Montessori vs Reggio: Key Similarities and Differences You may be faced with making the decision for your child...education philosophies...
With all the different educational options available to parents today, it can be difficult to pick the right one for your child. This article will provide parents with information about the main different types of
Reggio Emilia or Montessori? At ScuttleBugs Child Development Center we have a Reggio Emilia inspired program. But, we make a point of thoroughly understanding the other ECE approaches and best practices. In this instance we’re…
Montessori and Reggio Emilia inspired approaches have both similarities and differences that make them unique alternative options.
Where are these silly pink tower cubes? Over, under, between, and around, where else can you find them? A super fun way to learn your prepositions! This file includes 11 3-part cards with images for easy visual understanding of prepositions. It will make a lovely addition to your language shelves and perhaps will encourage your child to use their pink tower in an unusual way :) Please see the preview image for ideas on how to prepare your materials. For this set we chose to mount our cards on green cardstock to follow traditional Montessori grammar color of prepositions. Please remember to provide feedback. It is greatly appreciated and helps you earn credits towards future purchases. Thank you!
It seems like parenting comes with a zillion decisions as soon as a baby pops out of our womb. Do we want to breastfeed or bottle feed? Do we want the baby to co-sleep or sleep in a crib? Are we going to go with cloth diapers or store bought diapers. Just when we thought we’ve escaped the flood of
Presentations and resources for the first Montessori sensorial materials, including recommendations for Montessori homeschoolers
When we speak of the Montessori prepared environment, we encompass preparation of the teacher, materials, and an emphasis on peace and beauty in our design.
I was introduced to the concept of Social Stories about 10 years ago by Pat Getz, the support services coordinator at the Montessori School of Syracuse. The Social Stories technique, in my experience, works very well with Montessori Grace & Courtesy lessons. What are Montessori Grace & Courtesy Lessons? “Grace and Courtesy” is the term […]
KLA Schools' Reggio Emilia preschool and kindergarten programs offer high-quality education. KLA Schools is a leading provider of quality preschool and daycare.
Here we take a look at which alternative educational philosophy would suit your child most out of Montessori, Waldorf and Reggio Emilia.
Learn about similarities and differences between the Montessori and Waldorf methods, in a "for-beginners" series comparing alternative educational philosophies.
KLA Schools' Reggio Emilia preschool and kindergarten programs offer high-quality education. KLA Schools is a leading provider of quality preschool and daycare.
Pinay Homeschooler is a blog that shares homeschool and afterschool activity of kids from babies to elementary level.
Grace and Courtesy lessons in Montessori teach young children how to interact with others in a polite, respectful, and considerate manner.
Encourage scissor cutting practice with these free Montessori-inspired farm animal cutting strips. An instant download with a variety of skill levels!
Human body activities and free printables for kids.
Learn what plants breathe through with this easy leaf & tree science experiment as kids get hands-on with the process of photosynthesis!
The Montessori Silence Game: Resources to use at home, school and outdoors with recommended silence themed book list.
This is an infographic I made for parents. The first page explains the different stages of a tantrum (based on the concepts of regulation) and the second page provides behavioral interventions that are effective in the various stages.
A teaching approach meant to perk up the children of war is popular at a handful of posh American schools. But wouldn't it make more sense to use it with underprivileged kids?
Qu'est-ce-que la pédagogie Reggio ? Quelles sont les points essentiels ? L'environnement, les éducateurs et les parents...
We’ve been learning about the continent Australia! One of our parents brought along some wonderful items from Australia to share with us. Boomerangs! Holding a Koala What’s on the Shelf? Here’s our unit studies shelf with materials about Australia Geography of Australia This is our Australia Geography folder full of images from Australia and the Pacific […]
Sensorial extensions are very helpful as they encourage children to continue using Montessori resources in a creative and engaging way. Using extensions children can put into practice their ability to grade and discriminate materials by width,
Maria Montessori was an Italian physician who is known for her passionate and pioneering work in early childhood development. She believed in sense learning and creative exploration letting childre…
Pinay Homeschooler is a blog that shares homeschool and afterschool activity of kids from babies to elementary level.
To go along with all the other general Montessori science and cosmic curriculum such as living/ non-living, and plant/animal I made heavy/light. I just looked through my objects and also found things around the house. For the presentation I read the labels and talk about what heavy and light mean then choose one item out of the basket at a time to "weigh" and decide if it's heavy or light!
My name is Kaleigh Richards, I am an Upper Elementary Teacher at a Montessori charter school in Reno, Nevada. I have been teaching at this level/in this school for 5 years. I teach 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. I have 34 students. Our school is tuition-free for all students in elementary and middle school. We are a Montesso
The best ways to save money and still incorporate the Montessori philosophy with DIY Montessori Materials and Montessori homeschooling and teaching ideas.
“No!” my five-year-old declared, “Cleaning up toys is boring.” He’s usually pretty helpful cleaning up his room and enjoys helping around the house, but sometimes he gets in a mood. When that happens, it can be tempting to turn his defiance into a power struggle. Should I force him into cleaning his room, using my … Continue reading "How to Respond to Defiant Behavior the Montessori Way"
KLA Schools' Reggio Emilia preschool and kindergarten programs offer high-quality education. KLA Schools is a leading provider of quality preschool and daycare.
