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Montessori classroom shelves displaying sensory materials such as color tablets and fabric swatches.

Maria Montessori: What You May Not Know

By Yelena Raskin Dr. Maria Montessori was born in the small town of Chiaravalle.  Her father was a military man, and her mother was a lady of peace.  Maria Montessori had a very close relationship with her mother.  As a child, Maria didn’t…
A child working independently with Montessori pink tower cubes to develop spatial awareness.

Tools in the Practical Life Area

By Amber Evans An essential part of the Montessori method is practical life. These activities are an increasingly challenging series of motor tasks involving real life goals. In addition to helping children master everyday tasks, the aim…
A child concentrating on a practical life task, using a small broom and dustpan to clean up.

The Art of Observation: Why this is a teacher's most important skill

By Francina Lelei “Wait while observing. That is the motto for the educator. Let us wait, and be always ready to share in both the joys and the difficulties which the child experiences. …Let us have endless patience with his slow progress,…
Students participating in grace and courtesy lessons, learning to work cooperatively in a Montessori environment.

Music in the Montessori Classroom: How We Integrate Music into Everyday Activities

By Erin Farney Picture a group of children singing together and it will most likely bring on a smile. Singing songs is typically a fun and joyful experience, but it offers much more value than only being for pleasure. Children in Montessori…
Children engaged in practical life activities, cleaning and organizing the Montessori classroom.

Why Cursive is Still Important in Education

By Erin McFarland In our highly technical age, handwriting as a whole seems to be an antiquated concept in our education systems. How often do we handwrite things in our daily lives? Moreover, cursive writing seems to be an old-fashioned…
A child using Montessori binomial cubes to learn about algebraic concepts through hands-on exploration.

The Absorbent Mind

By Nilanga Ericsson As a child, I spoke two languages, my mother tongue: Sinhala and English, which is considered the official language of Sri Lanka. I don’t recall anyone teaching me the vocabulary, the grammar or the syntax. Yet I spoke…
Students participating in grace and courtesy lessons, learning to work cooperatively in a Montessori environment.

Sensitive Periods in Child Development

By Yelena Raskin Sensitive periods are periods of psychological development in the child. This period is a time of limited duration. During the sensitive periods, the child has very powerful capacities. The child is able to do great things…
Children developing fine motor skills through Montessori lacing and threading activities.
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Mindfulness in a Montessori Environment

by Andrea Beier There is no doubt that almost everyone has heard of the term "mindfulness" in the last few years.  It seems there has been quite an explosion of interest in the concept; complete with varying definitions of what mindfulness…
Montessori practical life area where children learn to care for their environment by watering plants.

How the Montessori approach was developed

By Erin Farney Maria Montessori (1870-1952) developed a beautiful and thoughtful approach to the quality education of children, stressing the importance of following the child. Many people appreciated her during her time, and even more people…
Students learning about geography with Montessori continent maps and flags.
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How Montessori Differs from Daycare

As you look at different childcare options for your child, you may notice that a Montessori preschool has some key differences that set it apart from your traditional daycare. Each classroom in a Montessori preschool is unique, even though they…