Are you looking for a children's book about Maria Montessori? Here are a few that you might like! The first three are books about a wide range of women of which Maria Montessori is included. Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World by Katherine Halligan and Sarah Walsh. Maria Montessori is included in this compilation of inspiring and powerful women who changed the world. For children aged 8yrs+. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Francesca Cavallo and Elena Favilli. A wildly popular compilation book that also features Maria Montessori. For children 8yrs+. The People Awards by... Read more →
To celebrate International Mud Day (Monday 29th June) we spent the morning in our garden getting dirty and a little muddy! Digging lots of holes and filling them with water. The only tools we used were a trowel and a watering can. And a few seeds and seedlings. Today was a bit of a wake-up call. We really haven't done any mud play since leaving our UK Forest School. We know that mud play is just so good for children. So I have a few ideas of a mud play area I can create with some water, buckets, and a... Read more →
Teaching consent is a part of Montessori education, and it always has been. But what does it look like in our home? In some ways I've found it easy teaching consent to a toddler, "you don't have to give Grandma a hug, only if you want to". Other ways it can be difficult, how do I get a toddler to wash, brush, wipe or get in the car when they realllly don't want to? When we teach children to respect themselves we are also teaching them to respect others. Respect is at the core of consent. We respect an infant... Read more →
What do you put on your clay tray or with your toddler clay work? In the past I've presented clay with lots of bits and pieces like small craft sticks, mosaic tiles, dried beans, gum nuts and other items from nature. This week our clay tray includes more tools, rather than sticking things in the clay I want my toddler to explore the clay with his hands, to change the shape of the clay, to model and mould it. A toddler size spray bottle to keep the clay moist. Textured rolling pin. "Clay has a utilitarian purpose—it can make bowls... Read more →
Are you looking for grammar work that complements what your children are learning at school that is also fun and interesting? A few of my Montessori teacher friends have recommended Ruth Heller's Explore Language Series and they did not disappoint. The books we have in this series are beautiful and whimsical. They are imaginative, creative almost mystical. The colours and the clash of pattern make this series captivating, while the language is lyrical and fun. One reviewer rightfully said "a visual and auditory feast!". Let's take a look. This one is Many Luscious Lollipops: A Book About Adjectives. All of... Read more →
Are you looking for some new art trays to try? Here are eight that we've tried this week. Tape - my toddler is in a huge scissor phase so he likes this tray, I have coloured tape, children's scissors and card. The card is from Reverse Garbage but the back of cereal containers or other card packaging would work well too. The child cuts pieces of tape and arranges it on the card. Mirror - painting with a cotton bud on a mirror, fantastic for developing fine motor skills. We loooove using our pencil crayons on the mirror too. Car... Read more →
I've been thinking about the Indigenous educational materials present in our home. I would love to see more Indigenous representation in our art (and art appreciation studies), in the foods we eat, in the music we listen to and in the clothes/designers we wear, and I'm making changes in those areas. We have a few children's books by Indigenous authors and we love to explore with Ochre. What about other educational materials like games, puzzles and manipulatives? Are there early learning materials by Indigenous creatives that are suitable for a Montessori home? It turns out there is a lot and... Read more →
Otto is sleeping in extra long this morning so I though I would quickly upload some photos I took of our recent number hunt. I've found that as children get closer to three they are able to visually identify numbers. We are using the Tumble Down Counting Pegs and I'm sure this helps. Once I pointed out a couple of numbers Otto got so excited "three!!" and so it continued, seeing numbers everywhere! Identifying numbers in our neighbourhood is like reading! It's all about visual discrimination - identifying shapes and lines and interpreting them, using memory to know what that... Read more →
The Big W Toy Mania Sale starts tomorrow in store (Thursday 18th). The sale can be a big event for many families, it is a great opportunity to buy toys at a discount and especially to stock up for birthdays or Christmas. We have family members who don't shop online and are always looking for gift ideas from big stores like Big W. I don't want to promote consumerism here but I do want to support you with good and affordable purchasing options. When I think of Big W's toy sales, I think of Lego. They usually have various and... Read more →
There is a whole lot of hand-washing going on around here and it's a good thing! I've learnt that toddlers need to be standing up themselves to wash their hands adequately, you can't be holding them up. When you get home from being out (during this pandemic) you, the adult caregiver, need to help the toddler wash their hands. You need to make sure they use enough soap and wash for at least 20 seconds. See my recent study here. During the pandemic we've been using more liquid soap as I find it to be more effective (than bar soap)... Read more →
I looove children's books and I believe in a circular economy. We consume a lot of books, there are some books that we will keep forever but we also have children's books that we donate each year, some that my children have grown out of and some that just didn't land as I'd hoped. Since arriving in Sydney I have been searching for a convenient place to donate our children's books and I stumbled upon Street Libraries. Street Libraries aren't just for donating, we can take a book too!! Honestly, what a wonderful idea. I haven't lived anywhere previously that... Read more →
Today I want to share some fantastic children's books by Indigenous authors. This is not an exhaustive list, these are the books that we have and love. All of these are educational but you can see that these books are so much more, many have significant cultural value. If you live outside of Australia these are fantastic books use to learn about Australia and what could be better than supporting Indigenous authors. Welcome To Country by Aunty Joy Murphy and Lisa Kenndey - board book (pictured above). An Aboriginal ceremony of Welcome to Country is depicted for the first time... Read more →
How do we follow a child's interest in a Montessori way? We need to provide hands on, real learning opportunities, but how? Here are some ideas that I like to explore when following a child's interest: Materials that are age and developmentally appropriate. Materials displayed in a way that is attractive and accessible to the child - on children's low shelves or on a child sized table. A relevant field trip - if possible. You or the child can take some photos, you can print the photos out and use them to explore the topic further. Learning experiences that use... Read more →
Lovevery's new play kits for two year olds are out today. Yes, the play kits now include children from 24 to 36 months check them out here. As a parent of a two year old I am beyond thrilled. They look fantastic! What do the play kits have in them? The Helper Play Kit - for months 25, 26, 27 Super Sustainable Sink With Bio-Based Cups and Plates (pictured above) Drop and Match Dot Catcher Felt Flowers in a Row Double Sided Sunny Day Puzzle Anywhere Art Kit with Washable Tempera Paintsticks Let's Map It Out Routine Cards Making Muffins... Read more →
If you are new to Montessori you may not have heard of Michael J. Dorer. If you are an experienced Montessorian or teacher it's likely you've read his work. I haven't heard him speak but he's a brilliant writer and storyteller. Hatching the Cosmic Egg is a new picture book by Michael J. Dorer that I absolutely love. The concept blew me away as I haven't read a book like this before. It is a story of the universe and humans. It is big picture story about human beings! I would recommend it for children from five years+, those in... Read more →