While we often hear about common Christmas words, there are some unique and interesting Christmas words that start with the letter D. The holiday season is a wonderful time to expand our vocabulary with festive words and these words can add a fun twist to your holiday lessons and activities. In this article, we’ll explore […]
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Christmas Words that Start with K
The holiday season is a great time to introduce students to new vocabulary. Here is a list of Christmas words that start with the letter “K.” These words can help elementary students expand their understanding of the season and bring a festive touch to your classroom lessons. Below is a list of Christmas words that […]
Christmas Words that Start with S
For teachers looking to incorporate Christmas-themed vocabulary into their lessons, here’s a list of Christmas words that start with the letter “S.” These words can help enrich students’ language skills while keeping the holiday spirit alive. Each word comes with a brief description and an example sentence suitable for elementary students. Here Is A List […]
Christmas Words that Start with M
The holiday season is filled with magic, memories, and moments that start with the letter “M.” For teachers, exploring Christmas words that start with “M” can be a fun and educational way to engage students in holiday-themed activities. Below is a list of “M” words associated with Christmas, along with simple descriptions and example sentences […]
Christmas Words that Start with U
When it comes to celebrating Christmas, there are plenty of words that start with the letter “U” that can help students expand their holiday vocabulary. Whether it’s a festive activity, a Christmas tradition, or simply a word that captures the spirit of the season, these words can be a great addition to your classroom. Below […]
The Inspiring Journey of New Montessori School Owners in Atlanta
In this episode of Montessori Talks, we discuss the inspiring story of Najee and Sesealy Owens, the new owners of Decatur Montessori School in Atlanta. They share their experience transitioning from other work to embracing the Montessori world and the challenges they faced during the pandemic. by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast […]
Christmas Words that Start with Q
The holiday season is a wonderful time to expand your students’ vocabulary with festive words. While “Q” might not be the first letter that comes to mind when thinking of Christmas, there are plenty of unique and interesting words that start with “Q.” Below is a list of Christmas words that start with the letter […]
Christmas Words that Start with R
The Christmas season is full of rich vocabulary that can help students learn new words and celebrate the holiday spirit. In this article, we’ll explore a variety of Christmas words that start with “R,” including their meanings and cultural origins, perfect for your classroom activities. Here Is A List Of Unique Christmas Words That Start […]
Christmas Words that Start with L
Introducing students to Christmas-themed vocabulary is a great way to enhance their language skills while embracing the festive spirit. The holiday season is a wonderful time to expand our vocabulary with festive words and these words can add a fun twist to your holiday lessons and activities. In this article, we’ll explore a variety of […]
Christmas Words that Start with T
Christmas is a time filled with joy, traditions, and special moments. The holiday season is a wonderful time to expand our vocabulary with festive words and these words can add a fun twist to your holiday lessons and activities. In this article, we’ll explore a variety of Christmas words that start with T, including their […]
Embracing Bilingual Education in Montessori Schools: Challenges, Successes, and the Future
In this week’s podcast episode, we delve into bilingual Montessori education, exploring its challenges, successes, and future. Our special guest is Marikay McCabe, an educational leader and researcher from Spain working with a team on an exciting bilingual project focusing on building bilingual programs in elementary schools. by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks […]
Christmas Words that Start with B
The holiday season is filled with joy, wonder, and a wealth of new vocabulary for young learners. This list of Christmas words that start with the letter “B” is designed to help teachers introduce their students to festive language. Each word is accompanied by a simple description and an example sentence to make learning fun […]
Christmas Words that Start with A
Introducing students to Christmas-themed vocabulary is a great way to enhance their language skills while embracing the festive spirit. The holiday season is a wonderful time to expand our vocabulary with festive words and these words can add a fun twist to your holiday lessons and activities. In this article, we’ll explore a variety of […]
Christmas Words that Start with Z
The holiday season is a wonderful time to expand our vocabulary with festive words. While we often hear about common Christmas words, there are some unique and interesting ones that start with the letter “Z.” These words can add a fun twist to your holiday lessons and activities. In this article, we’ll explore a variety […]
The Journey of Dahlia Montessori and the Power of Multilingual Education
Today, we are joined by two proponents of multilingual education from The Dahlia School of San Francisco, a Wildflower School. For those unfamiliar, Wildflower is a network of small micro-schools located throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and other regions. Our guests today are Lindsey Barnes, the founder of Dahlia Montessori, and David Hernandez, the school’s […]
