montessori approach

Mar 8, 2020 04:14pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under 6 - 12, Cosmic Education, astronomy, education, elementary, elementary education, history, montessori, montessori approach, montessori blogs, montessori education, montessori elementary, montessori method, Science & storytelling

3 min read

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…

Mar 8, 2020 04:14pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under 6 - 12, Cosmic Education, astronomy, education, elementary, elementary education, history, montessori, montessori approach, montessori blogs, montessori education, montessori elementary, montessori method, Science & storytelling

3 min read

Feb 27, 2020 09:48am

By Pilar Bewley

Under 3 - 6, 6 - 12, On Parenting, Siblings, Social and Emotional Learning, brainstorming, children, critical thinking skills, imagination, montessori, montessori approach, montessori education, parent education, parenthood, parenting, positive discipline, problem-solving & rivalry

6 min read

Raising Creative Problem-Solvers

Do you constantly referee children's disagreements? Do you tend to side with one child, frustrating the other? Or do you offer solutions, only to be ignored? If you're nodding in response to any of these questions, then read on!

kids fighting

The scenario:

My 4.5-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son share a room. It's the only place in the house where they're allowed to play LEGOs, so the plastic pieces don't take over our living room/homeschool area. Both kids love LEGOs, but my older son likes to li…

Feb 27, 2020 09:48am

By Pilar Bewley

Under 3 - 6, 6 - 12, On Parenting, Siblings, Social and Emotional Learning, brainstorming, children, critical thinking skills, imagination, montessori, montessori approach, montessori education, parent education, parenthood, parenting, positive discipline, problem-solving & rivalry

6 min read

Feb 20, 2020 05:33pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under 6 - 12, Cosmic Education, chemistry, elementary, history, montessori, montessori approach, montessori blogs, montessori education, montessori elementary, Montessori Materials, montessori method, Science & storytelling

6 min read

Story of Chemistry: Part I

I wrote this story a while back for the Upper Elementary group I inherited that hadn't been exposed to chemistry. I never got around to writing Part II but if you take on that challenge, let me know!

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Pretty much all that we see or touch in our seemingly solid existence is made from an unimaginable number of tiny atoms, each a different type of element or building block. When you combine these atoms in different ways, they make up everything that we can see in the Universe.

Do y…

Feb 20, 2020 05:33pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under 6 - 12, Cosmic Education, chemistry, elementary, history, montessori, montessori approach, montessori blogs, montessori education, montessori elementary, Montessori Materials, montessori method, Science & storytelling

6 min read

Feb 15, 2020 06:45am

By Pilar Bewley

Under 3 - 6, 6 - 12, Theory and Practice, montessori, montessori approach, montessori blogs, montessori education & montessori method

4 min read

Montessori Red Flags

Some parents choose a private school based on location, ratio, or test results. But if your child is in a Montessori school specifically because you want them to reap the benefits of a Montessori education, I have some disconcerting news: The burden is on YOU to ensure the school is following authentic Montessori practices.

The name "Montessori" is not trademarked, so anyone can use it and steal the educational philosophy's reputation (and your hard-earned money). And many so-called "Montessori…

Feb 15, 2020 06:45am

By Pilar Bewley

Under 3 - 6, 6 - 12, Theory and Practice, montessori, montessori approach, montessori blogs, montessori education & montessori method

4 min read

Oct 3, 2019 07:11am

By Pilar Bewley

Under 6 - 12, Cosmic Education, Montessori Theory, Theory and Practice, elementary education, homeschool, homeschooling, maria montessori, montessori, montessori activities, montessori approach, montessori blogs, montessori education, Montessori Materials, montessori method & teaching

5 min read

The Art of Introducing a Lesson

Often, the most challenging part of giving a lesson is getting the children excited and ready to learn. Here are seven strategies to ensure your presentation gets off to a good start.

1. Check your attitude: You need to believe in the value of what you're going to present. The children will smell your fear or hesitation a mile away. If a particular topic scares you, spend more time with it. Read, listen to podcasts, watch videos, use your hands to explore the concept, and find new ways of look…

Oct 3, 2019 07:11am

By Pilar Bewley

Under 6 - 12, Cosmic Education, Montessori Theory, Theory and Practice, elementary education, homeschool, homeschooling, maria montessori, montessori, montessori activities, montessori approach, montessori blogs, montessori education, Montessori Materials, montessori method & teaching

5 min read

Sep 19, 2019 07:42pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under 3 - 6, 6 - 12, Math and Geometry, Uncategorized, education, elementary education, geometry, home environment, homeschool, homeschooling, math, montessori, montessori activities, montessori approach, montessori blogs, montessori education, Montessori Materials & montessori method

5 min read

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…

Sep 19, 2019 07:42pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under 3 - 6, 6 - 12, Math and Geometry, Uncategorized, education, elementary education, geometry, home environment, homeschool, homeschooling, math, montessori, montessori activities, montessori approach, montessori blogs, montessori education, Montessori Materials & montessori method

5 min read

Mar 27, 2019 09:57pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under 6 - 12, Cosmic Education, Theory and Practice, accountability, child development, children, education, elementary education, executive functions, learning, montessori, montessori approach, montessori blogs, montessori education & organization

3 min read

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…

Mar 27, 2019 09:57pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under 6 - 12, Cosmic Education, Theory and Practice, accountability, child development, children, education, elementary education, executive functions, learning, montessori, montessori approach, montessori blogs, montessori education & organization

3 min read

Mar 21, 2019 03:57pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under Montessori Theory, On Parenting, Social and Emotional Learning, Theory and Practice, children, education, montessori, montessori approach, montessori education, montessori method & school

4 min read

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 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…

Mar 21, 2019 03:57pm

By Pilar Bewley

Under Montessori Theory, On Parenting, Social and Emotional Learning, Theory and Practice, children, education, montessori, montessori approach, montessori education, montessori method & school

4 min read

Mar 19, 2019 08:21am

By Pilar Bewley

Under 6 - 12, Cosmic Education, Favorite Books, Montessori Theory, Theory and Practice, elementary education, homeschool, maria montessori, montessori, montessori activities, montessori approach, montessori blogs, montessori education, Montessori Materials, montessori method, Science & unschooling

4 min read

Moon-tessori (haha, couldn't resist)

"You're great at this homeschooling thing because you're a teacher... I don't think I could do it because I don't know much about anything."

I can't tell you how many times I've heard this phrase since we started homeschooling two months ago, coming from the most capable and well-prepared mothers in my circle of friends. So here's a little secret... I don't know everything. Heck, I don't know most things! But I don't let that hold me back from learning and sharing with my children. Here's an …

Mar 19, 2019 08:21am

By Pilar Bewley