an education from home
What is a linear calendar and what purpose does it serve? For children in the first plane of development, Montessori emphasizes concrete, hands-on learning to make abstract concepts easier to understand as they grow older. A linear calendar is one way to help make the passage of time more concrete for children. Since it visually
“We must help the child to act for himself, will for himself, think for himself; this is the art of those who aspire to serve the spirit,” says Maria Montessori. One of the reasons I love Maria Montessori’s educational method is because it emphasizes respect for children and honoring their input and decisions. In their
“If I were to establish a primary principle, it would be to constantly allow the child’s participation in our lives. To extend to the child this hospitality, to allow him to participate in our work can be difficult, but it costs nothing. Our time is a far more precious gift than material objects,” said Maria
When we moved into our new home in August I knew one of the first projects we’d need to undertake was to figure out how to make our kids’ clothing accessible to them. The builder-installed shelving in their bedroom closet currently hangs at 70″ high, most definitely out of reach for a 4-year-old and a
What are some of your favorite family traditions for celebrating Christmas? Do you celebrate Advent? What about the Winter Solstice? We are still in the midst of creating new traditions for our little family, and this year we’re beginning the tradition of the Jesse tree with our daughters. We’ve chosen Ann Voskamp’s Unwrapping the Greatest
I can’t believe it’s already the week of Thanksgiving! Or that my youngest will be celebrating her first birthday in a few more weeks! We’ve had a pretty busy year around here, and unfortunately I wasn’t able to do many blog updates but I’m really hoping to figure out how to devote more time to
It’s been a busy few months in our household. We welcomed our newborn daughter in December and then enjoyed the Christmas holiday. We set up our infant’s play space shortly after Christmas, and now, at nearly 3 months old, time spent in this area of our home is definitely something she looks forward to every
Today was the hardest day I’ve experienced in motherhood, one that ended with me in tears as I sobbingly proclaimed to my husband that I must be the world’s worst mother. It was his first day back to work following the holiday break, and I had made all these grand plans of how I’d handle
Since we’re expecting a baby this holiday season, we are slowly getting things ready for Christmas so the month of December will be one of rest and relaxation (as much as can be expected with a newborn, right?). We’ve compiled the kids’ gift lists and have been ordering some things in advance as they go