How to Start Montessori at Home
(Without overthinking it.)
You’ve decided you want to try Montessori at home (yay!). And then right away, the question hits: what do I do first?
Finding activities and Montessori materials to buy is so very easy. Sponsored posts and shopping links are everywhere, along with pictures of well ordered shelves and beige walls. Is this Montessori?
It could be. Or it could be leading you in the wrong direction.
What feels hard is knowing what to do first, and how to begin without overthinking everything.
You Don’t Need to Be an Expert First
Maybe the internet has tried to convince you that you have to understand Montessori before you begin.
That you should read the books, buy the materials, repaint the room, set up the shelves, and get everything just right. That perfect presentations matter.
But that’s not how this works in real life.
You’re not teaching in a classroom. You’re at home with your sweet, curious child, who is ready to learn from you. And that means you can start right away, without any perfection at all.
Your child does not need or want you to know everything. They need you to be you, present and learning alongside them.
So now you can take that first step towards being their Montessori guide for real, and the the very best way to learn Montessori is simply to begin.
Start With Your First Theme
Inside Child of the Redwoods, you begin with your first monthly theme.
You open your theme pack for the month and find a complete set of engaging, hands-on lessons already planned for you, week by week. Everything is prepared in a way that makes it easy to step in and get started.
Your lessons are fully scripted the way a trained and experienced Montessori guide would give them, so you always know what to say and do (yes, the right way!). All of your materials are printable and included, so you’re not searching for what to buy or piecing things together.
You open your theme, look at the lessons for the week, print and cut the materials in the packet, and begin.
Yes, It Really Can Be That Simple
You don’t need to spend weeks preparing or shopping for expensive materials. You don’t need a laminator. You don’t need to a certificate. You don’t need to map out a plan for the whole year ahead of time.
You just need a place to begin. The theme of the month is your perfect beginning.
Families all around the world use our themes to start homeschooling.
Your Days Start to Find a Rhythm
One of the most surprising things about Montessori is how quickly your days begin to feel more settled and certain.
Your theme gives you a clear focus. Instead of wondering what to do each week, you already have a direction. When you wake up on Monday morning, you know what to accomplish by Friday.
As you give each lessons with care and intention, all of the subjects your child is learning begin to connect naturally.
Reading, writing, math, geography, the arts, and science are woven together in a way that feels structurally meaningful instead of scattered and separate.
Learning to set the table. Photo shared by a Child of the Redwoods family.
Most people think that schooling should take up most of the day, but this is not true. Short, intentional lessons can be extremely effective. All Montessori lessons are grounded in the science of teaching.
This means that we always start with engaging topics, everything is hands-on, and it’s presented from the easiest skills to more complex concepts. This is all already done for you in your fully-scripted lessons.
If you’ve got 20 minutes to do an activity with your child, you can start doing Montessori at home.
The rest of the time? It’s for play, grocery shopping, going to the library, having fun at the park, and spending time with family and friends.
You know the lessons are covered, so you can relax and embrace your whole family life. This is the best beginning!
If you’ve got 20 minutes to do an activity, you can do Montessori at home.
And Honestly…It’s Fun!
Doing Montessori at home isn’t something you have to do, but it becomes something you look forward to.
Spending time together. Photo shared by a Child of the Redwoods family.
They are so cute, and you don’t miss a minute. That tip of tongue hanging out of your child’s mouth when they’re really concentrating on a skill. The light in your child’s twinkling eyes when you know they’re highly amused by a funny story you’re reading to them.
The moment your child grasps a concept and gasps with excitement at their big “A-Ha”.
These are the moments we live for!
Teaching can be so much fun! Just wait until you do that vinegar and baking soda volcano experiment for the 3rd time in a row with your child.
Those squeals of delight are evidence of learning in action.
You Don’t Have to Get It Perfect
Impostor syndrome is a reality for most homeschoolers, and if you’re feeling insecure at the beginning of trying something new, that’s very normal and incredibly common.
Montessori parents often feel the pressure to do everything “right” the first time, especially when presenting lessons.
But you don’t need to carry that weight here.
Our lessons are designed to feel playful and engaging. They’re meant to be experienced together, and mistakes can be laughed at and then moved on in lieu of the next step. Just like that. No shame.
You’ll learn as you go. You’ll become better and better at lesson-giving as you practice, like every new teacher. And your child will feel like a real partner in the work, which they are! They don’t expect you to be perfect. They love you every waking moment of the day.
Working on a science lab. Photo shared by a Child of the Redwoods family.
You Can Start Today
You don’t need to wait until you feel “more ready”. You don’t need to figure everything out first or prepare yourself or your home in any way.
The beginning can be now. Right here. Today.
Your first theme gives you everything you need to start.
If you’re wondering how this fits into your full Montessori homeschool, see how Montessori works at home.
Ready to try out a lesson?
Open a lesson from one of our themes, follow along, and see how easy it feels to get started.