As your child continues to develop their skills in Language, you'll notice we present cursive as their first introduction to the written word. The advantages of learning cursive first are numerous.

Summer is the season to be outdoors, exploring and interacting with the world. Whether this happens in your backyard, garden, the park, beach or on a camping trip, there are many opportunities for your primary child to practice skills and hone their senses.

In this prolonged absence from the classroom environment it is okay, and even encouraged, for children to take a break from academic work and focus on other aspects of life. The process of Self-Construction doesn’t stop when a child leaves school. It is happening all the time, as creative work done by the self. Children are still learning and growing without the academic work provided at school, and the work outside of academics is just as important! In the classroom we support this work of Self-Construction with our prepared environment, including the materials on the shelves, which are not in the home. However, we also support growth by offering freedom of choice in activity, and no limit on time allowance, which is a concept that can be practiced in the home.

There are many Montessori materials already hiding inside your home! Building the kinds of “work” we have on the classroom shelves can be done with household items, and without buying anything new. Your home materials don’t need to match what we have in the classroom, and there is no “perfect” way to set up materials

The toddler years are full of ups and downs. The importance of a child learning to regulate his or her emotions is important. We need to recognize and understand our children’s needs and fulfill them to the best of our ability. The emotional experiences of the young child remain deeply embedded in their brains and affects their behavior for years to come.

Since we are away from school, many parents have their children at home with them, while trying to work. I’d like to give some suggestions on how to incorporate Montessori in the home for children of any age but today, we will keep our focus on the toddler aged child. Just to be clear, you do not have to go out of your way and spend money to make your home look like your child’s classroom. If anything, we try to replicate our classroom to feel like a home environment.