how we montessori

Montessori Infant Spaces I'm Loving

I find myself procrastinating rather than working on finishing our Montessori nursery. It's more difficult this time as we know we will be moving once the baby is three to four months old. So I'm not only looking for fresh ideas and inspiration but I'm also trying to find some motivation. Here are a few Montessori infant spaces that I've been enjoying! 

A lot of people don't fix the mirror to the wall, if the baby isn't moving I guess there is no need. This room has a few simple materials and lots of space for the child to work comfortably on the floor - a nice big movement area. 

"It can be easy to over-complicate the Montessori philosophy. Trusting that the core of Montessori is simplicity & order is the key to unlocking the prepared environment and creating a space that allows for optimal development." This is what I need to hear! This account is by a Montessori consultant for 0-3 years!

 This is just so soft and welcoming! 

Loving the simplicity and order. No need to overfill those shelves.  

This is a gorgeous Montessori bedroom in Brisbane (Australia)! Looking so comfortable and cozy.

This room is by a former Montessori teacher. I love to see how teachers create Montessori environments at home! Love the wall colour and the black and white artwork. That's a topponcino you can see on the little floor bed. 

 Taking a close look at the materials on these shelves and the low handing art work! 

Large movement area with mirrors and a pull up bar. It's the colour and art work that sets this room apart!

I hope you have a lovely weekend! 

A Peek Inside a Montessori Playgroup!

Yesterday I had the privilege of visiting the Montessori Early Learning Activities (MELA) playgroup based at The Gap in Brisbane (Australia). The group facilitator Amanda is a British trained Montessori educator. I always love to meet Montessori parents and educators and it was such a delight to meet Amanda. She has a real honest and down to earth approach to Montessori which is needed in her work. Amanda runs the MELA playgroup and an eight-week Practical Montessori at Home Beginner Course for Mums and Bubs. She spends a lot of her time communicating with parents and has a lot of ideas for implementing Montessori in the home.   

The MELA playgroup is for children from infancy to around four years of age. So this environment is for a wide age range. One of the reasons I really wanted to feature this space is because of the details and some of the little touches that make it unique. Let's take a look around!  

Above is one of my favourite trays! So simple and so beautiful. Take note if you have toddler! This is a smelling tray where Amanda uses different fresh herbs from her garden each week. The child can crush the herbs (on this day it was mint) with the handmade mortar and pestle and smell the fragrance. 

Amanda's dad has made a lot of materials in the classroom including the wooden mortar and pestle, cylinder blocks, egg and cup materials, pink tower, blocks and spare parts. I love this handmade touch with many different types of timber including recycled timber being used. 

The snack area where the children have access to water, snacks and kitchen tools. 

A practical life, water transferring shelf. Amanda uses coloured water and note the matching colour sponges for clean-up. 

Practical life shelves.

This is one of the practical life trays. Transferring little wooden owls with a spoon. 

A language activity using a sandpaper letter and various objects (easy to find or make at home). 

A shell matching activity.  

These are three treasure baskets from the science shelves. Beach treasures, bush treasures... 

and earth treasures!  

Above are low shelves for the younger members of the group.  

On the bottom shelf, there are three Heuristic play/treasure baskets. A metal basket, wood basket and cloth or soft basket. All of these items are easy to source and can be found in the home. 

Another favourite tray. This is a rough and smooth tray. The young child is introduced to two simple concepts 'rough' and 'smooth'. 

This is a sound matching activity. Recycled containers have been used and covered in red and blue felt. Each pair includes rice/sand, salt, chickpeas and rocks with a nail. The containers are marked on the top so the older child can check their work. 

Above are language, science, maths and cultural shelves. You can find a few more images and DIY ideas on my photo of the day page. 

Thank you so much to Amanda for allowing me to visit. If you are interested in the MELA playgroup or the eight-week Practical Montessori at Home Beginner Course for Mums and Bubs you can contact Amanda through her website or Facebook. 

Meet Megan and her Montessori family - Sydney, Australia

I haven't known Megan for a long time however since reading her blog Montessori and Me I really felt a connection to her parenting style. I have found Megan really relatable and down to earth yet inspiring. She writes with real clarity and is passionate about Montessori. Today I am thrilled to share with you Megan and her story. 

 

Can you tell us a little about yourself, your family and where you live?

I was born and raised in the U.S. While I was studying my degree in Child & Family Development (Human Development) in Georgia, USA. I met my wonderful Aussie husband, Ky-Anh who was there for two years obtaining his post-doc. After I graduated in 2007, I packed my bags and boarded a plane for Sydney, Australia to follow him. I had no idea what was in store for me. It was just pure love that brought me here. Our family now includes the three other loves of our lives: Lachlan (age 6), Noelle (age 4) and Oliver (age 2). My husband is originally from Vietnam (escaping when he was just 7 years old) so our children are 50% Vietnamese, 50% American and 100% Aussie! This mix of heritage is really important to who we are as a family as it shapes our values and belief systems. It certainly makes us more open-minded and I hope, my children more well rounded.

Our brood are typical Montessori children: very independent, self-sufficient and love learning. Lachlan our eldest is highly gifted. We do not like to label him as such but sharing our experiences in raising a child with particular traits helps to connect with others in the same boat and offer support. It has certainly helped me assist my clients much better in this area of development. There are a lot of challenges that come from the perfectionism of a gifted or talented child. Even with my degree, I had to seek out additional guidance as typical parenting strategies just were not enough. It was an emotional roller coaster for me from being in denial to worrying about how he will fit in when he is in school and he was only a toddler at that stage! My sister one day said, "Stop being in denial. He's reading and writing at 18 months! You need to stop worrying about the label and focus on supporting him. He couldn't ask for a better mum than you for this!" I woke up and accepted it and was on a mission to find the best way for him to learn and blend in and that was Montessori! He is the 6-9 Cycle right now but spends much of his time with his 9-12 peers too. The teaching staff say the children just love to pick his brain about anything science, his particular interest. He's become a leader socially among his peers and is someone others look up to. It has eased all worries I had in the past. I suppose I thought he might be seen as a black sheep, but I was so incredibly, wrong. In regards to his perfectionism, he now sees making a mistake as a learning opportunity, which is exactly what we were hoping for. We had to make a conscientious effort to foster this. My sister sent him the book, Beautiful Oops! when he was two years old and it helped achieve this goal so much.

Our daughter Noelle is the creative one. Put a large amount of art media in front of her and she is as happy as a clam. She's very soft spoken; a little "Snow White." Animals and insects just make their way to her. She is such a nurturing, gentle soul and a true daydreamer. She has an amazing talent for storytelling and writes very amusing plays and songs to share with all of us.

And Oliver... he is your typical third! He is active, energetic and full of life. The other two were so placid and we have never seen that with him. He keeps me on my toes. However, when he finds something he wants to engage with he will sit for a very long time in full concentration. He is fixated with the Solar System at the moment!

As for me, I am really passionate about my work as a developmental specialist. I own a small practice in Sydney called Growing Minds. I feel really blessed to have the education that I do. My degree encompasses development of the life cycle from prenatal to the aging adult. It examines nutrition, psychology, family systems and pedagogy, to name a few. It compliments so many of the ideas of Dr. Maria Montessori. She was one of the rare doctors that often would write a prescription of new routines and contributions for different members in the family to help support the pateint's recovery. It is a very broad and wholistic way of examining the development of individuals.

You are one of the few Montessori parents I know who were trained in Montessori including 0-3 before becoming a parent. How do you feel your training influenced your parenting especially in the infant/toddler stage?

My Montessori experiences and training have certainly influenced my parenting in so many ways. I didn't really get the breadth of my training until after I had Lachlan. At that time, for work, I was researching both Reggio Emilia and Montessori pedagogy after spending a little time in Italy. The "Italian experience" was my first real eye opener on how interactions with children should be. While traveling around Italy and examining their education systems and family dynamics I was just mesmerised! The importance and value they put on children is such a gold standard compared to the US and Australia. They really believe that children should be seen and heard. I would see it on the streets when a new baby was born and out for his first walk in the pram. The mum could only go a few paces before someone would pass her and want to meet the baby. This little bub would be unwrapped and picked up each time from the blankets, whether sleeping or not to meet each passerby in the community.Every person welcomed the child in a way that a grandparent or uncle would; with such warmth and hope for who the child will become. I would see subway walls and even theatre curtains all designed by the children in the local schools. It just felt like how all children should be living their lives: valued members of society.