Debunking the Montessori Three-Hour Work Cycle
In this episode of Montessori Talks, Letty Rising interviews Jana Morgan Herman, an experienced Montessori educator and the National Director of a teacher training center for Endeavor Schools. Jana’s recent article in Montessori Life, titled “Mandate or Myth: The Uninterrupted Three-Hour Work Cycle,” challenges a commonly accepted Montessori concept and has sparked a debate within […]
The Rainforest Biome: Resources for the Classroom
Did you know that rainforests cover only 6% of the Earth’s surface but are home to more than half of the world’s plant and animal species? The rainforest biome is an important part of the Earth’s ecosystem, providing oxygen, regulating the climate, and supporting many, many species of plants and animals. Learning about the rainforest […]
Learning About Mammals
From the freezing tundra to the scorching desert and even in the ocean, mammals can be found all over the world. Some of the most well-known mammals include cats, dogs, bears, monkeys, whales – and humans! In this blog post, weāve gathered a variety of resources to support a unit focused on learning about mammals. […]
Co-Teaching in a Large Upper Elementary Classroom
In this interview, we learn from a pair of insightful Montessori educators who skillfully manage co-teaching in their sizable classroom. Contrary to the widespread belief that co-teaching can be as demanding as a marriage, these teachers have successfully honed their approach to foster collaboration and prioritize student-focused instruction. by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks […]
A Guide to Montessori Homeschooling
Parents who embark on a homeschooling journey often find that they need the wisdom and support of mentors who can help guide them so that they can in turn guide their own children. Join us this week on the podcast for a guide to Montessori homeschooling. by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast […]
The Ocean Biome
Did you know that the ocean covers about 70% of the Earth’s surface? Or that there’s enough salt in the ocean to completely cover all the Earth’s land surfaces? The ocean is an amazing place! In this blog post, weāll ādive intoā ideas to support a unit study of the vast ocean biome. We’ll give an […]
Learning About Fish
Did you know that there are over 30,000 species of fish in the world? Or that some fish can change their color to blend in with their surroundings? Fish are fascinating creatures that can be found in various bodies of water around the world. Learning about fish is an excellent way for children to expand their […]
The Desert Biome
Did you know that most desert regions receive less than 10 inches of rain per year? Plants and animals in the desert biome have developed some amazing strategies to survive in this harsh, arid climate. For example, the camel is able to survive for long periods without water thanks to the ability to store fat […]
A Journey to Virtual Montessori Homeschooling
The future of education is constantly shifting. Hybrid models that split the students’ time between the Montessori classroom and homeschooling are giving way to entirely virtual homeschooling models utilizing the Montessori method. Christine Sithichai, a veteran Montessori guide with 20 years of classroom experience, is sharing all about her journey from a brick-and-mortar school to […]
Creating Confident and Competent Writers
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Writing opportunities present themselves in the elementary classroom in a variety of ways. Some students are naturally inclined writers, and others might lack the confidence to write. In our newest podcast episode, Letty Rising is chatting with Madeline Walk, Elementary Content Editor at Trillium Montessori. Weāre […]
The Fundamental Needs of Humans: Ideas for Deeper Exploration
The Fundamental Needs of Humans lesson sparks great interest in children because, even though many of the other elementary lessons and materials may seem unfamiliar to a child who has never been exposed to them, we can all relate to and identify our own personal and individual needs. The Fundamental Needs of Humans chart provides […]
The Temperate Forest Biome
With a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees (and often featuring dramatic changes from season to season!) the temperate forest biome is a fascinating ecosystem providing a home for a diverse range of plant and animal species. In this post, we’ll explore this beautiful biome and share useful resources for putting together a forest unit […]
Learning About Reptiles
From chameleons that can change color to crocodiles that can hold their breath for hours, reptiles are a captivating group of animals that can be found all over the world. Learning about reptiles can help children to broaden their scientific knowledge and vocabulary, as well as deepen their appreciation for the natural world. In this […]
When Less is More: A Case for Giving Fewer Lessons
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast One of the unique challenges of being a Montessori guide is deciding how many lessons to present on any given day. What is the ideal number? 4? 7? 10? And what constitutes a ālessonā to be included in this number? And what about how many lessons […]
The Wetland Biome
Have you ever spent time in a wetland? The wetland biome is full of fascinating plants and animals that are adapted to living in and near water, like cattails, water lilies, salamanders, frogs, turtles, and herons. The wetland also plays an important role in helping keep our water clean ā more about this below. In […]
