Toddler Montessori: Shape Sorters

Joshua loved this toy when he was an older infant and toddler. 

I painted the pieces blue so as to isolate the concept of shape, but I left the box unpainted. The bottom I lined with felt because the sounds of the pieces falling into the box. 

When he got older, we used the same pieces to learn the names for each of the shapes and all of the related sensorial games from the sensorial album. 

REVIEW POST: Montessori House Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers

Montessori House has been on my radar for a while. The author and I are in the same Montessori "team" on Etsy - and I have had to defend her right to utilize the team tag "TeamMontessori" on her albums.

The author has AMI training and has organized her AMI albums for use by parents and teachers. What she offers is authentic - with some caveats. 

I do have fundamental disagreements with a few areas of Montessori House: 

• The primary - or second half of the first plane of development - ages 2.5-6 is to be kept together. No child progresses perfectly in sync in all areas nor in sync with any other child ever. Thus it makes no sense to split up the albums for ages 2.5-6 into 4 different levels. 
• Primary only goes through kindergarten - not grade 1. Grade 1 (or first grade) should be the first year of elementary, the child has a different mind (a reasoning mind) and is need of the Great Lessons, not being held back into primary. 
• The author says on the main website that the primary albums at least are a compilation "of the best exercises and presentations". Well, in one sense, AMI provides the keys, thus the "best" are all of them; so this could mean all of them. But I am not so sure on that, looking over the table of contents. 
• There are related blogs and newsletters, but none seem to be producing new content of late. What is there is good however! 
• The groupings of how to purchase which albums is odd configurations as well, which leads to confusion of "what am I suposed to get for which age/experience". But this is minor. 

Still - what is there, should be quality. 

Last week, I finally purchased the infant and toddler binders for my own use. 

Some of my own Montessori background: 

• Before I had my son, I had spent many days at a then-local AMI Montessori school - I had no training, I didn't even barely know about Montessori when I first walked in. But I fell in love from the first 5 minutes! (it took 4 1/2 minutes to get used to the idea of "just sit in this chair and observe for a little while to get a feel for the environment here" ;) ). 
• At that school, I spent most of my time with the infants and toddlers; second-most time in before/after care, third in elementary (6-9 and 9-12 at this school) and lastly in primary (3-6). 
• I loved every moment - even when I was overwhelmed with confusion about what on earth was happening! Children excited about studying grammar!? Children ready to leave who spend 5 minutes picking well more than half of their "mess" from playing with a friend because that is what is done to be respectful to one another!? Respect!?
  Wow. 
• In the meantime, I have had an awesome son, went to AMI training for primary Montessori (ages 2.5-6) and elementary Montessori (ages 6-12), subbed at a slew of schools, spent more time with infants and toddlers (and all the other ages, including now a limited time with adolescents) - and run an in-home daycare based on Montessori principles. 

No Assistance to Infancy training is on my horizon at this time --- and the resources I have accessed have been much less than stellar (ahem - Montessori from the Start - I will post a review on that book soon - I don't recommend it anymore! I only used to recommend it with caveats.). I did use Montessori from the Start but set aside so much from it - and felt guilty for doing so (more in the upcoming post). 

I have been loving my recent discovery: Susan Stephenson's book The Joyful Child for children ages 0-3. I have a review post coming forth on that one too - I will only say here that my only caveat is the lack of some material descriptions. 

I started to write my own guide based on my own observations, readings, experiences, etc. It would have been awesome; but The Joyful Child takes care of a good deal of what I wanted to put together - and the remaining bits could be gleaned from Montessori from the Start, but still the separation of wheat and chaff was hurting me. 

Thus, I took a chance on the Montessori House Infant and Toddler binders. Spent $80-something after shipping. Then I read some reviews from others in a Facebook group, posted right after I ordered. I was doubting my purchase. Very concerned about the wasted money. There was one good review but she said she didn't want a lot of background/theory (and that portion is needed!). 

My verdict? 

YES! Just enough theory/background to get across the points without being overwhelming and spending hours upon hours of reading. And straight-forward material descriptions. 

