The Importance of Practical Life Activities Within the Montessori Method
Learn how practical life activities in Montessori provide scope and sequence for everyday routines and practices
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Essay by Melissa McElhill
Helping Young Children Cope with Death: The Montessori Approach
Essay by Melissa McElhill
Embracing Montessori When No One Else Looks Like You
Essay by Melissa McElhill
The Guidepost Glossary of Montessori
Essay by Jenna Wawrzyniec
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Approachable Montessori Homeschooling: How One Family Made the Switch Alongside Full-time Work
Fresh Off The Press
Just Launched: Summer Camp 2021 for Elementary Students
Guidepost Montessori opens its doors to elementary students who want their summers packed full of fun, self-directed learning activities.
Guidepost Montessori and the Academy of Thought and Industry Earn Cognia System Accreditation
Both school systems — and their domestic and international locations — now meet Cognia Standards of Quality, and commit to continuous improvement
Finding Middle Ground, and Some Resources to Help You Get There
Carolyn Burns, Head of School at Guidepost Montessori North Scottsdale, shares advice and resources on navigating parenting, educating and working during closures.
Gifts for Your Toddler or Preschooler
You might not want a pair of oven mitts for Christmas, but your toddler or preschooler probably does! Get a little insight into Montessori-style gifts that your toddler or preschooler will love.
How to Bridge Discipline from School to Home with Lead Guide Brittany Brady
Brittany Brady, Lead Guide for the Toddler Community at Guidepost Montessori at Gambrills, offers concrete tips for how parents can bridge discipline from school to home.
The 2018 Speaker Series: Meet Michael Strong
We sit down with Michael Strong, Head of School and Founder of the Academy of Thought and Industry, to discuss his talk, "Montessori and the Entrepreneurial Mindset," plus ask some rapid-fire ice-breakers.
Collaboration Is a Hallmark of the Elementary Montessori Classroom
In the first six years of life, the child is focused on himself. He is aware of others, but they are not the center of his attention. All that gives way at age 6, when the child develops a fully formed social personality that craves interaction.
The 2018 Speaker Series: Meet Margaret Whitley
We sit down with Montessori expert Margaret Whitley about her upcoming talk and some rapid-fire ice-breakers.
Montessori and the Work Environment
One of the ways to make Montessori concepts more familiar is to place them in a modern workplace setting.
Montessori at Home: Practical Life
What is working well for your family right now? Guidepost parents come together in parent community to share ideas.
A Snapshot of the Elementary Classroom
In a Montessori elementary classroom, there is a hum of activity and collaboration. Learn about group lessons, going out, cooking activities and more from this engaged community of learners.
Q&A With Joel Mendes: The Prepared Environment at Home
One of the most popular questions parents have is how to prepare their children's home spaces using Montessori's principles of a Prepared Environment. Joel Mendes of the Prepared Montessorian shares his tips!
The 2018 Speaker Series: Meet Jeanne-Marie Paynel
We sit down with Jeanne-Marie Paynel, Founder of Voila Montessori, to discuss her upcoming talk and ask some rapid-fire ice-breakers.
Why 'Guide' not Teacher?
Montessori educators use a lot of specific language. It can seem like you're learning an entirely new dialect when taking a tour of a classroom for the first time!
How to Prepare for Preschool
Starting preschool can be an exciting time, filled with anxiety and questions, especially for parents. Here's four tips to help you prepare your child to start preschool and alleviate any lingering concerns that you might still have.
Q&A with Montessori teacher and Author Simone Davies: 'Children are so capable'
Amid travel for her new book, 'The Montessori Toddler,' Simone shares with us insight and inspiration on bringing Montessori into the home and into your parenthood journey.
Limits and Boundaries for Working at Home With Your Child
Enforcing a week-day routine that is distinguishable from a weekend routine is essential, but Montessori parent Jenna Wawrzyniec realized that sticking to a new routine could only be successful if she identified the limits and boundaries that bring consistency to routine.
3 (Stress-Free) Tips for Starting Montessori at Home
In light of the coronavirus, schools have moved to closures. Many of us are abruptly feeling a spotlight placed on our homes and routines. How can we support our children at home, and where do we begin with implementing Montessori?
