This post is one a series throughout the school year, where we share information about a different Montessori material. Doing so will help parents who are curious about what goes on in our environments, but it will also give unique insight into Montessori principles and how the method was developed in the first place. Today we talk about the stamp game. A beloved mathematics material that is used by children...
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When people think about Montessori schools, some of the most prominent materials that come to mind are the beautiful practical life opportunities in our Pre Primary (3-6 Years) environments. There are small wooden trays with pouring and transferring works. There are whole lessons dedicated to the arrangement of flowers. The children prepare their own snacks and wash their own dishes. They use special frames that teach them to tie, buckle,...
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Dr. Maria Montessori: You probably know her as the woman who created a unique method of educating children. You may know she was from Italy and was one of the nation’s first female physicians. What you may not know is she was a woman who consistently faced adversity throughout her life and still managed to cultivate incredible progress. During Dr. Montessori’s childhood, literacy rates were very low across Italy. She...
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Racks and Tubes, The Test Tubes - they may go by different names, but they’re all the same: a gloriously detailed Montessori division material. Introduced to the child somewhere around the end of Lower Primary (6-9 Years) or beginning of Upper Primary (9-12 Years), the tiny parts are appealing. Adults who have had an opportunity to see the Racks and Tubes used are usually delighted by the way this physical...
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Pretty much anyone reading this article knows the answer to that question is not a simple one. Are you new to Montessori? Have you found that anytime you ask the question you are amazed by the utter depth of the answers? Have you had a child enrolled in Montessori for several years? Do people ask you to describe it and you find yourself unable to summarise it into a brief...
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Welcome! Whether your family has been part of our community for years or you’re just joining us for the first time, we look forward to spending 2022 together. After the last two years, everyone is looking forward to a fresh start, with a return to some semblance of normalcy. Some children will be Montessori students for the very first time. Others are moving up to a new level. Either way,...
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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 real” books. Today we know that couldn’t be further from the truth. Many graphic novels are of very high quality; the plots and characters are well developed, and they are recognised for the important contribution they make to youth literature. They can motivate reluctant readers...
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“The child's development follows a path of successive stages of independence, and our knowledge of this must guide us in our behaviour towards him. We have to help the child to act, will and think for himself. This is the art of serving the spirit, an art which can be practised to perfection only when working among children.” -Dr. Maria Montessori. It’s nothing new to hear us advocating for children’s...
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We love grammar! This probably doesn’t come as any surprise, considering we work at a school. In our humble opinion, Montessori grammar materials are so beautiful, and they do a great job of drawing kids in to learn about something many of us dreaded when we were kids ourselves. I for one can still recall the most boring grammar lesson at school. In fact, I reckon I didn’t learn English...
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For this month’s Materials Highlight we bring you the fraction insets; a beautiful set of metal templates resting on slanted wooden trays. As you can see in the photo above, the insets range from one whole through tenths, and each piece has a small knob allowing children to move them easily. But before we get to the insets, perhaps we should back up just a bit. Prior to an introduction to fractions,...
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