Baan Dek · Episode 130 - Montessori Rewards Montessori is known for encouraging intrinsic motivation, rather than external rewards. Studies have shown that external rewards decrease motivation -- if I can get a sticker or →

 Baan Dek · Episode 129 - Setting Children Up For Success There’s a scene from the show Schitt’s Creek that, if you’re familiar with the show, you’ll know from the following four words: fold →

Baan Dek · Episode 128 - Magic Words Words are magic. Toddlers learn that when you combine sounds or gestures in a particular order, adults love it and you get what you want. We’re actually →

 Baan Dek · Episode 127 - "What Did You Do Today?" “What did you do today?” This question has been asked by generations of adults at the end of their child’s day, and the →

Baan Dek · Episode 126 - Speaking For Children As I’m writing this, there’s a baby fussing and I asked his mom, “does he know what he wants?” to which she replied, “no he has →

Baan Dek · Episode 124 - Challenge is Essential If you’ve ever peeked into a Montessori classroom, you’ll see children working at various levels of intensity individually and in small groups. You’ll see children concentrating, →

 Baan Dek · Episode 123 - Reactive to Responsive to Proactive Maybe you’ve heard the phrase, “respond rather than react.” There’s a lot of work being done in childcare, parenting, education, and other child-advocacy →

Baan Dek · Episode 122 - Montessori & The Olympics The Olympics are coming up, which is one of the few sporting events I watch. I look forward to them, have them set to record, →

For a podcast of this post, listen here or subscribe on iTunes. Baan Dek · Episode 120 - Approaching Challenges Isn’t it wonderful that we’ll experience challenges? Birth is a challenge. Whether you got here →

For a podcast of this post, listen here or subscribe on iTunes. Baan Dek · Episode 119 - Asking Children for Consent, Permission, Their Opinion If you’ve known about Montessori for more than about three →

For a podcast of this post, listen here or subscribe on iTunes.  Baan Dek · Episode 118 - This Year Is Different The start of the school year is always a bit bittersweet. Every →

These days, life looks different, doesn’t it? Many of us are working and learning from home, and even those of us who are essential workers are coming to a very different workspace each day. It’s →

Every spring, families in Primary Montessori programs are making a really big decision: what to do about Kindergarten? Whether this decision is tumultuous with easily identified pros and cons, or whether this decision has been →

We’re hard-wired to help children. We wouldn’t have survived long as a species if we weren’t. We recognize That Cry in the midst of all other noise. A whispered, “Mom?” will wake one from the →

Montessori is known for individualized education. This can be misleading, since we hear this and, of course, make our own assumptions about what this means. Maybe I hated math in school, and the idea that →

“What did you do today?” It’s fairly certain every parent since school was started, across time and generations, has asked their child this question a couple times a week. It’s natural. How did you spend →

Montessori is founded on an idea that happy children are successful learners. It’s education of the Whole Child; not just focusing on academics but also on internal skills, like tenacity and problem-solving, and interpersonal skills, →

Montessori is unique among many early childhood settings in the emphasis on consistency. Montessori schools often offer, if not require, five days a week, even for very young children. Some schools offer part time, whether →

Parenting is full of extremes. No one could possibly feel as much love as I feel for this child in this moment. There’s no way I could feel more love, more pride, more joy, and →

Families want to be supportive of their children’s development. We all get the same 24 hours in the day, so whether our work is unpaid as a primary caregiver or takes us outside the home →

Observation : Really Seeing Each Child Observation is a valuable tool that grants deeper understanding of the activities, behaviors, and personalities of children within a Montessori classroom. Because the Montessori method is so individualized in →

Montessori is known for independence. It’s more than a buzzword, it’s a way of life. We’re constantly striving for independence, though it is a rather fraught word. We think of independence as “I don’t need →

There’s this beautiful quote from Dr. Montessori’s Words of Advice to Teachers, published 95 years ago. [quote]She must give her lesson, plant the seed and then disappear; observing and waiting, but not touching.[/quote] May 6th →

There’s a fast food chain in the Midwest. When you order, they give you a number. When your order is ready, they come find you and bring you your food. They don’t yell, “forty seven” →

A quick glance into many Montessori classrooms will showcase not just students, guide, materials, and furniture, but also often plants. Why is that? Does the teacher just like ferns, or is there a reason? As →

There’s a well-known trope that children are chaotic. Busy, screaming, messy. We can’t wait for them to grow up because then we’ll have some sense of order back in our lives. However, anyone who has →

It’s so natural to want to have Montessori materials at home. After all, parents often don’t come in the classroom, so it’s hard to imagine what a child is doing without actually seeing it. More →