I wanted to take that experience home with me and I just immersed myself even more into Montessori training; formal and informal. It began for parenting purposes with Lachlan but I soon realised I couldn't run my consultancies without sharing Montessori. It was forever embedded in me. By the time my second and third children were born I was well established with my Montessori practices. It is wonderful seeing them grow in confidence from all the independence and freedom of movement from birth. Of course being a "Montessori Parent" can seem so strange to those around you who have never heard of the Approach. It was hard for others to keep their hands out of our toddlers' processes to feed or get dressed. I am sure that a number of family and friends thought it was a bit cruel to make our 15 month old prepare his own fruit for lunch or put on his own socks. They just couldn't see that our children desire to do the tasks. I do love the look on the adult's face of amazement after they witness the child's success. It makes any external clashes so worth it! And of course it is always so rewarding when you unintentionally win people over to this way of parenting and education. I still beam from ear to ear when people tell me they are considering looking into Montessori.

Did you do your training in the US and if so can you comment how or if you noticed a difference in Montessori parenting in the US compared to Australia?

My formal 0-3 training is from North America and 3-6 training I did right here in Australia, through Montessori Australia Foundation. However, I use every opportunity I can to observe other 0-3 programs. I do a lot of extra shadowing work through connections with the numerous AMI Directresses here in Sydney. It is really the best informal training. I love to gain their perspectives and vice versa. It is nice to be part of such a supportive professional community. I don't think I will ever stop seeking training!

I think parenting is very similar between the two countries. We all have the same hopes and worries for our children. I think the main differences come down to politics and regulatory standards which affect the quality of life parents can offer their children. With things in Australia like our universal healthcare, parental leave schemes, paid holidays and childcare rebate and benefits, it already gives parents a better advantage on their parenting journey to provide for their children. Montessori education can even become an option for many if a preschool is registered for the Childcare Rebate. It can be done while still providing authentic Montessori education, so I hope more schools will do so to allow more opportunities for all families. Quite frankly, if the opportunity is there, I believe as educators we have a duty to make it happen. I hope more Montessori schools will register.

On the other hand, when it comes to mainstream child care standards, we are really lagging behind in Australia. This puts stress on parents when having to go back to work and choose child care. So many of my clients and friends have switched childcares several times before they can find the right fit. This happens everywhere in the world of course, but I do not feel that our early child care programs and educators are well supported; training-wise and financially. It was the first thing that I noticed when I moved to Sydney and took my first job as a Director at a traditional long day care. Other overseas professionals who visit for research or consulting make similar comments. We have a very long way to go to change the quality of care for young children in this country. We just do not seem to be progressing enough. I believe it can be done, but I think that Australians are still trying to find their voice. My hope is eventually it will be loud and heard. This is one of the reasons I love Montessori. It is a progressive education that has lasted over a century! The emphasis on educating parents really provides much needed support at home. This is true in any country where you find a Montessori school. It is comforting to know that you can walk into any AMI recognised school in the world and find the same materials and values in education. This really eases any parents mind.

Another difference I really notice when travelling between the two countries with our children is the public facilities for families. We are spoiled (and rightfully so!) in Australia with many shopping centres purpose built to attract and provide simple conveniences for parents and their children. In Australia (at least where I live) we have fantastic parenting rooms with separate breast feeding booths for each person, sometimes each equipped with a TV and wall mount activity board to occupy your other child. The many nappy changing stations and small kitchens with sink and microwave for feeding prep help many parents when out and about. I found it really frustrating when I went back home to the States after becoming a parent for the first time and could not find any place designated for breastfeeding. Often I had to just sit out on a bench in the middle of the shopping mall while people walked by. I never sensed that my fellow-Americans are as comfy with breast-feeding in public as in Australia. I mean, in Sydney I can lay on the beach with my top off if I want, I would never do that back home! I felt at times people didn't appreciate my child feeding so openly. Perhaps, I was a new parent and more self-conscious then and I have it all wrong. I would love some thought on this from your readers! There is comfort in Australia knowing that I can breastfeed anywhere I want in public by law.

You have some really thoughtful parenting posts on your blog, how do you do it? How do you find time to observe and be present when you are meeting the needs of three children?

First, thank you for reading and allowing me to share my journey with you. Those types of posts really show the true essence of our home. I have to be honest though and say that being present is a work in progress. Like the child, we never stop growing. I am constantly evolving as a parent. I have always been a really conscientious person. I think it is just in my nature; one of the reason I worked as a research scientist in my field. I really enjoy observing and there is no better joy than watching your own child discover the world. We have to be able to do that to be present.

Before I was a mum I practiced yoga and meditation regularly. I connected with nature daily and fed my soul all it needed to thrive. However, after becoming a parent all of that somehow just went to the back burner. My story is the same as so many parents: you end up putting your children's needs first and often forget about your own. I was so happy and focused on being a mum, I didn't even realise that there was another part of me that was diminishing. Last year, when Oliver was one year old, I completely burned out. I was worn down so much I lost a lot of weight, developed health issues and found myself in the emergency room with a panic attack. I was so far removed from that yoga-zen chic I was 5 years before. It was a major wake up call for me and also for my family and friends who thought that I was some sort of super mum, always coping so well. The truth was I wasn't, but I even had myself fooled!

I really didn't know how to take care of myself after putting everyone first for so long. It felt selfish and self-serving. Yet, if I didn't I was a hypocrite. How could I not take my own advice that I give to my friends and clients. So I decided then and there that I was going to regain control of my life. I was going to give the gift of "myself" back and that would be the best gift I could give my children. I talk more about that journey in my post Becoming the Parent You Want to Be .

So earlier this year, I resigned from my roles as Directress of a Parent-Toddler Program and Nido Program. I began those programs myself from the ground up so it was a hard thing to let go. However, I knew that my Montessori journey would continue, just at a different capacity.

With less responsibilities on my mind, it makes it easier to give my attention to my children. I set specific times to write my blog, Montessori and Me and to work on any continuing education. I turn off my phone, shut down my laptop and really look into the eyes of my children when they are speaking to me--this is so important! I want them to know that when it is our time together, they have all of me and I value their presence in my life. Our school weeks are logistic nightmares with children at two different schools and a half day pickup for one, plus a few activities after school. I look at that time so differently now. I turn that into quality time and use it to our advantage. If one child is swimming, I converse with the other two, read or play tic-tac-toe. No devices. Waiting time becomes "us" time. It makes a big difference. We all benefit from connecting during these times. I am happy to say that all three children will be at one school next year so that will give us some time back.

Can you tell us about your Montessori work in a professional capacity? Do you work with educators and parents?

As mentioned, I was Directress of both a Toddler and Infant (Nido) program at our local Montessori school. Because of my background, I am passionate about educating parents to ensure they feel empowered; I made this a key component in both of the programs. I particularly enjoyed my time in Nido as the sessions were the parents first step on their Montessori journey. It was so rewarding to guide the families through their parenting challenges and but also witness their triumphs as well. It allowed me the opportunity to see these parents grow and mature with confidence. Sharing the Montessori perspective with them was such a wonderful gift. While I was there to educate parents, I took away so much from my interactions with the families and infants.

Currently I have some exciting plans in the works to offer my wholisitc approach of development in a Montessori setting to support parents and children once again while also reaching out to the local community. I will keep you posted! Right now I am keeping busy doing parenting consults and workshops and also training early childhood professionals. I love training traditional carers because it gives me the opportunity to share the ideas of Montessori from independence to freedom of movement with them. It is a wonderful feeling when a participant e-mails me a month later and says that they have removed high chairs from their long day care or have now introduced food prep. I think the best feedback I received was a woman who told be that she now allowed the toddlers in her care the freedom to choose toys from the shelf. That alone can transform a child's world of learning.

 

Can you describe your at home approach to Montessori and how does it impact your everyday living?

