Montessori
The Montessori approach to education can work very well in the home environment. Learn about incorporating Montessori techniques at home, national support organizations, and how to find resources and materials.
Resources
Montessori: A Modern Approach
Montessori: A Modern Approach has been called the single best book for anyone -- educator, childcare professional, and especially parent -- seeking answers to the questions: What is the Montessori method? Are its revolutionary ideas about early childhood education relevant to today's world? And most important, especially for today's dual-career couples. Is a Montessori education right for my child?

Paula Polk Lillard writes both as a trained educators and as a concerned parent -- she has many years as a public school teacher, but it was her enthusiasm for the education her own child experienced in a Montessori school that led her to become a leading voice in the Montessori movement in this country.

Her book offers the clearest and most concise statement of the Montessori method of child development and education available today.
Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook
A short, illustrated guide to the use of Montessori classroom materials. Describes how to set up a "children's house" - an environment for learning where children can be their own masters.
Montessori Method
This book is Montessori's own exposition of the theory behind her innovative educational techniques. She shows parents, teachers and administrators how to "free a child to learn through his own efforts".
Basic Montessori: Learning Activities for Under-Fives
For the first time, Basic Montessori opens the celebrated philosophy and method to a more general public. David Gettman has devised a clear and modern explanation of Montessori's revolutionary ideas about early intellectual development, and provides a step-by-step guide to the Montessori learning activities most commonly used with under-fives. These include activities for introducing reading and writing, counting and decimal concepts, science, and geography, as well as activities that help develop the child's practical and sensorial skills.
Tomorrows Child
Tomorrow's Child magazine offers insights and information that helps parents to feel confident that Montessori will prepare their children for the real world. It will help you understand and appreciate Montessori and apply it in your home.
Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work
Maria Montessori is important background reading for parents considering Montessori education for their children, as well as for those training to become Montessori teachers. The first woman to win a degree as a Doctor of Medicine in Italy in 1896, Maria Montessori's mission to improve children's education began in the slums of Rome in 1907, and continued throughout her lifetime. Her insights into the minds of children led her to develop prepared environments and other tools and devices that have come to characterize Montessori education today. Her influence in other countries has been profound and many of her teaching methods have been adopted by educators generally. Part biography and part exposition of her ideas, this engaging book reveals through her letters and personal diaries Maria Montessori's humility and delight in the success of her educational experiments and is an ideal introduction to the principals and practices of the greatest educational pioneer of the 20th century.
The new introduction to Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work by Lee Havis, executive director of the International Montessori Society, discusses the changes that have taken place in Montessori education within recent years.
An updated appendix of Montessori periodicals, courses, societies, films, and teaching materials.
A revised bibliography of books by and about Maria Montessori.
Montessori Play And Learn : A Parent's Guide to Purposeful Play from Two to Six
We all want the best possible starts in life for our children, and one of the best possible starts in life, educationally, is the "method" pioneered by Maria Montessori and taught successfully today throughout the world.

Now, Lesley Britton, the leading Montessori practitioner in England for more than twenty years, will show parents how to bring Montessori home. If you would like to facilitate the development of your child's unique personality, make it possible for him to develop to his full intellectual capacity, and help him become socially and emotionally well adjusted, then this is the book for you.

Montessori Play and Learn is packed with ideas, activities, and games that can fit into your normal routine and help supplement preschool learning for your child. For planning your home, introducing your child to the supermarket or the neighborhood, and helping him discover other people and cultures, this book provides valuable tips and insights that help parents and children grow and learn together.
-- Create hundreds of learning opportunities from everyday life
-- Learn dozens of games and activities to help prepare children for mathematics, reading, science, and writing
-- Make your home environment as stimulating for your child as the best Montessori preschool.
Teach Me to Do It Myself: Montessori Activities for You and Your Child
Based on the key Montessori principle that children learn best through active experience, Teach Me to Do It Myself presents simple activities through which children explore and develop their skills. These skill areas include sensory perceptions, body coordination, language, understanding of numbers, and movement. This practical, color-illustrated parenting book is filled with activities and instructions for overseeing children as they carry out a variety of learning activities. Most activities will seem simple to parents, because once mastered, adults perform them automatically. However, toddlers experience a sense of accomplishment and self-worth when they learn to perform them independently. The many activities start with dressing and personal hygiene, then go on to include . . .
  • Pouring activities
  • Threading and sewing activities
  • Peg activities
  • Cutting with scissors
  • Sorting activities by touch
  • A color matching game
  • Making musical scales with bottles and water
  • Using alphabet tiles to make words
  • Growing things in a window box
  • Making finger puppetsActivities are described in detail and include checklists of needed items, as well as variations and related activities for children to try.
  • Discovery of the Child
    Maria Montessori went beyond the conventions of the day to seek a new way of knowing and loving a child. In THE DISCOVERY OF THE CHILD, she describes the nature of the child and her method of working more fully with the child's urge to learn. With 16 pages of photographs.
    Montessori Life

