My Blog
Ditch the Workbooks
I recently came across a series of workbooks for two-year olds that promised to help toddlers “develop fine motor skills” through coloring and pasting stickers. Do you feel pressured to buy workbooks to support your child’s development? Did you know that your child benefits more from everyday objects you have around your house than he ever will from those workbooks?Find out how and why here!
Your Child Has a Secret
If you’ve been following the Voila Montessori video series, you’ve probably had the opportunity to give several presentations to your child by now. She might have shown interest in some activities, and completely ignored others. Do you feel frustrated when that happens? All that hard work to put together the material, and your child isn’t interested in it!Find out why this happens and what you can do about it by clicking here!
Bathroom Botany
I was sitting outside, enjoying a bit of sunshine, when Zachary walked out of the bathroom and approached me with an inquisitive look. "Mom, can plants grow with pee?"
The question from my just-turned-four year old caught me off guard.
"Uh, I'm not sure."
He reasoned: "Well, pee comes from water, right? So maybe they can."
"Huh. Maybe they can." And then I realized the potential this question had.
"Hey, do you want to do an experiment? We can try to see if plants will grow if we water them with u…
The question from my just-turned-four year old caught me off guard.
"Uh, I'm not sure."
He reasoned: "Well, pee comes from water, right? So maybe they can."
"Huh. Maybe they can." And then I realized the potential this question had.
"Hey, do you want to do an experiment? We can try to see if plants will grow if we water them with u…
Spooning & Point of Interest
This is the first installment in a joint effort between The Full Montessori and Voila Montessori. Every week, we'll share with you a video (by Jeanne-Marie) and a blog post (by me) highlighting one presentation from the Primary curriculum and explaining one aspect of Montessori theory. It's bite-sized Montessori training that you can immediately put to good use at home! If you enjoy this, please share with others so our efforts can reach many families!
**********
When little children participat…Extensions
One of the activities I felt was lacking in my child's previous Montessori experience was the use of extensions. No, I'm not talking about artificial hair pieces! Extensions are activities that are introduced after the initial presentation with a material, in order to encourage the child to re-visit the material and solidify the skills and/or concepts it's designed to provide.
Yesterday, my son came out of his new school with a huge smile, holding this painting:
This is a perfect example of an e…
Yesterday, my son came out of his new school with a huge smile, holding this painting:
This is a perfect example of an e…
From Montessori to Unschooling and Back
Preface: I struggled to write this because my goal is NOT to cast Zachary's old school in a negative light. I believe that this school has done an amazing job of providing a quality Montessori experience for hundreds of families. However, each school, teacher and family has their own set of values and goals, and it's the parents' responsibility to find the most successful match. I wrote this post mainly as a case study, to share an experience that we all - parents, guides, and administrators …
Nadia's home birth: A rainbow baby orgasmic birth story
In June 2014, at the age of 38, my plate was overflowing with working full-time as an elementary Montessori teacher and being the mom of a 2.5-year old boy, Zachary. My husband, Tom, and I knew we wanted another child, but I also knew it would be hard to sustain the type of pregnancy I wanted with my current lifestyle.
At the end of the school year, I handed in my resignation and we started trying for baby #2. We got pregnant on our first try, and we were very excited! A week into the pregnancy, …
At the end of the school year, I handed in my resignation and we started trying for baby #2. We got pregnant on our first try, and we were very excited! A week into the pregnancy, …
Getting Back on the Montessori Wagon
With the birth or our daughter, I found myself slacking off in the "Montessori parenting" department. Gone are the days when Zach and I could spend 30 minutes cooking together, and my patience and resolve are minimal these days due to sleep deprivation and meeting the needs of a tiny human 24/7.
When I started noticing that my 3-year old was acting a little like an entitled brat, I knew that the changes to his lifestyle were to blame; I realized I had to modify his environment, routine, and expe…
When I started noticing that my 3-year old was acting a little like an entitled brat, I knew that the changes to his lifestyle were to blame; I realized I had to modify his environment, routine, and expe…
Happy Pi Day!
In honor of Pi Day, Zachary and I made a quiche following this tried-and-true recipe. While not the speediest quiche to make, it was perfect for keeping us entertained on an otherwise lazy afternoon. Here are some pictures of Zach working, to give you an idea of what a toddler can help with. Please pardon the shades; he's 100% three years old and 100% determined to assert his will. And that includes cooking with sunglasses.
Transferring chopped chard from a bowl to the pan with tongs.
Rolli…
Transferring chopped chard from a bowl to the pan with tongs.
Rolli…Bursting the Montessori Bubble
"At what point do you burst the Montessori bubble?" a friend recently asked. She has two young children in Montessori, but is considering taking the traditional education route once they finish Primary. My first thought was, Why would you want to burst it?
Why leave Montessori if you don't have to?
But my friend is not alone in her concern: many parents feel that Montessori shelters children from tests, grades, and competition. Based on their own childhoods, parents often believe that only…
Categories
- 3-6 (8)
- 6-9 (26)
- 9-12 (8)
- Positive Discipline (2)
- Conscious Parenting (12)
- Montessori Curriculum (9)
- Preparation of the Adult (14)
- Preparation of the Environment (11)
- Montessori Principles (11)
- Montessori Homeschooling (20)
- Language Arts (3)
- Math (3)
- Geography (2)
- Biology (1)
- History (2)
- Practical Life (1)
- Montessori Stories (4)