At some point in childhood, “fair” comes up. “It’s not fair,” comes from an adult or from a child, and we’re met with this difficult dilemma. “Life’s not fair,” isn’t a very palatable response, but →

Oh wow. She took out the Trinomial Cube (a 27-piece cube puzzle that is a challenge for adults but a fun and challenging work for children in the Montessori Children’s House) AND a blindfold. Woah. →

At some point, we all yearn for peers. We want to move beyond the cozy intimacy of family life and find our “something more.” The children at the playground are oh so appealing. We bounce →

Sometimes we just need a bit of a nudge. A little assistance. A reminder of how something works. In the Montessori classroom, help is always nearby. It’s one of the best gifts of a mixed-age →

Traditionally, Kindergarten is a time when children “learn to learn.” You have at least 12 years of education ahead of you, and we need to get certain skills in place first. So much of our →

Since the early 2000s, there has been a trend around recess. Well, two trends. As more time was dedicated to the academic part of the school day and less to the free time of recess, →

We’re very concerned with preparing children for the future. It’s a very unsteady time to be a parent. The world has changed more in the past ten years than in the past hundred, and things →

Redirection is one of those funny terms. We hear it used frequently, and we use this tool in the classroom, but what does it really mean? So often “redirection” is used when “distraction” is what →

Why would I want to send my child to a Montessori? What do you offer that a daycare/in-home program/staying home with a primary caregiver doesn’t? These are such natural questions. With an abundance of options, →

Maria Montessori, Italian educator and physician, pioneered the Montessori method and philosophy of learning. J.M. Barrie, Scottish novelist and playwright, authored the childhood classic Peter Pan. The former is grounded in logic, independence, and reality, →

For many young students attending school is a full time job, accounting for an average 35 hours a week. Rightly so, the classroom becomes not only a second-place environment, but furthermore, a home-away-from-home. This is →

A question we’re asked so frequently is what can families do at home to support the work children are doing in the classroom. It’s such a natural one. We want to set our children up →

Communication is an important part of human interaction. Right from the beginning of civilization, humans were striving to communicate and language was developed as they discovered that they could communicate differently than other animals. Development →

Why don’t we always help? If we see a child struggling with something, it’s so natural to jump in and help, from a place of love or from a place of timeliness or from a →

“What did you work on?” is such a common question. We send photos home to share a child’s work, perhaps spur some conversation about a recent accomplishment or new favorite material, or oh that’s your →

Written by Sonia Khanvilkar The child beginning from birth onwards is striving for Independence. This child possesses a brain quite different than an adult. Dr. Montessori termed this brain an “Absorbent Mind.” Literally to the →

Consequence seems like such a negative phrase. Consequence is punishment, punitive, prison. I’m going to make you regret that mistake. You’ll absolutely learn from this experience, and I’m going to make sure of it. Consequence →

We have this tendency to see things not as they are, but as we are. Things are not good or bad, the glass isn’t half-full or half-empty, it’s just how we choose, or how we’ve →

There’s a lovely quote by Maria Montessori: [quote]One test of the correctness of educational procedure is the happiness of the child.[/quote] When we’re introducing prospective families to Baan Dek, we begin with a tour of →

Children are constantly being challenged. Growing up is hard work. Fortunately, children are more than up for the task. We think fondly of stress-free childhood, not worrying about things, deadlines, ruminating on mistakes, those adult-problems. →

We do not do time-out in Montessori. Time-Out, in the traditional sense, is adult-directed, a punishment, a band-aid on a bullet wound. “Time out” naturally brings to mind sports analogies, so here’s one. Even those →

Even when we try to do everything “right,” we read all the books and the blogs, nutrition and sleep are highest priority, we give age-appropriate choices and model emotional intelligence, things go sideways. Maybe it’s →

Remember how it’s a misunderstanding of Montessori that children get to do “whatever they want”?? If you don’t that’s okay, here’s a reminder, a post on “Follow the Child.” So, agreed, children don’t get to →

Sharing is so important. It’s a microcosm of altruism. Maria Montessori considered herself to be a citizen of the world. Travel is becoming easier and more common. We can literally see across the world immediately →

We’ve all had that feeling when everything just falls into place, when something is crystal clear, when there’s such a beautiful example of something that it kind of knocks you back. We had a moment →

The start of the school year is full of change. Changing schedules, changing weather, in addition to all the unique changes in a family. Maybe you moved, just down the street or across the country. →

Fall is just around the corner! The official start of fall is the Autumnal Equinox on September 22nd, but we’re already starting to see the signs of a changing season -- different weather, different plants, →

At the start of the year, there's so much enthusiasm for even mundane tasks. What am I going to wear?! We plan outfits for the whole week. A few weeks in, "not jammies" can feel →

