A Montessori nursery puts children in age-appropriately prepared learning environments where they can freely choose the activities they want to do. The school strives to have students reach their full potential, gain strong physical, creative, and communication skills, and develop confidence as individuals. When combined with Montessori activities for toddlers, children are able to practice and build upon many skills at an early age. But it already feels like the cosiest new home and I’m so grateful to all the families who have been so supportive and patient and open to trying something new.

For example, a classroom might have young children ages 3-6 in one classroom or an elementary school classroom of ages 6-9 altogether. However, the Montessori classroom incorporates multiple different age groups who all learn together. Interesting blog posts about the Montessori approach Now, are you ready to go deeper into the Montessori approach? If you follow many parenting accounts on Instagram you will have come across the beautiful, neutral coloured playrooms and toy shelves. When your friends child is walking by 11 months and at 18 months your child is not you could focus all your attention on this and miss all of the rich learning experiences and development your child will have undergone.Small children are fascinated by different locks and they can improve their patience and concentration when discovering different latches.

We have a huge tendency in the west to compare and analyse and judge and tick off milestones for our toddlers and as a result our view of their uniqueness can be squashed.Montessori education values the development of the whole child—physical, social, emotional, cognitive. A child in this stage of development is a sensorial explorer, navigating the concrete environment and refining the five senses.

Perhaps one of the greatest is that children develop a sense of autonomy by being allowed to participate in and independently execute many skills and tasks involved in daily life. Central to the Montessori method of teaching is the view that children have the best capacity to learn during the early years, from birth up until they are six years old. This design allows older children to serve as mentors and develop leadership skills and provides younger students with the opportunity to learn from their peers rather than adults (Marshall, 2017). Moreover, Davies’s advice around helping toddlers to communicate was very grounding and I found myself screenshotting parts and sending them to my friends.Written by a Montessori parent, this book gives an accessible overview of the fundamentals of the Montessori approach. Nevertheless, there are many benefits to this approach to education, and Montessori schools still exist all around the world more than a century after the first classroom was created. Montessori continued to engage in academia, constantly reading and writing and ultimately earning a degree in philosophy from the University of Rome. With Montessori’s hands-on learning philosophy, children are encouraged to follow their natural instincts and respond to whatever comes to their minds, provoking creative choices from natural curiosity. The detailed drawings of the everyday life of a little town and its inhabitants throughout the year offer a lot of fun not only for the children.

Parents, teachers and caregivers understand that toddlers are inherently good, and respect their need to display big emotions and actions without feeling attacked or the need to punish. She begins with a brief summary of the five ingredients for curiosity, trust in the child, a rich learning environment, time, a safe and secure base and fostering a sense of wonder. It should be child-centered, with materials and activities suitable for the child’s developmental stage. The First 100 words board book features some essential words in a simple, easy-to-digest form with real-life photographs and bright colors.Montessori education fosters creativity and critical thinking by providing children with an environment that encourages exploration, problem-solving, and independent thinking. This book takes a look at the big picture of parenting – how to instil values into your children, how to live as a family, and how to make your children resilient. Although it’s recommended for children 3 years and up, younger kids love playing with it too (of course, under supervision). Those who are under three years of age will learn in a classroom that provides opportunities to develop movement and independence (including potty training) and that emphasizes materials and activities that are scaled to that child’s size and skill level. I am always inspired by her Jacarandra toddler community and her blog and advice have guided my own practice with toddlers.