Well, Montessori is our everyday living! We certainly see it as an "education for life." We are all driven by these desires to self-master and be independent. Our home is set up to cater to this regardless of age. We are in some great stages with our children right now, one in each of the first three Montessori cycles: 0-3, 3-6 and 6-9. Each of them is developing something really different at the moment. Lachlan is thinking much more in the abstract and obsessed with chemistry and physics. The independence and problem-solving allows him to research a lot of things on his own and plan ahead for what he would like to learn next. I feel more like a librarian; providing him with the right resources to achieve his goals. While Noelle is really growing in her social-emotional development at the moment; her confidence and communication with others has blossomed tremendously the last few months. Oliver is in a huge sensitive period for language. I am always amazed by the vast amount of new words he speaks each day. I prepare the environment to ensure their needs are well met in these areas. Since all my children have a strong passion for reading, I support their interests with a lot of books!

The Approach is a part of everything from getting dressed in the morning, making lunches, problem-solving and simple grace and courtesies. My children certainly recognise these needs not just in themselves but in their siblings. Montessori is just natural! I always talk about getting back to our roots, back to the basics.This is Montessori. It is simply allowing children to develop the way nature intended.

I am not sure how life would be for us without Montessori. With young children, I would feel so overwhelmed if I had to do everything for them. It has always been a relief knowing that if I was breastfeeding one, my 4 year old could make his own sandwich if he was hungry or my toddler could help herself to the potty. The family system as a whole just works so much better. We all know each other's capabilities and expectations. There is security and comfort in this.

Where do you get your ideas and inspiration from? Are there any resources such as books, websites, blogs that you could recommend?

My inspirations come from my own children, my husband and the families that I am blessed to work with. They all challenge me with their thoughts and questions. It motivates me to research more and as a result I become a better parent, professional and person in general. I also stay connected with others in my field. Montessori professionals seem to gravitate towards each other for life, I think. We find great encouragement from one another. A big challenge at the moment is keeping up with the modern world and still being true to Montessori. I belong to a Montessori Research Network where we discuss topics like these. I gain so many insights and perspectives to help me form my own opinions.

My favourite book that I refer to time after time is Understanding the Human Being by Silvana Quattrocchi Montanaro. It is usually my gift of choice for new parents. That along with Montessori from the Start by Paula Polk Lillard and Lynn Lillard Jessen are must reads for anyone that has been a part of my programs. I also pick up from time to time the sweet, little poetic read from Aline Wolf, Look at the Child. As far as books from Dr. Maria Montessori herself, I really like The Child in the Family and also The Secrets of Childhood.

Blogs such as yours with great visuals are wonderful as a simple photo can tell a story or spark an idea; great for a time poor mum, like me who may not be able to sit and read the whole post. On instagram I enjoy following Our Montessori Life. We seem to have similar thoughts about reconnecting with our children and to nature so they speak to me as a parent. Following other professionals is fun too such as Montessori Toddler. It is so interesting to take a peek into other Toddler Programs; a wonderful advantage of social media. I can be found on instagram at montessori_and_me and also on Facebook.

Finally do you have any tips or suggestions for parents beginning Montessori in the home? What are the key elements you have found useful that you can recommend?

If someone is new to Montessori, the best advice I can give is to not worry about doing a whole house of lifestyle transformation in a weekend. Start slowly from one area to the next. Focus on practical life starting with meal times. Invest in a sturdy stool for the kitchen and a small table and chair. Those items alone will open up so many opportunities for independence. Making a list of your daily routine and examining what things you know your child can or could do independently with the right set up is helpful. You can start gradually preparing an environment that will foster his development with little hindrance for an adult.

If your child attends a Montessori school, trust the quality of care that he is in. There is no need to replicate the classroom into your home. Remember that a Montessori Directress is specifically trained to use the materials in her classroom and all the extensions that stem from them. Children engage for an uninterrupted cycle at school and they work hard! They want to return home to unwind and free up their mind a bit, just like you after a long day. If they are not as excited about some new material you purchased or made, it is probably because you have chosen a great school that has fed their brains all day; one reason Montessori schools have a different definition to "home work."

Home should be a place to freely play, create and bond with family. This time can be used to further explore interests by going to the library or a museum. I see many families who spend a lot of time purchasing or making materials for their children at home, which could be used in the child's classroom. While I admire the dedication and thought that this takes, I also remember that our time is precious as parents. I might make a few resources up from time to time on hard to find subjects, (more for the toddler stage) but I really leave the rest of that for their teachers, who do it beautifully. I do not want to be cutting and laminating activities for them when we could be baking or going on a nature walk. Instead, I communicate with their teachers about their home interests and they will expand upon that more at school or perhaps take out certain materials. For example, Lachlan likes to work with the periodic table so his teachers designed a huge, moveable one as a work tray available for all the students. I donated a wall poster as a reference and it sparked the curiosity of other children as well, a beautiful thing. The school choir even ended up singing the Periodic Table of Elements song for the Soiree last term! The teachers want your child to succeed so share your thoughts. Montessori schools strive for a strong, involved parent community, so use it your family's advantage and your child will reap the rewards.

There is no need to make the Montessori journey overwhelming. Some parents have the time and resources to prepare all they imagine, but for many that is out of reach. It need not be a time or financial burden when applied at home. While it is important to prepare the environment, use what you've got! After all, we all know that children will find more inventive things to do with a box, then the object that was packed in it, don't we? That is exactly what Dr. Montessori had to do. Have you ever noticed that the botany cabinets in your child's classroom look similar to furniture found in your dentist's office? This is what she was donated at the time she had little resources. They served as great storage for puzzle work and insets and therefore further designs were inspired by them. (A fact my dentist husband loves!)

When I talk to adults who were Montessori children, they look back on their time in school and can actually see and feel the materials in their hands just by thinking about them. They say sometimes if they have to recall a skill they haven't used in awhile, they can visualise the material and it helps them. The sensory experience of hands on learning is forever imprinted. They take this away with them after they leave school and have it for life. However, when your children look back on their time with you as a parent and the moments that you shared, I am quite sure it will not be what was on their shelves at home; it will be the feeling they got from spending time with you. Perhaps it will be a song you always share, or the softness of your hands, or the smell of your shirt. These are the things that last and come out of quality time together. I just try to remember that the best I can offer often comes from the most simple, ordinary things. If we look to the child and follow his lead we can see this very clearly.

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You can read Megan's blog Montessori and Me, follow her on Instagram and Facebook. Thank you so much to Megan for taking the time to share with us and for her ongoing contribution to Montessori in Australia. It is so important that as Montessori parents we keep on sharing, supporting and uplifting each other. It is also really important that there are images and discussion on what Montessori in the home can look like and Megan is an excellent example. 

Reader Pics - Schleich Animals

After my recent post about activities using Schleich animals a couple of readers shared pictures of their home environments. They were so good I had to share them here!!

Above is a gorgeous set up by Blydie using wooden shelves to sort the animals using geography, by continent. Isn't it fabulous!?!  Blydie says: We've also used them for an adjective game eg. "I'm looking for an animal with a pouch." Child finds kangaroo. "Yes the kangaroo has a pouch but I was thinking of a small animal with a pouch." Child finds the koala. "Yes it was the koala I was looking for". My 3.5yo loves this.

 

The above image is from Montessori and Me by Megan. Megan says: for a budget minded/ reusable resource activity as it seems so many people have those cards lying around everywhere! The cards also have made my older son have a look in his little brother's language baskets as they give another level of detailed info on the cards. 

I love seeing what other Montessori families have on their shelves. So much so I'm thinking about starting a new series and including a link-up on Fridays. This Friday I will publish a post 'What's on our shelves' - please feel free to join in and post a link!

Meg's Montessori Journey

I have briefly mentioned the Toilet Learning Booklet which I have produced with Meg Hicks (from At Home with Montessori and The Child's Space). Meg has been such a wonderful friend and mentor to me. She has a lovely and warm approach to parenting and she is also a really good communicator. Toilet Learning The Montessori Approach is hopefully the first in a series of booklets that we produce together. Meg is also a busy mum, she has a very interesting Montessori story including a couple of fabulous projects in progress. I asked Meg to share her Montessori journey.  

 

 

Collaborating on our first e-booklet got Kylie and I on the topic of how we came to be involved in the Montessori world. Kylie invited me to share my story here…

 

I started out at a Montessori school, in Cape Town, South Africa, when I was three. My mother chose the school based on its reputation for high quality learning experiences for very young children. I was three at the time and some of my strongest childhood memories are from that period in that my life. I clearly remember the number rods, the map cabinet, care of our classroom rabbit, and the polishing works. Those were a staple in my life at Montessori school - with my teacher commenting on that fact that her brass objects had never been cleaner! 

