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Worm Moon
Tomorrow we'll have the first Supermoon of the year - the Worm Moon! Do you know where the name comes from? Here's a short story I wrote (meant to be told orally). I hope you can share it with your children, or at least enjoy its message.
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Look up! What do you notice? Did you observe that the full moon is larger than usual? We call it a Supermoon, and your eyes aren’t deceiving you… The moon IS larger than usual because it's closer than usual, and that's because the moon’s orbit aro…
Cosmic Calendar
Connecting math, language, history and other academic subjects to your child's real-life experiences makes learning relevant, increases participation, and supports development. A hands-on home calendar is an ideal tool to learn and practice a variety of skills (whether you homeschool or not!). It also provides many opportunities for cultural explorations. Here's how we use it in our home...
MATH: The first day of each month, I take down the calendar numbers, divide them into three piles (1-10,…
MATH: The first day of each month, I take down the calendar numbers, divide them into three piles (1-10,…
Long Live the Short Chains
The Montessori Short Chains and Arrows pack a big learning punch and are often under-utilized. They're great for a homeschool environment because they don't take up any shelf space. Their initial purpose is to help the child first count linearly and then skip-count. But when your child is comfortable with these two concepts, you can use the chains for much more! Here are four ideas...
Find the number: Ask the child to set out the hundred chain with the corresponding arrows, while you c…
What Matters In The End
"If it's not my idea, I don't want to do it."
This seems to be my seven-year-old son's motto these days, which is kind of annoying because we're spending the summer in a city with a wealth of world-class museums that I want him to experience. I know he'll enjoy them once we're there, but transitions have never been his strong suit.
After some trial and error (and many arguments) trying to motivate him to leave the house, I've found a two-part formula that seems to work. It both gets him excited …
This seems to be my seven-year-old son's motto these days, which is kind of annoying because we're spending the summer in a city with a wealth of world-class museums that I want him to experience. I know he'll enjoy them once we're there, but transitions have never been his strong suit.
After some trial and error (and many arguments) trying to motivate him to leave the house, I've found a two-part formula that seems to work. It both gets him excited …
The Un-Checklist
If you're a teacher or homeschooling parent who uses checklists to encourage a child's organization and accountability, then you already know just how quickly checklists can turn into a battle of wills between adult and child. You also probably sense that checklists hinder freedom of choice. And you've surely noticed that checklists shift the focus of the child's work away from self-development and flow, and towards task completion and industrial efficiency.
While checklists can work beautifull…
While checklists can work beautifull…
The Puzzle-Child
Over the years of working in Montessori classrooms I've met many children who are eager to attend lessons, engage in follow-up work, and share their new knowledge. And then there are the occasional "puzzles" (as my son's Primary guide once referred to him). How do you know if you live or work with a puzzle-child? 
Puzzle-children are those for whom learning comes easily but who see most teaching as a hindrance to their own learning agenda. On a good day, they grumpily humor your agenda for a s…
Boundaries
On a brisk and sunny Sunday three weeks ago, prior to heading out to a Christmas concert, I made my family a healthy and tasty lunch. Both of my kids (ages 6 and 3) scoffed at it and my husband had to beg them to take their (mostly full) plates to the kitchen. I cleaned the kitchen by myself while my husband and the kids played, and then we headed out, leaving behind a living room covered in toys and puzzles that I didn't have the energy to fight about.
On the way to the concert, both kids bega…
On the way to the concert, both kids bega…
On Our Shelves: materials for a 9-month-old and a 4-year-old
I recently posted a picture of 9-month-old Nadia's shelves on my Facebook page, and several people wrote to me asking for links to her toys and materials. I hope this helps you when you set up your baby's shelves!
Top row of cubbies (left to right):
Takane ball: I made the ball for Zachary when he was a baby, and both kids have gotten a lot of enjoyment out of it. I used this tutorial from Beautiful Sun Montessori, but there are many other tutorials out there if you search for "takane ball instr…
Top row of cubbies (left to right):
Takane ball: I made the ball for Zachary when he was a baby, and both kids have gotten a lot of enjoyment out of it. I used this tutorial from Beautiful Sun Montessori, but there are many other tutorials out there if you search for "takane ball instr…
Your Child Has a Secret
If you’ve been following the Voila Montessori video series, you’ve probably had the opportunity to give several presentations to your child by now. She might have shown interest in some activities, and completely ignored others. Do you feel frustrated when that happens? All that hard work to put together the material, and your child isn’t interested in it!Find out why this happens and what you can do about it by clicking here!
Bathroom Botany
I was sitting outside, enjoying a bit of sunshine, when Zachary walked out of the bathroom and approached me with an inquisitive look. "Mom, can plants grow with pee?"
The question from my just-turned-four year old caught me off guard.
"Uh, I'm not sure."
He reasoned: "Well, pee comes from water, right? So maybe they can."
"Huh. Maybe they can." And then I realized the potential this question had.
"Hey, do you want to do an experiment? We can try to see if plants will grow if we water them with u…
The question from my just-turned-four year old caught me off guard.
"Uh, I'm not sure."
He reasoned: "Well, pee comes from water, right? So maybe they can."
"Huh. Maybe they can." And then I realized the potential this question had.
"Hey, do you want to do an experiment? We can try to see if plants will grow if we water them with u…
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