Although we’ve been at school throughout the summer, camp is just a bit different. This past week was Back-to-School, and we’ve been crossing off the days, counting down to our absolutely favorite time of year. →

We find comfort in ritual. It’s part of the human experience, and it crosses culture, time, age. We have evidence of rituals in ancient Egypt, and surely the mystery of Stonehenge hid ritual long forgotten. →

It’s summer. Even when we love school (which we absolutely do!), summer still has this magical appeal. Maybe it’s the long days, maybe it’s the sunshine, maybe it’s sandals and swimming and sand, but it →

If parenting had a job description, “worrying” would probably top the list. From worrying about the what-ifs to wondering every three minutes if a child is still breathing (yes, they are. How about now? Phew.) →

We want children to be kind. It’s behind all our attempts to have children apologize, or adult-directed sharing. We want our children to exhibit empathy, to be Woke, to see Self in the Other -- →

In the Montessori primary classroom, we approach literacy differently than one might expect. We write before we read. Writing is a natural next step from speaking. We highlight the sounds in words, and the Sandpaper →

It’s that time of year. We’re planning how we’ll spend these three hot months. Long days, longer car rides, and the shortest season of the year, it seems. It’s natural to want to ensure children →

In this short, little known, but highly influential and impactful text, Maria Montessori lays out some words of advice for teachers: "Anticipating some of the questions which will certainly be put to me, I shall →

We talk a lot. We say a lot of words, some of them empty and some of them dramatic, some of them casual and some of them heartrending. As adults, we’ve learned to hear the →

Consistency and Routines. Consistency leads to the greatest success. Children thrive with routines. They’re some of our favorite words. While children are still creating self-discipline and an inner sense of order, it’s up to us →

Okay, so, Maria Montessori tells us to “Follow the Child,” right? Children will show us what they need. We pay attention, we watch and look for signs. It’s natural for us to count as we →

When you live and breathe something, day-in-day-out, it’s natural to take it for granted. Not dismissively so, but rather to be unsurprised by it. Is it because of the routine? Much like bandaids might be →

When families are introduced to Montessori, one of the aspects that is often the most surprising, is the mixed-age classrooms. It can be rather dramatic, to see a big six-year-old, working alongside a three-year-old. To →

The work is never finished. Not like laundry, where it feels like the mountain is worn down only to be built back up again, but like a grand and detailed work of art, where closer →

The only aspect of life that is linear is the passing of time. Apart from that, true, deep, daily learning, development, progress is a bit more, shall we say, tumultuous? For adults and for children →

Time is so fluid. We know this. “Time flies when you’re having fun.” “Time heals.” “I don’t have time.” It’s nebulous. Five minutes waiting for an appointment is an eternity, five minutes with a friend →

The way we typically think about learning is by memorizing and recognizing. Our entire public school system is based on this model. Here are the facts, memorize them, and then we'll have a test next →

Success is fluid. How do we qualify Success? Internal satisfaction, external rewards? Feelings of pride and accomplishment, a big bank account and an impressive title? Being relied on by others, a promotion? Personal and professional →

At Baan Dek, we have posters on the walls with lovely quotes. They’re at adult-height, and these words remind us about our intention for being here -- to Help the children. As we’ve noted previously, →

Young children are relentless. They are persistent. They are focused. They absolutely never give up. When we work with young children, it’s not uncommon to hear, “learn something new every day!” Often this is tongue-in-cheek, →

For all her might, Maria Montessori has yet to be taken seriously as a philosopher. Yet, as we hope this post shows, and The Absorbent Mind demonstrates, Maria Montessori was an exceptional thinker. Perhaps, even →

Montessori is an art and a science of balance. We believe in and implement individualized education, independent work carried out at primarily one-person tables, but the Montessori classroom is an incredibly social place, with children →

The relationship between child and educator is special, and important. Nowhere near as important as the one between parent and child, but still one of mutual respect, and necessary. There are times when a child’s →

We Follow Through. It’s one of the ways we support children. We don’t just say something once, we’ll demonstrate and remind and model and assist and observe a thousand times, and then we’ll do it →

There are a few aspects which are fundamental to Montessori education. One of these aspects is the Mixed-Age classrooms. Children begin in a Montessori Primary classroom typically between two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half, and remain in the →

We’ve recently returned from a break, and it’s a whole jumble of emotions. Some of us are thrilled to be back in the expected routine. Some of us would still rather be in our jammies. →

Maria Montessori writes, “Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.” Oh yes, of course! This is easy! But note, this is different from, “Never help a child with →

One of the aspects of a Montessori Classroom which people notice is the noise, or, rather, the lack thereof. It’s pretty quiet. A room full of this many adults would be louder. It’s not silent, →

