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Montessori Basics

Independence: The Foundation of Freedom

By FMS Values, Montessori Basics, Montessori Philosophy No Comments
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....
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On the Topic of Competition

By FMS Values, Montessori Basics, Montessori Philosophy No Comments
You may have noticed that in Montessori schools, we do not typically encourage competition between children.  Our lack of traditional grading is one obvious marker of this approach, but you will notice that the lack of peer competition threads itself pretty much throughout the entire program.  This is quite intentional, and we work hard to give children a foundation built on competition with oneself, rather than with others.    It is...
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The First Six Years: Conquests of Independence

By Montessori Basics, Montessori Learning No Comments
Throughout their first six years of life, our children achieve many milestones of independence. Let’s take a look at some of these conquests of independence.  As caregivers and parents, we have a bit of a bittersweet role. While we want to keep our children close, we ultimately need to support their path toward independence.   We expect dependence at the beginning. Yet our newborns take their very first step toward independence...
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Kindergarten: The Icing On the Cake

By Montessori Basics, Montessori Learning No Comments
This post is for our Toddler and Pre-School  families (although the families of older students who read it will readily agree and support the points below - ask them when you have a chance!). Some of you were originally drawn to Montessori because you’ve read about how different and special the approach is. Some of you were looking for a high-quality daycare or preschool and stumbled upon us.   There are...
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Everyone Belongs – Embracing Diversity from a Young Age

By FMS Values, Montessori Basics No Comments
We all want our children to be peaceful and accepting of others.  It is never too early to start teaching them to embrace diversity.  Too often, we falsely imagine that young children do not notice what makes them different from each other.  They do notice, and instead of waiting for them to ask questions or gather information on their own, we can be proactive about diversity education.  We can teach...
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The Montessori Prepared Environment

By Montessori Basics, Montessori Learning No Comments
In Montessori, we talk a lot about the “prepared environment.” Really, though, this concept of a prepared environment isn’t limited to Montessori. In fact, from the earth’s biosphere offering an array of support for life, to the fragrant and colorful flowers existing to lure pollinators, to a woman’s uterus preparing each month for the implantation of a fertilized egg – prepared environments are all around us!   A prepared environment has...
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Mathematics through the levels

Montessori Basics: How Mathematics Progresses Through the Levels

By Montessori Basics, Montessori Educators No Comments
In Montessori, you know your four year old loves their classroom and their work.  You know their teachers are guiding them to learn early mathematical skills.  But what, exactly, does that look like?  And how does it change as they get older?  Montessori mathematics materials are nothing short of amazing.  While they look quite different than what we used growing up (pencil, paper and textbooks) there are intentional reasons for...
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Materials Spotlight: The Bead Chain Cabinet

By Montessori Basics, Montessori Learning No Comments
Visit any primary or pre-school Montessori classroom and you’ll immediately notice a stunning display of colourful 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.   Colour-coding  One of the brilliant aspects of the...
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What is the Montessori Three-Year Cycle?

By Montessori Basics, Montessori Learning No Comments
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 because we have “three-year cycles.”   What is a Montessori Three-Year Cycle? ...
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How We Montessori: A Montessori View on Chores

By Helpful Hints, Montessori Basics, Parenting No Comments
Chores: the word has such a negative connotation.  But does it need to be that way?  Following on from our post last week about chores being beneficial for all ages, we wanted to share a post from 'How We Montessori' about the benefits of chores for children at three years of age. It’s not about making children do chores.  Instead, it’s about encouraging and supporting your children to recognise and...
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