 

Moving on to a traditional school (there were no Montessori schools for older children in my area), it was clear that I had a different kind of work ethic. That remained with me throughout the rest of my schooling and even now into my adult life. My lifelong interest in the world had been awakened and managed to survive the onslaught of deadening tactics commonly employed by educational institutions! I learned to read at a young age using the Montessori materials at my disposal and became an avid and insatiable reader, another character trait that stuck.

 

On to high school and then university where my lifelong ambition to become a teacher was realised. However my first three jobs (as a teacher in a special needs school in Botswana, a high school music and drama teacher in New Zealand, and a relief teacher in a primary school in Australia) were terribly stressful and not at all fulfilling. I left feeling disillusioned and indecisive about my future as an educator. Then I happened to stumble across a listing in the Yellow Pages for The Montessori World Education Institute. The people I spoke to encouraged me to make contact with and visit local Montessori schools, as several of them were looking for teachers. After visiting one school and spending three weeks as an observer in the classrooms throughout the school (3-6 and 6-9) I was invited to join the community as the founder of their inaugural Upper Primary classroom for 9 to 12 year olds. I undertook my Montessori teacher training for 6 to 12 year olds and was mentored by several wonderful and experienced Montessori teachers in that school and other schools. 

 

Leaving that position a couple of years later to have my own child was both exciting and sad, as the connections made within that community will last a lifetime. I decided to pursue Montessori Infant Toddler training, and was a little disappointed in what was on offer, needing something that was both flexible and affordable. But everyone starts somewhere! And I have come to realise that Montessori as a teacher is more about the journey than the destination. We are so blessed to have inherited the legacy of the body of information that Dr Montessori left behind. Indeed her prolific writings, and that of her counterparts and collaborators, are a wealth of knowledge that seems a century before its time. 

 

I pursued training for the 3-6 level, and then started a community-based Montessori project supporting families in our regional area to establish early learning relationships between parents and children, to empower parents to make the most of their role as their child’s first teacher, and to introduce the philosophy and approach to life that Montessori offers to families with children. This project went on to win a national award for innovation and excellence in the provision of children’s services and is still running 7 years later, under a committee of management.

 

More recently, I have been fortunate enough to have written articles for various Montessori publications around the world, presented workshops at three international Montessori conferences, and run a short course at the local campus of Edith Cowan University for fourth year education students on alternative approaches to education. I now homeschool my two sons, aged 4 and 9, run a Montessori-inspired “unschool” for children aged 3-12 looking for a part time alternative to school, run a Montessori Parent-Infant-Toddler Community and consult with parents around the world helping them to create child-centred spaces within their homes. I am currently undertaking trainer-in-training studies through the Montessori Institute, with the intent of becoming a teacher trainer for that organisation and am collaborating with the Centre for Guided Montessori Studies in the creation of their Infant Toddler Teacher Training course which will be MACTE accredited. 

 

My true passion, lies with the very young child, the parent and the family. My own journey through homeschooling has awakened my awareness of the role of the family in the development of the child. I find real meaning in supporting parents in their work of supporting children, reinstating their power in a culture that has dis-empowered them almost entirely, advocating for the rights of the child within the family and within society, and helping to make the world a better place by starting at the very beginning of life when the critical period of development begins. 

 

My work is slowly beginning to take shape and this collaboration with Kylie, and the realisation of our dream to provide clear and simple information to parents around the world who want a child-led, family-centric approach to parenting and education, has reached the first milestone in the Toilet Learning Booklet. We plan to publish other supportive booklets for parents of very young children, and sincerely hope that they bring as much joy and satisfaction to each of you in the “doing” of them, that they have brought to us in the writing of them. 

 

Sincerely and with many warm regards

Meg 

What can I do at home to best support his learning at school?

Do you have questions that you would like to ask a Montessori teacher? I always have lots of questions. I often ask them at parent teacher interviews or at parent education nights. Today I've asked Meghan Hicks a question I've had on my mind for a few weeks (by the way Otis doesn't turn three until April). Not only is Meghan Montessori trained she has extensive  experience in Montessori schools and importantly she is also a parent of two boys! Here is a question that I've asked Meghan and her response follows. 

I have a three year old child who has just started at a Montessori school. I'm feeling a little lost as to which activities to prepare or have available to him at home. What can I do at home to best support his learning at school?

Your three year old is just moving out the period of the Unconscious Absorbent Mind and into a period of consciousness. He is still able to absorb everything in his environment effortlessly but no longer is this learning indiscriminate. He is able to screen out unwanted distractions and make discernments that correspond with his inner guide.

At his Montessori school he will be introduced to the Practical Life materials and the Sensorial materials to start with. There may also be some basic mathematical concepts introduced at this age, depending on his readiness for these. His teacher will be striving to help him to become independent of her and will be using the Practical life works to ensure that he can become self-sufficient whilst at school. You can support her in this work by choosing clothing that he is able to take on and off by himself. Shoes and pants, in particular, are important. You child will need to be able to go to the toilet independently and needs pants that are easy to pull down and up quickly. He will need shoes that he can take off and put on alone so that he can move freely between the indoor and outdoor environments without having to wait for an adult to help him with his shoes.

Set up your self care area at home so that he is able to choose appropriate clothing and shoes for school, the night before, and can get himself dressed in the morning. A routine like this will alleviate any stress moments before school and ensure a calm start to the day. Your child is still very much in the Sensitive Period for Order and this preparation will support his need for external order.

Practical life work remains the focus for the young child between 3 and 6. Ensure that your home environment reflects the importance of this work. Providing tools like brooms, mops, and dust pans that actually work is a way of recognising that this work is valuable and worthwhile. The processes of recognising that something needs cleaning, retrieving all the materials needed to complete the clean up, persisting until the mess has been cleaned, and then returning the materials to their proper place is all part of what Montessori teachers call the Cycle of Activity. When children begin to follow the cycle of activity from the beginning through to its completion, that is a sign that they are nearing a state of Normalisation, a term used by Dr Montessori to describe a child who is working in his natural state, versus a child who has to fight against the adults in his environment in order to fulfil his needs. You can support your three year olds developing ability to complete a full cycle of activity by ensuring that all materials needed to complete a job are on hand, that they are all real functional tools, that they are ready to be used, and that you are ready to observe his work with them. Your observations of his activity are your most valuable source of information. If you notice that he is struggling to complete a particular cycle then you will be able to assess how best to adapt your home environment to better support his independence.

So go around each room in your house and inspect it critically with the goal of making everything as accessible as possible to him.

If your child attends a Montessori school it is not advisable to have Montessori materials that mirror what he has access to in his classroom in your home environment. Purchasing a pink tower for your home, for example, will take away the excitement of using it in the social environment of his classroom and you will most likely find that he is not interested in using it in either setting. Open ended blocks for building and other construction tools are more likely to received with enthusiasm and once again, if you observe his choices, you may find that he does not gravitate towards this work when he comes home from school. This will help you to determine what sorts of toys to put out.

Always recommended are books and lots of access to you for reading and talking. Use his time at school to fulfil your adult agenda so that when he returns home you are free to follow his interests and offer him the gift of your time and energy. Some parents like to put out one structured activity for their children to explore at home. This would be based upon your observations of his interests at the time and if he has a sibling would possibly include something they can explore together.

There might be some favourite activity from his time before formal schooling that you can keep available for him to use. It is characteristic of children in a transition period to want to return to familiar activities that have long been mastered as if to reassure themselves of their capabilities and competency.

It may be worth having a few observations in his classroom so that you can observe the choices he is making in that environment to better inform the decisions you make regarding his home learning environment and what to include. You might like to plan excursions to local attractions that complement his interests at school.

Bear in mind that the transition from a relatively unstructured and unhurried schedule of a home environment to the externally driven structure and schedule of a group school environment is significant. Your child may prefer to just hang out doing very little outwardly, but actually decompressing internally once he gets home from school. You will need to judge his needs by observing him when he is acting according to his natural inner guide in a non-coercive environment. It is your job to provide this non-coercive environment and to respect the choices that he makes within it.

