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Toy Rotation at 11 Months
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Continue reading →: Toy Rotation at 11 MonthsHere’s what’s on our shelf this week: Top Shelf Montessori Cylinder Blocks: These wooden cylinders are great for exploring size, shape, and spatial reasoning. Our little one loves pulling them out and experimenting with putting them back. They’re wonderful for building fine motor skills and visual discrimination. Peg Drop: Dropping…
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Setting Up a Montessori Play Space at Home (On a Budget)
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Continue reading →: Setting Up a Montessori Play Space at Home (On a Budget)Creating a Montessori-inspired play space at home doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank or redecorating your entire house. In fact, Montessori environments are built on simplicity, intentionality, and respect — not price tags. If you’re curious about bringing Montessori into your home but you’re on a budget (or simply…
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Continue reading →: Books, Language, and Story Time: Montessori and the 11‑Month‑Old MindAt 11 months, something magical is happening. My baby is on the brink of toddlerhood — still very much a baby, but full of curiosity, awareness, and the first sparks of language. I’ve noticed how he watches my mouth when I speak, how he turns toward familiar sounds, and how a…
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Continue reading →: Watching My 11-Month-Old Play Independently (Even When It All Ends Up on the Floor)Something really clicked for me recently while watching my 11-month-old son with his treasure basket. At first, I caught myself thinking, “He’s just emptying it all out again. Should I step in? Is he actually playing or just making a mess?” But then I paused — and I just watched.…
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Continue reading →: Blocks Through the Ages: A Montessori-Inspired Guide from Birth to ThreeIn a Montessori environment, blocks are far more than simple toys—they’re intentionally selected materials that nurture a child’s natural development. Their clean, open-ended design meets children right where they are, supporting everything from early sensory exploration to creative expression and collaboration. Though often associated with older toddlers, blocks play an…
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Continue reading →: Montessori and Art at Home: Nurturing Creativity in Young Children
The beauty of the Montessori approach is that it doesn’t require a formal classroom — it begins at home. When we follow our child’s lead, create an inviting environment, and offer open-ended materials, we allow space for natural exploration and creativity. One of the most powerful ways to do this?…
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Understanding Schemas in Early Childhood
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Continue reading →: Understanding Schemas in Early ChildhoodA Montessori-Informed Perspective for Deeper Learning As a researcher in early childhood education, I’ve found one of the most insightful areas of study to be the intersection between schema theory and the Montessori method. While they stem from different pedagogical traditions, both illuminate the way young children learn—by following internal…
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It’s Okay If It’s Not 100% Montessori — I’m Reminding Myself Too
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Continue reading →: It’s Okay If It’s Not 100% Montessori — I’m Reminding Myself TooOne thing I’m learning (and re-learning) on this Montessori journey is that it doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful. I’ve definitely had moments where I’ve questioned whether something in our home is “Montessori enough.” Whether I’m doing things right. Whether I should be offering a different toy, a…
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Continue reading →: Understanding the Montessori Planes of Development: A Roadmap for Growing MindsAs parents, educators, or caregivers, we often ask:“What does my child need right now?” Maria Montessori asked the same question over a century ago—and her answer remains revolutionary today. She introduced the concept of the Planes of Development: four distinct stages of human growth from birth to adulthood. Each plane…
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Montessori at Home: More Than What We See Online
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Continue reading →: Montessori at Home: More Than What We See OnlineOnce I started walking down this path, I did what so many of us do—I looked online for ideas and inspiration. Instagram is full of beautiful Montessori spaces: wooden shelves, neutral tones, neatly rotated toys. It’s calm. It’s lovely. And I’ll be honest—it’s easy to feel drawn in. But over…
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