We’ve had countless conversations with families about the transformations they’ve observed in their children, and each one is unforgettable, special. When families tell us what they’ve noticed about their child, they don’t begin with, “She →

“What did you do today?” “Nothing.” Or, perhaps, if we’re lucky, “Ate snack.” This is never accurate. A child is ALWAYS doing SOMETHING. The challenge comes in expressing that Something. A child cannot say they →

“What did you do today?!” We’re all eager to hear what happened during a child’s day. This is your absolutely most favorite person, how did they spend their time away from you?! What amazing things →

Amazing things happen every day. Some days, we’re lucky enough to capture them. All the pieces come together, and a child is suddenly reading. It’s as though they have always read. It comes so naturally, →

It’s a big responsibility, raising a human. We fall into rituals and routines, we make overt and unconscious decisions, based on how we were raised, a reaction against something we didn’t like about our childhood →

A change is in the air. We’re moving deeper into Fall, and some of us can feel Winter blowing in, just around the corner. Every time there’s a change, a calendar page turning over, a →

If you’ve ever been in a language class, you know how exciting and frustrating and brain-rewiring learning a new language can be. Arguably the best way to learn a language is total immersion, where the →

We love conferences. We schedule conferences twice a year, in the Fall and in the Spring, and look forward to talking with parents about the progress their child is making. We love this opportunity to →

At some point, a decision comes up, of whether or not to have a child stay at school all day. There are a variety of factors here. A child might be in care full-days from →

We thought the youngest Primary children were small, until the Toddler Program was started. Oh my, these were babies! They’re so little! And yet, so incredibly capable. We were reminded of the magic of Montessori, →

It can be heartbreaking, walking away from a tearful child. What’s wrong? Don’t they like school? This can quickly unravel into, is something wrong? Did I make a bad choice? Are they not ready? Parental →

Look around a Montessori classroom, and you might notice a chair or two off to the side, or somewhere unobtrusive. Perhaps it’s near an adult-sized chair, or in a quiet corner. This isn’t a time-out →

There’s this thing that happens in Montessori classrooms. We don’t send home a daily report, we could never summarize “all” a child is learning during the day, for although we are giving one, or two, →

It can be surprising how much children are learning. How to walk, how to read, how to interact with others. Emotions are human, we have different names for them, or feel some more deeply than →

Oh, those words break your heart. “Go away.” Uttered by anyone, they are gut-wrenching, but spoken by a child, they can strike a wound. And yet, they are not unfamiliar to hear. Often they emerge →

Happy Birthday Maria! We have a present for you. It’s a promise. A promise to seek deeper understanding, to set higher goals for ourselves, to make this the Best Year Yet. To truly Follow the →

It’s the week before school begins here at Baan Dek, and we’re spending this time in Inservice. It’s truly one of our favorite weeks of the year. We spend all Summer getting ready for it. →

We put together a few of our top tips to make parenting a bit easier. What to do when… ... your child won’t get dressed. Breathe. ...yesterday’s favorite meal is today’s arch enemy. Breathe. … →

As we prepare for school to resume, we’re getting ready in so many ways. New pencils are sharpened, well-loved materials are arranged beautifully on the shelf. Labels are made and placed on cubbies, ready to →

We’ve all been there. When the pilot comes on the announcer and asks us to settle in for a short 12-hour flight. When we forgot one necessary ingredient the day before a holiday and need →

There’s a concept we notice in education, often children “lose” information over the Summer, when they might not be working academically or focusing on acquiring new skills or data. This is the nature of our →

We’re about halfway into Summer, and starting to forget what it feels like to be cold. What is it about Summer? We look forward to it so intensely, even when nothing really changes. For many →

There are so many ways to support children, and education, and Montessori. Some are called to be educators, parents, advocates, and it takes all of us to be the Village. A child needs a village. →

Walk into a Montessori Classroom, and it’s immediately clear -- something is different. Perhaps it takes a minute to put your finger on it, or perhaps you can identify the difference right away, but the →

We’ve written a lot about Discipline. Freedom and Discipline, Self-Discipline, it’s a concept we sometimes struggle with, until we see the many ways children live into it, and the ways it benefits them, and actually →

It’s just one of those Montessori words. It’s a word we hear in other contexts, sometimes in relation to children, and so often, there’s just a bit of a negative undercurrent. I need to be →

Let’s sing the ABC’s! It’s not uncommon for children to come to school “knowing their letters.” Perhaps they can name one or two, they know how to sing the song as generations have before them →

Children are learning all the time. In the classroom, at home, before they start school, at the grocery store. From the moment a child wakes to falling asleep at night, as Maria Montessori said, “The →