Handling Classroom Transitions
Anyone who has been a teacher knows that classroom transitions can be tough. Children often find it challenging to transition between physical places, activities, and objects of attention. Having to stop one thing and start another can lead to the manifestation of unwanted behaviors. by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Thanks to […]
ChatGPT for Teachers in Montessori Elementary Classrooms
ChatGPT for Teachers – Montessori elementary teachers can use ChatGPT as a resource for their classrooms to support student learning and development. From generating sentences and paragraphs to creating word problems and lists of procedures, ChatGPT offers a wide range of possibilities, making it a valuable assistant teacher. With some practice, teachers can learn to […]
The Grassland Biome
Did you know that many grasslands depend on periodic wildfires to maintain balance in the ecosystem? A grassland is a large, open region containing many grasses and other low-growing plants. The grassland biome is found on all continents except Antarctica. In this blog post, weāve collected resources for a unit study on grassland plants, animals, […]
Montessori and Visual Thinking Strategies
Today we’re talking about Montessori in the public sector and Visual Thinking Strategies. Our guest is Katie Brown, the Director of Research and Professional Development at The National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector. by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Katie Brown is the Director of Research and Professional Learning […]
Interview with Rachel Kimboko, Executive Director of DC Wildflower Public Charter School
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Rachel Kimboko is the Executive Director of Stakeholder Engagement at DC Wildflower Public Charter School. She holds an AMI elementary diploma and has worked in Montessori public and private settings, both as a teacher and as a school leader. Letty: Tell me about your role at […]
Celebrating 10 Years of Trillium!
Happy New Year, Everyone! Wow, it’s 2023! I wrote my first blog post on January 1, 2013. That does not feel like a decade ago! But a lot has happened during that time and I am so grateful to all of you for being part of this journey. Want to take a walk down memory lane with me? This […]
2022: A Look Behind the Scenes
My last newsletter of the year is usually a recap of the milestones of the past 12 months. While we’ve had an eventful year here at Trillium, I’d like to take this time to give you a behind the scenes look at my personal year and thank the people who made it possible. Many of […]
Fostering a Connected Community: Helping Your Students Branch Out from their Preferred Work Partners
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Once when I was a school administrator, there was an elementary classroom that I observed as being slightly āoff.ā A new teacher had taken over the class, and the energy in the community felt differentā¦both inside the classroom and out at recess. I noticed that there […]
Flexibility without Compromise: How to be a Responsive Teacher While Adhering to Montessori Essentials
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast The notion of flexibility without compromise seems, at first glance, contradictory. Like many terms used in Montessori circles that are joined together and also seemingly paradoxical, such as freedom and responsibility, structure and choice, and follow the child vs order and procedure, there is an endless […]
The Pencil Problem
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast There are very few topics in the elementary classroom that I hear more about than the continuous struggle about how to manage pencils. Never mind the colored pencils, thatās a whole other topic! Today we will just stick to regular lead pencils that the children use, […]
Leadership in the Montessori Elementary Classroom with Peter PichƩ
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Peter PichĆ© is MACTE-credentialed (Primary, Elementary IāII,) Montessori educator who founded and designed the Secondary I Montessori program at Montessori Community School in Durham, North Carolina, after attending Great Work’s Orientation to Montessori Adolescent program. In addition to getting his professional leadership coaching certification from the […]
An Interview with Jess Gagne on Favorite Lessons, New Students, and More!
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Jess is an Elementary Lead Guide and poet in Brooklyn, NY. She has worked with children of almost all ages in a variety of settings to facilitate holistic growth and the building of a strong and supportive school community, and has also consulted for the WNYC […]
Scientific Exploration in the Elementary Years: An Interview with Zoe Rising
Affiliate links may be used in this post at no cost to you. Learn Libre (formerly known as Montessori Laboratory) is a Montessori science program designed to help educators and caregivers nurture and encourage their studentsā interest in the magnificence of the universe. Learn Libre was founded by Zoe Rising and Rich Worley who […]
Working With What You Have: Tips on Guiding an Under-Resourced Classroom
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast The world is rapidly changing all around us. When I think of the Timeline of Humans, and just how long it took for change to take place from the beginning of human life until now, itās easy to see that the amount of transformation the […]
Exuding an Air of Confidenceā¦Even if You Arenāt Feeling It!
