by Ashley McLean Connecting the two concepts of gender creativity and following the child should come easily to us as Montessorians. For me, it took my born-male-child asking to wear a skirt to jump start my journey of understanding the link. The Gender Journey My gender education started when Ben (name has been changed for […]
Let’s Get Ready for the Start of School
A Free Ebook by Angie Ma As many of us head back to a school year like no other, our children will likely need some extra reassurance that everything will be fine. This sweet, hand illustrated social story by Angie Ma is just what you need right now. It’s free to use. Simply click the […]
Distance Learning in Times of Disaster: Restoration and Renewal
A downloadable PDF of this article is available here. Read Part 1 here: Distance Learning in Times of Disaster: Phases of Responding to a Disaster By Elizabeth Slade Spring is making its way across the country reminding us all about the cycles of life â the earth as a great reminder of how to endure […]
Montessori Lessons in Interdependence: Greater Relevance Than Ever
By Margaret Whitley Our elementary childrenâs imagination is immense. So too is their adaptability and resilience when honored. Todayâs unusual pandemic reality calls on adults to be and talk to our children directly, both parents and teacher, balancing any possible fear in our elementary age children with understanding. One place we can turn which could […]
Ten Little Rocks
By Sara Bloomberg How many times have you casually cleaned out your child’s pockets or lunch bags and found a vast collection of rocks which your children have meticulously hunted? For most 3-6-year-old children, rocks are the stuff of dreams. To children, rocks are often more valuable than the most precious metals. Each rock holds […]
Simple Snack Setup for Home
By Sara Bloomberg Creating opportunities for your 3-6-year-old (and maybe even your older children too) to help you with the preparation of their daily snack can be incredibly rewarding for your child. Successful snack prep can help grow your child’s self-esteem as well as help develop and strengthen their hand-eye coordination, the muscles in their […]
You Still Need to Set Boundaries During the Quarantine
By Sara Bloomberg “The liberty of the child ought to have as its limits the collective interest of the community in which s/he moves âŠ.” Maria Montessori, Discovery of the Child By now, I am sure that everyone you know (possibly even you) has either mentioned, created or tweaked their family schedule a million times. […]
What Makes the Montessori Method Different?
I have been teaching about Montessori classrooms to early childhood educators for the past 5 years. Nearly every semester, I get teachers asking me about the difference between Montessori and other alternative early childhood methods like the Reggio Emilia and Waldorf-Steiner approaches. There is much more that unites these approaches than divides them. Perhaps […]
Cosmic Education and its Role in the Elementary Classroom
I am pleased to welcome Sharmeen Niazi of MOM_tessori_Guide to Trillium! Sharmeen is a Montessori Elementary guide at the Archgate Montessori Academy in Dallas, TX. Today she is sharing with us some insights about the role of cosmic education in the Elementary classroom. Keeping into consideration the inquisitive minds during the second plane of development, […]
10 Ways to Encourage Your Child to Do Chores
by Gabrielle Nussbaumer Did you grow up with Saturday morning or afternoon chores? Maybe you had Saturday all day chores!? Did that question make you groan as you remembered the list of things you had to accomplish and the consequences if you didnât? Fast forward to the present moment and think of your own children. […]
What We Want For Our Children
By Virginia Lozuke A couple of years ago I started approaching parent teacher conferences a little differently. Â Before I compiled all my observations, notes, recordkeeping, and pictures, I went back to my files and pulled out the original application that parents filled out prior to enrolling at our school. The answers to those questions are […]
Rocks Observation and Discussion
Walkinâ N Rockin’ A beginning-of-the-year lesson plan by Claudia Mann If my Facebook âteacherâ groups are any indication, this is a pretty exciting time of year for most of you who are called to this profession. Photo posts of prepared classrooms almost shout the anticipation of teachers who are ready to get those little ones […]
Handwork in the Montessori EnvironmentÂ
In Montessori environments, we pride ourselves on having a culture of self-lead work. We inspire children to be mathematicians, writers, discoverers and researchers. We also teach children the value of the ability to work with our hands. How to Create a Culture of Handwork in Your Montessori Environment By Carol Palmer Handwork, the creative, constructive […]
Learning About the Festival of Diwali
I am delighted to welcome Amruta Ram to the Trillium Montessori blog! Amruta lives in India and is passionate about early learning. She is the mom of a toddler who she is raising using Montessori principles. In this guest post, Amruta shares some of the activities she has created for her child as they get […]
Montessori Home Tour by Bella’s Casa
Jae Jun from Bella’s Casa gives us a tour of her Montessori home. Montessori Home Tour by Jae Jun I have used 3 simple ideas to set up our home for my daughter Emily, age 3. Here are the 3 big ideas: Love of learning Less is More Independence Let’s take a look at a […]
Honey Bees: Cooking in the Montessori Children’s House
I am honored to share with you this simple food preparation activity from the Cooking in the Childrenâs House series by Megan Ray Durkin.  Megan has a goal — to help children feel they are stewards of the earth and true citizens of the world. The projects from Cooking in the Childrenâs House blend her appreciation for childrenâs […]
How I Started My Montessori School in Brazil