And the emphasis on OBSERVATION! Phenomenal! Even places to record dates, notes, reactions, etc! 

Not a downside or a caveat - but just a point of interest: These albums are written pretty much without emotion; there is little in the way of wordy explanations. It is very much "here is the idea, here is why it works, go observe!" Some people may be put off by that, but just read it as a factual document and all is well! 

One issue noted by the Facebook group reviews: a lack of structure, finding some of it "vague and disjointed" - I have that part covered below ;) 

Of course I have my own personal caveats - personal to me, but also from my professional perspective. I thoroughly stand behind the infant album (up to 18 months). In the toddler album (18 months to 2.5 years), here are some of my tips: 

• page 83: When a child shows interest in letters at this age, Montessori House says to use sandpaper letters, DON'T. That is not the most accurate match for the child's self-construction. When the child is interested in letters and words, be sure you are playing the *sound games* instead. Separately, if a child asks about a word or a letter, give the word or give the letter *sound* (not the name). 
• The math section: Counting - YES! Making counters out of clay for the fun of it - YES!
  But please don't do sandpaper numbers at this point or do the numbers & counters activity. These come after a child has had the number rods experience later. 
• For math, keeping going with patterning, oral counting, one to one correspondence and the like. 

Overall, these two Montessori House binders, taken together with Susan Stephenson's lovely, parent-friendly gentle book The Joyful Child, will provide all that you need for an awesome Montessori infant and toddler home experience! What the one lacks, the over fills in! 

These two resources for infancy and toddler - transition readily into Keys of the World for 2.5-6 and Keys of the Universe for ages 6-12.

:) 

Montessori at Home: Infants and Toddlers

Cutie!

There have been SO MANY questions of late about what to do with infants; how to setup a Montessori environment for toddlers...

Legoboy, over a year ago, put together this list of then-current links to our infant Montessori and toddler Montessori experiences - I am copying/pasting its current version below.

I did find more old pictures that I want to get posted - but in the meantime, I thought I would highlight some of how we did Montessori at home, during a few moves (and a few months of no consistent home), and in small spaces (like the house we stayed in where we only had the bedroom!).

Enjoy!

(the following copy/paste is from the Infant-Toddler Page here on Montessori Trails - updated every so often, please visit for newer post links!)

Infant & Toddler
Montessori

Our Infant Toddler homeschooling Montessori Trails:

More to be posted as I get through our older photos :)

Infancy: 

Exercises of Practical Life in Infancy

Infancy: Home at Last

Infancy: Our Adaptations

Infants, Toddlers and Toothpicks

Toddler: 

Infants, Toddlers and Toothpicks

Toddler Montessori at Home

Infants and Toddlers at Home

Starting Montessori with a 2-Year -Old

Exercises of Practical Life in Our Home

Toddlerhood - Montessori Home Environment

Legoboy's First Dictionary


Last Updated: Legoboy
December 11, 2013

Reality vs. Fantasy Before Age 6 - My Experience

I knew about the Montessori principle of focusing on reality before my son was born. So I was good to go from the start. And I fully supported it because it made sense - it fit with my own experiences working with children that I had not been able to clarify before.

A not so scientific survey - well, it's scientific, just anecdotal/observational science:

Children founded in reality in the first plane of development (conception to age 6) have stronger imaginations, greater creativity and are generally still in awe of the world around them into the elementary years, as compared to children who were surrounded by other people's imaginings in those formative years.

For example, I can tell what sort of 0-6 upbringing a 6-8 year old child has had in response to the first Great Lesson: God with No Hands. Children founded in reality, recognize immediately that there is some amount of fantasy here (the inanimate world does not actually whisper "I hear my Lord, and I obey" nor do angels actually carry heat up and bring cool down). The children immediately recognize words such as "like" and "as if", referring to analogies. The children understand these analogies and pick up on them, even if they have not had an explicit lesson on "analogy." These children can immediately get into the exploration of the actual facts and have JOY in the imaginative pieces - 'those particles, "like" people, like some but have a strong dislike for others', the children find such amusement in this line!

