Montessori Primer: Inviting Your Children to Help Prepare Thanksgiving Dinner
Montessori Philosophy
Montessori Primer: Inviting Your Children to Help Prepare Thanksgiving Dinner
As we’ve discussed in our previous posts exploring nutrition, a vital element in educating children about food and healthy choices and encouraging independence is having your children participate in the preparation of meals. What better time than this week, with Thanksgiving only a few days away, to develop the habit of your children helping in…
Read MoreMontessori Primer: New Ideas for the Lunchbox
Today, we return to our Montessori Primer and our exploration of nutrition in the Montessori classroom. As we discussed in our previous post, lunch can be the most challenging meal for a parent to prepare. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut of sandwich after sandwich, or to lean on pre-packaged, processed food in…
Read MoreMontessori Primer: We Are What We Eat
Welcome, new readers! We are so glad you’ve taken a moment to visit our blog, where we regularly share rich, easily digestible info for families about Montessori both in the classroom and in the home. Today, we continue our Montessori Primer with an exploration of the importance of nutritious foods and the role they play…
Read MoreMontessori Primer: Developing Mealtime Independence and Skills
On Monday, we began discussing nutrition and mealtime with an introduction to lunch time in the Montessori classroom. Today, we’ll examine steps you can take at home to help your child develop independence and master the skills required to meet his own fundamental need. Make lunch together Developing independence relies upon seizing teachable moments. Just…
Read MoreMontessori Primer: Nutrition and Meals in the Montessori Classroom
Today, we move into a new area of our Montessori Primer: Nutrition and meals in the Montessori classroom. What makes Montessori lunch time different? Maria Montessori believed that meal time is also an opportunity for children to learn. From infanthood when children learn to sit independently, Montessori children are given child sized tables and chairs…
Read MoreMontessori Primer: How to Reach Joyful Obedience
Maria Montessori believed obedience develops naturally in the child’s character. The word “obey” is derived from the Latin word audire, which means “to hear.” Obedience begins with hearing a request and ends with an action in response. Humans learns skills in stages. We tend to move between the stages, repeating the activity, gaining new skills,…
Read MoreMontessori Primer: Praise and Intrinsic Motivation
In an earlier post, we addressed the Montessori principle of avoidance of extrinsic rewards and cultivation of intrinsic motivation. Today, we dig deeper into this idea, exploring the appropriate role of praise in our interaction with the child. All parents want their children to be independent, self-reliant, and have the opportunity to be creative. In…
Read MoreMontessori Primer: Nurturing a Lifelong Learner
Lifelong learning is jargon that has been floating in the educational world in recent years. But what exactly does a lifelong learner look like? The Montessori method provides the framework of the ideal habits of learning – habits that will sustain students the rest of their lives. Surprisingly, the phrase “lifelong learning” has roots not…
Read MoreMontessori Primer: The Child Whisperer
We have all been there. Embattled in a test of patience in the middle of the store as our child is throwing what we think is largest temper tantrum seen by man. We stand there waiting, cheeks warm and red, as we scope out the nearest possible exit doors. We have read every book on…
Read MoreMontessori Primer: Interacting With Your Child in a Montessori Way – Part 5
Today, we conclude our series exploring how to interact with your child in a Montessori way by looking at a key to addressing negative behavior, Logical Consequences. Logical Consequences When there are behavioral problems, use logical consequences. Logical consequences should be respectful, relevant, and realistic. Stop the behavior Teach an alternative to the behavior Have…
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