"We have to let children experience the beauty of arithmetic... it is always something to discover and to perceive by the hand before being understood by the mind."—Philip D. O'Brien, from the introduction to Psychoarithmetic by Maria MontessoriMathematics comes naturally to children precisely because the world they live in... Read More

"I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn."—Albert EinsteinMany of us have seen a young child more interested in the wrapping paper than the gift; or watched as a child played with just a string and a popsicle stick or a large empty box. Maria Montessori observed the same phe... Read More

"Let us have endless patience with his slow progress, and show enthusiasm and gladness at his successes. If we could say: ' We are respectful and courteous in our dealings with children, we treat them as we should like to be treated ourselves,' we should have mastered a great educational principle..."—Maria Montessori, Dr. ... Read More

How does your classroom mark holidays? Which do you celebrate in class? How do you decide? There are as many perspectives on holidays in the Montessori classroom as there are teachers! As a community, we've come up with so many unique and creative ways to address "special days." Yet classroom holidays are still generating a... Read More

Let Me Help: Supporting the Young Child at Home By Karin Salzmann. Reprinted from Montessori Talks to Parents, NAMTA; with permission from NAMTA and the author. In primitive societies, and even in quite recent times, children always participated in the life of the home. A sense of belonging, along with pride of accomplishme... Read More

"What we call education of the senses is in reality an aid to the construction of intelligence."—Maria Montessori, Creative Development in the Child, Vol. 1A five-year-old boy had been working with the Geometric Solids in my classroom. On the weekend, his family took a drive out to the countryside. His mother reported that ... Read More

"The teacher shows the children how to clean out the little corners where dust has accumulated and shows them how to use the various objects necessary in cleaning a room - dust cloths, dust brushes, little brooms, etc."—Maria Montessori, The Montessori MethodLet's do some spring cleaning with our children!In "those good old... Read More

Heard the impish-yelping of a fire-bellied toad lately? Watched a chinchilla stand on its hind legs and peacefully take a seed from a child's hand? Observed firsthand, the ten-inch long tongue of a chameleon light across a tree to obtain an insect? Seen a child supporting the ball-shaped form of a spiky hedgehog curled up i... 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

"Solicitous care for living things affords satisfaction to one of the most lively instincts of the child's mind. Nothing is better calculated than this to awaken an attitude of foresight."—Maria Montessori, The Montessori MethodChildren can plant a seed now and nurture the seedling for next year.Planting an Arbor Day tree t... Read More