On the other hand, the children who have had experience with a lot of other people's imaginations (things that are not real, adults telling stories that couldn't possibly be true for the fun of it, cartoons, etc.), even when they tell you they "know" the difference between fantasy and reality - will ask at the end (or interrupt in the middle!) of the First Great Lesson, "Is that real?" Or they will say, "Well, that's not really what happened."

Yes, you are correct my child, but did you actually listen?

The story itself doesn't say that it is really what happened - the analogies make this clear. But these children have been set up to argue something that wasn't an argument. They have to repeat to themselves the concepts in the story itself to say that the story is an imaginative event, with a good deal of real facts. So 1) they consciously miss the clues that are obvious to the other children yet 2) they are re-stating those very clues in their own words ("this isn't how it exactly happened").

It becomes almost a difference between true pure joy and a building cynicism.

Wow. And I just wanted to tell a story to open up the geography album.

It happens in other areas too.

The children with the mixed experiences before age 6 seem to spend several of their elementary years sorting out the difference between reality and fiction. I wonder, if a longitudinal study were done, if this carries over into their adolescent and adult years - leading to people questioning objective Truth in this world. Even those without cynicism waste those elementary years still sorting out real versus fiction.

The children with the solid foundation in reality spend their elementary years enjoying the awe and wonder of the world around them, asking many "what if" questions that explore the very real natural laws around us; then testing them out and seeing what more they learn. This is true imagination - to test the limits of reality.

The children with mixed experiences generally consider fairy tales to be girly stories (if they are boys) and baby stories (if they are boys or girls). They might participate because they know there is something there, but there is a rough exterior that says, "I'm actually too cool for this but I'll go along with it since everyone else is." Or they tend to tease the other children who actually still like fairy tales.

The children with the reality experiences DELVE into fairy tales (which are actually moral tales), reading the original versions and various re-writes. They explore the moral dimensions, they re-write endings, or write alternative viewpoints. They explore the cultural dimensions and what it meant to have Cinderella's eyes pecked out by ravens. They are fascinated with Rudyard Kipling's "Just So Stories" and can actually sit through a reading of the original Jungle Books.


Now does this happen with EVERY child? Probably not. But think about this: even the children who SAY they understand the difference, and verbally state they know and then proceed to prove it... doesn't mean they really get it. And sometimes, the fact that they have to verbalize it, means that they have not entirely internalized it. Sometimes the whole talking through something is a sign that the child is still working through it.

And it has been consistent with all the children I have personally observed in this area.

Infants, Toddlers and Toothpicks

I have mentioned this activity a few times - about an older infant or toddler sitting at their little table with a set of toothpicks and a jar of varying kinds.

Not everyone has baby food jars - some of us make/made our own ;) So an alternative?

NOT this (awesome spice jar from IKEA - lots of uses - this one ain't it)

Toothpicks go in, but don't all come out.
FRUSTRATING.
Does not encourage independence or skills. 

Ball jam jar
these glass jars come in a variety of sizes, including very short!
Get the wide mouth ones. You'll use them for everything!
Get the types that one-size lid fits all you get.
The child can even insert his hand to
remove the toothpicks without dumping. ;) 

Infants and Toddlers at Home

How do we provide a Montessori environment for the littlest ones?

It is so easy and simple - that it is complicated.

Your best bet is start with nothing and add what you need; but most of us do not have that luxury. Instead we have to wade through the *stuff* to purge what we don't need. Ugh.


First, learn about your child's developmental stages - read Montessori's writings and attachment parenting books about this age, before really looking at other resources (even if you don't plan to attachment parent - the information is very sound). These writings will be based on observation and responses given to children of this age for the last 6000 years at minimum.

Train yourself in observation and response. Subtle cues. Environmental. People. Temperature. The sounds of silence.

Establish a peaceful home. A joyous home. Filled with love and light.

For materials - consider what you REALLY need. Babies need very few contraptions - on the contrary, they need room to explore.