Growing up is hard work. Everything is brand new for this infant, this baby, this young toddler. Things we take for granted have to be learned, which is so easily forgotten. When we think about →

Social Cohesion is a term in Montessori that speaks of the important social development happening in a classroom -- children looking out for one another, helping and being respectful, that the desires of the individual →

Around this time of year, we start reflecting. The year is winding down. The achievements the children have made over the last year are coming together in the most beautiful ways. We wonder, what’s next? →

Sometimes there are things you just need to know. Whether it’s specialized knowledge for your field or common knowledge that just makes life easier if you can pull the answer off the top of your →

The children are learning all day, every day. The adults in the classroom are trained observers, making careful, extensive notes throughout the day of a child’s progress in the various areas of the classroom. We →

This month we celebrate Earth Day. We bring the natural world into the classroom in various ways, and we thought we’d look at some of those here. 1. There’s mostly natural materials. Look around a →

“How’s she doing??” A parent asks, with perhaps a bit of caution in their voice. “Wonderful!” we gush, eager to share all the latest achievements, treasured moments, kind words and actions we see during the →

We are a team. We all work together with a common goal -- to best support the needs of the children at our school, and their families. What role we play might look a little →

Today is officially the start of Spring! Depending on where you live, the change of seasons might feel like it's been coming for quite some time, or it might still feel very much like Winter, →

In the Montessori classroom, teachers maintain a long term relationship with a child on the foundation of communication and consistent feedback. This process and relationship building makes leaders out of teachers and builds an environment →

Wen Duan is thoughtful, reflective, and always asking big questions. She wants to know the Why of things, not just what to do, but how to do it, what worked, what didn't, how to improve →

When children move schools, from one state to another, from a Montessori school to a traditional program, any variety of reasons, it’s not uncommon for children to undergo some form of testing, to determine where →

In light of revising how we conduct our team meetings, focusing on specific topics instead of just having an open forum to chat, we thought you might enjoy a glimpse into one of our first sessions. →

We thought we'd try to put together a different type of post, a post geared mainly towards teachers and schools, but perhaps also, inadvertently, towards parents. Here's what we had in mind. We thought we'd →

We work very hard not to judge the children. It is so easy to assume we know the whole story, to know why someone did something, that driver pulled in front of me without signaling →

Parents naturally want to help their children. They want to play a role in their education. There is pressure to supplement learning that happens in school. Are they learning what they should? Are they doing →

Megan Wieseler first joined Baan Dek as an intern, and came into Montessori in the most Montessori way possible -- she observed for weeks. She took in the classroom. It has become part of her →

There are buzzwords in education, and they’re rarely focused on academics. Instead, we’ve been hearing a lot about these “soft skills,” interpersonal skills and characteristics which help lead to success, which employers and college professors →

A gift of having children return to the same classroom year after year is watching their development in broad strokes. We observe children daily, seeing incremental changes happening all the time, presenting timely lessons as →

It's been quite a year. The children perpetually remind us that every day is new, every day is building on yesterday, every day is preparing for tomorrow. That being said, the hanging of a →

Sharing is tough. We want children to share. But more than wanting them to share, we want them to possess the qualities which aid an individual in being willing to share -- kindness, empathy, compassion. →

No matter how advanced our society gets, as long as we put on earrings, tie knots, explore tiny objects, respect the work of artist and artisans, Handwork will still matter. Montessori is full of things →

Sarah Skaff is a treasure at Baan Dek. Quiet, reflective, passionate, she always thinks before she speaks, and when she speaks, we all listen. We asked her to share a few thoughts on a subject →

Plants are all around us. They enrich our classroom, endlessly providing clean air, while we provide water and care. Plants need patient labor and attention. Plants are a part of our environment, helping us learn, appreciate life, and develop. →

Reading is huge. It’s such a milestone, like first words, like losing a tooth, like riding a bike. Much like those momentous occasions, even like the last few days before your baby enters the world, →

We talk a lot about consistency. We believe that consistency leads to the greatest success. What do we mean by consistency? Can nothing ever change? How might it lead to a child’s success? We’d love →

Every parent wants to do right by their child. To give their child every opportunity, to protect their child from pain, to make every day better than the last. “No” feels antithetical to that. We →

It’s 5:30 on a Wednesday, and you just needed a few things at the store. You pop in, grab your items, and head to the checkout. The child sitting in the cart in front of →

Parent Education is one of our favorite parts of this work. Parents are a child’s first teachers, and a parent’s role in their child’s life is unsurpassed. We often get questions like, “What more could →

Is Montessori good for my child? How do you keep this classroom so clean? What? They all WALK? All the time? How do you keep the children from just pulling everything off the shelves? Every →