In short the period before six is when you provide the child with the raw materials needed to build his experience of the world. Every experience he has during this period of development makes it easier for him to construct connections and deepen his understanding of how the world works. This does not happen so much in a formal learning scenario as in a general unstructured living of family life.

If you place your emphasis on creating a family home in which your child can express himself freely, choose fruitful activity where everything available is an equal and acceptable choice, where he can act independently and can care for himself successfully, where conflict is minimised, and where he is able to direct his own activity and contribute the well being of the family community, then that will be time well spent.

Here are some ideas for activities that you can make available for your child after school:

• Preparing an afternoon snack

• Visiting the library to borrow some books for the week

• Baking bread

• Playing a treasure hunt game and following clues that you have left around the house

• Snuggling on the couch reading a book

• Watching a movie together as a family

• Playing in a park

• Creating a playlist of ten favourite songs and then singing along together

• Planning a dinner menu and setting a proper table for a sit-down meal

• Planting a vegetable bed

• Finding interesting specimens for a nature collection and identifying them

• Collecting and pressing flowers

• Visiting a building site and watching the machinery at work

• Painting a fence or a wall, or exploring on a large piece of paper to create some family art

Your child will be getting a lot of stimulation at school. What he will need most when he returns home is unstructured time with you. 

 

A huge thank you to Meg for answering this question. If you have a child at Montessori I highly recommend reading this article and then coming back to it in a couple of days. It makes so much sense to me and I think it's a must read for all parents with children in Cycle One (3-6 years). 

 

Joshua's Montessori Environment (20 months)

A few weeks ago Irene sent me a picture or two of her son Joshua working. In the background I could see his work shelves and of course I asked to see more. I was delighted by this clean, simple but inviting Montessori environment. I hope you enjoy the tour! Words by Irene. 

My son Joshua is 20 months old at the moment and we live in Melbourne. We have been following Montessori since he was around 6 months old. I became interested in Montessori as my husband is a Montessori child himself and he attended a small local Montessori kindergarten. Once I had a little time on my hands I started looking into it and the independence, free thinking and sense of order that Montessori encourages really resonated with me. I have always admired my husband's creativity, spatial awareness and problem solving abilities, qualities I think he developed through his early Montessori experiences. It pleases me that Joshua is showing the same qualities and loves working to build things as well as mastering puzzles, posting items and shapes. Montessori has taught me to follow the child’s lead and provide the tools support his learning in an environment that is orderly with beautiful materials. At 20 months it has become clear to us that the environment we have provided for him has been invaluable in assisting with his development. His concentration level has improved so much and he appreciates beautiful things around him.

My reading started with recommendations of "How to Raise An Amazing Child the Montessori Way" by Tim Seldin, "Teach Me to Do It Myself" by Maja Pitamic and "Montessori from the Start" by Paula Polk Lillard. These were my first books to get a good idea for activities and processes to encourage and implement at home. I am currently reading "The Joyful Child" and “Child of the World” for further ideas and information. I loved the above resources as they speak to the reader in an easy way which makes implementing Montessori at home very simple and not as daunting.

I get a lot of inspiration from blogs and online resources - of course How We Montessori, The Full Montessori, Montessori Child, Feeding the Soil and recently Sixtine et Victoire for ideas on work spaces, activities and general thoughts on positive parenting. Pinterest is also a wonderful resource for finding and pinning ideas I have so that I can refer to them at any time. I have also found Aid to Life, At Home With Montessori and Michael Olaf are also fantastic for information on specific issues such as toilet learning and encouraging movement and dexterity. We also attend a Montessori Toddler group so there are sources of inspiration there for activities but also for presentation of activities, for example Joshua seems to be more drawn to painting and cleaning there simply because of the different presentation so I observe and change things at home to facilitate and promote these interests. Joshua’s work area has evolved considerably since he was born and continues to do so as his needs and interests change.

AREAS OF INTEREST

1.    MAIN WORK AREA: This is located downstairs and we have set aside an area in our living room as Joshua enjoys working nearby while I am cooking or cleaning. Often he will come and get up on his step-stool and either take his afternoon snack and watch me cook or will want to help cut things up and sample. He works with his own tools - he has a chopping board, wavy chopper, whisk and a few other things. Baking time is particularly fun, I try to bake with Joshua at least once a week.

As the living room adjoins the kitchen and is tiled, we decided to put down a large low pile mat to define the work area. Practically speaking it is also a lot nicer to work on a mat rather than sit on the cold floor. We put in cube shelving as it was nice and low for accessibility when he was younger but we added another taller shelf as his interests changed. He has a small table and chairs and a small art area where he draws on the blackboard or paints when he feels inspired to.

We keep a small woven basket on the shelf. On our daily walks Joshua collects a few small treasures such as little sticks, rocks and flowers which he deposits into the basket when he returns. This is available for him to explore at a later time at his own leisure. His particular collecting interest at the moment is stones, he was excited to find some white quartz stones the other day. Other materials in the shelves are rotated periodically based on my observation of his interests. 

A set of unit blocks that are permanently on display and easily accessible. Joshua has showed very strong interest in building blocks so these are displayed invitingly (inspired by How We Montessori). Joshua’s Christmas present is more unit blocks and this will complete the set he has with some more complex pieces so that he can commence undertaking some further exploration.

2.    VEGGIE PATCH: We recently updated our garden to include a veggie patch. Joshua is responsible for watering the patch every day and keeps pointing to his favourite, the tomato plant. I think he is anticipating eating some lovely home grown tomatoes in the not too distant future, I hope our patch can oblige him. This is teaching him a love of plants and on our walks everyday he is more interested in flowers, trees, leaves and other bushes.

3.    TOILET LEARNING AREA: We have two stations, one upstairs and one downstairs. These are easily accessible and have been set up to facilitate the toilet learning process. We make clean trainers and underwear available in baskets and a bucket for washing. The basin is easily reachable for washing hands as we have a sturdy step and the upstairs basin serves as water play, care of self and for washing hands.

4.    SNACK AREA: This has been setup on a small table that was made by Joshua’s great grandfather and will eventually become Joshua’s bedside table when he is ready for a big bed. I try to make this area interesting by rotating the picture on the wall of beautiful art works. I am particularly interested in impressionist artists so I have been putting a few of my favourites there for Joshua to appreciate. I am looking at getting some life prints of butterflies and bugs to display as he has expressed a strong interest in these lately.

5.    DRESSING AREA: Joshua has a cube chair that serves is multipurpose – he sits to help dress himself in the morning but he can also stand on the chair and look out the window or push it over to the light switch and turn the light on and off. Joshua also has a laundry basket in his room that he puts his used clothes into before bath time each night.

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Some of the first “Montessori” activities we commenced with were life activities which I feel are so important for development. These are able to be done easily at home and we purchased all items for these locally. For specific activities I followed Joshua’s interests, which are mainly shapes, puzzles and colours. Some of the items we have on the shelves at 20 months are:

• Tuzzles Puzzle – Purchased through Windmill Toys, a local toy shop. They are also online. This has been amazing for understanding graduating sizes of different shapes. Something similar is available from Michael Olaf online.

• Liquid timer – Purchased through Montessori Child and are fascinating to watch.

• Mini Knobbed Cylinders – A2Z Montessori Australia (however these can be purchased through several suppliers but I felt that the quality of these ones were wonderful). Joshua has pretty much mastered this one but there are still a few areas of difficulty, specifically presenting more than two together is very involved and tricky at the moment.

• Unit Blocks – Unfortunately Australia does not seem to not have many, if any, suppliers of quality unit blocks that I could find. These are Plan Toys Unit blocks (I think these are a 50 piece set) however I have found that there are many American suppliers of Unit blocks. One that I particularly admire is Carolina Pratt Unit Blocks which stocks large sets and individual pieces. They are a worthy investment and are made from Hard Rock Maple and will be a beautiful addition to our collection sometime in the near future. 

Irene also mentions that Joshua has a second work area upstairs where they have utilised an existing bookshelf and devoted the bottom shelves to Joshua's materials. This is an area where he can work when he wakes in the morning or while Irene is doing household chores upstairs.

A sincere thank you to Irene for the gorgeous pictures and detailed explanations. Thank you for sharing your spaces with us Irene. 

You can also find Joshua's gorgeous little tea set at Windmill Toys.

Amelie's Montessori inspired bedroom

Would you like another room tour? This is Amelie's room and it's beautiful! The photographs really say it all but here is a short description by Amelie's Mum. 