Consider human needs and tendencies as they will be displayed in a very young child, even one in the womb. How can you meet these needs and tendencies? Fulfill them?

Through simplicity. Focus. Yes there are mobiles and images that are strongly recommended, but in the end, YOU can come up with most of what you need with only a small nudge for the rest. Trust YOURSELF, trust YOUR instincts. Develop your instincts. Follow your gut.

Observe and Respond.

(NOTE: Blogger is being funny with the photo arrangements - if you see a HUGE blank space below, please keep scrolling down for the rest of the post!)

Start with one piece puzzles and large knobs
(geometric shapes best to start with -
see the top puzzle of the stack on the left)

So happy to be at the table with the big people :)

booster for at the table
(doubles as high chair with detachable tray;
also tilts back for infants
and has 2-3 height settings)

booster that doubles as high chair when needed.
Less furniture and smaller. 

Attachment parenting
confidence that mom is always there

Real food; real utensils
the bowl was in my hands at the time of the photo

Time with family, participating with the family

Drinking from bowl of cereal for the first time!
This photo: about 12 months
visiting at a friend's house
their kids thought the toy would neat
he ignored it ;) 

Building and exploring
does not have to be Montessori materials
although plain colored blocks are best,
if you have colored, have 1 color for each shape

Concentration

Visiting at friend's house - no glass tumblers available
plastic is ok from time to time, but has no weight
plastic is easier to knock over than heavy glass
glass encourages control of movement
This photo: 12 months
start with glass tumbler: 7-10 months

Lots of real experiences in natural spaces

Experiences - get out with baby!
In this photo: pointing at the birds around St. Peter's Square
shouting "Duck! Mama look! Ducks!"
(birds, ducks... well... he *was* only 23 months!)

Freedom in nature

Controlled exploration

Floor-mirror next to bed. 

Floor mirror
I'm not excited about that duck thing.
But sometimes you have to compromise for family peace ;)  

Freedom of movement as much as possible
get in or out at will most of the time
then stay in seat during regular family meal time,
church services, prayer, etc. 

What the child sees on one of the infant mobiles

One of the infant mobiles
I made some pieces reversible to conserve materials

Lots of reading
as much reality as possible,
but don't mess with Great-Grandma's preferences ;) 

Lots of babies and other children!

A proud happy boy after Thanksgiving meal 

Own table to utilize between family meals

Quality time with godparents :) 

Quality time with godparents ;)
Yes, they are both genuinely asleep ;) 

about 20 months
eating with regular bowl and spoon

Collecting peas that had fallen off of dish during mealtime

Explore lots of textures (not all at once!)

Thinking he is ordering for himself ;)
Probably about 11 months here. 

~1.5 year old at Thanksgiving
Serving self from controlled portions
in small dishes

Real experiences - snow! 

Lots of space to crawl and move. 

Experimenting - this time with a drain in our kitchen floor.
What will fit? 

1 year old at Thanksgiving
Eating with own real utensils and drinking from glass
I love those little lips puckering out in concentration. 

Lots of other children
does not have to be all the time -
enough to learn proper social skills

Toileting when ready
(the attached child seat was
not appropriate for his anatomy,
thus we added the removable one with handles)
Step-stool for toilet
and step-stool for sink

Watching the infant mobile

Climbing on staggered couch cushions;
floor mirror is on back of couch to entice interest
for new infants in my daycare

All those photos and not a good one of our family floor bed. It is hinted at in some of the photos. For the most part, we used a regular mattress on the floor and called it good. And when I was pregnant it was FAR easier to get out of bed off a mattress on the floor than out of any of the taller beds I slept in when visiting family. Roll over onto hands and knees on the floor, then slowly rise from that position - stretches all the appropriate muscles to bring blood flow throughout the body, controlled any possible light-headedness or low blood pressure, and gave a bit of exercise in preparation for a smooth birthing experience. Very nice. And a fantastic transition into having baby on the floor bed, family style.

