Freedom & Limits: from birth to 18 years old
posted by Katelynn 🌻 12 November 2024
In this blog post you will find my notes from the 2024 Nienhuis Retreat and the lectures from some of Europe’s best AMI Trainers from 0-18. They are incredible women with decades of experience who have trained hundreds of teachers around the world. They are Patricia Wallner, Madlena Ulrich, Carla Foster, and Jenny Marie Höglund.
Photo Tour of the Parent Coworking Space
posted by Katelynn 🌻 3 August 2024
Our beautiful parent coworking space is connected to the classroom with a separate entrance, to ensure that you are able to be productive and work closely to your child.
Our Montessori Preschool Classroom
posted by Katelynn 🌻 2 June 2024
Welcome to our new preschool location and parent co-working space! Here a few photos taken during the Montessori Preschool & Early Preschool Classes in May of 2024, a few weeks after we opened the school.
Düsseldorf’s 1st Montessori Early Learning Center!
posted by Katelynn 🌻 12 May 2024
Explore the diverse offerings of the Montessori Family Center in the heart of Düsseldorf, where families embark on a unique journey. This carefully crafted indoor playground and Kindercafé caters to children aged 0 to 6, providing a thoughtful environment for early childhood development.
Fatherhood Interview with Chad
posted by Katelynn 🌻 22 October 2023
For our podcast Chad and I did an interview about fatherhood! Here is what he shared with me about his personal experience about becoming a father and discovering the kind of parent he wanted to be. There is a lot of talk of fathers and mothers and breaking traditional roles and stereotypes. This is a very emotional topic and one that carries centuries of gender-based biases. There are also so many personal, religious, cultural, familiar, and social factors that contribute to the experience of every parent and of course there are all kinds of family models. As Chad shared with me, although every parent’s journey is distinct, it is helpful to hear about each other’s experiences and this can affect our understanding of what being a father means to us.
Language Development
posted by Katelynn 🌻 18 May 2023
In this blog post you will learn the stages of development for language comprehension and speech from pregnancy to 6 years old; I share some ways to help your child learn and use language by making small changes to every-day interactions; and I reference recent, peer-reviewed studies to answer the main questions I hear from parents:
1.) When to children learn to talk? 2.) Will having more than one language at home cause speech delays?
3.) My child isn’t talking yet. Should I be worried? 4.) How can I teach my child a new language?
5.) What is the best way to support language learning in general? 6.) Should I try baby sign language?
Photo Tour of a Montessori Newborn Class
posted by Katelynn 🌻 16 March 2023
Montessori Newborn Class is for small babies and their parents. The starting age for this class is 6 weeks – 7 months old from the first day of the term. Newborn Class is offered every Thursday and Friday from 9:30-10:30. You can find more details and join the waiting list at the link above.
Montessori Classes are child-led so each week is different as the babies’ interests and skills advance. The structure of the class as well as the other students in the group are the same each week to support the child’s need for routine and community.
SHARING – the Montessori approach
posted by Katelynn 🌻 26 February 2023
The Montessori environment is a shared space where ALL toys are shared.
If a child is concentrated on something, it is unavailable to other children.
If an object is not in use, it is available to any child.
The adult sets this limit is a kind, but firm way.
We enforce this limit whether our child is the one who has taken the object or the one who’s object has been taken – whether you are at home or on the playground.
Explaining Death to Children – the Montessori approach
posted by Katelynn 🌻 30 January 2023
In Montessori we aim to give children the information they need to understand the world at their stage of development, as well as provide the tools they will need to thrive in this world.
When your child asks you about death or they experience the death of something or someone, here are 6 things you can do: be honest, give practical information, read books together, explain any spiritual beliefs without ambiguity, share your feelings, and allow the child to say goodbye.
MONTESSORI IKEA HACKS – part 2
posted by Katelynn 🌻 24 January 2023
Montessori Ikea Hacks – part 1 is by far the most popular post on this blog. Since 2019 both our Montessori classroom and my IKEA hacking skills have come a long way, so I am sharing some before and after photos from those original areas posted AND 4 more corners of our school which were made from IKEA furniture. I really love IKEA, can you tell? 🙂
Changes at Home When Your Baby Becomes a Toddler
posted by Katelynn 🌻 31 December 2022
When our baby turned 15 months old she began showing strong signs of self-affirmation crisis, or in other words, becoming a toddler. It was time to make changes in our home to support her during this new stage of life and change areas to better meet her needs. In this blog post I will share some ages and stages of young toddlers and practical life areas for toddlers at home.
Photo Tour of a Montessori Preschool Class
posted by Katelynn 🌻 16 October 2022
Welcome to our classroom! We are happy to share these beautiful moments with you from our Montessori Preschool Class (3-6y). These photos were taken by the lovely family photographer, Natalia Smirnova.
What is the Montessori Preschool Class?
posted by Katelynn 🌻 30 June 2022
Introducing Montessori Preschool Class, our newest class for children 3-6 years old! Read this blogpost to get a picture of our materials and how the children learn through hands-on experience and explore the individual areas of our expanding classroom!
Montessori Materials for Snack Preparation
posted by Katelynn 🌻 23 February 2022
Our snack preparation area is one of the children’s favorites in our Montessori Toddler and Montessori Baby classes! These materials can be used as early as 14 months up to 3 years old! Find 12 Montessori snack materials for toddlers below, including their presentation descriptions and links where to find all the tools!
Montessori Sleep: FAQ
posted by Katelynn 🌻 19 January 2022
In this blogpost I will be answering these anonymous frequently asked questions about sleep and I will give advice based on the Montessori approach. This doesn’t mean that it’s the perfect solution for you, every family and every child is unique, but I will do my best to give helpful suggestions and if those suggestions feel right for you, then try them out.
