Montessori Tips Archives

Supporting our child’s social development – yes, it’s also part of Montessori!

Today we'll be looking at how to support our child's social development. Do we force them to be more social? How do we accept them for who they are and teach them skills? Our children are in community from the day they are born. Their first community is their family,…

The Decalogue of Montessori

Ok. So maybe the language is a bit bossy. But there is so much wisdom to be found in the “Decalogue of Montessori" that I’m hanging it up in my classroom in Amsterdam. The oldest version of the Decalogue of Montessori was found in a 1957 Around the Child publication…

Teach by teaching, not by correcting

Ever been curious about what Montessori teachers talk about when they get together? I can assure you we have some pretty fun conversations and we lose track of time. When Jesse McCarthy of Montessori Education and I got to meet up when I was in the US recently, 2.5+ hours…

Montessori and technology

This fun conversation with my friend Jesse of Montessori Education focuses on the T word – it’s almost feels like a sin to say it – “Technology." People are curious how much technology we should use with our children. Will they be left behind if they don’t have screen time?…

Traits of great teachers & parents

In my ongoing series of conversations with my Montessori friend, Jesse McCarthy, we talk about what characteristics we find important in a Montessori teacher. What 3 or 4 characteristics would you pick? The things that came up for me were: curiosityenjoying to be with childrenbeing able to set kind and…

Featured in the New York Times and ideas you can steal at home

Since I last wrote, I’ve been lucky enough to be featured in the New York Times talking about Montessori. It’s been so exciting to see Montessori in the mainstream media at last. If you missed it, here’s a link to the article: “Can a Playroom Makeover Make My Kids Over?"…

What if my child avoids an area completely or only plays with one thing?

I’ve had many parents think that Montessori sounded great but then they get a little nervous thinking about the idea that a child with all that choice might avoid an area completely, or only play with one thing. It certainly takes a lot of trust to follow the child. To…

Montessori activities vs open-ended play

Today I’m talking about why I’m not giving up on Montessori activities in exchange for open-ended play. My opinion, in short, is that there is room for both. When I observe toddlers, I see the satisfaction they get from mastering activities in our Montessori environment. As their guide, I’m always…

The advent of calm Montessori style – a 1 minute video a day to help you stay calm over the holiday period

Join me for the advent of calm Montessori style. 24 days of tips from a Montessori teacher to help you stay calm over the holiday season. #adventofcalm Day 1, let’s talk about marshmallow evenness Ever heard of equanimity? You may like to try it. Just imagine yourself in a marshmallow.…

May link pack: all the links you have to read, curated by Simone Davies

Welcome to the May link pack. In the school holidays, I made time to do some reading and do I have a bunch of interesting links for you to check out! Enjoy… Setting up your spaces Montessori-style I love the photos from this Montessori blog – this time from their…

Yes, you can Montessori on a budget!

Simone Davies here again to inspire you to bring more Montessori into your lives. “Fine if you have money," I hear you say. Well, Montessori can be for everyone. You may just need to be a little more creative. I had a fabulous question from a reader about implementing Montessori…

The 3 pillars to being a Montessori parent – an infographic

People send their kids to Montessori school and get an idea that maybe they can give their child more independence. But Montessori is a whole lot more than that. Here is my latest infographic about being a Montessori parent. I would love for you all to embrace being a Montessori…