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 International
Montessori International is the magazine for all parents and teachers. Montessori International magazine is a high quality colour education magazine with a Montessori focus and a truly child-centred approach. The magazine is for Montessori parents, nursery owners, teachers, and students with an interest in Montessori education.
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.
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: 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.
    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".
    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.
    The Absorbent Mind
    In response to the crisis in American education, more than five thousand public and private schools across the nation have adopted the timeless Montessori Method of teaching, of which this book is the cornerstone. Written by the women whose name is synonymous worldwide with child development theory, The Absorbent Mind takes its title from the phrase that the inspired Italian doctor coined to characterize the child's most crucial developmental stage: the first six years.

    A new foreword by John Chattin-McNichols, Ph.D., President of the American Montessori Society, places this classic book in a contemporary context, offering an intelligent discussion of current thinking in child education.
    Montessori Life

    Designed to provoke thought, professional growth and provide a forum for discussion of major issues & ideas in education.
    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.
    What is the Montessori Method?
    Montessori Spindle Box
    Make this counting spindle board with simple materials from around your home. Teaches counting and grouping.
    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.
    Montessori Teen Board
    This Montessori Teen Board is an easy and inexpensive way to effectively teach the teens (the numbers 10-19)
    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.
    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.
    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 Homeschooling Questions and Answers
    Basic information about using the Montessori Method at home.
    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 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 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 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
    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.
    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.
    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. 
    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.
    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.
    Homeschooling Catholic Montessori
    Here is a place for home schoolers, using Montessori Method in their home education, to share and learn.
    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.
    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. 
    Living Math Forum
    This is an on-topic list dedicated to the discussion of "living math" - mathematics education using living books and materials, as opposed to traditional curricula as the primary learning tool. Discussion applies to mathematics learning from birth to adult self education, with the understanding that arithmetic is only one feature of mathematics as a whole. Math history topics will apply as well. Educators using Charlotte Mason, Thomas Jefferson Ed (relaxed classical), Montessori, Waldorf and unschooling methods may benefit from the exchange of ideas.
    Catholic Learning Materials
    This group's focus is towards Catholics using Montessori in their homeschooling.
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    Featured Resources

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    When Children Love to Learn: A Practical Application of Charlotte Mason's Philosophy for Today
    Children want to learn and one of the best approaches to homeschooling is to meet their natural curiosity with support and understanding. Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy does just that. This book offers explanations of how to incorporate Mason's ideas into your teaching, leading to more success in learning and less frustration in the home education environment. This book is a great resource for those embarking on the homeschool journey, as well as being an invaluable resource for those ...
    Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World: Unlocking the Potential of Your ADD Child
    Understanding your child's learning style can help with challenges in learning, improving outcomes in reading, writing, and behavior. This book offers strategies for understanding your child's learning style and presents tools that you can use to become more successful in your homeschooling. 
    The Case for Classical Christian Education
    Douglas Wilson looks at the state of America's school system and offers a remedy for those who are committed to their children's best interests in education. Wilson details the history of the classical education movement and discusses what is needed for a useful curriculum. Readers will come to understand that classical education offers the best opportunity for academic achievement, character growth, and spiritual education. 
    Pass Your California DMV Test Guaranteed! 50 Real Test Questions! California DMV Handbook
    This book contains the 50 most common questions and answers to the California DMV Written Test. Written by a former DMV classroom instructor and test creator, this straight forward book tells you the most likely questions and answers that will appear on you exam. Typically, at least 70-80% of the questions you encounter will come from these high frequency questions. Pass your test today!
    Critical Thinking: Reading, Thinking, and Reasoning Skills
    Based on Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Critical Thinking will allow students to garner more knowledge from new information by knowing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating. A brief review in each unit provides frequent indications of student mastery. This series is written for grade levels 1-6.