Montessori Mother | 10 Favorite Things
posted by Katelynn 🌻 16 November 2020
In this post I am sharing some of the favorite materials in our classroom at Montessori Mother ELC, including 5 practical supplies and 5 Montessori materials. I may have been inspired by Oprah’s 100 favorite things, but decided on just ten. 🙂
Gender equality in Montessori
posted by Katelynn 🌻16 August 2020
According to numerous studies, children develop a socio-cognitive understanding of gender groups in the first 3 years of life and categorise themselves into one of those groups. In this formative period, what should parents and educators do to support the child’s sense of equality? What role does gender equality play in the Montessori approach to education?
Practical life in the Montessori Toddler Community
posted by Katelynn 🌻28 April 2020
This post is an extensive photo tour of the practical life materials in the Montessori toddler community. It also includes guidelines on arranging materials in your home or classroom, & how to present these materials to toddlers.
Materials for Montessori-at-Home
posted by Katelynn 🌻22 March 2020
The home offers so many opportunities for developmental activities. In this blog post I have recommended different DIY activity ideas and my Amazon material recommendations listed by age. These are all materials that the children use in class which inspire concentration and teach new skills.
Montessori Mixed Age Groups: in school & with siblings at home
posted by Katelynn 🌻8 March 2020
In Montessori education, classes are organised in mixed age groups: 0-3, 3-6, 6-12, 12-18. This post discusses why mixed age groups are so important for child development and also gives tips on Montessori at home when you are preparing the environment for siblings of different ages.
Baking with Toddlers | Lemon Cookies
posted by Katelynn 🌻9 February 2020
For our baking days this month the toddlers will bake lemon thumbprint cookies in pairs. The cookies turned out deliciously – I even baked an extra batch for the parents to enjoy! 🙂 In this blogpost I will walk you through how I prepare this baking workshop and share with you the vegan, gluten-free recipe that I used with my students. Enjoy!
Montessori Food Q+A
posted by Katelynn 🌻2 February 2020
This blog post is common question and answer style discussion about Montessori Weaning, food-related difficulties with toddlers, play food, and links to a great Montessori mealtime set. I hope you find it very practical and helpful!
How to set up a Montessori play area at home (from birth to 3 years)
posted by Katelynn 🌻27 January 2020
This step by step guide (with examples) shows how we can prepare the child’s environment Montessori-style so they can follow their natural path of development. In a Montessori play area, babies and toddlers are able to face challenges, grow their creativity, and have success.
15 Montessori gifts for 0-3
posted by Katelynn 🌻1 December 2019
Here are 5 Montessori gifts for newborns, babies, and toddlers that are perfect for Christmas, Chanukah, birthdays, or just because!
Understanding your Child’s Temperament
posted by Katelynn 🌻17 November 2019
Understanding our children’s personality and the way it contrasts with our own helps us to prevent and manage problems more easily, modify the child’s environment to best suit their needs, and set reasonable limits & expectations. Use this questionnaire to find your child’s temperament and get Montessori tips for each personality trait!
Supporting Concentration in Montessori
posted by Katelynn 🌻4 October 2019
A special part of the Montessori classroom, which is different from traditional classrooms, is that children concentrate deeply and for long periods of time on their work, whether a teacher is watching over them or not. This blogpost is about the philosophy behind concentration in Montessori and practical ways to support it in the child’s environment from 0-3…
Baking with Toddlers
posted by Katelynn 🌻18 August 2019
This blogpost includes photos, our time-tested vegan banana muffin recipe, and everything I learned from baking with toddlers every day for a week!
The Way Children Play: how to use a Montessori shelf at home
posted by Katelynn 🌻4 August 2019
What makes Montessori toys special? How are they different from commercial toys? What kind of toys should I give to my child?… Children love to learn. They are naturally curious and fascinated by the world around them. They are eager to perfect their own skills and mimic the things they see older children and adults doing. They “play” to absorb new information and to train their skills. They enjoy repeating over and over these new skills until they have been perfected.
Translating for Toddlers
posted by Katelynn 🌻30 June 2019
From 1-2 years old children are faced with the struggle of having many intelligent ideas, but lacking the linguistic ability to express themselves verbally. They may use 1-2 words to convey a whole idea. In this blogpost my hope is to help us to see the world from their position, understand their language, and give supportive reactions.
Montessori Ikea Hacks
posted by Katelynn 🌻16 June 2019
Preparing a Montessori space for toddlers may take some extra time and planning, but it doesn’t have to be expensive! In this blogpost I have explained the Ikea hacks I used when preparing 5 different areas of my classroom, along with links and lots of photos!
Imagination and Creativity in Montessori
posted by Katelynn 🌻1 June 2019
There is a common misconception that the Montessori approach doesn’t encourage children to be imaginative and creative… In this blogpost and corresponding podcast, I will discuss the Montessori approach as it relates to imaginary play, fairytales, and creativity through art and music.
What Your Child Is Capable Of : from birth to 18m
posted by Katelynn 🌻23 May 2019
Montessori is all about allowing each child use the full potential they were born with. This month-by-month guide shares some of the things children do during the Sensitive Periods for movement and language and a few Montessori activities which would be appropriate during that stage of development…
Welcome to Germany’s 1st Montessori Early Learning Center!
posted by Katelynn 🌻4 May 2019
In this blog, I would like to share practical tips on applying Montessori-at-Home and give you a look inside the Montessori Mother Early Learning Center.
This first post is an introduction to myself and our little school in the heart of Berlin, Germany. I hope you enjoy!