We have another Montessori startup story! This one comes from a mother and daughter team in Brazil. They opened their school, Ziriguidum, a few years ago as a music program and added Montessori classes last year. How did you discover Montessori and what made you fall in love with it? My mother worked with Montessori […]
An Open Door Promise
By Pamela Green I awoke this morning thinking of my Grandpa, my Motherâs father, and of a lesson he had passed on to me many years ago. It was one of the moments upon waking when I could feel myself as a child, the ground beneath my body, looking into his eyes as we sat […]
Movement in the Montessori Music Room
by Carolyn Lucento “Okay! Time for our musical movement activity… but how do I effectively manage the children?” If you find yourself asking this question during Music circle, then check out these tips from Carolyn Lucento of the Magical Movement Company! Carolyn is a long time Montessorian and trained Orff-Schulwerk music specialist. She teaches music classes […]
Integrating Cosmic Education into Everything
Today’s post comes to you from Lisa of Montessori Kiwi.  Lisa is a Montessori Elementary teacher from New Zealand.  She shares some simple and easy ideas to help you integrate the concept of Cosmic Education into your daily classrom practice. -Seemi  What Cosmic Education Isn’t What it is Since it has been … necessary to give […]
Disruptive Classroom Behavior
By Pamela Green In my years of teaching I have had opportunities to be with children who seem to bring disruption to the classroom. These are the ones who tend to be louder in body and voice, take up more space, make themselves heard before being seen, and at times leave others quaking in their wake. The parents of […]
5 Simple Tips to Make Your Home More Montessori
by Jo Ebisujima One of the striking things about a Montessori School is the style of the classroom. One will often find beautiful objects upon the shelves, laid out in a clean and uncluttered environment. The children are able to move freely and to access what they need. The environment is designed to promote independence. Montessori […]
How Rachel Started Her Montessori School
Starting a Montessori school isnât childâs play. You know that. It can be tough and it can challenge and change you in more ways than one. Rachel learnt that first hand when she made the transition from nannying and odd jobs to becoming the owner of a Montessori school. With a K-12 certification to teach […]
How Lindsey Started Her Montessori School
A full-time job as a statistician. A thriving business creating and selling organic and natural creations such as soaps, massage bars, bath salts and childrenâs aprons. And⊠starting a Montessori school, too. Yes, Lindsay Rymerson blew us away with her focus, dedication and passion for the Montessori methodology and her story about how to start […]
Pamela’s Story: Growing a Montessori School
It was the year 1979 and Pamela Green was in college with a major in elementary education. Her Educational Theory course professor took the class to a small Montessori school to learn about and observe this philosophy of education. From the moment Pamela walked into that space, she was transformed. In her words, “This was […]
How Beth Started Her Montessori School
Serving the Under-Served with Quality and Single Minded Passion Meet Beth Holley, the founder of Renaissance Montessori School. As a young 20-something, she was invited to visit a Montessori school. Instinctively, she recognized the missing elements from her own education. She was quick to notice the beauty in the environment, the freedom of movement and […]
How Summer Started Her Montessori School
Summer Picha and Katie Wagoner were inspired to start a year-round Montessori school after attending a conference in Chicago. They opened their doors in September 2010 with one student. Their school, Peaceful Valley Montessori Academy, is located in the Golden Valley area of the Twin Cities (Minnesota, USA). It is a year round school serving infants through […]
How Simone Started Her Montessori School in Amsterdam
Simone is an AMI qualified teacher with over ten years of experience. She opened her own Montessori program in 2008. Jacaranda Tree Montessori is Simone’s playgroup in Amsterdam (Netherlands). They have classes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers along with their parents. Simone is also the genius behind The Montessori Notebook, an online resource for parents who want to […]
My DIY Montessori Adventure
I’m delighted to introduce you to Keri today. I came across some of Keri’s work in the Montessori 101 Facebook group and thought she had some fabulous Montessori DIY ideas. I’m sure you’ll be inspired by her amazing work! -Seemi Hello! I’m Keri, mom to two boys, ages 3.5 years and nearly 7 months […]
11 Things Teachers Wish Parents Knew
I am honored to welcome Maren Schmidt to the Trillium Montessori blog today! Â If you’ve been living under a rock and don’t already know Maren, she is the author of Building Cathedrals Not Walls and Understanding Montessori: A Guide for Parents. Â She also writes the very popular column Kids Talk and leads a wide […]
Montessori at the Beach
Today, I am delighted to introduce you to my good friend Virginia Lozuke. Â Virginia is the head of school and lead teacher at the Montessori Farm School in Durham, NC. Â She was inspired to write this post as she enjoyed some time at the beach this summer. Â You can follow her awesome school on Facebook. […]
Montessori Art Trays for Toddlers
Setting up art trays for your child is a fabulous way to introduce different mediums to your child, encourage creativity, build independence, and allow repetition. Let me show you the art trays we have out at the moment in our classroom for children from 16 months to 3 years. You will see that: 1. The […]
DIY Montessori Eye-Hand Coordination Activities for Toddlers
by Rachel Wilsey Some of the biggest hits in my house have been toys that I put together from stuff we had around the house. The two below are easy to make and promote eye-hand coordination as well as concentration. Domino Boxâa Take on the Coin Box The domino box is our take on the […]
How Developmentally Appropriate is Sharing?