Welcome to Amelie’s first bedroom. We were greatly inspired by Sew Liberated, One Claire Day and of course How we Montessori. There is a lot of handmade love in this room, I made her curtains and quilt and her Dad made her window seat and bed surround. Not to mention it was a family effort involving the Granddads to paint the room and install the mirror and shelves.  I am amazed given this space was created for a little personality we couldn’t even imagine that we are now observing so many of the corners of the room suit her purpose perfectly.

Because we all want to know, I asked Amelie's Mum where she sourced some of the items including the gorgeous prints. And the low shelves, well they are just perfect!

The low shelves with the seat is the window seat that Amelie's dad made, he did the wooden bit and I made the cushion. I really hope it grows with her. Our plan is to adjust it to a dressing space for her when she gets bigger it should be just the right height for sitting on and putting on pants and shoes. Oh and he also made the wooden bed surround super simple but it works. 

The framed picture on the end of the seat is a rotating waldorf picture, I have a few of the other designs to put into the frame. 
The framed print above the mirror is a limited edition print from one of my favourite Eric Carle books Draw Me a Star. Often when Amelie is unhappy I will rock her holding her so she look at this print over my shoulder and she appears to calm down as she examines it.

The photos in the white frames are Amelie's Great Nan, Nanna Robyn and me when we are little. I wanted her to see that all these grown up women in her lives were once little girls just like her. A sort of mini family tree connecting her to her past.  

Thank you so much to Amelie's family for sharing this space with us. This environment is classic Montessori when it comes to beauty and simplicity. I love the handmade touches and it's so special to know the handwork that when into creating this space.

The floor bed and movement area are well placed with the low shelves separating the two. This is an environment that promotes movement. It's easy to visualise a child waking, crawling (or slithering!) to the low shelves to play and moving onto movement area after catching their reflection in the wall mirror. A child can use the low shelves to pull themselves up (the shelves/seat look nice and steady) and the low window provides a great incentive for the child to do so. Beautiful!

A new reading list and things

Finally I have updated our what we are reading page. As usual I've only highlighted the best of what we are reading. 

I want to apologise to the many readers and even sponsors who have emailed me over the last few months. Personally and as a family we have been through a difficult time. My husband returned from a seven month deployment and we are adjusting to a different kind of normal. My screen time has been limited and I have been posting at a reduced rate (I'm sure you have noticed) in order to address the many requests and emails in my in-box. You, the readers of this blog are a priority and it saddens me that many of you have written to me and have not received a response. I'm getting there and will continue to post at a reduced frequency until all emails are responded to. 

I also wanted to share two posts by fellow Australians. You can read about Montessori in Anna's home here and Steph's home here. Both posts have beautiful photographs. Also a shout out to one of my favourite Aussie Montessori blogs Racheous. I hope you enjoy!

 

Kit's Montessori Room

I would like to introduce you to Kit. She is six months old and lives with her Mum Belle and Dad Tim in Sydney. Quite remarkably Kit and her family live in a small flat with zero storage which explains why her Dad's bike is mounted in her room. Belle was first exposed to Montessori through her Stepmother's involvement at her brother's Montessori school. Although Kit's room can only be described as tiny it's not lacking in any way. I know you'll love and appreciate the details as much as I do!

Above you can see Tim's bike securely mounted to the wall (a necessity for the tight spaced flat) next to her change table and Gobbi (from Etsy). The elephant decal above the wall mirror is from The Wall Sticker Company.  

Kit has several mobiles which is really needed at this age. Mobiles are generally rotated to keep the child's interest. You can see that Kit has visual and tactile mobiles. 3M hooks are used on the wall to keep the mobiles that are not being used out of the way and prevent Kit from being overstimulated. 

Above left Kit is playing with her wooden rattle and to the right is with her Primary Colours Mobile (from Beginning Montessori). You can see how much Kit loves her mobiles!

Above Kit is playing with the giant pom pom that Belle made from wool. The pom pom has bells threaded at the top and hangs on elastic. Kit started batting at it and now grabs it with her hands and feet and shakes it. You can also see above how Kit is interacting with her wall mirror. 

Above left Kit is reaching for her crawling basket which can be seen in further detail below. Above right Kit is under a bird mobile from Puka Puka. The mobile stand can be moved from room to room and was made by Belle. So clever! It is made from a heavy hard wood which has been sanded smooth and oiled. The mobiles are held by a piece of aluminium attached to the wood block. The mobile stand is 1.5 meters high and is so easy to transport that it sometimes goes with Kit when visiting her Grandparents.  

Above you can see the floor of the room is covered by rubber tiles from Clarks rubber. The flat is rented and Belle wasn't entirely comfortable with Kit crawling over the existing carpet. What an easy solution. On the right are big bookshelves. The first two bookshelves are used for storage and the front is covered by MDF which is held securely in place with industrial velcro. A blackboard wall sticker has been applied to the MDF for aesthetics and also for Kit to use when she is older. The end bookshelf is left open for Kit's baskets.

The fish mobile show above was handmade using bath toy fish and fishing line. The breastfeeding chair is from Ikea. The floor bed mattress is also from Ikea. There are two pieces of artwork attached to the wall at a perfect height for Kit. 

 The baskets above and below are from Ikea. I love these as they provide for a wonderful tactile experience.  Kit loves the coarse texture and they crumple down if she rolls on them. 

The basket above left is her teething basket. This basket contains wooden beads, a face washer, Sophie the Giraffe and a gifted little wooden football. On the right is her crawling basket. It contains the Manhattan beads from Hello Baby Direct and the Ball Cylinder from Beginning Montessori. Both of these baskets are kept at the end of Kit's bed. 

Above top left is a collection of books and a musical instrument basket. The books are rotated every fortnight. The Owl and the Pussycat is Kit's current favourite. In the basket there is a rattle from Infancy, another wooden rattle from Eco Toys and interlocking rings from Beginning Montessori.

Above top right is a basket including an egg and a cup and a stacking toy from Eco Toys. These are a little advanced for Kit so they are stored on the higher shelf. This is a great example of thinking ahead by Belle. These toys are the next stage for Kit and I'm sure will be used within a few months. It's great to be prepared and have some toys ready. On the bottom left there is a basket for soft toys. On the bottom right a basket of pom poms and a basket of soft finger puppets. The finger puppets are from Ikea. 

Here you can see the baskets in the bookshelf and some low art work. Overall Belle stresses that you don't need to spend a lot or have a lot of space to create a wonderful environment for your infant. 

I absolutely adore this room. What do you think?

Little One Baby Magazine - Issue 10 2013

 Photographs by Katie Kolenberg for Little ONE Baby. 

There is a little bit of Montessori in the latest edition of Little ONE Baby magazine due to hit the shelves later this week in Australia. 

It was a privilege to have Katie photograph our home and a privilege to be featured in Australia's premier baby magazine. Wow! Isn't it fantastic for a Montessori home to get such exposure and in Australia!! So proud. 

In this edition you will also find fellow Canberran Claire and her daughter Saskia's very beautiful bedroom. 

Kylie interviews Leah

 

If you have children at a Montessori school have you ever wondered how they would adapt to a traditional school environment?

Like many Montessori schools our school is primary only, it runs until the child is twelve and ready for high school. This means that at some stage my children will transition to another school.  

Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Leah. Leah is a fun filled twelve year old and is a recent graduate from Canberra Montessori School.  She has just finished her first term at Canberra Girls Grammar. I wanted to ask her a few questions about her Montessori schooling and her transition to a traditional high school. 

 

How was your first term at Canberra Girls Grammar? 

The start of the term was hard as I didn’t have any friends. But then in the second week I found lots of friends and it was fun and it wasn’t that hard really.

 

Do you have any favourite subjects?   Sport and Maths.

  

What is it about Sport that you like?   Sport is just fun doing stuff and you don’t have to do any work.

 

What is it about Maths that you like?   I have a really good teacher and he’s really funny.

 

What are the biggest differences you have noticed between Canberra Montessori and Girls Grammar?

At Grammar there are a lot more people and there is more opportunity to do things. You have more facilities and it’s a bigger group so it’s really different.

 

What is it that you have struggled with leaving Montessori and transitioning to high school?

Not knowing anybody for the first week and then changing classes and getting homework.