There are other photos missing as well - such as the coffee tin with the slit in the lid (for inserting poker chips) and the Discovery Toys ship with the balls that roll (we removed the colored rings and the hammer and just dropped the balls in; add the rings and press hard at an older age - no hammer). Too bad I didn't keep a daily diary at the time (ha! in what time!?) ;)


See other Montessori Trails for lists of the items I did utilize as well as practical life ideas.


By 2 1/2 the primary albums can be utilized to work on early language, early exercises of practical life and early sensorial. But don't rush things before that. Don't worry about providing knobbed cylinders - just have lots of exploration with real materials that provide experiences with shape, size, colors, weights, muscle control - and LOVE.

An AWESOME resource for this age: The Joyful Child by Susan Stephenson - available at MichaelOlaf.net. PLease note, this is a book, not a catalog; The Joyful Child, not A Joyful Child; Susan Stephenson, not another author ;) There is some confusion out there. This book is written for parents in a natural friendly tone, specifically for infants and toddlers!


Please see our other Infant and Toddler experiences on Montessori Trails.

Exercises of Practical Life in Infancy

An infants' focus is almost entirely on practical life and sensorial experiences. And almost everything requires NO materials.


In our home, we had the following material-required skills for the infant years - up to 12 months old.

• toothpicks into a jar wide mouth jar, then water bottle, then mounting onto salt shaker holes
• beginning to cut with scissors - at tray on booster seat with blunt-tipped scissors and narrow strips of paper on special tray that is indicated just for cutting
• using slots and holes (balls into holes; large poker chips into a slot on a coffee can lid --- start with objects that require no force to push through, then ones with more force required)
• feeding self

Mostly we focused on movement skills, language, reading, and being together. We had the mobiles, floor bed, long mirror, and lots of loved ones to provide love and attention. No specially purchased materials here:

• couch cushions for climbing and tumbling - remove cushions from couch to create a safe climbing and tumbling game
• can or heavy jar that rolls across the floor to encourage crawling
• stairs with a gate across the 4th or so step (move it up as the child is safely climbing up and down)
• textures of various fabrics

Above all else, focus on reality - and encourage baby to participate in his own way. Talk to him with whole language (yes, high-pitched motherese is fantastic for the youngest babies!), smile, interact - all those grace and courtesy lessons coming in a few years in primary. 

Everything is practical life and sensorial at this age! 

Infant Montessori is so easy in retrospect - it really IS a minimalist approach! 

Climbing the couch cushions for the first time
(look at the happy face!)

waiting for his new friend to join him

Infancy - Home at Last

In our new home I was finally able to have things in one place and leave them there for a while!

We had a temporary roommate who would be getting married the following summer. She and her fiance were two of my son's first babysitters when he was 4 months old. Our families are still close, if not geographically! She was so open to my "odd" ideas because of her impending marriage and because her younger sisters had not been babies in so long that she loved the experience of having a baby on-hand again.


Living Room
We set up the couch so that the child's table/chair set was behind it - in a private area of sorts.

The rest of the living room was set up so that nothing down low was off-limits for young children. We did slowly let up on this because children DO need to learn limits of what they can and cannot touch. So we'd leave something of interest and teach him, "No touch."

Basket of books for his use.

Now, we had a crowded living room, but that was from my non-Montessori days, when I did my own share of traveling and having things in storage; not knowing what I had and accepting gifts from well-meaning loved ones. When we moved into that apartment, I was finally able to have all of my belongings in one place at one time and truly figure out even what I owned - our large living room was cut in half by stacking ALL boxes ceiling high in one half of the room. I had 4 sets of dishes. Yes, they were sold off eventually. And I was further driven to minimize-minimize-minimize.


Bathroom
Under the sink: cloth diapers and wipes (I did not use cleaning solutions for the wipes - just water and a squirt of handsoap when needed)

Toilet lid rule: always closed when done

Bathtub: all shampoos and implements in one of those hard baskets in the corner, up high; child items in a cloth bag suction cupped to the side

Cleaning chemicals? We didn't really use any... toothpaste and such was kept in the cabinet; medicines and such shouldn't be stored in the bathroom anyway (moisture damages them) - so these were kept in the pantry closet, along with the all-natural cleaners we used.