Montessori at Home: A Video Series
Has your family begun to implement the Family Framework at home? We are sharing some ideas from parents about how this can look in your home with DIY Montessori materials to workspace tours.
Staying the Cycle: The Importance of the Mixed-Age Classroom
Continuing your child's Montessori experience through elementary ensures coalescing of skills in reading, writing, and presentation.
Montessori and Movement
Montessori started a movement in education by thinking about movement differently.
A Montessori Framework for Discipline
Promoting discipline is a longer journey, and the ways we respond to and support it must evolve to reflect our children’s growth.
Building Confidence Through Play With Jennie Monness
Join us for a free webinar with Jennie Monness, co-founder of Union Square Play and creator of the Mo' Mommies blog, on how to build confidence in your child through play.
Q&A With Lisa Kathleen: What To Look For in a Virtual Learning Program
A Q&A with Lisa Kathleen, AMI-trained Educator, Parent Coach and manager with Higher Ground Education’s Prepared Montessorian Team
A Look at Discipline the Montessori Way
At Brushy Creek, our dedicated educators stay calm and non-reactive when communicating a learning opportunity with students.
Re-imagining Discipline: The Montessori Way
The Montessori perspective on discipline is quite different from the typical, punitive understanding of the word. Learn to help your child develop inner discipline, and start by understanding the Montessori approach.
The Role of Movement in Virtual Learning
How do we as parents know what successful engagement looks like with respect to a virtual school?
Elementary Series: On the Great Stories
Learn about a collection of stories that are presented in the beginning of the school year in elementary classrooms.
Q&A with Sam Sharp: What is Our New "School Norm?"
What will school look like when we are ready to return, both in terms of what the child will experience – and then secondly, the parent experience?
Elementary: Calling a Truce With Tech
Technology is a helpful tool, but screen time should be limited and purposeful. Need help setting reasonable guidelines around technology for your elementary child?
"Normal" in a Montessori Classroom
Normalization is one of those Montessori terms that doesn't have an obvious meaning.
How To Implement Practical Life at Home
The Practical Life area is a cornerstone that not only defines a Montessori classroom, it fulfills the child’s inner plea of “Help me to do it myself!”
Try These Age-Appropriate Chores
Children from a young age are willing and able to help with household chores. Our cultural norms may tell us otherwise, but with the tips below, your child can be helping with chores appropriate to their age and ability level in no time!
Tips To Ease Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety can be troublesome for both the parent and the child, but it doesn’t have to be this way! Parents deserve to trust our children are in the right place, so before you approach mornings in fear, start here.
The Earlier the Better—Why Early Education is Important
Making decisions about your child’s early education and care can be challenging. Now face the decision of whether or not to go back to work, stay at home, enroll their infant in daycare, hire a nanny...it’s a big decision!
What Is the Role of an Assistant Guide?
Assistant Guide Ms. Dare introduces her responsibilities in the Montessori Children's House classroom.
"I Don't Want to Go to School"
We've heard it before, and we'll hear it again. In fact, we sometimes may even think it ourselves in the form of, "I don't want to go to work!"
Understanding Temper Tantrums: Part 1 of 2
Ask anyone, parent or not, whether they know what a “temper tantrum” is, or what the “terrible twos” are, and you can bet that they have no trouble picturing a toddler meltdown at a playground, a grocery store, or an airport.
Q&A With Berenice Saint-Saens: Helping Your Toddler Thrive at Home
Many parents know Berenice from her time teaching in toddler communities, doing parent consultations with Monti Kids, and online from co-running the Montessori Toddler Facebook community. Now, she's helping families implement Montessori at home!
Movement as Part of Education: How Physical Activity Aids Learning
When a child is engaged in physical activity, there is liberation: this everlasting introduction of child to the earth, and it proves how significantly physical movement aids learning. How connected is the body to the mind in your child's life?
Learning at Home: How To Find Your Family’s Daily Flow
Need some support in implementing learning at home for your elementary child? Join us for tips and resources to improve the experience for the whole family.
How To Help Your Child Learn Patience
So much of the learning your child does before age 6, or formal school age, is learning how to interact with other humans. Patience is an important skill.
Positive Rephrasing Builds Confidence in the Child
Choosing positive phrasing means your words are optimistic: You choose to focus on what you can do as opposed to what you can't. You declare what is possible, not what isn't, and it makes a difference in how your child hears you.