By Pauline Meert A few months ago, I read an article on sharing that led to a lot of discussions and thinking. The article âSome Parenting Rules are Meant to be Brokenâ by Beth W. from Very Bloggy over on sunnyskyz.com discusses her experience with âsharingâ. Through examples of two experiences, one in a park where a child expects […]
Montessori Golden Beads
by Jessica RenĂ©e A new visitor to a Montessori classroom will likely notice many unusual and intriguing materials, laid out on wooden shelves, as if calling out to be touched. This is exactly what happened recently at my dual-track school where some classes follow the traditional school model, and other classes follow the Montessori model. […]
Big Nature Connections in Small Spaces
I’m honored to have Kelly Johnson on our blog today. Kelly is a talented Montessori teacher, artist, and author. She is passionate about expanding children’s experiences with nature. If you’re a Montessori professional, you may have heard her speak at a Montessori conference, attended her recent AMS webinar, or read her articles in Montessori Life […]
Holiday Gifts Your Child Can Sew
Please welcome Aimee Fagan! Aimee’s work on the Montessori Works Blog has been an inspiration to me for a long time. Aimee is a trained Montessori teacher and she has some wonderful resources for the practical life area of the classroom. She also writes about her experiences raising her children in a Montessori home. Today she […]
An Introduction to the Baric Tablets- A Montessori Sensorial Activity
Today I’m excited to welcome Tanya Wright to the blog! She is sharing some information about the Montessori Baric Tablets. This is an elegant Montessori activity that you don’t hear about much, which is unfortunate because it’s an important part of the Montessori sensorial curriculum. The senses are the child’s window to the world; […]
A Day in the Life of a Montessori Toddler
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MONTESSORI TODDLER by Simone Davies It is so fun to be back guest blogging here for Trillium Montessori. Thanks for having me visit, Seemi. I always say that Montessori is not just an educational philosophy but a way of life. So I thought it would be fun to […]
The Connected Family
I’m so excited to introduce you to my friend Kim Hughes today!  Kim has been a master teacher, mentor and leader for many many years.  Although she’s not a Montessorian, her approach to discipline works very well with Montessori.  She is a certified Conscious Discipline Ÿ Loving Guidance Associate, personally trained by Dr. Becky Bailey. -Seemi by […]
A Montessori Lesson
Today I’d like to introduce you to Linda Karchmar. Linda is a now retired Montessori Guide who owned her own school for 28 years, and taught for 32 years. She has a wonderful online store where she is selling materials from her school, including lots of lovely Practical Life items! You can also find childrenâs […]
A Tour of a Montessori Toddler Classroom in Amsterdam
It is my pleasure to introduce you to Simone Davies from Jacaranda Tree Montessori. Simone runs a lovely Montessori playgroup in Amsterdam. She is treating us today with a detailed tour of her beautiful space. I am in love with her design aesthetic and gorgeous light in her room! Enjoy the tour and be sure to […]
The Letter Race Game
I’m excited to welcome Cathie Perolman back to the Trillium Montessori Blog! Â Last time she was here, she gave us a wonderfully detailed look at many of her letter work activities. Â Today she’s got a great letter sounds game to share with us. Â This is perfect for students who are in the “second period” of […]
Small Space Montessori Setup: Kitchen and Wrap Up
Montessori At Home Mondays with Marie Mack Small Space Montessori Setup Wow! Our last post in our Montessori At Home Monday’s series. I’m so excited to share with you all and thank you, again, Seemi! Did you miss the previous posts? Check them out here: Small Space: Introduction and Entryway Small Space: Living Room Small Space: […]
Small Space Montessori Setup: Bathroom
Montessori At Home Mondays with Marie Mack Small Space Montessori Setup I am excited to be back for part four of our Montessori At Home Monday’s series. Did you miss the previous posts? Check them out here: Small Space: Introduction and Entryway Small Space: Living Room Small Space: Bedroom and Closet The Bathroom We all […]
Small Space Montessori Setup: Children’s Room and Closet
Montessori At Home Mondays with Marie Mack Small Space Montessori Setup I am excited to be back for part three of our Montessori At Home Monday’s series. You can view part one and part two to catch up if you missed them! The Children’s Room Our children have shared a room since our daughter was […]
Sitting on the Rug
I’m excited to share our very first guest post with you! Â Heidi Walker will be coming over to Trillium next month to conduct our April Parent Workshop. Â I had a great time chatting with her recently and I am sure you will all get a TON out of her presentation! Â Read more about Heidi […]