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Confidence is considered an essential trait that we hope for all children to develop. When we think of a confident child, we can imagine a child who throws up a hand and takes a risk to answer a question they may not have the answer to, […]
How to Be a Strong Elementary Guide
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” ā William Arthur Ward I came across this quote recently, and it prompted me to think about the variety of methods we use to teach children. Sometimes itās […]
The Elementary Classroom Planning Bootcamp is Right Around the Corner!
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Itās feeling like summertime across much of the northern hemisphere, and while some of you might be in the throes of lazy summer days, sipping iced tea on a lounge chair by the pool, many of you are starting to break into a sweat […]
Time to Reflect: Questions to Ask Yourself to Improve Your Craft
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast When considering elevating your teaching practice, there are really two major paths towards self-improvement. One is external feedback from colleagues who can let you know if youāre on the right track or might need to make some adjustments. The other is self-reflection. The great thing […]
Is it Ever Okay to Praise a Child?
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast In Montessori training, most of us have been cautioned about offering praise to children. This flies in the face of what many of us grew up with, as it was implicitly communicated that praise was to be used as a measure of counteracting the […]
How to Respond to Questions from Elementary Children
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast I once gave a workshop to a group of parents, and when I talked about how elementary-aged children are knowledge-seekers who are interested in knowing about everything, I saw flickers of joy and delight on their faces as they imagined their children absorbing the totality of […]
Confessions of a Reluctant Botanist
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast I remember the first month of my first year of teaching. I was at a school that was not only new to me but a new school altogether. We had two modest classrooms that were located in a church, with the hopes of one day being […]
The Tired Teacher
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast At the time of this writing, it is springtime in parts of the world, which often tends to be an extra-tired time for teachers. However, even if you are in the Southern Hemisphere and are entering into the fall months, it doesnāt necessarily mean that youāre […]
What Does Building Relationships with an Elementary-Aged Child Look Like?
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Throughout the history of education, there are initiatives, movements, and even sayings that come and go. Some of them stick and become interwoven within the fabric of education, and some fizzle out after a while. Examples of recent buzzword terms and concepts that have been all […]
Human Tendencies as Witnessed in the Elementary Child
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Maria Montessori observed that human beings did not possess the same kind of instinctual behavior that other animals do. Instead, she observed in people from various cultures throughout the world what came to be referred to as Human Tendencies. These Human Tendencies are a driving force that […]
Balancing Freedom and Responsibility in the Elementary Classroom
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast One of the hardest aspects of guiding a Montessori classroom is helping the children understand how to balance freedom with responsibility. In fact, this very concept is often woefully misunderstood! It often is the tendency that beginning teachers will veer in one direction or another favoring […]
How to Ensure Students are Repeating Math Materials and Concepts to Attain Proficiency
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast When considering both the hallmarks and benefits of the Montessori elementary classroom, one of the first things that generally comes to mind is the idea of freedom to choose work. This is one of the aspects of a Montessori environment that sets us apart from other pedagogies […]
How to Spark Further Interest in Writing in the Montessori Elementary Classroom
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast While many teacher training programs do a brilliant job at introducing the Montessori materials, it can often be the case that whatever is offered as the approach to writing with elementary children isnāt as robust or comprehensive. As a result, teachers often enter the class not […]
The Montessori Elementary Environment is Different from the Early Childhood Environmentā¦and There Are Reasons For That!
by Letty Rising When the topic of Montessori education comes up with people who know a little bit about it, often what is described is a 3-6 classroom. After all, this is the age of development where Maria Montessori started her work with the children in Rome when she was fresh out of medical […]
Going Beyond the Montessori Elementary Albums
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast When fresh out of Montessori teacher training, you have at your handy disposal at least two armfuls of curriculum binders, often called āalbumsā which hold the entirety of the Cosmic Curriculum for you to present to your students. Whether you wrote your own albums composed of […]
Get Ready to Dust Off Those History Question Charts!
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Do you have History Question Charts on your shelf in your elementary environment? If so, are they being taken out and used regularly by students in your class? Do you not know where to begin, or how to keep the interest in this valuable tool alive? […]
How Do We Know When It’s Time to Present the Next Lesson?
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Most Montessori elementary training programs offer a plethora of information and resources to equip the emerging teacher with lessons to deliver, the philosophy behind āwhyā we do as we do. After all, this isnāt called Cosmic Education for nothing! We are introducing our students […]
We’re Hiring: Tech VA
Part-Time Tech VA We are in need of some assistance behind the scenes at Trillium and we would love to see some applications from BIPOC candidates for this role! This is a part-time, 1099 role, approximately 5-10 hours/week. You will be supporting our operations manager, Candace Barnard, with a variety of behind-the-scenes tasks such […]
Is it Okay to Interrupt an Elementary Child at Work?
