M is for Montessori

M is one of my favorite letters … it includes both mom and Montessori. Two of my most meaningful and important roles in life have come from becoming a mom and making Montessori education a huge part of my life!

I’ve created a word art freebie for “M is for Montessori.” To download the “M is for Montessori” word art (without watermark), click here, then right click on the image and choose “Save Picture As . . .” Feel free to use that for printing. If you share the image online, please use the watermarked image and link to this blog post and/or the Living Montessori Now Facebook page.

M is for Maria Montessori

M is for Maria Montessori (1870-1952), the first female physician in Italy, who founded a system of education based on observation of and respect for the child.

Dr. Montessori started the first Montessori school in a housing project in Rome in 1907, calling it “Casa dei Bambini” or Children’s House. Today, Montessori schools can be found throughout the world. There are both public and private Montessori schools. While Montessori preschools are most common, Montessori schools can go through high school.

“Nurturing the Love of Learning: Montessori Education for the Preschool Years”

M is for Montessori Principles

Preschoolers enjoy using child-size utensils to help with baking and other food preparation.

The most important principle you’ll hear from Montessori philosophy is one that you can use throughout your child’s life: follow the child. “Help me to do it by myself” is another of the most commonly heard– and important – principles from Montessori education.

Many Montessori principles can be applied to any preschool situation, whether it’s at home or in a school. Parents can create a Montessori-friendly home if their child attends a Montessori school, any other type of school, or is homeschooled.

Some Montessori principles that can be applied anywhere:

• Follow the child.
• Respect and encourage the child.
• Give freedom of movement (as long as children aren’t in danger or misusing that freedom).
• Encourage independence and decision-making.
• Provide as many opportunities for hands-on learning as possible.
• Emphasize practical life (daily living) and sensorial activities during the preschool years.
• Prepare and maintain an orderly and attractive environment.
• Provide child-size materials and real child-size tools. Low shelves with materials on trays and child-size tables and chairs are important features of Montessori early-childhood education.
• Don’t interrupt a child’s work cycle. Allow children to choose their activities and work uninterrupted to develop an ever-increasing ability to concentrate.
• Demonstrate how to do activities.
• Isolate the difficulty in an activity whenever possible. For example, when introducing colors, have materials that vary in color but not shape or size.

• How Can Montessori Fit into Your Family?
• Top 10 Montessori Principles for Natural Learning
• How to Start Using Montessori at Home
• ABCs of Montessori
• Living Montessori Now YouTube Channel

M is for Montessori Method of Education

Montessori education works well in homeschools, too.

Montessori as a method of education can be used in homeschools as well as Montessori schools, and elements can be used in other school environments.

• Homeschool Resources and Encouragement
• Become a More Successful Homeschooler by Using Montessori Principles
• How to Set Up a Montessori Preschool Classroom at Home
• How to Set Up a Montessori Homeschool Classroom
• How to Add Godly Play to Your Homeschool (if you want to add a Montessori-based religious education program)
• How to Start a Montessori Playgroup or Montessori Homeschool Co-op

Montessori Curriculum

• Montessori Practical Life Activities
• Montessori Sensorial Activities
• Montessori Language Activities
• Montessori Math Activities
• Montessori Cultural Activities

Amazon Affiliate:

Montessori Techniques

• How to Help Your Preschooler Help Himself {or Herself}
• Why is Analysis of Movement Important in Montessori Education?
• How to Teach Your Preschooler Manners Using Montessori Principles
• How to Teach Concepts and Vocabulary to Your Preschooler Using the Three-Period Lesson
• In What Order Should You Introduce Letters to Your Preschooler?

Anyone who has young children or works with young children can relate to Maria Montessori’s words:

“The most important period of life is not the age of university studies, but the first one, the period from birth to the age six; for that is the time when man’s intelligence itself, his greatest implement, is being formed. . . . Adults work to finish a task, but the child works in order to grow, and is working to create the adult, the person that is to be.”

PREPARING MONTESSORI SPACES IN YOUR HOME

See “How to Create a Montessori-Friendly Home” for ideas for a number of levels. Here are some of my main home environment posts here:

• How to Prepare a Montessori Baby Room at Home (roundup post)
• How to Prepare a Montessori Toddler Environment at Home (roundup post)
• Preparing a Montessori Newborn Baby Space at Home
• How to Use Montessori Mobiles to Encourage a Newborn Baby’s Development and Delight
• Preparing a Montessori Baby Space with Shelves at Home
• Preparing a Montessori Baby Space in Your Living Room
• Preparing a Montessori Baby-Toddler Space at Home
• Preparing Montessori Toddler Spaces at Home (includes my Montessori toilet learning setup)
• How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 2 Year Old
• How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 2½ Year Old
• How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 3 Year Old
• How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 3½ Year Old
• How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 4 Year Old
• How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 4½ Year Old
• How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 5 Year Old
• How to Prepare Themed Montessori Shelves
• How to Prepare a Montessori Home Environment for Afterschooling
• Create an Attractive Home Environment from Montessori at Home!
• How to Set Up a Montessori Homeschool Classroom
• How to Prepare Montessori Homeschool Spaces for Babies through First Graders
• How to Prepare a Montessori Space in Your Living Room for Toddlers Through Early Elementary

Jo Ebisujima and I have a free Montessori at home webinar and introduction to our Montessori Crash Course.

See my Montessori Resources Page for many more Montessori posts and links.

Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!

The Montessori at Home! eBook and Montessori at Home! eBook and Materials Bundle are AMAZING resources! You can learn more about them here. Buy them in the Living Montessori Now shop.

If this is your first time visiting Living Montessori Now, welcome! If you haven’t already, please join us on our Living Montessori Now Facebook page where you’ll find a Free Printable of the Day and lots of inspiration and ideas for parenting and teaching! And please follow me on Pinterest (lots of Montessori-, holiday-, and theme-related boards), Instagram, and YouTube. You can find me on bloglovin’ and Twitter, too.

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Photo Credits:

Cylinder Block image for word art by Hificonic imagery.

Maria Montessori photo from Wikimedia Commons.