How to Support the Work of Your Montessori Student
August 26, 2022
A fresh new school year comes with lots of excitement, and often lots of questions from new and returning families alike. One of the most frequent questions we receive is, “How can we support Montessori education at home?”
First of all, we love this question! We know that even busy families want to do what they can to support the hard work of their children and their children’s teachers. We are here to tell you that your support means everything, and it honestly doesn’t take much to make a huge difference.
What you definitely do NOT need to do:
- Purchase Montessori materials for use at home - in fact, we recommend strongly against doing so. Montessori materials were developed to be used in a very specific manner and using them with children requires intensive training. While there is certainly an allure to the beautiful wooden learning materials, we believe it’s best to allow trained and credentialed Montessori educators guide children in using them in the way they were intended to be used.
- Buy any fancy organization systems (or really, buy anything at all) - Montessori at home need not cost a cent. Supporting the philosophy at home is more about a shift in approaches and perspective and less about buying more stuff to enrich the environment.
- Push for academic achievement - we believe that with the right support and guidance, children make great strides in academic areas all on their own and in their own time. There’s no need to drill math facts or push for your child to be reading by a certain age; learning is not linear and each individual requires the time and space to arrive at milestones when they are ready. Your child’s teacher will certainly let you know if there are academic skills that can be supported, but generally speaking, children work so hard at school it’s okay to let them take a break at home.
What is really helpful:
- Learn about Montessori philosophy. There are lots of ways to do this! We occasionally hold parent education sessions at the school. These events can be great ways to connect with other families, spend time getting to know our staff, and also one of the best ways to learn more about what Montessori means and how it’s an excellent approach for teaching children.
- We know not everyone has the space in their schedule to attend these sessions, but there are other great resources out there. One of the best books we recommend is Montessori: the Science Behind the Genius by Angeline Stoll Lillard.
- Find educational philosophy articles on the American Montessori Society website.
- Additional great resource articles for parents can be found on the Association Montessori Internationale/USA website.
- Volunteer at the school. We have talked a lot about partnering with your child and our school. Here are some reminders of opportunities for all talents and schedules:
- Chaperone on field trips/”going outs”
- Help with Material Making Wednesdays
- Serve as a parent liaison (Room Advisor) for your child’s classroom
- Ask your child’s teacher what support would be helpful to them
- Join Ollie's Club and help out with special events
- Give a presentation to children about your job, culture, or hobby
- Listen to emergent readers
- Start a "Montessori Book Club" with other parents
- Meet for coffee after drop off with other parents
- Attend Parent Education Nights
- Pick up a paint brush or tool and help when needed
- “Follow the child.” What the Montessori approach really boils down to, is honoring the child as a whole human being that is deserving of the same respect as any adult. Learning to shed our preconceived notions of what parenting and teaching means and considering new ways of doing things can be challenging at first, but the long-term benefits are substantial for everyone involved.
We want to inspire you to encourage your child to be more independent. The more they can do for themselves (including making their own choices), the better. Nurturing a sense of independence is empowering for the child and, believe it or not, less work for you! Allowing children independence and freedom does not, however, mean they get to make all the decisions; there has to be a balance!
- If you are happy with the education your child is receiving, spread the word! We believe that Montessori has the power to bring great change to the world, one child at a time. Our approach to education isn’t about memorizing facts and scoring well on tests; we aim to nurture kind, creative, and empowered members of society. The best way to expand our work is to reach more children.
If you’ve been happy with your child’s education at our school, reach out and let us know. There are plenty of ways to leave reviews for potential families to read. Spreading the word can also be as simple as talking openly with friends at your neighborhood birthday parties or weekend soccer games. There are plenty of families out there looking for the solutions that Montessori provides.
We hope this post has been helpful, but if you have any questions or ideas, please let us know. As parents, you are your child’s first and most important teachers. Together, we can work to create a more beautiful world.
