Homeschool Help
Take the Montessori Challenge
Maria's work continues today. It is estimated that there are about 4,500 Montessori schools in the United States and about 20,000 worldwide. It is impossible to evaluate the extent of her influence…
Your Montessori Book List
Quite a lot has been written ABOUT Montessori in the past century, but any Montessori teacher worth her salt will tell you that reading straight from the…
Making Tantrums a Positive Experience
When your child is having an emotional meltdown, it's hard to keep your cool! What if your child is crying uncontrollably or is kicking and screaming on the floor? What then? No matter what, realize...
Surprising Ways to Encourage Cooperation
At one point or another, we all feel the terrible aftertaste of envy in our social relationships. We see the venal colleague who gets ahead or the layabout relative who repeatedly falls into success. The resulting...
Society Evolves. Montessori Education Must, Too.
Maria Montessori is one of history's greatest educational thinkers. Among her many significant observations is to - in all regards - follow the child. This doesn't mean just doing whatever the child...
The Journey to Adulthood: Age 12 - 18
If you've ever thought that living with a teenager is like living with a toddler, you're not that far off. Adolescence, the third plane of development, is a time of great transformation that mirrors, in many...
Making Music: Tips for Circle Time Success
No one wants to sing a song with a group of squirmy, inattentive, interrupting children. It’s just plain frustrating! Good teachers set the bar high for good behavior, but excellent teachers engage the restless...
Skip the Kid Calendar and Lean In to Heart-Centered Time
24 hours in a day. 7 days in a week. 52 weeks in a year. 18 years in a "childhood". Add another 6 to 10 to become a fully formed adult being. As adults, we are comforted by these facts, beholden to them, and bound by them.
Follow Your Child
It might sounds obvious, but it’s important to stress that homeschooling DOES NOT work like traditional schooling. It’s not because (or only because) you’re teaching at home or teaching your...
Joyful Learning: How to Build a Fire
Believe it or not, you already have the tools you need to support JOYFUL learning. Just remind yourself what you need to build a fire.
Adopt a Theory of Education
Most homeschoolers begin their journey looking for a curriculum to follow, but even more important than what to teach your child is how to teach your child. Children are naturally curious creatures.
Homeschoolers Know: You Can Have Your Very Own Montessori Children’s House And Make Every Day Magical
Across the globe people are flocking to Montessori principles, not just because of the pretty toys, but because it is now common scientific knowledge that the first 6 years of life are crucial. We get it. And we’re doing our part to make it happen. Of course you can Montessori homeschool!
The Montessori Handwashing Lesson Is Exactly What the World Needs Right Now
My children and I have had head colds this week, and I’ve been reflecting on how I can help tweak our homeschooling routine to help serve us better when we’re under the weather. One thing that has changed? We’ve supercharged our handwashing routine.
Your Own Little Schoolhouse
In this episode, we're talking about how to create your own little schoolhouse at home with Montessori.
Too Young for School?
In this episode, we're talking about whether your child is too young for school, or if it's exactly the right time for school.
Nature Journaling
A nature journal is a simple but wonderful learning experience that's as great for traditional classrooms as it is for homeschoolers. Nature journals help children keep track of what they observe in nature and get more in tune with their learning as they explore the great outdoors. Let's explore how to bring these amazing tools to life for you family!
The Good Kind of Busy Work
One of the reasons our family decided to homeschool was because there is just a lot of busy work in traditional schooling. We knew homeschooling would be a chance for us all to LIVE and learn together — practically, purposefully, and skipping all that busy work. In this episode, we're talking about busy work - what it is, how to identify it, and why you don't want it in your homeschool.
Teaching Life Cycles
Children are FASCINATED by the life cycles of other creatures. When does something become alive? What about something living that isn't living now... what is it? These probing thoughts enter the child’s mind as they transition from the period of the unconscious absorbent mind to a consciously absorbent mind around age 3. In this week's episode, we'll talk about how to guide our little ones through this sensitive period.
Pets For Practical Life
Rover, come on over! You can teach your child practical life skills, responsibility, and biology all with your pet. And if you live in a no-pets-allowed rental situation like I do, don't worry - I promise you're not left out of these Montessori lessons.