How To Set Limits: Advice from Montessori Lead Guide Krys Swayne
Krys Swayne, a.k.a. Ms. Krys, the Lead Guide at Guidepost Montessori Craig Ranch, shares her best tips for setting respectful limits and boundaries at home
Gifts for Your Elementary Child
Here are some gift ideas that tap into what's special about the elementary child.
Enchantment and Social-Emotional Learning in Times of Strife: A Conversation With Chloé Valdary
Join us for a free webinar with Chloe Valdary, developer of The Theory of Enchantment, where we will discuss the Social-Emotional development of children and the role of educators in helping them develop healthy, happy relationships with themselves and others, and reach their maximum potential.
5 Questions To Ask Your Preschool
Finding the right preschool can be difficult. Try asking these five questions to get a better understanding of a school's philosophy and values when you take your first tour.
The End Goal of Raising Resilient, Independent Children
A parent perspective on the role that meaningful connection has in fostering independence.
Positive Discipline with Whole.Child.Home
Hear from Blanca M. Velázquez-Martin, via @whole.child.home, about how she uses Positive Discipline with her toddler at home. Rally her expertise as a Licensed Professional Counselor
Three Phrases To Empower Your Child
Children seek independence from a very young age. How can we, as parents, guardians or educators, aid them in their quest to "do it by themselves?"
Back to School: Coming Together in New Ways
Fall 2020 has been full of challenges for families to navigate, but there's also a lot of resilience and growth to be found from change. Hear from a few of our own parents on how they've adapted for this school year
Supporting Elementary at Home: How To Engage in Your Child’s Learning
Support your child outside of school by incorporating learning in the work of the home and family.
How the Absorbent Mind Reflects Capability in the Infant
Montessori taught us of the absorbent mind. She helped us to see that a child has a tremendous capacity for processing things that is radically different from the reasoning mind of the adult. How are we nurturing this great achievement?
How to Cultivate a Homeschool Space
One parent shares her best tips and learnings on how to create and cultivate a home school Montessori space.
A Q&A: Lessons on Montessori
How do you know if your child is suitable for Montessori? Why does Montessori not have homework? What is your child learning in a Montessori classroom? Learn all about this century-old, child-centered method of education.
Ring-a-ring a Rosies: The Unsavory Roots of Children’s Rhymes, and Why They Shouldn’t Bother Us
When the words in a children’s rhyme are so lacking in clarity that even the adults argue over their meaning, is it fair of us to withhold them from children?
Keeping Schools Open During COVID-19
In the face of COVID-19, we continue to serve our families who send their children to Guidepost Schools.
COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions
We answer your frequently asked questions about COVID-19.
Stay the Course for Elementary: Montessori is not just for Early Childhood
There is a common misconception that Montessori just for early childhood? Today, we dispel this myth and discuss why Montessori can benefit older children.
Busy Work vs. Meaningful Work
How to distinguish and think about busy work vs. meaningful work while doing Montessori-at-Home with children.
How to Think about Covid-19 and Children
In this webinar, we speak with Emily Oster, and Economics professor at Brown who has been studying the data surrounding Covid-19 and children.
Montessori at Home: Sensory Work, Practical Life, and Restoring Order
Get Montessori influencer Blanca Velazquez-Martin's top tips for implementing Montessori-at-home. We've rounded up some excerpts from her Instagram page, used with her permission.
Family Framework: Creating A Montessori Experience At Home
Getting started with Montessori at home is easier when done in community! That's why our program experts built Family Framework, a Montessori parenting hub designed around connecting our Montessori educators with families and caregivers.
Family Framework: Get Started With Activity Planning
Learn how to properly plan at-home Montessori activities using the Guidepost Family Framework.
How to Approach A Disciplined Dinner with Ms. Jennifer
What role does discipline have when it comes to teaching healthy eating habits and table manners? A Guidepost Lead Guide shares practical tips below on navigating mealtime struggles.
Maria Montessori Quotes
A summary of our favorite quotes from Montessori founder Maria Montessori.
How to Create an Enticing Reading Environment at Home
Read on for tips on how to create a simple, designated reading area in your home that will entice children to read.
