Montessori: What is it?
Montessori education, a revolutionary approach to learning developed by Dr. Maria Montessori over a century ago, stands out for its unique focus on the individual child’s natural development. Characterized by self-directed activities within a prepared environment and guided by specially trained teachers, this method nurtures children’s innate curiosity and desire to learn, fostering both academic […]
Free Printable: Arctic Animals
This set of Montessori 3-part cards features a selection of Arctic animals. Use these cards to introduce children to the diverse wildlife of the Arctic and spark conversations about how animals live and thrive in such a harsh environment.Ā This set includes color illustrations as well as blacklines so children can make their own booklet. The […]
Free Printable: Animals of North America
Add these 3-part cards to your shelves when you’re learning about animals of North America! Ā This set includes color illustrations as well as blacklines so children can make their own booklets. Animals included in this set: Beaver Bear Cougar Coyote Deer Bald Eagle Elk Fox Owl Raccoon Skunk Squirrel Wolf Animals of North America Beaver […]
Free Printable: Birds Coloring and 3-Part Cards
Are you looking to add an engaging and educational activity to your bird unit or nature shelf? Our free printable set of Montessori 3-part cards of common birds is a perfect addition to your classroom. These cards not only feature color illustrations but also include blackline versions for coloring so children can create their own […]
Top 10 Posts of 2013
Goodbye 2013! It’s been a fun year on the blog! Here are our most visited posts for 2013. I chunked some of the series together for you. A HUGE thank you to Deb at Living Montessori Now for sending us most of our visitors. 2013 would have been very different without you! 1. Fifteen Days […]
Blue Whales and Parts of a Baleen Whale: Free Printable
Blue whales, the largest animals on Earth, are part of a special group called baleen whales. These massive creatures can grow up to 100 feet long and move gracefully through the ocean. Baleen whales, like blue whales, eat tiny organisms such as krill using special comb-like structures in their mouths called baleen plates. This way […]
Free Montessori Printable Puzzle Words
There are over one hundred sight words in this collection. Ā They are color coded in groups of ten so you can easily keep track of which set the child is working on. Ā https://www.instagram.com/p/CBP3nYhl-EE/ Ā Ā Ā
Free Montessori Printable: Label the Environment
These are a great addition to your reading shelf. Ā There are a few levels of difficulty so you can do this with a range of readers. Ā The simplest set would correspond to the “blue” reading level (blends and multi-syllables). Ā The second set has words that include phonograms highlighted in red. Ā The most […]
Free Montessori Printable Phonogram Sentences
Ok my friends, this is a HUGE printable and may be my favorite of the lot. You get THREE sentences for EACH of the Montessori phonograms. Ā Yeah, THREE… EACH. Ā This took forever to put together and I love it. Ā I hope you will too! Ā The sentences do include a few basic sight words like “the”, […]
Free Montessori Printable Phonogram Sorting
Three pictures to go with each of the standard Montessori phonogram sandpaper letters. Ā The phonogram sound may be found at the beginning, middle, or end of the word. Ā
Consonant Blends Word List: Free Montessori Printable
A whole lot of word lists to add to your phonetic reading shelf! Ā A variety of beginning and ending blends are represented. Ā
Free Montessori Printable Beginning Sound Sorting Cards
Ā These cards can be used for a variety of early language activities. Cut out and mount on colored paper to coordinate with your letter sets.Ā I do not like to teach the sound of the letter X in the initial position and so this set does not include any pictures for X. Ā All the other […]
Introduction to Montessori Geography
Introduction to Geography: A Montessori Approach The Montessori approach utilizes hands-on learning, independence, and exploration. When it comes to introducing young learners to geography, this method proves to be both engaging and effective, fostering a sense of curiosity and wonder about the world. Children are introduced to geography through tactile and visual experiences, such as […]
Montessori At Home
We had our first Parent Education Workshop of the year last week. We talked about things that can be done at home to support what the children are doing at school. All of our tips and suggestions center around helping the child become more independent. Here are some examples of ways parents can organize their […]
How to Start a New Class
How to Start A New Class Today’s post is about what we do during the first few days in our classroom. This post ended up being a lot longer than I had originally planned. It’s also coming a few weeks late since all of you are back to school already. But, I hope it helps […]
Organizing Thematic Units and Seasonal Supplies
Last month I wrote about how I use a unit studies approach to our “cultural” curriculum. Ā I love how it has simplified my organization system. Ā I used to keep my materials categorized by curriculum area. Ā For example, all the language materials were in one cabinet, all the practical life materials were in one spot, and […]
Organizing Art Supplies
Organizing Art Ideas Pinterest is now my organizing tool of choice for all curriculum ideas. I have a board dedicated just to art, but I tend to add more art pins to my Unit studies boards. This makes it easier to decide when to use a particular activity. But before Pinterest, I had binders […]
8 Tips for Organizing Practical Life Supplies
Woohoo! Only a Montessori teacher can understand the rush of owning tiny bowls and pitchers and tongs. In the early days, you think you can’t possibly ever have enough. And then the day comes when you realize, by golly, you have to stop accumulating them because there’s no room left in the ~ahem~ fourth dimension. […]
Organizing in Four Dimensions
Over the years, Iāve collected a lot of classroom materials. I mean, a lot. If youāre a teacher, thereās a good chance you know exactly what Iām talking about. It starts with a few cute trays, a stack of themed printables, some thrift store finds that might come in handy one dayā¦ and before you […]
The Evolution of My Montessori Record Keeping System
I have been working and observing in Montessori classrooms for a good fifteen years now and I’ve seen dozens of different ways to keep track of the mountain of information generated on a daily basis. I’m also a bit of an information junkie and I collect ideas like they’re about to run out (have you seen my Pinterest boards?!) […]
Sitting on the Rug
I’m excited to share our very first guest post with you! Ā Heidi Walker will be coming over to Trillium next month to conduct our April Parent Workshop. Ā I had a great time chatting with her recently and I am sure you will all get a TON out of her presentation! Ā Read more about Heidi […]