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast This is a question that comes up all the time with elementary teachers! It is a Montessori truism that we protect the childās work cycle from interruptions. We talk with our colleagues about resisting the urge to do the following: Pulling children out of […]
How Do We Know When Elementary Students are Ready for Abstraction?
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast One of the most inviting aspects of the Montessori approach is our beautiful materials. Other than the idea of following the child, the enticing materials are one of the main reasons why people are drawn to Montessori environments. And, how could anyone refuse these beautiful, […]
What to Do When Your Lesson Falls Flat
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast If youāve been teaching in a classroom for any length of time, you will know that even the best laid plans sometimes yield cringeworthy results. In Montessori training, we see our teacher trainers modeling how to present these interesting and fascinating lessons that […]
Time for a Reset! Revisiting Systems, Routines, and Agreements
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast When coming back from a long school break, it is often the case that any progress that has been made to normalize has gone out the window. It might in fact be the case that a part or all of the classroom community […]
2021: Year in Review
Well here we are, at the end of another year. Are you ready to take stock of this year and step into the new one? Are you feeling optimistic about what lies ahead… or not so much? If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it might be a good idea to pause and reflect on the past 12 […]
Rebuilding the Elementary Environment During Late Stage Pandemic Times
by Letty Rising The Hope At the time of this writing, it is the Fall of 2021, and the hope has been that THIS is the year when we collectively bounce back from the worldwide Covid 19 pandemic. Children will be returning to school, reuniting with old friends, and will have the opportunity to […]
Diversity and Inclusion Resources
To support all members in our learning communities, it’s important to intentionally promote diversity and inclusion. Inclusive practices help build strong communities and communicate to learners and community members that their perspectives are valid and important. In this post, we’ve collected a wide range of resources for supporting diversity and inclusion in learning communities. Trillium […]
Why we opted NOT to make the P2P Summit free
Hello Everyone, We are really looking forward to sharing the expertise of this year’s P2P Summit speakers with you! I was going to start this email by saying that Tammy and I thought long and hard about whether to make this year’s Summit free. But that’s not true. This decision speaks to one of our […]
Behind the Scenes at Trillium: It Finally Happened
Y’all…. …I had to make some big decisions a couple of months ago. BIG. Like, the-future-of-Trillium big. Many of you have been following along on my Trillium journey for many years, some of you since way back in 2013 (love you!) You know that I closed my school in 2018 to live a semi-retired life […]
2020 Year In Review
It’s finally time to say goodbye to 2020. What a seismic year to live through. I have been so inspired and moved by the courage and determination I have seen in the Montessori community this year. You have rolled with the challenges of overhauling how you work with and educate children, closing schools and losing […]
Gender Creativity and Following the Child: A Montessori Connection
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 […]
Facing Racial Inequality: A Call for Courage
Sometimes being an educator takes courage. In order to show up as the guides our children need us to be, we have to find the strength to look at the things about ourselves and our environments that make us uncomfortable. The things that make us question what we’ve always taken for granted. The things that […]
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 ā the earth as a great reminder of how to endure […]
Building Distance Learning around the Psychological Characteristics of the Elementary Child
A downloadable PDF of this article is available newsletter subscribers here. by Letty Rising As Montessori education moves forward on the path of distance learning while people all over the world are navigating life through a global pandemic, there is much to consider and still so much to learn. And it is not only the […]
Do you need a three-hour work cycle at home?
