of raising children in the spirit of encouragement to...
Memorization Works For State Educational Testing Standards But Does Little to Help Children Absorb, Assimilate, and Master Language and Math
A core difference in how the...
Teach Kids How to Think, Not What to Think
How can parents be more effective, get our kids to listen and respectfully connect?
According to Jane Nelsen, Ed.D., it’s all...
The Montessori Method Provides Cues and Activities to Help Kids Learn to their Strengths
Children learn differently.
Some kids need materials to touch while others need to...
How Living Things, Communication, and Numbers Contribute to Each Being’s Job on Earth
Maria Montessori’s advice to educators is simple: “The greatest sign of success for a...
Build Better Bridges With Your Child Thru Compassion, Acknowledgement, and Questions
“All You Need is Love”…and a Lot of Listening
What’s the first thing you can do to...
Dear Mommy and Daddy,
Since I was born, I’ve been percolating. My neurons have been transmitting information throughout my brain. These nerve cells have been firing synapses...
A key takeaway of the Montessori Method is building students from the bottom up. From Day One of the toddler program to graduation from elementary school, Dr. Maria...
Methods That Embrace Learning Rather Than Rote
As parents, we know the value of school—it’s the springboard toward a life-long career rather than holding an hourly job. But...
I would like to share with you an experience I had with the children out on the playground one day. A group of children were playing together when one of them decided to...
While trying to stay warm in the afternoons, I have been spending WAY too much time surfing the internet and I hate to admit it but I’m hooked. Ever since my invitation to...
As the year progresses, the children are becoming more engaged in challenging work. In the Bumblebee Classroom, you will hear the children repeatedly count and sound out...
As I prepare to leave for the AMI conference where we will go over many aspects of Montessori philosophy, practice, materials, goals, future, etc, I felt compelled to share a...
We would love to have you come in and observe! Again please note, that observations offer just a glimpse of how a typical morning usually goes in our classroom. Children...
"Tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will understand" - Chinese proverb
Our Montessori Toddler House curriculum supports the...
The children continuously work on their social skills and their ability to follow the classroom limits. We believe in natural and logical consequences as opposed to...
Prince William and Kate chose to enroll their son in a school that practices the famous Montessori method. Founded by Italian physician and teacher Maria Montessori, the...
There are a lot of terms used in Montessori theory that are not used in other preschool educational theories. It's a whole new language that can take time to digest....
Lately, our class has been focusing on the concept of what it means to live within a community-- treating our environment and others with the utmost respect and...
I wanted to briefly touch on the importance of established routines. As most of you know, established routines are vitally important to your child's sense of security...
There's a beautiful blog post by Seth D. Webb, the Instructional Leader for the Upper Elementary Department at Free Horizon Montessori, a charter public school in Golden,...
As some of you noticed and will notice in the next few weeks, we are working hard on our gardens and hope to have them budding with life over the upcoming months. We hope...
Every day in our Montessori school, we teach students about the kitchen systematically and methodically. Whether we are spreading, slicing, or juicing, we set up the steps...
I heard from many of you that your children love to sing you the songs they learn in class. I recently read a great article on the importance of singing in early education...
I was thinking of you all this morning as I was taking a leisurely stroll to the office with two of my very sweet yet very inquisitive children. You know the type. The never-...
I would like to share with you a new Montessori Blog by Miss Donna Bryant Goertz who is the founder of Austin Montessori School in Austin, Texas, and who also acts as a...
I would like to give you a few tips on how you can prepare a Montessori environment at home.
Maria Montessori (1870-1952) noticed that young children are...
I enjoyed seeing all of you at our Parent Information Night and hope you discovered a lot about what we do here, and what your child will be doing here in the years to...
What a week! This hot weather certainly crept up on me and although I'm grateful for the sunshine, I wasn't prepared for such a great leap in the temperature gauge....
I would like to talk about freedom and discipline and how it affects you and your child(ren). Internal discipline is what we are interested in and what will be achieved by...
In a random "poll" I did with the children last week, there were many who had watched TV on a weeknight and who watch TV, use an electronic device, and or have a TV in their...
As school begins to wind down for the school year, expectations in the class begin to change. In some cases, the older children are being held to a higher standard because...
I’d like to empower you to start teaching our children about community and a good way to start is water conservation. This is an incredibly important topic especially...
Practical means: basic, useful, purposeful.
Life means the way of living.
Practical life Exercises are just that, they are Exercises so the child can learn how to do...
We are so fortunate to live in Southern California where the weather predominantly stays beautiful all year round, allowing us to enjoy outdoor activities with our little...
I would like to share with you a little bit about my journey into becoming a Montessori Directress.
The very first time I set foot in a Montessori classroom was for an...
I recently had the opportunity to spend the day with my four-year-old niece, Brianna. I would like to talk about some observations I made and let you know how we...
One question that has come up often over this year is why we use cursive in the classroom. As most of you who already are familiar with our language curriculum know,...
It is that time of the year where there's a lot of us who come down sick due to seasonal colds, flu, allergies, viral infections, and such. As most of you probably already...
As most of you already know, I have two "real" children (both girls, 10 and 11) who are a little older than my Grasshopper children. I spend quite a bit of my free time with...
The holidays remind me how important it is to have traditions and rituals in our everyday life.
A great book by William Doherty entitled "The Intentional Family: How to...
Many children seem to be "tired" when they come to school. I see this tiredness in the way that they work and the work they choose. In Montessori, we don't give homework...
I would like to write on my personal thoughts of how wonderful the Montessori method is and how it impacts the lives of our children daily. As a parent to a Montessori child...
I would like to share with you something that I've learned recently through Miss Sarah McNeill, a Pediatric Occupational Therapist. She came to speak to us about a very ...
I would like to underline the importance of observation in our environment and how it is a critical part of our work. The foundation of the Montessori school educational...
By Lena Aburdene Derhally
When I became a mother, my career as a psychotherapist took on a different meaning. I find myself reflecting on how impactful the early years are,...
What do you want for your child’s future?
The other day I took a call from a prospective parent. I had not given her tour, and she was calling to talk to the director and...
Written by: Donna Bryant Goertz
At Home
Since leaving the classroom recently, after thirty-some years in the delightful company of children, I have spent a considerable...
There is a very crucial stage in which children need to be at home or a home-like environment that provides the necessary activities to become independent. They need to be...