The Importance of Practical Life
Maria Montessori once observed that children are happiest when they are engaged in real-life, ordinary activities. They enjoy wiping down tables, sweeping floors or watering the plants at home. These tasks proved to be so important to a child’s development that Montessori added an area of the Montessori classroom devoted to these activities, and she called it Practical Life.
Preparing Your Elementary Child’s Learning Environment: How-To
Learn how to prepare your elementary child's at-home learning environment.
Montessori at Home: A Way of Life Outside the Classroom
Meet Guidepost mom Cecille, who hopes to reach other families who are considering keeping their children at home for the time being and let them know that they are not alone in this journey.
Why is There Always a Child Sweeping in the Montessori Classroom?
One writer investigates the importance of practical life activities in the Montessori classroom.
What is the Sensorial Area of the classroom?
In this post, we take a deeper look into what is meant by the term "Sensorial" in Montessori.
Q&A with Lisa Kathleen: What to Look for in Elementary Virtual Learning
An AMI-Montessori Educator answers questions about how elementary children should be learning when education is delivered virtually.
Excuse me! Lessons on Grace and Courtesy
How does the Montessori Method teach the social etiquette and behavior that keeps interactions with family and friends positive?
4 Ways to Support Emotional Development At Home
Supporting a child’s emotional development at home is not only about addressing challenging situations and big feelings - it means laying the entire foundation for your child’s awareness, understanding and regulation of their emotions for years to come. Here are 4 important things to remember during this process.
COVID-19, Physical Distancing, and Community: How Montessori Balances Children's Developmental Needs
Montessori classrooms stand out in a few ways that allow for today’s heightened focus on health and safety without changing the way our children are naturally drawn to learn.
Work Means Play in Montessori
Maria Montessori thought that work was play for children. Learn more about her philosophy.
What is Higher Ground Education’s Vision of Montessori?
Higher Ground CEO Ray Girn and VP of Pedagogy Matt Bateman joined Jonathan Torosian, the host of the New Liberals podcast, to help explain how we think about the core principles of Montessori
Approachable Montessori Homeschooling: How One Family Made the Switch Alongside Full-time Work
Using Guidepost’s Parent-as-Educator program, one mother shares her experience leaping into first-time homeschool.
Higher Ground Education Funding COVID-19 Vaccinations for All Staff
Higher Ground urges state health departments to prioritize teachers and school staff for COVID-19 vaccinations. The company will help subsidize any vaccination costs incurred by its 2,000+ staff members.
The Guidepost Glossary of Montessori
From A to Z, a comprehensive breakdown of all the Montessori terms you need to know
A Montessori Guide’s Advice for Helping Children Focus During Virtual Learning
Kyla Chen, a Virtual Lead Guide with Guidepost's Montessori Virtual School, offers advice on how to help your child transition from in-person teaching to virtual instruction.
Helping Young Children Cope with Death: The Montessori Approach
We talk to Lead Guide Jennifer Schwartz about how Montessori education can help young children process the loss of a loved one
How the Guidepost Partnership Program Supports Montessori Schools with Distance Learning
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many Montessori schools to close in the spring of 2020. But with the support of Guidepost Montessori’s Partnership Program, many of these schools are now able to facilitate authentic Montessori education online.
Approaching Black History Month from a Montessori Perspective
Lead Guide Kellie Matthews discusses the role and significance of Black History in the Montessori environment
Embracing Montessori When No One Else Looks Like You
Learn more about how India Tate and Raye Thomas — a.k.a. the Montessori Melanin Mamas — took the Montessori plunge, despite feeling underrepresented as women of color
How to Choose a Montessori Bed
In this short guide, we will walk you through what a Montessori bed is and why you might consider choosing one for your young child
Montessori Parenting Mantras to Inspire Resilience and Growth
Montessori parent Jenna Wawrzyniec shares the top three parenting mantras that helped her build resilience over the past year.
What's the Point of Montessori, Really?
It’s not about buying wooden toys or withholding praise — it’s about loving the adult your child is destined to become.
Guidepost Montessori Launches Nanny Shares, Home Learning Pods Nationwide
Guidepost Montessori is offering families across the country new childcare and education solutions with the national expansion of Guidepost at Home, a service that places vetted and trained Montessori nannies and educators in the homes of families searching for an alternative to brick-and-mortar daycares and schools for fall 2020.
