Primary Level
Montessori Sensorial Materials, Part II December 16, 2022
Imagine you are watching a four-year-old boy carry a wooden box with a red lid to a table. Then, he goes back to the shelf of Sensorial Materials and brings over a matching box—this one with a blue lid. (These are called the Sound Cylinders. Each is filled with about one ounce of grains of…
Read MoreMontessori Sensorial Materials, Part I November 15, 2022
Why Are Montessori’s Sensorial Materials Important for Children? Great question! We all recognize those beautiful wooden prisms and the pink tower of cubes as being Montessori’s distinct materials for children’s development. The glossy red rods and the blocks with rows of tiny wooden knobs are intriguing. They seem to call out to be touched and…
Read MoreParents, Take Charge! August 7, 2022
“Jerry, it’s time to get out of the pool. Time to go now, please.” A father stands at the edge of a hotel pool in summer, clearly exhausted, as his wife walks past him carrying a crying baby girl, a floaty, a diaper bag, and two huge towels. “NO!” The boy in the pool, who…
Read MoreAn Education that Matches Children’s Development
September 2018 by Paula Lillard Preschlack Developmentally, children pass through distinct phases as they age, which are universal across time and place. These phases, or planes, are the basis for Maria Montessori’s approach to education, which caters to the specific needs and characteristics of each plane.
Read MoreMontessori and the Power of Mental Association
Associative thinking is a key to innovation and problem-solving. At every age, Montessori cultivates the ability to make mental associations.
Read MoreMusic in the Montessori Classroom
February 2021 by Paula Lillard Preschlack and John Dickson Music education is woven into the Montessori classroom for all children and at all developmental stages, contributing to a joyful and enriching learning environment.
Read MoreHow Do Montessori Teachers Present Those Magical Materials?
October 2019 by Paula Lillard Preschlack Paula describes how a Primary teacher presents materials to a child under age six, how an Elementary teacher gives presentations to children over age six, and how they differ. She explains the role of the teacher and that of the Montessori materials. The magic is in the way that…
Read MoreReturning to School with Resilience, Creativity, and Courage!
Talking to Children About Money
August 2019 by Paula Lillard Preschlack Talking about money can be uncomfortable for some families. Maria Montessori believed that this topic should be studied like all others. Here, Paula offers suggestions for talking to children of all ages about money.
Read MoreThe Birth of the Scientific Mind: Montessori Science, Part I
April 2019 by Paula Lillard Preschlack A scientific mind is one that can classify and organize information in a systematic and logical way. Experiences with the Montessori materials and in nature are excellent starting points for building a scientific mind.
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