We love choices. Food is such a beautiful example of this. How many ways can you find to order your coffee? Even if we always make the same decision, how would we feel if our →

I think I have a fairly passable understanding of Montessori. I love this work, I was a Montessori student myself, my family raised me in an accidentally very Montessori manner. I fully appreciate that I →

Set your alarm. There’s not a moment to lose. It’s the day you’ve been planning. Your child is finally old enough to enjoy an adventure! Not the adventure of learning to walk, or the first →

A question we are frequently asked by prospective families or people unfamiliar with Montessori education surrounds the multi-age classrooms intrinsic to Montessori education. A Primary classroom is home to children age two-and-a-half to six. “Don’t →

My sister and I could hardly be more different. She’s younger, taller, has blonde, straight hair, and wanted to be a mule breeder, a sniper for the secret service, or “some kind of -ologist” when →

Your child will always need you. Even as an adult, I want my mom. I want to share a funny moment of my day, a shoulder to cry on, to bring me saltines when I →

Maria Montessori considered herself a citizen of the World. Born in Italy in 1870, her life was filled with many colossal world changes. She became a physician in a time when medicine was being rattled; →

The hand is the instrument of the mind. Through the hand, the child explores. She does not only watch her world, she reaches out and grasps it. He takes control of his world. She creates →

One of the most wonderful things, something we celebrate and cherish, is the diversity we experience here at Baan Dek. Our school is representative of the beautiful community we enjoy in Sioux Falls. We have →

The Montessori Materials are beautiful. Visitors are often surprised by the nature of the materials. They are primarily made of natural elements: wood, metal, glass, porcelain, paper. They are breakable, sometimes fragile. This is for →

Freedom and Discipline are powerful words. They can elicit emotional reactions. They have personal and historical significance to individuals and nations. They are integral to the Montessori classroom. Sometimes, one of these qualities is viewed →

We shared a few thoughts on how we like to think about growing the culture at Baan Dek. The short of it is: We love what we’re doing and who we are fortunate enough to →

One of the most important tools a child acquires in their earliest years is Language. The child can become fluent in any language they are exposed to at this early age; their ear forms no →

We've loved getting to know Sarah McCann over the last few months, and she has brought such light to her role as the classroom assistant in the Lotus Room. We asked her a few questions, →

Transitions can be hard. Some people enjoy change, others find it tumultuous. Change is, by its nature, dynamic, uncomfortable, unknown. We don’t know what life will look like on the other side, even with good →

Montessori classrooms teach so much more than reading. The Montessori Primary classroom is specifically designed to meet the developmental needs of children age two and a half through six. Much of the learning that is →

Work is good. In the Montessori classroom, we call what children do all day, their “work.” We do this for several reasons. We’d like to discuss that deeper here. The young child learns from everything →

Concentration is busy... and concentration is still. Concentration is natural and innate. [full-image url="https://baandek.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/conc-13.jpg"] Concentration is purposeful. Concentration is the goal... and concentration is the starting point. Concentration is cooperative... [full-image url="https://baandek.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/conc-12.jpg"] and concentration is individual. →

Tenacity. Confidence. Grit. We talk a lot about these characteristics, both internally and publicly. We love grit. Recently, we recorded a podcast on Developing Tenacity, and we encourage its growth even with our youngest students, →

In the Montessori classroom, the child is preparing the hand for handwriting even before trying to write their name. See some of that progression here. From her very first day, and her very first material, →

A mixed-age environment is fundamental to a Montessori classroom, and we see the benefits of it daily. We wanted to explore some of those benefits in greater detail, as well as hypothesizing some of the →

Last Saturday, we had our first Parent Education workshop of the year. Our theme was Independence. We’d like to go deeper into what we mean when we say “independence,” as well as discussing some of →

When entering the Montessori classroom, you instantly feel a sense of order and calm. Everything has its purpose and its place. To a newcomer, like myself, the Montessori classroom presents a sense of foreign familiarity: →

One of the most magical things about Montessori, one of the ways the genius of Montessori is revealed, is in the repetition and building of materials and skills. When a child moves from a mastered →

Dear Parents, The year is getting underway, and the children are finding their groove. Many new materials are being introduced. Familiar materials are mastered. Children are finding their new place and role in the classroom. →

One of the gifts of having a mixed-age environment in a Montessori classroom is getting to have many different ages of birthday celebrations throughout the year. Since we have children in the same classroom for three, →

One of the fundamental principles of a Montessori classroom is the mixed-age environment. In the Primary classroom, this spans the two-and-a-half to six range. As any parent of multiple children knows, there is a great →

Over the weekend we received a flurry of passionate text messages from a parent. "I just overhead a mom complaining about the cost of Montessori," the thread began. "And, the grandma replied, 'at that age →