Kitchen
Under the sink: small broom and dustpan; cleaning cloths

Lower cupboards: pots, pans; plastic storage bins (we had a lot of those at the time...)

Garbage bin: tall and narrow with a flip-over/swinging lid; we used shopping bags for garbage and all other shopping bags were stored in the bin, underneath the currently-in-use bag

Shelf for child's items: so the children could get their items themselves - dishes, cups, placemats.
Placemats: I found some solid color woven placemats at a thrift store and drew the shape of our dishes onto them, so that the children could set their own place at the table even at age 1. My son (age 7) still likes to use his placemat like that just for kicks.


Bedroom: 
The roommate's room was off-limits.

Our room had the floor bed, stuffed animals, mobiles, the long floor mirror, and all other items (since most of my belongings were at that time still stacked in the living room!). In infancy this was all that was needed, since we did things together; or had baskets throughout.


Throughout
No shoes allowed. Children crawling on the floor do not need the crud that comes in off of the roads and sidewalks; I can handle what happens in the yards better (the earth takes care of some of it), but it still doesn't really belong inside.

Lower areas were child-friendly. So a child could safely explore without constant supervision (parents do need to blink their eyes! and use the bathroom!)

Upper areas contained the more dangerous things (chemicals, medicines, knives)

Each room had a basket appropriate to that room. So if I was in the shower, the basket in the bathroom might have a book or a textured ball or something else that he could play with while I showered.
In the kitchen, it contained kitchen utensils I could name for him while I was working in the kitchen.
The living room baskets (I had 3) would vary - one was for books that I rotated; one had a variety of "toys"; the other had religious items. As he used them, I would tell him the names of the items; sometimes show one way something could be used.



This lasted until about a year and a half - even by then we had already been phasing into toddlerhood........

Infancy - our adaptations

Most families that want to start Montessori from the earliest ages, know about the book Montessori from the Start. I have mixed feelings, personally; but it is a good place to start! Just know that what you do probably won't match exactly!

Our family's differences:

• attached
• family bed
• self-weaned nursing
• we moved a lot in his first year of life

Montessori is not opposed to any of these modes of parenting. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!


Attachment
We had a Nojo sling - and LOVED it. I picked up a crying baby, or sang to him, or rubbed his back or tummy. He had lots and lots of floor time, but he needed to be close to people and their warmth.

I did this with all of my daycare children. I kept them close until they were comfortable venturing further away. And they did become comfortable quickly because they knew I was a solid presence and my home was for them to explore. We do this with Montessori children of all ages - above infancy and toddlerhood it is a normalization thing and a responsibility thing - both on the part of the child. In infancy and toddlerhood, it is a trust thing on the part of the child.


Family Bed
We had a mattress on the floor - but we shared it. This really worked great for so many reasons. During my pregnancy I found it easier to get out of bed with the mattress on the floor (roll over onto hands and knees and get up from there) versus trying to sit up then stand up out of a higher bed when I visited family.

When he was born and had some jaundice, we had to bring home a bili-blanket (it looks like a spaceship landing in your bedroom at 2 am when you're sleep-deprived), so this sat on the floor and was hooked up to him just fine - no dangling cords or fanagling lay-outs - we just set it up and away the jaundice went!

By being on the floor with him I was aware of drafts or anything that could be potentially harmful. I also could have him with me without fear of him falling off.

I was still in college when he was born (3 weeks before final exams!), so the whole attachment and family bed just *worked* - we were together and I could be studying, getting more sleep when he's right next to me at night (night-nursing), etc. Somewhere there's a photo of us taking one of my final exams together....


Weaning
Note on the weaning: there are two definitions of weaning and we should recognize them when we start to compare "modes of weaning".

1. completely done with nursing or bottle (think North America)
2. first bite of non-nursing/formula (think Great Britain)

These definitions sure change some of the arguments on both sides, huh?

