Even though modern media often portrays young children as clumsy, loud, and noisy, children who are on a path of normal, healthy development—what Montessori called normalization—have a love of silence. Watching a six-week-old baby playing with a floor mobile, I see a child who is wide-eyed and quiet. It seems as though the child is using […]
FREE TRAINING | Helping Children Learn To Listen
In my many years of working with young children, there is one question I hear frequently from parents and teachers: How do I get children to listen to me? When we are confronted with tantrums, defiant behavior, or worse, it’s difficult to know what to do. But these situations are usually avoidable, or at least […]
The Tea Party Was Real
The smell of our favorite gluten-free chocolate muffins wafted from the oven. My five-year-old granddaughter stood on a stool at the sink, washing the mixing bowl. “Grandma,” she said, “when the muffins come out, can we have a tea party?” “What a wonderful idea,” I said. At this point, you may imagine that a tea […]
May I Take the Cylinders with Me?
The fire drill was in full operation. The sound of the alarm hammered throughout the school building. My job was to inspect each classroom, closet, bathroom, and nook to make sure there were no children left behind. As I entered the last classroom, there in the corner, hidden by shelves, was Jennifer, quietly building an […]
The Love of Meaningful Work
The clock face stared at me. 1:00 AM. Again. The red digital numbers mocked me as I tossed and turned. Again, it was 1:00 AM, and if the pattern held steady, I wouldn’t be asleep again until after three. As a mom with young children and a husband who traveled frequently on business, the thought […]
Looking for Love in All the Right Places
There is a simple hymn that I find myself singing as I walk. As a young teen, I learned it as a round at church camp and later sang it for the church congregation. Another version, made famous in the play Godspell, became a Top 40 hit. The lyrics are simple, and the original melody is […]
Join Me for Building Number Sense
Next time you set the table with your child, try a small experiment: Ask your child to bring you three forks. Just that. Many children who can count to twenty will come back with a proud fistful of five. With that little moment you see something no worksheet can: Saying the numbers and understanding quantity […]
What is Normalization?
One of the key concepts in Montessori educational philosophy is understanding and guiding a child’s process of normalization. Normalization can be a confusing term. What it is meant to describe is the normal, natural, and healthy growth and development of children when their physical, emotional, social, and intellectual needs are being met. When I was […]
Worrying About Your Kids?
One of the things I’ve learned as a parent and grandparent is that you never stop worrying about your kids! There are two big ideas that have helped me over the years feel confident that life was going okay: For his book, Dyer surveyed parents and found that they wanted the following: I want my […]
The Leadership Challenges I Know Well
When I started a Montessori school, I ran into many of the same challenges I see so many leaders, parents, and teachers struggling with today. I kept asking myself: Am I doing enough for the people who count on me? These were some of my biggest challenges: · Managing chaos and routine, whether in a […]