The cycle of a family at Baan Dek is a wonderful thing. In many respects, it feels like watching a caterpillar become a butterfly and spread its beautiful wings. From the moment we meet a →

There's something almost indescribable about how the inquisitiveness of children, and their persistent ability to explore their world, completely overwhelms our senses. Whenever we observe a Montessori classroom in action, and truly let ourselves become →

On May 6, 1952, Maria Montessori passed away in the village of Noordwick aan Zee, on the North Sea, in the west of the Netherlands. As with those who were brave enough to live, great →

In a wonderfully concise, passionate letter, written from the Association Montessori Internationale Head Office, in January, 1940, Maria Montessori extols the virtues of childhood. She offers a candid reminder that, as a society, we must →

Love is something that we rarely talk about in education. At least not in a concrete, formal sense. In many respects, love is often perceived of as too familial to be appropriate for the classroom. →

There’s a lot of buzz in the media about common core standards. Not only what it means for students, but also how it effects teachers. In this article, we thought we would take the opportunity →

One of the hardest things to understand about Montessori, especially for those who have not had an opportunity to see a classroom in action, is just how much children are capable of, particularly in respect →

We hold regular team workshops. Some are lively and spirited, in which we enter into animated discussions about Montessori or address certain, practical, technical educational practices. Others are more reflective but just as intimate, where we →

We rarely discuss the significance of Mario Montessori. Whenever a conversation begins on the nature of Montessori, it always starts with Maria Montessori. Of course, this is where the story should start, in the San →

Adam Phillips is a masterful thinker of childhood. As a matter of fact, he may be one of the single greatest advocates, or rather, champions of childhood, working today. A trained psychotherapist and self-described evocative →

In one of our favorite texts, published in 1947, Maria Montessori contemplates the future of education. There are at least three main points that she addresses: the new type of consciousness that will be required →

We've had as many laughs, as we have had serious conversations, on just how precisely Montessori describes the ideal teacher, the ones who will herald the movement in education that she so passionately, wholeheartedly envisioned →

At some point, all children at Baan Dek go on to have different adventures. As hard as it always is to see them go, we know they have amazing things to come. Since their earliest →

Everyday we witness something that just blows us away. Today, as we were observing the classroom in action, we happened upon a three year old student, working on a sewing exercise. Immediately, we were struck →

We recently had a wonderful conversation with a prospective parent on the value of one-on-one education. As this individual observed the classroom in action, an almost serendipitous encounter for anyone, and one we would highly →

In Montessori classrooms, "work" means so much. For starters, it's all about the process, instead of the product. About developing rhythms, habits and consistency, repeatedly practicing with that which will help you grow. For instance, →

We recently sat down with Charlotte Wood and Jamie Bauer and asked them to share their thoughts on the role a school community plays in Montessori. There's been a lot of attention in the media →

We talk a lot about academics, showcasing activites and exercises, writing about the benefits and outcomes. Yet, underlying all of this beautiful work, is a fundamental belief in the social component of learning. We like →

As adults, we spend a lot of time trying to think of ways in which we can handle or control a situation or a child. Often, we resort to tricks and techniques, little exercises that →

We sat down with Ms. Wood to discuss some fun ideas to implement literacy over the Summer. Here's some of what we came up with: Library: Go to the library! A lot! "The library is →

We overhear the most amazing conversations. On a daily basis, something new and inspirational always pops up. Today, without fail, one of our students happily exclaimed to his mother, "I'm the most important learner here." →

Whether we know it or not, we live busy lives. Each, in our own way, we strive to accommodate, and sometimes even tackle, our overpacked calendars. Calendars can be extremely overwhelming, especially the digital sort, →

We thought we'd put together a few of the notes from our latest parent education workshop on "The Importance of the Kindergarten Year". This was, perhaps, the most powerful and engaging workshop that we've ever →

We wish we could share all of the tender moments that happen throughout the day. There are so many. Here's one that we managed to capture. As they sit down to work, Ms. Wood prepares →

We're often asked, how do Montessori students feel a sense of accomplishment, if they're not rewarded with stickers or praise. Which is to say, in Montessori, students initiate activities out of their own volition. They →

One of our astute parents started a conversation about hygeine, discussing the relevance and necessity of teaching our children the importance of not only washing their hands but also sanitizing their environment. We thought we →

No matter how many times we observe a new student engaging with the cylinder blocks for the very first time, we are absolutely overwhelmed. Watch as this student attempts to find the correct hole for →

As a school operating in the Midwest of the United States, one of our greatest challenges is imparting the sense of importance that we attribute to early childhood education. In our estimations, it truly is →