    Designed to provoke thought, professional growth and provide a forum for discussion of major issues & ideas in education.
    What is the Montessori Method?
    Preschool Math: Teaching Numbers Greater than 10
    How to make a homemade version of the Montessori seguin board, a board with lots of 10s in a column.
    Montessori Teen Board
    This Montessori Teen Board is an easy and inexpensive way to effectively teach the teens (the numbers 10-19)
    5 DIY Manipulatives for Preschool and Kindergarten
    These manipulatives are easy to make at home. They provide early learning supplies for anyone on a budget.
    Montessori Spindle Box
    Make this counting spindle board with simple materials from around your home. Teaches counting and grouping.
    Montessori Homeschooling Questions and Answers
    Basic information about using the Montessori Method at home.
    40 Awesome Number Activities for Preschoolers
    Number activities for preschoolers don't have to be boring and just worksheets. Make them fun so your preschooler will love math. These number activities help with identifying numbers, counting and one to one correspondence.
    Building a Montessori Homeschooling Co-op
    Two of the daunting things about trying to develop a Montessori program in the home are the amount of space required, and the expense of the equipment. Enter the Montessori Homeschooling Community Co-op! There is a call to community, especially among Christians, that we all hear and desire, something that maintains trust and intimacy within a larger group. And that call is being answered as small groups of parents are joining together to create Montessori homeschooling communities.
    Montessori Homeschool Curriculum
    Montessori for the Earth
    Montessori for the Earth offers online Montessori and homeschool lessons and activities. The Montessori On-Line Distance Learning programs are designed for parents and homeschoolers, teachers and assistants, educators, administrators, and college students who want to learn about (or review) Montessori education and curriculum so they can incorporate it into their home, classroom, or college studies.
    Montessori Resources & Materials
    Montessori Materials
    The Montessori Materials Group offers many Montessori materials to download including classified cards, templates, word lists, puzzle cards, art cards, leaf nomenclature, maps, music and more. You may alter the contents of these files to suit your educational needs. The website also offers a discussion group at Yahoo Groups.
    Michael Olaf Montessori Company
    The Michael Olaf Montessori Company provides practical advice for using Montessori philosophy in all kinds of settings. "Montessori Materials" are not the most important aspect of this method of education. Too many objects in the classroom or home create what is commonly known as the "supermarket effect," which scatters the child's energy and interferes with concentration and optimum development. The list of essential materials offered by Michael Olaf grows intentionally shorter every year and everything is well tested. They focus on helping parents and teachers create simple, beautiful, educational environments that foster creativity, independence of thought and action, a positive self-image, joy, and a spirit of service to others and to the environment. They also offer two e-books, "The Joyful Child" and "Child of the World," discussing the Montessori method.
    Montessori Concepts
    Montessori Concepts carries learning materials for those using the Montessori Method of education. Product categories include Math, Language, Geography, Sensory, Practical, Botany, and more.
    Lisa Nolan Montessori
    Montessori for the Earth offers affordable on-line Montessori and homeschool programs and ebooks for parents, homeschool, teachers, and aides by a certified Montessori teacher. Their Montessori on-line Distance Learning programs are designed for parents and homeschoolers, teachers and assistants, educators, administrators, and college students who want to learn about (or review) Montessori education and curriculum so they can incorporate it into their home, classroom, or college studies.
    Montessori for the Earth
    Montessori for the Earth offers online Montessori and homeschool lessons and activities. The Montessori On-Line Distance Learning programs are designed for parents and homeschoolers, teachers and assistants, educators, administrators, and college students who want to learn about (or review) Montessori education and curriculum so they can incorporate it into their home, classroom, or college studies.
    Support for Homeschooling Using the Montessori Method
    Christian Montessori Homeschoolers
    This group is for those who use the Montessori method for part or all of their homeschooling efforts for all age groups. This is primarily a Christian group, though others are welcome to join.
    Catholic Learning Materials
    This group's focus is towards Catholics using Montessori in their homeschooling.
    Livable Learning
    Livable Learning helps the homeschooler and parent “Prepare the Home Environment” for learning. They discuss the order of the home, how to organize student learning materials, and the spiritual preparation of the teacher. The foundation of Livable Learning is Montessori education, however the basic principles will benefit any homeschooling family.
    The Montessori Foundation, The International Montessori Council, & The Montessori Family Alliance
    The Montessori Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of Montessori education in the US and abroad. The goals of the Montessori Foundation are to inspire and support the development of strong, successful Montessori schools around the world and to provide clear answers to the questions that parents and educators ask about the Montessori approach. You'll find lots of resources here. 
    Montessori Homeschooling Groups
    This webpage was created at the request of parents, for the purpose of communication between, and with, families who are using Montessori philosophy, practice, materials, to homeschool their children.
    Association Montessori Internationale
    The Association Montessori Internationale was founded in 1929 by Dr. Maria Montessori to maintain the integrity of her life's work, and to ensure that it would be perpetuated after her death. AMI's activities include providing guidance for AMI training courses, coordinating a Training of Trainers program, encouraging the creation of Montessori schools, guiding the manufacturers recognized by AMI in the production of approved Montessori materials, overseeing the publication of Dr. Montessori's books, organizing congresses and study conferences, and affiliating Montessori Societies.
    Montessori Materials
    Looking for resources to use in your homeschool? Montessori Materials provides printable material for all homeschoolers, especially those using the Montessori method, to download and use at home, including grammar cards, spanish matching cards, world maps, and more.
    American Montessori Homeschoolers Co-op
    A forum for communication for organized or established co-op's and individuals interested in organizing a Montessori Homeschool Co-op. Established Co-op's can share ideas and those interested in creating a co-op can get valuable advice and information.
    American Montessori Society (AMS)
    The American Montessori Society is a non-profit service organization dedicated to encouraging and supporting the use of the Montessori teaching approach in private and public schools. The information here is also useful for home educators. Learn about the history of Montessori, available resources, and more. 
    Montessori Preschool At Home
    This group is for parents (and teachers) to share ideas and experiences in teaching preschool children using the methods of Maria Montessori.
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    Featured Resources