Spotlight on Grammar Boxes
Grammar Boxes take up a lot of real estate on the language shelves of a Montessori elementary classroom. In this post, we'll explain what they are.
Montessori Material Spotlight: Sandpaper Numerals
Sandpaper Numerals help a child develop his understanding of the symbols of the numbers 0 through 9.
How To Avoid Punishment And What To Do Instead with Ms. Bridgette
Ms. Bridgette, Lead Guide and certified trainer in Positive Discipline offers concrete solutions for how parents can navigate challenging behaviors and emotions.
Guidepost Montessori Elementary Distance Learning Approach
Join us to learn about the principles behind our Montessori approach and the details of how we bring it to life.
How to be a Montessori Parent
Our teachers within our Guidepost Montessori schools share how you can implement elements of the Montessori philosophy into your parenting.
11 Math and Language Activities to do at Home During the Covid-19 Quarantine
Guidepost Montessori has developed a bank of Montessori-inspired activities to help parents meet their children’s developmental and educational needs while at home.
Addressing the Problem of Racism
As Montessori educators, we must identify how are we called upon to serve children and families in the context of the broader cultural awareness and urgency of the pervasive and destructive harm caused by racism.
What Will It Take to Reopen Schools?
A panel discussion on the controversial — but critical — prospect of getting schools open again, featuring bestselling author Emily Oster, infectious disease specialist Amesh Adalja, and Higher Ground Education CEO Ray Girn.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Symptoms, Prevention, and How to Discuss With Your Child
In this article, we want to share three important topics concerning the Coronavirus (COVID-19): symptoms, prevention, and how to discuss the illness with your child.
What Makes Us Different — Why The Montessori Method Is Unique
Understand how the Montessori Method brings a knowledge-rich, child-centered approach to education.
Montessori Material Spotlight: Number Rods
Montessori learning environments take a unique approach to teaching math: The carefully designed math materials take an abstract concept, such as “length,” and make it into concrete materials that children can hold in their hands. The Number Rods help a child begin his understanding of the numbers 1 through 10.
Multi-Age Classrooms—A Hallmark of Montessori
The multi-age classroom is fundamental to the Montessori method. But why is that and what are the benefits?
2020 Guidepost Montessori Webinar Series
Guidepost Montessori hosts a series of free webinars on Montessori, child development, relevant research, and parenting topics.
Montessori Material Spotlight: The Binomial and Trinomial Cubes
Two of Montessori's sensorial materials, the binomial and trinomial cubes, visually introduce the child to the concept of cubes of binomials and trinomials, while providing a fun challenge.
Discipline: Four Tips from the Montessori Perspective
Helping a child to develop inner discipline is an art and a science. To showcase this approach in action, here are four tips that illustrate different aspects of helping a child develop inner discipline.
Teaching Reading and Writing with Montessori
The Montessori curriculum is thoughtfully built around teaching children the many elements of reading and writing one by one, in an accessible and enjoyable way.
The Importance of Practical Life Activities Within the Montessori Method
Learn how practical life activities in Montessori provide scope and sequence for everyday routines and practices.
Guidepost Strong: How Our Texas Schools Built Community Through Historic Storm
How Guidepost campuses transformed into community hubs to support hundreds of staff and families through a historic winter storm that hit Texas in February 2021.
How Montessori at Home Improved the Lives of an Innovative English Family
The Montessori Method helped Florence Taylor connect with her son and become a better adult, regardless of how childishly others reacted to her parenting techniques.
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Melissa McElhill
Our Montessori Philosophy
The Montessori approach to human development is based on the belief in the potential of the child, and on the belief that it is only the child who can realize this potential. To grow up well is to grow up to be increasingly independent—to be increasingly capable, increasingly confident, increasingly secure.
Giving children the keys to life
Guidepost Montessori enables children to understand the world and choose their place within it.
With over 80 campuses across the US and Asia, and at-home and virtual learning programs serving more than 7,000 families worldwide, Guidepost is the world’s largest Montessori network.
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Do you want to learn more about Montessori? Visit The Prepared Montessorian for flexible online courses, from beginner to expert level.