The Holiday season is here and for Montessori students, holidays offer plenty of opportunities for growth and celebration. Celebrating The Holidays Through Art, History and Stories Montessori classrooms seek to enrich children with an understanding of many cultures. During the holidays, Montessori students learn about traditions and various holidays celebrated during the season, including Christmas and Hanukkah. Often, this discussion …
How to Choose Montessori-Appropriate Toys for the Holiday Season
With the holiday season upon us, the thoughts of parents turn to what presents to buy for their kids. If you’re a parent of a Montessori student, finding a Montessori-appropriate toy can be a challenge. Dr. Maria Montessori didn’t design toys, so there is really no such thing as a “Montessori toy.” The good news is there are toys you …
6 Benefits of the Multi-Age Montessori Classroom
The tradition of multi-age classrooms began with Dr. Maria Montessori’s first school, the Casa dei Bambini, which she opened in 1907 to serve the working parents of the San Lorenzo neighborhood in Rome. Grouping the children together gave Dr. Montessori the opportunity to take a scientific approach to education, where she implemented her educational theories and observed the results. …
How to Celebrate Thanksgiving the Montessori Way
Thanksgiving is a perfect time to help your child learn about gratitude, love and compassion. In her teachings, Dr. Maria Montessori focused on giving thanks for the good things in life. She believed that encouraging gratitude in children would help with their overall development. In fact, she focused on making “grace and courtesy” a core part of the Montessori philosophy. …
Four Ways to Make Gratitude a Part of Your Everyday Routine
With Thanksgiving and the holiday season right around the corner, it’s a good time to begin instilling thoughts and feelings of gratitude in children. Gratitude is showing thankfulness to the good things in your life and returning the kindness that’s shown to you. Dr. Maria Montessori believed that encouraging gratitude in children would help with their overall development. In fact, …
7 Ways to Show Respect to Your Child
“Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilities of their future.” ~ Maria Montessori Anyone who has experience with Montessori education knows that there’s something different about the “Montessori Way.” Montessori education is more than just academics. There is a social aspect to the Montessori classroom …
5 Fun (And Safe) Ways To Celebrate Halloween This Year
Boo! It’s that time of the year in Miami! Just like other holidays this year, Halloween celebration is not going to be the same. But don’t despair! There are loads of ways to safely keep the spirit of Halloween alive this weekend. Here are just a few: 1. Trick or Treat While Staying Safe. Get haunted in your own vehicle …
Get Moving: Exercise and Movement As Part of Montessori’s Whole Child Education Approach
As a visionary in so many ways, Dr. Maria Montessori was one of the first educators to recognize how exercise and physical fitness can contribute to a successful learning environment. Dr. Montessori believed in educating the whole child, with movement being a paramount part of that education. “Movement, or physical activity, is thus an essential factor in intellectual growth, which …
Add it Up: The Montessori Method’s Unique Approach to Math
From their earliest age, numbers are part of a child’s world. What child doesn’t love telling you how old they are? One of the best features of a Montessori education is that it makes math fun and interactive for kids. Instead of just numbers on papers, Montessori brings math concepts to children through fun, interactive objects that demonstrate math through …
Raise a Reader: How to Inspire Your Child to Read the Montessori Way
Love of reading and strong reading skills are some of the most fundamental indicators of child’s future academic achievements and success. And the earlier you can get your child to fall in love with reading, the better. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, it is crucial to build reading skills by the time the child turns 8 years old. …