Montessori Moms: Planting the Seeds of Growth

What is Montessori? Truth be told the first time I stepped into a Montessori classroom I felt like I entered a whole new world.  I was not prepared to work with children who could sit where they were comfortable and do their work, choose work that interested them or even prepare their own snacks.  Having a very traditional schooling background my first thought was “this educational philosophy is way too alternative for me”, but I needed a job.   By my second week of working as a teaching assistant I was applying to a teacher training program and rethinking my career path.  That was 18 years ago and I am still in awe at times at what children are truly capable of given the right environment. Montessori to the untrained eye can look a bit “chaotic” and unstructured.  The opposite is actually true.  The teachers are trained to observe and teach to each child as an individual.  We plan activities and lessons based on each child’s development. ...

Montessori Moms: Planting the Seeds of Growth With the upcoming Holidays and lots of new toys coming into our homes I thought this might be a good time to repost this from last year. Wednesday, October 17, 2012 Setting up a play area for your preschool age child Creating a play area for your child can be frustrating, but it is easier than you think. Just think of these 3 rules: 1.         Get rid of the toy box 2.         Invest in 1 or 2 sets of shelves 3.         Less is best 1. Get rid of the toy box .  Honestly they scare me.  I never know what I am going to find on the bottom and either will your child.  Keep their toys displayed so they can see them. 2. Invest in shelves.  Don’t feel like you have to get expensive she...

Montessori Moms: Planting the Seeds of Growth: Terrible Twos at Three! : I always heard of the "Terrible Twos" and believed in them until my oldest child turned 3!  I thought the worst was over with the ...

I always heard of the "Terrible Twos" and believed in them until my oldest child turned 3!  I thought the worst was over with the temper tantrums, crying because his granola bar broke in half and much much more but was I wrong.  I learned pretty quick that with 3 brought on a whole new set of behavioral issues and he was able to communicate them to me.  At three he started to negotiate and reason with me about his behavior.  He tried yelling at me, stomping away, slamming doors, throwing toys, oh the list goes on and on.  I realized quickly that his world was changing everyday and he was trying to figure it out.  I was told he was a "perfect" kid at preschool ( I was home that year pregnant with my 2nd child ) but I soon realized it was a Jekyll and Hyde situation.  The moment he got home he lost control. At this point I started to realize that I needed to bring a bit of my knowledge of managing  a classroom of 3 year olds into my home...

Montessori Moms: Planting the Seeds of Growth: Sensory Play...So Easy And So Important Your todd... : Sensory Play...So Easy And So Important Your toddler and preschool age child is constantly learning new things and exploring the world.  T...

Sensory Play...So Easy And So Important Your toddler and preschool age child is constantly learning new things and exploring the world.  They learn by touching, feeling and interacting with their environment.  They learn about textures, taste, smell  and  natural consequences.  Every experience is new to them.  Keeping them safe during these exploratory times is also very important.  As much as I wanted my child to explore their world I also did not want them to injure themselves.  I started thinking about my training as a Montessori teacher and began looking around my kitchen.  I came up with some creative ways to allow for this exploration while keeping them safe and close by.  I have listed a few activities below to get your started.  Remember, use your imagination.  Try the activities out yourself.  Feel it, smell it etc. so you will know what your child will be experiencing as well.      *Fill ...

Every year the same questions come up at Parent Teacher conferences, "What should I be doing at home with my child?" or "They won't sit and do work for me at home, what should I do?"  These are difficult questions because as parents we want our children to be successful.  There is so much pressure from others to compare and "grade" children.  I know when my children were preschool age I would get caught up in what their friends were doing and wondering if they were falling behind, or if I was doing enough at home.  Even with years of teaching and child development experience I would still fall into this trap.   As Montessorians we believe that all children learn at their own rate and to try and "push" them ahead can be counterproductive.  A child in a Sensitive Period for writing may refuse to do any sort of Math activities.  Their minds and bodies are primed and ready for writing and fine motor activities, why try and force them into an acti...