How to Prepare Your Child’s Home Environment

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A beautiful, organized, and uncluttered home environment can help in many ways: dressing and undressing is simplified; the favorite book and toy is always within reach; the child can participate in the life of the family and feel needed; challenging work that focuses the child’s attention and fulfills her needs is always available; a more fun, creative, and peaceful life comes into being for the whole family.

The Joyful Child Montessori Company has a very informative article advising parents on how to prepare their young child’s environment at home to facilitate and maximize independent learning and exploration.

You may read the article here.

Shared with permission of The Joyful Child Montessori Company: www.thejoyfulchild.us

Free Montessori Webinar for Parents

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We encourage parents to attend the free 45-minute webinar Finding Motivation the Montessori Way on Thursday November 1, 2012 from 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM PDT.

Motivation is too often thought of in terms of carrot and stick methods of rewards and punishments. Join Maren Schmidt, a certified Montessori educator with over 25 years experience, as she shares how self-motivation develops the Montessori Way.

During this webinar, Maren will explore the following:

  • Why rewards and punishments rarely motivate behavior for the long term
  • What three psychological needs motivate each of us to be our best
  • How Montessori environments of school and home support these three critical need

Register now

Protecting Children During and After a Horrific Event

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In this age of instantaneous worldwide media, news about a tragedy can be broadcast to faraway places immediately, and coverage can continue for days following an event. Whether something terrible has happened locally or somewhere far away, it can be difficult to know how to discuss these occurrences with your children, and how to help them cope.

P. Donohue Shortridge has been a Montessorian since 1980. She is a family coach and she speaks and writes about children and their families in the American culture. Her article, Protecting Children During and After a Horrific Event, offers some guidance on how to talk with your children about these events.

For additional information about P. Donohue Shortridge, please visit her website.