My son self-weaned (definition #1) sometime before he turned 3. Even by then, he would go a day or two or longer between nursings. We just kept this totally low-key, just as with the attachment section above.


Moving
Moving a lot worked to our advantage. I knew there were going to be at least 3 moves in the first year and I told my family as they planned all the gizmos and gadgets they were going to get for the new baby, "I am not going to be a moving furniture store!" It still took some coaxing but the message finally got through.

What I found useful:

• stroller with removable infant seat - strong and sturdy, thus gifted to a new family later
• umbrella stroller - for some reason we still have this in the closet even though he's far too old ???
• pack and play (not by choice, but it did come in handy when I was required to have it by daycare laws) --- if I have another child, we won't be using this item
• tiltable booster seat with detachable tray (latch to a regular chair or set on the floor or on a restaurant seat, etc. This worked great until he outgrew it (over age 4) - well worth the investment and takes up so much less space than a huge high chair)
• boppy pillow (I still use this as a pillow for myself!)
• cloth diaper pail and cloth diapers/wipes - all items have been re-purposed elsewhere since then
• bouncer (not by choice; could have done without; found it useful at rare times though - would not use again for another baby)
• lots of blankets! Can't have too many blankets! 
• toddler: we had a toilet seat that was installed onto the regular seat - the adults would have to lift it up to use the regular seat; but the lid closed over it. Really nice! 
• 2 stools (one for the toilet, one for the bathroom sink)
• swingable baby gate - top of the stairs in one house we stayed

We moved 6 official times that first year; no, we moved 6 official times in the first 10 1/2 months not counting 7 weeks of constant traveling. 

At 10 1/2 months we were finally in the home we would stay for another year and a half. It was at this home, my next post describes. 

Welcome to Montessori Trails

Pic from a year after this post was written

As a way of introducing myself:

I am currently an elementary Montessori homeschooling mom - of a precocious, beautiful 7 year old boy - the light of my life.
(Update: November 16, 2019, Joshua Alexander passed away at age 15 - delivering a customer's package to the outgoing mailbox across the street. He was Montessori homeschooled his entire life.)

I have officially been with Montessori for 15 years and have embraced it whole-heartedly. You'll see that I've made some adaptations for our particular circumstances, but they all "fit" into the Montessori philosophy of cosmic education.

I have way too much college education: associates in child development (anti-Montessori professors); associates in liberal arts; bachelor's in theology with unofficial minors in business administration and child development (still anti-Montessori); master's degree programs in Montessori education and in theology.... and AMI Primary Montessori Training for ages 3-6 (more like 2 1/2-6) and AMI Elementary Montessori training for ages 6-12.

I run two small businesses from my home:
Keys of the Universe and Garden of Francis - with some offshoots!
Keys of the Universe - Online Montessori Training
Keys of the Universe Montessori - Materials, Mentor access (videos, albums, online support)
Keys of the World - Materials, Mentor access to Montessori homeschool curriculum for ages 3-6
Garden of Francis - homemaking, educational materials and Montessori supplies
The Shepherd and The Vine - Montessori-based religious educational materials


I also run a local part-time Montessori co-op, lead atrium sessions for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, and otherwise keep myself far too busy for my own good!

My son has officially attended 2 Montessori schools, and unofficially attended a countless number, in addition to our homeschool and co-op. But all those details are to come!

I have also run a Montessori-based daycare in two of our homes. I had children ages 6 weeks to 13 years at varying times. I had my home available 24/7, and I accommodated part-time, full-time, routine-schedules and sporadic schedules - we lived in a college town so this worked wonderfully for everyone involved.

My hope is that this blog will provide inspiration for others while I chronicle our Montessori Trails from my first discovery of Montessori through infancy, toddler, primary, and now in elementary - to this morning when my son spent most of this time organizing "business finances" and scheduled a trip to the bank for some currency exchanging. Yes, at 7, he runs his own business too: Hearts in Wonderland on Etsy

From sub, to aide, to homeschool, to tutor, to mentor, to so many roles - please join me!