Skip to main content
Category

Montessori Learning

May 16 2023
Love4

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...
Read More
May 04 2023
Love4

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...
Read More
Mar 16 2023
Love4

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...
Read More
Mar 02 2023
Love4

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...
Read More
Feb 23 2023
Love4

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? ...
Read More
Nov 10 2022
Love4

Focused on Friends (or Fenemies!)

By Montessori Educators, Montessori Learning, Montessori Philosophy No Comments
During their primary years, it can seem like our children are only focused on friends (and frenemies!). We hear about what happened at recess or who they sat with at lunch. They come home with elaborate accounts of being wronged. It’s easy to begin to wonder what they are really learning at school!  In Montessori we always try to understand what is happening developmentally, so we can address children’s needs...
Read More
Oct 27 2022
Love4

The Role of the Montessori Teacher?

By Montessori Educators, Montessori Learning, Montessori Philosophy No Comments
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...
Read More
Jul 28 2022
Love2

Materials Spotlight: The Puzzle Maps

By Montessori Learning No Comments
Today we celebrate and explain the Montessori puzzle maps. Beautifully and colourfully painted and carefully crafted out of wood, they can be found in both the Pre-Primary (3-6 Years) and Lower Primary (6-9 Years) classrooms. While they are used differently in the two environments, educators take a developmentally appropriate approach to utilising this beautiful geography material.  The Material  In a Montessori classroom, one will find a wooden rack that contains...
Read More
Jun 09 2022
Love2

Materials Highlight: Geometry From the Start

By Montessori Learning No Comments
When many of us think of our geometry education, we have thoughts of identifying shapes in kindergarten, and then taking a class or two in high school. The truth is, children are fully capable, and enthusiastically prepared, to learn so much more at a much younger age. While we can’t possibly cover our entire curriculum in one short article, we’ll share some of the highlights. It begins (perhaps unsurprisingly) in our...
Read More
Jun 02 2022
Love2

Montessori vs. Daycare: 5 Key Differences

By Montessori Learning, Montessori Philosophy No Comments
Many families rely on childcare while their children are still young. Figuring out the best place to drop your little one off every day is a big decision. Parents want to ensure their child spends their days safe, comfortable, and happy, and under the watchful eye of well-trained and competent adults.   Daycare is the obvious choice for many parents…that is, until they become aware of other options.  If you’re reading...
Read More
Close Menu