Category: Montessori For Elementary School Kids

Having majored in Psychology in college, I tend to be a bit skeptical about parenting advice — not because I think I know better, but because I’ve had to read the [sometimes contradictory] writings of so many people who think they know better. But beyond the trends in parenting wisdom are timeless pearls that we can all subscribe to in order to nurture positive interactions at home.

The Montessori elementary work cycle consists of: (1) Lessons, also called presentations; (2) Follow-up work; (3) Practice work, also known as skill-based work or ongoing work; and (4) Big work, also known as “great work”.

What does a Montessori homeschooling day look like? We talk about creating a schedule for our child doing home-based learning in this post.

I’m taking a short Montessori course for parents who are homeschooling their elementary kids and sharing what I learn here in the blog. This is the seventh article in the series.

Perhaps more important than preparing your home, preparing yourself — as a parent doing homeschooling for probably the first time this year — is vital for success. And sanity.

From philosophy — an ideal environment is supportive of independence — to practice — keep materials in baskets in easy-to-reach shelves — here’s how you can prepare your house for Montessori homeschooling.

Because even the best-laid plans…

Freedom is the aspect of Montessori that distinguishes it from other educational approaches. The flip side of the coin: responsibility. How do we balance these two in our kids?