 

In which areas do you think you have excelled? Is there an area that you think you do better because of your Montessori schooling?

In science I can answer a lot of questions that other kids can’t because at Montessori we do a lot of demonstrations with the teachers.

 

Have any of your teachers commented about your learning style or how it is different from the other students?

Not really but one teacher, since I work differently she thought that everyone went to the junior school and they didn’t. When I didn’t understand things she wondered why.

 

How do you think your transition from Montessori to high school could have been improved?

I think it would be better to have more tours of the school so you weren’t as lost walking around the school.

I think it would have been better if we could have had a few more introductions to the school so we could have met more people at the school.

 

Do you have any advice to students that are in a similar position, currently attending Montessori and transitioning to a traditional high school next year?

It’s good to be really organised. It would be best to get a map of your school so you knew where to go and mark the spots where you need to go at the start and during the day.

 

What do you miss from your old school? What are your greatest memories from Canberra Montessori?

Well, what I miss about it is not having the freedom to do the work that you choose to do.

My greatest memories are going on all the goings out that we could go on and organising them ourselves.

 

What were some of your favourite places to visit?

The zoo, six of us went and we split into two groups. My group went to the aquarium and looked at all the fish.  

 

Do you notice any differences between you and the other students that you can attribute to your Montessori schooling? Do you think you approach your work differently? 

Probably, in maths I do the fractions differently by drawing a pie and breaking it up into bits. Everyone else does it in another way.

 

How have you found homework?

I think homework is useless, when they give it to us we don’t really learn anything  from doing it because when we hand it back in they don’t really mark it and tell us what we’ve done wrong with it, so we don’t know how to fix it if we’ve done it wrong.

 

What does Montessori mean to you? When someone says Montessori what do you think of? What images come to mind?

I think of the classroom and the teachers and all the different materials.

 

If someone asked you what is Montessori – what would you say, how would you describe what Montessori is?

It’s somewhere where we get to do the work that we choose to do. We don’t get recess or homework and we don’t have to wear a uniform.

 

Is there anything else you would like to mention?

At Montessori I made lots of really, really good friends. Some of them I have been with for ten years. We also never had a canteen at Montessori - that would have been fun.

 

You mentioned having to be more organised, have you had to organise your work differently?

You have to be really organised. I have all these different folders for every subject, which is what most people have. But some people they don’t have folders and they just throw all their work into their lockers and it’s a lot harder for them to get ready for class as they can’t find their books and they can be late. So it’s better to have everything a lot more organised.

 

You mentioned in science you have been able to answer some questions that the other student’s haven’t because you did some hand on experiments with the teachers, are there any in particular that stand out in your mind?

God with No Hands. They read us a story about the solids, liquids and gases and about how the particles cling together in solids and how they just buzz around in gases and sort of flow in liquids, so I could answer questions about particles.

 

Can you tell us about your recent Calisthenics competition?

I came first in Graceful, which is sort of like ballet but without the point shoes. If I get in the top four at the next competition I can go to the nationals. 

 

Congratulations Leah, thank you for the interview and best wishes for Calisthenics and Term 2! 

If you think Leah looks familiar I interviewed her Dad here. I loved Leah's story about God with No Hands! If you are new to Montessori - look it up, it's one of Montessori's Five Great Lessons for the elementary years.

 

Montessori home inspiration.

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Yesterday I introduced you to Emma and her family and today we take another look around. To refresh your memory Emma has three sons aged 7.5, 4.5 and 17 months. I love old Queenslanders (the buildings) and this one is no exception. Just have a look at the hammock on the deck pictured below. How fantastic. But on a practical note this is a wonderful home for children.

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In the photograph of the playroom above you can see a hermit crab aquarium and a fish tank on low shelves. I asked Emma about the gorgeous alphabet wall hanging. It's handwoven and was given to her from her sister who brought it back from her travels through India. 

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On top shelf above are toddler materials which Emma rotates weekly. I think I can even name all the materials; shape sorter (Tupperware), shape puzzle, pegging activity, horizonal stacker (threading on a horizontal dowel) and a geometric sorting board. I think I can see some tree blocks peeking out of the first storage tub.

The older boys have materials (sandpaper letters, number beads, etc) on shelves in the study nook which you can see at the back of the photograph below. The study nook also contains other materials like the cylinder blocks and the three dimensional solids. The boys also have bookshelves for their own toys and materials in their bedroom. 

Emma mentions that they love books and keep them all over the house including in the bookshelf pictured in the living area below, in the playroom and in a basket on the verandah next to the rocking chair. 

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I'm completely envious of this backyard. Emma's husband built the chicken shed which was designed to be accessible by the children. The boys let the chickens out, feed them, collect their eggs and help to clean their house. It's perfect!

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This family is also creative. The house is high-set and is cemented underneath. This area has become a dedicated art area with a large art table where there is always clay, lots of paints the kids can access, an art easel, feelie goop, a large sandpit, a sorghum tub and so much more. 

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The family has a small kiln inherited from Emma's mother - which Emma used as a child. While it's not currently connected Emma takes the dried clay pieces to Pottery Supplies, a small and beautiful little shop near her home which is also where they purchase clay. Emma tells us:

The boys usually paint them with normal acrylic paint and we then spray them with a clear enamel to preserve them, although I am interested in trying some glazing. Sometimes they use shoe brushes and toothbrushes to rub shoe polish into them, which is a lovely finish.  We also have an old pottery wheel that they love, for clay but also for doing drawings with crayons, etc, on. My mum did a pottery course and then taught us some basic skills growing up, so I guess I pass those on, but I don’t think you can go wrong with kids and clay and it is a lovely medium to work with, so different from playdough or FIMO and quite different again from the air-dried clay. 

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Below this is Will with his papier mache penguin and further below making pasta (the ear muffs are for fun!).

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What a treat! Thank you again Emma. Your boys are delightful and I can see that your home is full of fun and learning. You inspire me!

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Meet Emma and her family. A Montessori Family - Brisbane.

I would like to introduce you to Emma and her family. With three boys this looks like one busy household! 

Can you tell us a little about yourself, your family and where you live?

I am a stay-at-home mother to three beautiful sons, aged 7.5, 4.5 and 17 months. My professional background is as a lawyer specialising in industrial relations and discrimination and since the birth of my oldest son, I have worked from home once my children are asleep at night (I am currently completing my PhD in discrimination law).

We live in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, in a high-set wooden house that we have renovated. It is quite a small home, but with a lovely big veranda and a yard big enough for our dog, chickens and children, as well as a large vegetable garden, worm farm, compost bins, fruit trees, sandpit and swings.

When and how did you first become interested in the work of Montessori?

My mother studied the Montessori approach when my older sister was a toddler, and so my three sisters and I were raised in a home that loosely adhered to some of the Montessori principles and had some Montessori equipment (the cylinder blocks that my youngest son is using were made by my father when I was young).

After the birth of my first child, I became very interested in reading anything and everything about parenting, particularly literature with a Montessori or attachment-parenting focus. I started taking my son to a playgroup at a Montessori children’s house when he was 18 months old and gained inspiration from the teachers there that I have applied in our home environment.

I love the beauty and simplicity of well-made Montessori materials and how they appeal to the child’s innate desire to master skills, as well as to their aesthetic and sense of order. I love how each piece of material is designed to teach one thing. I like that I am able to help my children by providing an appropriate environment and materials when they are expressing an interest and readiness in learning something new.

Are there any books, websites, blogs that you could recommend?

Your blog Kylie! From what I can gather, we are very like-minded in both our approach to children and to Montessori in the home. Consequently, I find your blog a terrific source of inspiration and practical ideas.

A list of Montessori books that I can recommend must of course start with Maria Montessori’s The Absorbent Mind and The Discovery of the Child. Other Montessori books I have particularly liked include: How to raise an amazing child: the Montessori way to bring up caring, confident children by Tim Seldin; Teach me to do it myself, by Maja Pitamic; Teaching Montessori in the Home: The Pre-school Years, by Elizabeth Hainstock; and John Bowman’s ebook, Montessori at Home: The Complete Guide to Doing Montessori Early Learning Activities at Home – it is full of terrific ideas and is very applicable to those using a Montessori approach in the home.

