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Montessori Philosophy

3 Ways to Go Green as a Family

By Montessori Philosophy, Parenting No Comments
It’s Sustainability Week at FMS. This is a great chance for parents and their children to talk about how we can care for our planet.  What it really boils down to is recognising connections.  In our disposable, consumable culture, it can be easy to forget where things come from and what we might do differently to lighten our step on the planet.  Here are some fun and educational ideas to...
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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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5 Simple Ways to Show Her You Care on Mother’s Day

By Montessori Philosophy, Parenting No Comments
Everyone loves to feel appreciated.  With Mother’s Day just around the corner, it’s a great time to think of how you might show the mums and special others in your life what they mean to you.  We offer five simple ideas to celebrate and care for the woman who cares for everyone. Remember to have a card ready. You could absolutely buy a Mother’s Day card; there are plenty of...
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Shifting from “Stuff” to the Spirit of the Season

By FMS Values, Montessori Philosophy No Comments
All too often the holiday season becomes about “stuff”–presents, decorations, more presents. How do we wean our children away from their focus on getting gifts and instead shift attention to the spirit of togetherness, generosity, peace, and goodwill?  It can be helpful to hold a family meeting and talk about everyone’s feelings about the holidays. We can ask our children about what, besides the gifts, they really like about the...
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How Do Our Staff Address Avoidance?

By Montessori Educators, Montessori Philosophy No Comments
One of the top questions parents ask about Montessori is: How do teachers deal with children avoiding work they don’t want to do? This is a really important concern and becomes increasingly so as children get older. Most families know Montessori centers on student choice, and it can be hard to envision that value working in conjunction with accountability. The good news is it’s something we take very seriously. In...
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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...
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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...
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Follow the Child

By Montessori Philosophy No Comments
Follow the child. It’s a beautiful, perfect, profound, and frequently used Montessori mantra. Our entire educational approach is built upon those three words. They are backed by science, proven by generations of children, and consistently revered by families around the world. It seems so simple, but the truth is, everyday life can make them seem so challenging. Today we break it down into five real, manageable ways to “follow the...
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A Note of Gratitude on Montessori’s Birthday

By Montessori Philosophy No Comments
Dear Dr. Montessori,  Wednesday, August 31, 2022, marked 152 years since you were born.   The world is a very different place today than it was then. I wonder if you ever contemplated your own early days and how your world shaped you. You once said: “The greatness of the human personality begins at the hour of birth.” Would anyone have guessed that baby Maria would eventually become one of the...
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