Montessori at Home: A Step-by-Step Guide
I heart Montessori! We have been trying to do Montessori at home since 2011. Montessori is an incredible approach that respects children and helps them grow into their fullest selves.
I am trained as a 1st-3rd grade Montessori guide (i.e., teacher), but I have tried to learn as much as possible about implementing Montessori at home with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
Since our children are constantly changing, our environments have to change, too! There is so much more than just “baby-proofing” your home.
Here are some of the posts I have written along the way to try and document our journey!
Montessori Philosophy
- Let Children Make Mistakes
- For Infants & Toddlers: Creating an Environment of Yes’s
- Toilet Training in a Montessori Way (i.e., “Toilet Learning)
- Choosing Clothes in a Montessori Way
Physical Space: Montessori at Home
- Newborn Montessori Nursery Tour
- Newborn Montessori Environment
- Montessori Floor Bed
- Weaning Table
- One Year-Old: Bedroom
- Our Montessori Home, ages 5 and 7
Materials
- First Infant Montessori Mobile
- Infant Topponcino
- Discovery Basket
- 6 Months Old: Installing a Pull-Up Bar
- One Year-Old: Toy Recommendations
Activities: Montessori at Home
Also, Kylie (the Amazing Woman behind the blog How We Montessori) and I published a book about cooking with children in the kitchen. The book is called Kids in the Kitchen: Simple Recipes that Build Independence and Confidence in a Montessori Way. It includes a step-by-step guide about how to set up your kitchen for toddlers and preschoolers. Then it shares ten pictorial recipes that your children can follow even before they know how to read.
It can be easy to overly focus on the “materials” part of Montessori, but at it’s core, it’s a philosophy. It’s about putting the child at the center and trying to show them as much respect as we possibly can so that they can grow into who they want to be. Montessori calls us to pay close attention to the developmental needs of our children and to prepare environments that meet their needs. Then we have to try and get out of their way as they grow into full independence.