Other non-Montessori books that have guided me on my parenting journey include Robin Grille’s Parenting for a Peaceful World and Heart to Heart Parenting; Hold on to Your Kids, by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Mate; the series of books by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlich (such as How to Talk so Kids Will Listen & Listen so Kids Will Talk and Siblings Without Rivalry); The Attachment Parenting Book by William and Martha Sears and Attachment Parenting by Katie Granju.

Where do you find inspiration?

I am inspired by my beautiful children and by their strong love of learning, interest in such a variety of things and creativity. In a world that can be very child-unfriendly and very driven by a focus on things that do not necessarily resonate with me, I love the simplicity and strength of the Montessori approach, with its focus on enabling children to develop into competent, caring and able people and to pursue their interests.

I am also inspired by my husband who is very like-minded about parenting and extremely supportive of my mothering and of our children. My mother is also a source of inspiration – despite being widowed with four very young children she raised us in a very loving, interesting and creative environment where we were enabled to ‘do it ourselves’. 

Thank you for sharing your story with us Emma. Can you believe that Emma's father made those wonderful cylinder blocks and that Emma is raising her family while completing her PhD? Tomorrow I will publish some more photographs and show you around Emma's home in a little more detail. 

Musings of a Montessori Dad

Malcolm is a well known and respected member of our Montessori community. But unlike many of us he is at the end of his Montessori journey.  His youngest daughter Leah has recently graduated from our local Montessori school and will next year commence her first year at Canberra Girls' Grammar School.  I thought I would ask Malcolm a few questions and find what is at the heart of his dedication to Montessori education.

Can you tell us about how you were first introduced to Montessori and what your thoughts were at the time?

As a youngish father, I was 35 when the Canberra Montessori Society was set up by Margaret Fleming, I had no thoughts on education.  I was too wrapped up in my own life - work, hobbies, marriage, house, etc. Even the birth of my eldest, Jeremy, came as a bit of a surprise - I had no plans to be a father!  It was my wife Liz who saw through my preoccupation and decided it was time, and it was she who introduced me to Montessori.  Liz joined the fledgling CMS, was secretary for a while, and set me to work building pink towers and playgrounds.  I still haven't really read very much of Maria Montessori's writings so my interest in the Montessori Method comes more from observation and participation than from theory. 

Your son Jeremy was in the foundation class in 1981 as a three-year old and is now studying Medicine .  What impact do you think his Montessori education had on him?

There are so many influences on a child that it is hard to pin this down, especially as Jeremy only did three years with Montessori as our School only had two cycle 1 classes then.  Everyone had to move on to another school when they turned six.  However, he has an amazing ability to focus and to concentrate on the job in hand which I could say his early Montessori schooling must have influenced.  He has always enjoyed learning and always wanted to be good at what he does, two other attributes I'm sure influenced by his early involvement with Montessori.  He, himself, remembers his Montessori period fondly, especially some of the geography work (he learned what an isthmus is) and numeracy work.  He still sees Montessori equipment in his mind when he is doing mental arithmetic.  Readers may be interested to know that his first love is flying and he was flying 747s for Qantas by the time he was 25.  He loves the intellectual and manual challenge that mastering big and small aeroplanes presents - dexterity of the mind and hands is required, and bringing the aircraft safely back to land and neatly parked is not unlike a Montessori child mastering an equipment-based challenge and returning it safely to its designated place on the shelf.

Have you implemented Montessori principles in your home?

One of the first elements that appealed to me in establishing our "children's house" classroom in Canberra was how everything is designed with the children in mind - the prepared environment, put together so that children can operate within it so easily.  I guess it is intuitive when you think about it, but so many people do very little to make their home child-friendly.  It is not hard to do the basics, making sure things are within reach, door handles down low where needed, chairs and tables the right size, or at least steps and stools to bring a child to the right level, mirrors they can see themselves in.  So, yes, I have always tried to do that, as well as doing as much as possible to encourage my children to do things for themselves.  Leah has been making her own lunch to take to school since she was 10.

You have an obvious passion for MG motor cars.  How have you shared that passion with your children?

Ah yes, my children have learned to "roll with the punches" when it comes to my MGs.  There are three distinct phases of rolling.  At first they know no different and are happy to travel in what is clearly (to everyone else on the road who stare at us) an unusual car.  But when they get to about 11, they become sensitive to the stares and go through the "can you just drop me here where no-one can see me" period.  This can coincide with the third phase which is "when is the next motorkhana, Dad, I need to practice my gear changes?"  I have one MG in particular that has been used to teach each child to drive when they get to 12.  At this age, they are permitted to drive the car in MG Car Club events and I like to think that by learning how the car works, and how to drive it proficiently, they are better prepared for when they get their licence and drive on the road with the rest of us.  This MG is now owned by Leah who can drive it reasonably well and proudly proclaims the fact to her friends.  She still prefers to be dropped off around the corner though!  As a final parting gift to the parents and students of our School community who have observed my own fleet of MGs coming and going over the years, I arranged for a display of 25 MGs to be put on at our annual Spring Fair this year.  The cars ranged from a 1925 replica of the first MG, through to a pair of 2005 model cars, the last produced in England, with a good selection of models in between, some rarely seen on the roads in Australia.

You are known for 'keeping the faith'. What does this mean and at what times has it been difficult to keep the faith?

There are many pressures on parents when it comes to deciding on education options for their children - financial, religious, doctrine, etc, so it is not surprising that the attrition rate from a small School such as ours is quite high.  Currently we go from a cohort of about 50 children in the first year of our cycle 1 classrooms to a graduating group of about 10 as students leave along their Montessori journey to attend other schools.  Also, as a small community, the personal element can become quite influential too, especially if a parent sees their child having interpersonal issues with other students or with classroom staff.  There are not many options within the School to help with these issues.  And the parent community can also have either a positive or negative effect.  My current partner Gaye, Leah's mother, and I have had our share of these during Leah's time at the School, but personally I felt it was important for Leah to have stability during her primary schooling (unlike myself who attended seven primary schools as my father moved from city to city with his work), and I also wanted to see how a complete Montessori primary education prepared Leah for high school.  Gaye was happy to support me in this choice.

With Leah transitioning to Girls' Grammar do you feel there are any particular challenges or advantages transitioning from a Montessori school?

Canberra Girls Grammar School is a typical (I'm sure they would argue about this choice of word) well-resourced Australian private school.  It has been carefully managed over nearly 100 years and so has a beautifully organised set of buildings offering everything in education that any parent (and child) could wish for.  Everything from hands-on science labs, art studios, drama theatres and fashion rooms to well-resourced libraries and classrooms to challenge the intellect, picking up a gymnasium, swimming pool and manicured sports grounds along the way.  A Montessori graduate with their love of learning, their honed research skills and their deep understanding of literacy and numeracy will find just what they are looking for somewhere inside the school's gates.  The biggest challenge will be transitioning to a more structured framework where she will be expected to do some work that she might prefer not to be doing, but I don't see this as a major issue.  She will still have plenty of time to dig deep into other things.  She may also have to work a bit harder to catch up to other girls from more traditional schools who already know their maths by rote but who don't really understand why it is so (unlike a Montessori child who can picture her maths in her head and instinctively understands why it is so!).

What advice do you have for parents considering a Montessori education for their children or for those who are unsure if Montessori is for them?

I love the way that at nearly 12 years old, Leah still skips into School.  For me, this is the most important element in her education so far, the love of learning.  How many other children do you know who still skip to school at this age?  Still have the light in their eyes as Trevor Eissler says.  They are more like the children in his delightful Youtube clips that explain so clearly the benefits of Montessori approach.   I feel so for the child trudging to and from school weighed down by a back pack full of homework!  But more than that, I'm convinced that the deep understanding of how things work that Montessori's equipment-based learning gives children is a distinct advantage in the longer term. Just think of Jeremy in the cockpit of his 747 second-guessing his on-board computer's navigation calculations with his own mental arithmetic picturing his early Montessori equipment.  Add to that the "big work cycle" for concentration, the "respect for the child" philosophy for self-esteem, and the emphasis on "research" and "independence" to encourage a child to get to the bottom of things on their own or in small groups, and you have the basis for a set of skills to carry any child through any high school or university into any profession or occupation they may choose to follow.  For life.

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Thank you so much for allowing me to interview you Malcolm! Also a big thank you to the talented Ayu Srimoyo for the wonderful photographs.