One of the most frequent questions I get is how to help grandparents/nannies/caregivers better understand or follow Montessori with their children. It is tough to answer, because it really depends on the person, and the situation. I have also been lucky to have both parents and in-laws who have read
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. I have been an ardent proponent of emergent curriculum in early childhood education well before I became Reggio inspired. In the early nineties I became aware of the w…
Helpful free Montessori elementary resources for Montessori elementary teachers and homeschoolers looking for specific 6-9 and 9-12 Montessori elementary materials
If you’re old enough, you remember those chemistry sets for kids filled with toxic and downright dangerous chemicals, glass test tubes just waiting to shatter and scary metal tools. Yes, they were fun, but most of the contents have been banned replaced with many safe “chemicals” you probably have at home. So skip the “store...
A Beginner's Guide to Montessori Theory
I have gathered a lot of classroom materials and ideas over the years. I mean, a lot. I know some of you can relate to this. I have SO MUCH STUFF. I feel like a hoarder. But my classroom does not look like the homes on the hoarding TV shows. In fact, all my stuff […]
Counting was the earliest mathematical activity. Early humans needed counts to keep track of herds and for trade. Primitive counting systems almost certainly used the fingers of one or both hands, as evidenced by the predominance of the numbers 5 and 10 as the bases for most number systems today. The first advances in arithmetic were the conceptualization of numbers and the invention of the four fundamental operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The earliest advances in geometry dealt with simple concepts such as the line and the circle. Much of our civilization is based on mathematics. Montessori believed that the child’s mind was mathematical and based on the order with an awareness of the senses. The understanding of the mathematical principles is seen as a gradual ascent from concrete to abstract or simple to complex. The child that has mastered the fundamental concepts involved with the practical life and sensorial materials is drawn to the math activities. According to Montessori, the process of abstraction depends on two factors- absolute clarity in the concrete and a maturity of the mind. Montessori goes on to compare the mind of the child to an airplane entering into the realm of the abstract. And like an airplane the mind of the child must come down from its ascent and refuel and refresh itself with new experiences in the concrete suggesting that there is interdependence between the intellectual and the senses. The Montessori directress always insures that there is always available a sequence of tasks sufficiently challenging and interesting to engage and develop the child’s potentialities fully. All that the child has grasped from their earlier experiences in practical life and sensorial comes to fruition – classification, discrimination, perception and dexterity. All are important factors that contribute to the confidence and fascination with math. The child comes in contact with the quantities and their symbols every day through their environment. So, they are automatically pulled toward what they do not yet fully grasp. The child is now able to reinforce the concepts of one-to-one correspondence which is vital when working with all of the advanced Montessori math materials. With hands on experience and concrete materials to make abstract concepts clear, the child can literally see and explore the math process unfurl before their very eyes. The very first introduction to the math materials comes from the red and blue number rods which have the same dimensions as the red rods from sensorial with segmented proportions and a fixed quantity. In this activity the abstract number is not introduced until the child has had numerous experiences with the number rods. Montessori found that at such an early age it was difficult for the child to grasp the concept of numbers just by counting simple objects. This is simply avoided by representing the numbers as a series of segmented rods at increasing lengths. After this activity along with the introduction of the sandpaper numerals, the child then moves onto the spindle boxes which are fixed symbols and unfixed quantity. This exercise entails counting the correct number of spindles to go in each compartment all the way from zero to nine. After the child has shown their readiness to move on to more abstract material, then the cards and counters are introduced. This introduces the concept of odd and even numbers. The sequence of the math materials moves from the concrete concepts of quantity and number symbols. Then on to the abstract with the introduction to the decimal system, the four operations all with the golden bead material. After a considerable amount of time has been spent in the early math material it is time to move on to the more abstract material. For example, the introduction to the decimal system Montessori felt that it was very important for children to grasp the concept of the decimal system and the carrying of place values because it is within the understanding of these concepts that the material becomes most practical. The "crisis of nine" sounds like a natural disaster. And it really could be if it were introduced in an abstract form. By adding one to nine the amount automatically carries over in place value to the tens place. The children will learn later that these early carrying over and exchanging activities will be of great value in the addition and subtraction realm of the Montessori math material. The materials continue to gradually move the child forward toward the realm of the abstract with the reinforcement of the concrete with materials like the teen and ten boards, the hundred board, the hundred and thousand chain (where the concept of skip counting is imprinted in their minds), the birds eye view, and sequencing of numerals 1-9000. The child becomes more and more comfortable with the material and will eventually begin to add the quantities together and with the help of the directress will be informally introduced to the four operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The dynamic process of the Montessori approach and the preparation that has led up to this point gradually begins to reveal itself parallel to the mind of the child that is also methodical. As the concepts throughout the classroom become more abstract so does the mind of the child. The fluidness of the materials can be seen in the ten-ness of the sensorial materials. The mind that will awaken will not be forced into fatigue by rote motor exercises but will awaken well rested and ready for the world. The awesomeness of the Montessori approach is the willingness to meet and nurture each child’s individual learning styles, rate of progress, wellbeing, and interests. "The child should love everything he learns, for his mental and emotional growths are linked." -Maria Montessori
KLA Schools' Reggio Emilia preschool and kindergarten programs offer high-quality education. KLA Schools is a leading provider of quality preschool and daycare.
Temperature Activities for Kids
A blog for Preschool, Special Education and Autism for Behavior Management, Classroom ideas and Resources