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    Why We Homeschool
    It is a common misconception that most parents homeschool due to bullies, school shootings, or bad teaching content. While these things are important, there is a higher purpose for choosing to home education your children. Even if all those things were corrected, there are stronger reasons to stay committed to the homeschool model. So why do you homeschool? This book looks at the meaning and significance of a true Christian education. 
    Smart Mouth
    Ages: 8 years and up; For 2 or more playersSmart Mouth is a quick-thinking shout-it-out hilarious word game that helps build vocabulary skills. It includes variations of the rules for category play and for younger players. Players slide the Letter Getter forward and back to get two letters. The first player to shout out a word of five or more letters using those letters wins the round. The game includes tips for teachers. This is a fun game to play with children and adults together.
    Idea Book For Cuisenaire Rods At The Intermediate Level
    Grades 2-5. Idea Book designed for use with Cuisenaire Rods.
    A Charlotte Mason Education: A Home Schooling How-To Manual
    The immensely popular ideas of Charlotte Mason have inspired educators for many decades. Her unique methodology as written about in her six-volume series established the necessary protocols for an education above and beyond that which can be found in traditional classroom settings. In A Charlotte Mason Education, Catherine Levison has collected the key points of Charlotte Mason's methods and presents them in a simple, straightforward way that will allow families to quickly maximize the opportuni...
    For the Good of the Earth and Sun: Teaching Poetry
    For the Good of the Earth and Sun is for teachers at all levels, especially for those teachers who feel anxious about introducing poetry to students. Georgia Heard offers a method of teaching poetry that respects the intelligence of students and teachers and that can build upon their basic originality. She explores poetry from the inside as it is: a powerful and necessary way of looking at the world, and one of mankind's most durable inventions. Her book provides detailed, organized information ...