We've all seen young children doing any number of imaginative things with wooden blocks: building a toy animal corral or a parking lot for cars, or a doll's cradle. What makes block play open-ended, after all? Merriam-Webster's definition of open-ended, applied:"not rigorously fixed": the outcome of the child's activity is ... Read More

How often I wished for some "peace and quiet" as a multi-tasking parent! Some moms say they retreat to the bathroom for time alone, only to find their children knocking or calling through the door. How can we keep our own inner composure and help our children learn to be thoughtful of others and content with themselves? In ... Read More

"Under the heading 'Care of Environment' we would include... many outdoor tasks such as digging, planting, weeding, watering, sweeping up leaves , and so forth."—E. M. Standing, Maria Montessori, Her Life and WorkSpring has sprung - it's time to start growing things!Though lessons in all parts of the curriculum can apply to... Read More

Whether it is slicing bananas or hard-boiled eggs, chopping vegetables, or cracking walnuts, children love to prepare and eat food. I'll never forget the "egg yolk-between-teeth" smile I'd see when a child completed the egg-slicing activity! Of course, serving food to their friends is an important aspect and one in which th... Read More

I must admit that I can vividly recall a time when I graciously traded my younger sister five whole pennies for one quarter. In the process I absolutely convinced her what an amazing deal she was getting, because "everyone knows five is more than one." Glowing with pride over her newfound wealth, she shared the details of o... Read More

One Teacher's Top 5 Classroom Gift IdeasThere is no question that the best gifts for teachers are items that supplement, augment, or replace outworn classroom materials the teacher truly needs. But what do you do when time is running short and you have to choose a gift without specific feedback from your child's teacher? We... Read More

"If we are to teach real peace in this world... we shall have to begin with the children."—Mahatma GandhiMontessori education has been referred to as "peace education"; Montessorian Sonnie McFarland calls peace education a "Montessori best practice" (Montessori Life, January 2005); and even Gandhi praised Montessori's appro... Read More

We recently interviewed Dorothy Harman, a Montessori teacher, teacher-trainer, and author of the new book, Intentional Connections. With grace and humor, Dorothy discusses what brought her to Montessori education and what inspired her to write this book, among other topics.(Irene Baker) How did you discover Montessori educa... Read More

"In this way...children perfect themselves in writing without actually writing."—Maria Montessori, The Montessori MethodAs Montessori teachers know, the Metal Insets are the direct preparation for writing. This activity follows extensive indirect preparation using the Practical Life and Sensorial materials. Children perfect... Read More

"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world."—Desmond Tutu Earth Day (April 22) is an annual reminder to go outdoors with our children and celebrate the beauty and bounty of the Earth. The first Earth Day was held in the United States in 1970 when conc... Read More