How to Start Using Montessori at Home

It seems overwhelming, I know. There are so many amazing Montessori activities and resources online, books to buy, and materials to make and buy. So, what should you do first?

I am sometimes amazed at how many resources are available on my site alone – and I link to TONS more. It becomes difficult to find them all among the many blog posts after awhile. So, here, I’ll try to put an order to some of the posts I think are most helpful if you’re trying to get started using Montessori at home for a child from birth-6. This applies to parents, grandparents, and anyone who has a special role in a child’s life.

First, read this post:

Top 10 Montessori Principles for Natural Learning

Child Washing Salad (Photo from The Montessori Child at Home)

(Photo from M. Helps Prepare Dinner at The Montessori Child at Home)

Next, if you have an infant or are expecting an infant, read these three posts:

Will’s bedroom, 1985 (Please excuse the ’70s carpet!)

How to Set Up Your Home for an Infant by Using Montessori Principles

How to Prepare a Montessori Baby Room

How to Make a Treasure Basket for Your Baby

If you have a toddler, read this post:

How to Prepare a Montessori Toddler Environment at Home

Kitchen Corner (Photo from Peaceful Parenting)

(Photo from Peaceful Parenting)

If you have a preschooler, read this post:

How to Set Up a Montessori Space at Home

Juicing Oranges (Photo from How We Montessori)

(Photo from How We Montessori)

Now, try to follow at least one of the Montessori principles that works for your child’s age and developmental level. Do it today. Don’t wait to start using Montessori at home.

Next, add to your knowledge, materials, and activities.

Gradually, start using more of the Montessori principles and activities. Add any Montessori-inspired activities online that you feel drawn to.

It’s impossible to do every wonderful Montessori idea available, so pick activities you think will be interesting and meet your child’s developmental needs. Often, you’ll feel drawn to preparing certain activities but not others.

For an infant, check out the posts and links in my infant and toddler category.

If you’re interested in starting a Montessori homeschool or just in using a number of Montessori-inspired activities at home, you’ll find lots of ideas and links to resources in these two posts:

How to Set Up a Montessori Preschool Classroom at Home

How to Set Up a Montessori Homeschool Classroom (with lots and lots of resources and links within links!)

And don’t forget my activity of the week and Montessori Monday link-up with Montessori-inspired ideas from wonderful bloggers around the world!

Buy and start using activities from two books:

(Note: This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.)

Books by Maria Montessori are wonderful, but they are more abstract than many parents want in the beginning. To start using Montessori at home, my two favorite books for parents are below. You can’t go wrong in buying both:

How To Raise An Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin (for birth-age 6). Here’s a review I wrote: How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way (Book Review).

(2013 UPDATE) The newly revised Montessori at Home eBook is available for only $10.95 for 512 pages with over 300 early-learning activities! (That’s a real steal!!!)

In the eBook, you’ll also find a quick start guide, 225 educational digital tablet app recommendations, hundreds of links to sites, blogs, and videos, and 76 pages of printable materials!

You can get a free download of 51 sample pages from Montessori at Home eBook (courtesy of John Bowman) by clicking here! Here’s the direct link to the purchase page for Montessori at Home!eBook. Here’s the direct link to the purchase page for the Montessori at Home! Materials Bundle (includes the Montessori at Home eBook AND over $60 worth of Montessori Print Shop materials to go with the book for only $24.95). Please mention Deb at Living Montessori Now when you’re asked where you learned about the book. Thanks!

If you’d like actual Montessori teaching manuals and a clear, systematic Montessori teaching approach from Association Montessori International teacher training, I recommend Montessori Print Shop’s primary teaching manuals for ages 2½ -6. You’ll find my review of them here: Montessori Print Shop Primary Teaching Manuals Review.

Since there are so many activities in these two books alone, just start doing some activities and add on as you’re able. Again, you don’t need to have a perfect setup to start. As the slogan goes: Just do it!

UPDATE: If you’re still feeling overwhelmed, read Don’t Be Afraid to Start Using Montessori at Home. And don’t miss my Montessori-Friendly Home Pinterest Board to see lots of different ways to use Montessori at home.

I’d love to hear how you started or plan to start using Montessori at home!

Linked to AfterSchool Linky Party, Living Life Intentionally Linky Party, The Mommy Club Resources and Solutions at Milk and Cuddles and Crystal & Co. , Pinterest Tuesday, Show-and-Share Saturday, Link & Learn, and The Sunday Showcase at Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas and Classified: Mom.