Today I'm sharing some important points about the Prepared Environment by Meghan Hicks. Meghan is Montessori trained 0-18, she has worked in various Montessori schools, homeschools her two sons, tutors students privately, and is a Montessori teacher trainer/lecturer. Meghan has vast experience in Montessori homes and schools and this article is as equally relevant to teachers and guides in the classroom as it is to parents in the home. I hope you find it useful! _________________________________________________ There are six principles to preparing the environment for the child, and they are all met through the exercises of practical life. Freedom Our... Read more →

Q: We recently moved. We spent weeks travelling and staying in hotels. During this time we co-slept with our toddler. Now we are getting settled into our new home and understandably he doesn't want to sleep in his own bed. It is a new bed for him, a new bedroom and new surroundings. He is sleeping very well when he co-sleeps. We are happy to continue to co-sleep but would prefer for him to begin sleeping in his own bed again. How can we best support our toddler to sleep in his own bed in his room? A: Remember that... Read more →

This is the second article in a new series 'Ask A Montessori Teacher'! In this series we put a question to one of my favourite Montessori Teachers, Meg Hicks. Meg has experience and training in birth to 12 years, she also home-schools her two sons. So please feel free to ask a question you would like Meg to answer in upcoming weeks. Today's question is all about Pocket Money! Q: Do you give your children pocket money? We don’t but our children get almost everything they want. Sometimes we save a big gift for their birthday. How to I teach... Read more →

Welcome to a new series I've titled 'Ask A Montessori Teacher'. I often have questions that I would like to ask someone who is Montessori trained. Sometimes I feel like I need reassurance, sometimes I need new ideas and suggestions or just someone else's point of view. Do you ever feel like that? The person I go to for Montessori parenting questions is Meghan Hicks. She is a parent to two boys who she has raised in a Montessori way since birth. Meghan has run toddler groups, homeschooling groups, she now works with individuals and families and lectures internationally. She... Read more →

Today I felt privileged to watch my five-year-old practice his cursive handwriting. During our parent-child session at school, Otis (above) showed us his lovely looping style as he repetitively wrote out some phonograms. I loved his focus. I love that he goes to a school that still believes in cursive. I really wanted to write about how important it is and I've decided to republish this slightly edited article written by Montessori parent and teacher Meghan Hicks. I first published this article last year but it is still very relevant today. He is Meghan's article. In Montessori classrooms the world... Read more →

My friend Meghan (a Montessori teacher and parent) wrote this article that I want to share with you. It's about how to help your child develop a love of reading. The article is for young children for infants to toddlers, I couldn't help but to add a picture of Otis (now 5yrs) enjoying reading in his little book corner. I hope you enjoy, these ten tips are fantastic and a good reminder to all parents! “Spend at least ten wildly happy minutes every single day reading aloud” – Reading Magic, Mem Fox. The single most important thing you can do... Read more →

Image credit Nienhuis In Montessori classrooms the world over teachers debate the merits of teaching cursive handwriting first to the children in their environments. In non-Montessori settings the discussion is a moot point, as most traditional schools have phased out the teaching of cursive entirely and have either adopted a ball and stick print, or a blend known as italics. But many parents are not aware that cursive handwriting is an essential part of the Montessori experience, and although some believe with the advent of the digital age that handwriting should take a back seat in favour of keyboarding and... Read more →

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... Read more →

I receive many questions about sleep. However I've never felt comfortable writing about it. I'm not sure my answers will help other than to reassure you that all children and all parents are different. Here are my answers to my top six most asked questions about sleep. 1. We currently co-sleep with our 4-6 month old. Any suggestions on how to transition them in their own room and onto the floor bed? I suggest start with daytime sleeps. I frequently co-sleep with Otis during the night but during the day he sleeps on his floorbed. I have found that Otis... Read more →