When Dr. Maria Montessori began developing her curriculum for elementary-aged children, she recognized that their educational needs undergo a profound transformation. Academic skills become more complex, but more importantly, the way content is delivered must fundamentally shift. In the elementary years (ages 6–12), children transition away from the sensory, hands-on physical boundaries of early childhood and move toward an expanding intellectual horizon. Around age six, a child’s scope of vision expands exponentially beyond themselves. Social connections become paramount, a vivid imagination awakens, and a deep curiosity takes hold regarding the universe, society, and their own place within the big picture. To meet this developmental leap, Dr. Montessori created Cosmic Education—a holistic framework that presents the story of the universe and humanity’s interconnected role within it. The Five Great Lessons: Springboards for Imagination At the heart of Cosmic Education are the Five Great Lessons. These are not intended to be exhaustive academic lectures; rather, they are dramatic, impressionistic stories designed to ignite the child's imagination and serve as a springboard for all future research and learning. Because children spend three years in each elementary community (Lower Elementary: ages 6–9; Upper Elementary: ages 9–12), they experience these lessons three distinct times. Each year, as their cognitive capacity grows, the lessons reveal deeper layers of meaning, sparking fresh, student-led exploration in chemistry, history, mathematics, language, and the sciences. Great Lesson 1: The Creation of the Universe Typically presented at the start of the school year, this lesson offers a captivating sense of wonder. Guides intentionally prepare the atmosphere: drawing the blinds, dimming the lights, and gathering children around a series of impressionistic materials and science experiments. The story begins in the vast, cold darkness before the universe existed, building up to the instantaneous moment of creation. Through striking demonstrations, children observe: How particles moved together and apart The speed of light and the immense scale of stars States of matter (solids, liquids, gases) The formation of the solar system, the cooling of the Earth, and volcanic activity Follow-Up Studies: This lesson serves as the gateway to physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, physical geography, and the scientific method. Great Lesson 2: The Coming of Life As the school year progresses, attention shifts to how life emerged on Earth. To help elementary students grasp deep time, guides utilize impressionistic visual materials: The Long Black Strip: A long runner of black fabric representing Earth's vast lifespan, ending with a tiny sliver of white to represent all of human history. This material provides a humbling visual perspective on our planet's timeline. The Clock of Eras & The Timeline of Life: Colorfully illustrated charts detailing life’s evolution from single-celled organisms through early plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, and dinosaurs. Follow-Up Studies: Children dive into biology, Botany, Zoology, the five kingdoms of life, vertebrate classification, and paleontology through fossil studies. Great Lesson 3: The Coming of Humans This lesson introduces early human ancestors and the arrival of human consciousness. Children reflect on what makes human beings unique—our ability to think, reason, feel deeply, and collaborate to invent tools that solve complex problems. Guides introduce the Fundamental Needs of Humans, demonstrating how all people throughout history and across cultures share the exact same core requirements for survival and fulfillment (shelter, nourishment, clothing, defense, spiritual expression, and art). Follow-Up Studies: Ancient history, cultural anthropology, world geography, social studies, and human migration patterns. Great Lesson 4: The History of Mathematics Elementary students are fascinated to discover that mathematics was not created out of thin air, but was invented by ancient civilizations to solve real-world problems, like measuring land, trading goods, and tracking time. By learning about the contributions of the Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Mayans, and early Indian mathematicians who developed the concept of zero, children realize that numbers are a shared human heritage. Follow-Up Studies: When children work through subtraction, long division, or geometry, they ground their practice in historical context, making abstract math deeply meaningful and engaging. Great Lesson 5: The History of Language Similar to the history of math, this lesson illuminates how written language evolved. From early cave paintings and Egyptian hieroglyphics to the Phoenician alphabet and the printing press, students learn how humans captured spoken thoughts to communicate across distance and time. Follow-Up Studies: Because elementary students are actively refining their reading, grammar, creative writing, and research skills, understanding the origin of words (etymology) inspires pride and curiosity in their literacy work. Experiencing Cosmic Education at MSL Cosmic Education gives children a sense of purpose and belonging. Instead of delivering isolated facts, Montessori presents the whole universe first, allowing students to see how every detailed subject connects back to the grand story of life. Would you like to observe our Lower and Upper Elementary classrooms in action and see Cosmic Education at work? Schedule a tour today!
Discover how MSL’s Practical Life curriculum nurtures independence, motor refinement, and real-world executive functioning from Toddlers through Middle School.
Discover how MSL balances freedom of choice with age-appropriate limits to cultivate self-discipline, personal dignity, and a love for learning from Toddler to Middle School.
