Thank you for visiting Mama's Happy Hive blog for your Montessori at home resources. I have compiled this list to be a useful Montessori at Home Resource Guide to help those who are searching and wondering how to start with Montessori at home. This is a list that I have personally vetted and used for ideas (activities) to do with my children over the years. This list may change as we continue to learn and grow while incorporating Montessori in our home.
What is the Montessori Method?
Dr. Maria Montessori's discoveries and knowledge on human development and brain research marked the beginning of a completely new and marvelous educational movement that is now called "The Montessori Method." It is quite a unique and orderly method in which children learn to learn for themselves. It is a child-led method of learning, with the teacher sitting back and observing children in a prepared environment for success. To read more - Visit: "Let's Define the Montessori Method"
Montessori at Home
The most common question I receive as a Montessori mom is how did I start Montessori at home. Let me share with you several simple steps to starting at home.
- Start with knowledge - Read Dr. Maria Montessori's written work
- Decide how you will incorporate Montessori at home - daily life (a way of living) and/or homeschooling
- Minimize and rotate toys/materials (For child 1-12 months: Have the number of toys per age in months on the shelf. For Example: 9 months = 9 toys).
- Set up a place to store toys/materials
- Begin with one room in your home (set up practical life stations and shelves for materials/toys)
- Complete all the rooms in your home (bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, dinning room, play space, outside)
- Choose a curriculum/planner to follow if applicable
- Set up a homeschool room if applicable
To read more about these steps in detail, Visit: "How to Start Montessori at Home"
Recommended Montessori Books to Read
- Montessori from the Start by Paula Polk Lillard and Lynn Lillard Jessen
- How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin
- The Absorbent Mind by Maria Montessori
- The Montessori Method by Maria Montessori
- The Joyful Child by Susan Mayclin Stephenson
- The Secret of Childhood by Maria Montessori
- The Montessori Toddler by Simone Davies
- The Discovery of the Child by Maria Montessori
- Sewing in the Montessori Classroom by Aimee Fagan
- Maria's Own Handbook by Maria Montessori
Montessori Blogs I Recommend and Follow:
My Favorite Montessori IG Accounts to Follow:
- How We Montessori
- Montessori in Real Life
- Montessori on Mars
- Montessori Days
- The Kavanaugh Report
- Living Montessori Now
- Mindful Learning
- School at Home and Beyond
- I Believe in Montessori
- Welcome to Mommyhood
- Bilingual Montessori Kids - Uno Zwei Tutu
Montessori at Home, Homeschooling, and the Classroom
Please note that Montessori homeschooling is different than implementing Montessori at home. If your child is in a Montessori school, this is also different than Montessori homeschooling. Please read this post to learn the differences and how this can apply to you.
Montessori at Home vs. Homeschooling
Montessori Homeschool and Co-op
Here at Mama's Happy Hive, we do a mix of things. My son is currently in a Montessori school part-time and home part-time. Once a month, we have a Montessori inspired co-op at our home with friends. We follow a theme every month. I will share with you how we organize our homeschool supplies for our monthly themes.
My Best Tips for Organizing Homeschool Supplies
- Create a homeschool plan for the year
- Plan themed subjects/unit studies (1-2 for each month)
- Use clear boxes
- Place materials for each unit study inside a box
- Label each box
To read more - Visit: "Montessori Homeschool Organization"
List of Unit Study Themes in Our Home
- Birds
- Insects
- Space
- Senses
- Music
- Geography
- Colors
- Seasons
- Holidays
- Ocean
- Forest
- Anatomy
- Botany
- Language
- Math
Montessori Curriculum, Planners, Printables, and Materials
Where to find Montessori homeschool curriculum and planners?
- NAMC Homeschool Curriculum
- The Natural Homeschool Planner - Use code MHH$1OFF to get $1 off any printable bundle, ebook or planner.
- Royal Road to Reading
- Montessori Research and Development Manuals
- Keys to the Universe - Elementary Albums
Where to find FREE online Montessori lessons?
- Montessori Commons
- Info Montessori
- Montessori Album
- Living Montessori Now
- Age of Montessori
- Carrots are Orange
- The Natural Homeschool
How to find ONLINE training for Montessori at home or homeschooling?
- "Setting Up Your Home Montessori Style" by Simone of the Montessori Notebook blog
- "Cultivating Spaces for Children" by Nicole of the Kavanaugh Report and by Aubrey of the Child Development Institute of the Redwoods
- "30 Days to Montessori at Home" email course by Marnie of the Carrots are Orange blog
- The Center for Guided Montessori Studies ( MACTE-accredited programs)
- KHT Montessori
- North American Montessori Center (NAMC)
Where to find Montessori printables?
- Montessori Print Shop
- Montessori Printables Pinterest Board
- Teachers Pay Teachers - Montessori
- Mama's Happy Hive
- Welcome to Mommyhood
- I Believe in Montessori
- The Pinay Homeschooler
- Carrots are Orange
- Uno Zwei Tutu (bilingual)
- Tanglewood Hollow
- Montessori Kiwi
- Montessori Nature
- Trillium Montessori
- Every Star is Different
- Diamond Montessori
Where to find FREE Montessori printables?
- The Helpful Garden (awesome free printables for Montessori homeschool)
- The Montessori Print Shop (subscriber freebies)
- FYI: Many Montessori blogs will have subscriber freebies
Where to buy Montessori materials?
- Montessori Services
- Montessori By Mom (monthly kit)
- Little Passports (monthly kit)
- Montessori Materials for Sale (Facebook group)
- Allison's Montessori (affordable materials especially when ordered in bulk - however, not the highest quality materials yet still beautiful for home use)
- Montessori-n-Such (I love their practical life materials)
- Waseca Biomes (gorgeous materials - it doesn't get much better than this!)
- Brainy Kit (monthly kit)
- Amazon - I really like the Kid Advance brand on Amazon
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