“Education is not something which a teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being. It is not acquired by listening to words but in virtue of experiences in which the child acts on his environment.”M. Montessori, pg 3 The Absorbent Mind. Recently, I spoke with a parent who […]
Montessori Lessons in Interdependence: Greater Relevance Than Ever
By Margaret Whitley Our elementary childrenās imagination is immense. So too is their adaptability and resilience when honored. Todayās 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 […]
Learning About Germs and Hygiene
Talking to young children about the concept of “germs” can be quite challenging! Preschoolers have a hard time conceptualizing things that they cannot experience through their senses. However, in this era when lives have been turned topsy turvy because of a global pandemic, the conversation about germs is difficult to put off! The Germs […]
Distance Learning in Times of Disaster
By Letty Rising and Elizabeth Slade A downloadable PDF of this article is available in the Trillium Resource Library. Sign up for the free Elementary Newsletter to access. Read part 2 here: Distance Learning in Times of Disaster: Restoration and Renewal Without warning, children across the country have experienced a dramatic shift in how they […]
Mr. Rogers and the Montessori Prepared Environment
By Letty Rising Thereās a world of difference between insisting on someoneās doing something and establishing an atmosphere in which that person can grow into wanting to do it.ā –Mr. Rogers I’ve come across this quote a few times in recent weeks, and it makes me smile every time. Mr. Rogers is one of my […]
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 ā¦.” 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 […]
Work at Home Montessori Parent
The Work-at-Home Parent Conundrum For so many of you, working from home while caring for your children will undoubtedly bring challenges. While I cannot promise it will always be comfortable, I can say that if we focus on modifying some key points, you can manage. One up- one down If there are two of you […]
Montessori in the Kitchen
Space, the first frontierā¦ in your home Ok, so first things first. We need to help you set up space in your house. There are so many ways we will work on modifying rooms in your home, and the most accessible place to start is the kitchen. Because you are in […]
Consistency and RoutineĀ for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners at Home During Coronavirus
Some schools have already been out for a while, but for much of the US, this week has seen the start of a lot of extended school closures. If you are faced with having your children at home for an extended school closure, consistent routines will help you settle into patterns of existing in this […]
Pearls of Wisdom: Working with elementary aged children
I recently returned from the AMI Elementary Refresher Course, and I enjoyed it so much that over the course of the two days I took 25 pages of notes! Alison Awes, the presenter and a Montessori trainer, was a very inspiring and engaging speaker, breathing fresh life into some familiar concepts, lessons, and theories, while […]
Why are we afraid of big numbers?
A second-grade teacher in a public school environment is well aware that, by the end of the school year, their students should be able to add and subtract fluently with numbers less than 100. However, in a Montessori environment, children begin to learn place-value into the thousands beginning in the 3-6 childrenās house. At the […]
Choice in the Elementary Classroom
Understanding how to facilitate, organize, and prepare an environment that fosters student choice is one of the most challenging aspects of being a Montessori elementary teacher. But it can be done and done well. Students can have choices in their work and still develop the skills needed to master standards. Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast […]
How to Guide the Young Elementary Child
The youngest elementary childrenā¦the beginning of a new cycle. When the 6 or 7-year-old child enters into the elementary classroom, teachers sometimes struggle with understanding this newly emerging second plane child. When I was teaching and had the benefit of observing my students in their primary classroom environment before they transitioned into elementary, it was […]
Is it a Request for Help or a Bid for Connection?
Identifying the True Need Under the Request Throughout my years of teaching and leading schools, I have witnessed certain personality characteristics surface and resurface again. Thereās a particular one that I want to address and that has cropped up a few times during my career in education. Though the children are different, the script is […]
7 Ways to Enhance Your Storytelling Skills
Telling a Story vs. Giving a Lecture in the Elementary Classroom Environment Have you ever been spellbound by a captivating storyteller spinning a thrilling tale that had you propped at the edge of your seat, eagerly awaiting the next piece of colorful imagery to pique your curiosity and tantalize your imagination? If so, you likely […]
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, […]
The 6 Year Old: The Age Of TattlingĀ
If you have taught elementary, you surely have noticed that your youngest community members have a tendency to tell on one another, otherwise known as ātattling.ā I remember when I was a teacher, I always had at least a couple of 6-year-olds who tattled frequently, and I also clearly recall feeling some annoyance with this […]
Montessori Professional Development Plan
Tammy Oesting speaks to Daneen Goncalves of Nido Marketing about how and why to create a professional development plan for your staff. For affordable monthly staff development, please join Montessori Principles to Practice. You can find a variety of online workshops for your Montessori professional development needs on the Trillium Montessori Courses site.
Ramadan Activities for Preschool
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. The Muslim calendar is a lunar calendar, which means that the months follow the cycles of the moon. This also means that the months do not correspond to the western calendar months. Each year, Ramadan is approximately 11 days earlier than the year before. As the […]
Cosmic Nesting Dolls
āLet us give the children a vision of the universe.” Maria Montessori in To Educate the Human Potential. Update: The Cosmic Nesting Dolls in the video were originally available from Where Am I? but sadly it seems they are no longer making them. If you would like to try your hand at DIYing the […]