For those that couldn't make our first parent education workshop of the year, "Preparation for Literacy", and for those joining us from around the world, we thought we'd put together a few of our notes →

Once a child enters the Montessori environment, we completely forget how old they are, and focus entirely on their capabilities. We come to learn what they struggle with and what we know in our hearts, →

We've been thinking about how difficult it can be for people to understand what happens in a Montessori environment, especially if they have no previous experience. We know, because we went through the same set →

We thought we would put together a few thoughts on the power of repetition in Montessori. We recently had the good fortune of having a conversation with one of our parents about the nature of →

Before we opened Baan Dek, we had a vision for what it could become. We mapped out the coordinates, so to speak, and determined, from the start, that architecture, including design and aesthetics, could play →

We sat down with Charlotte Wood, a primary directress at Baan Dek, and asked a few questions about the nature of her work. We hope you find it helpful. This post is particularly geared towards →

Here are a few things that we believe: We believe that education is about creating and providing the conditions in which one can learn how to educate oneself. We believe that the greatest tasks that →

Where does learning happen? Learning takes place, everywhere. In Montessori, and in life we would argue, there is no distinction between learning inside and learning outside, apart, of course, from the surrounds. In our estimations, →

We love playing outside. We love exploring nature. More than anything, though, we enjoy the company of our friends. We sit and think. We run and dash to imaginary finish lines. We converse about the →

We thought we would take this opportunity to address the role that competition plays in Montessori. There's a misconception that Montessori students don't compete. We think this is the farthest thing from the truth. Montessori →

How are expectations set in Montessori? What are the expectations in Montessori? Let's find out. Instead of creating or setting expectations for children, offering up a date at which they need to complete an assignment, →

In a society and culture that focuses so much on academics, we need to remember that if children are happy, they'll be truly engaged and invested in their education. They'll want to learn. This is →

We had a great conversation about imagination yesterday. We were discussing his new shirt, the one that he had painted himself, when we started to hone in on colors and what it means to imagine. →

Yesterday, the most magical thing happened. Well, as a matter of fact, it actually happens each, and every day in our classrooms. You'll notice that when we do art, we work with the primary colors. →

For prospective families that research Montessori prior to their visit, there are at least two main areas of inquiry that they are most eager to have us address.1. First, they've read that Montessori has a →

We thought we would take this opportunity to address the beauty of a simple question, and the equally meritorious response. Mom asks, "What did you do today?" The student responds, "Everything!". What's at work here? →

What is our role as educators ? What function should "teachers" play? In the "Aims of Education", Alfred North Whitehead, spells it out: "The principle of progress is from within: the discovery is made by →

A few steps and suggestions to phase your child in to Montessori. New students who are just beginning at Baan Dek start out with a shortened set of hours for the first week. This is →

One of the most frequently asked questions that we receive, especially from prospective families is: "How do Montessori students transition to public school?". We thought we would take this opportunity to address this question, identifying →

One of the biggest concerns for prospective families is how their children will transition into the Montessori prepared environment. Will they be welcomed by their new friends? Will the Montessori guides take the time to →

Believe in each and every child, unconditionally and with love and respect. Foster independence, and an ability to overcome obstacles, by asking open-ended questions. Help children to invent new questions, and find their own solutions. →

We managed to capture a rather 'gentle' moment on video. Of course, these moments happen every single day, in all sorts of ways, but we thought we would take this opportunity to share this moment →

While Montessori doesn't expect or encourage outside homework, as this may cause confusion in the classroom, and with the child, we do recommend that parents work with their children on a regular basis. That almost →

Do you remember, when we were in school, and you we got really interested in a project? For some of us we may need to think hard, but there was definitely something, at some point. →

We have the extreme good fortune of having a directress that is as passionate outside the classroom as she is inside the classroom. Inspired to write on the nature of perfection, following our first parent →

A fundamental tenet of Montessori: social success leads to academic success. In Montessori, we believe that a child who is happy and joyous and comfortable in their environment will naturally be inspired to explore the academic →

Yesterday, we captured one of our older students eager to experiment with the cylinder blocks. Of course, she's long perfected the work, but something new drew her back into the activity. She wanted to try →

Sometimes it's the simple things that matter so much. Take, for instance, this perfect scene of independence. There are at least two things to notice about this picture. First, you'll notice the sink. It's just →

Over the past few years, we've gained many insights into Montessori, both in and outside of the classroom. Of course, we hope there are many more moments of clarion to be gleaned in the future, →

Over and over again, we've asked ourselves, "How can we bring a greater sense of awareness to Montessori?" It has so much to offer, and yet, it often seems as if it's just an alternative. Of →

Yes, we believe that mistakes are important, that they must not be underestimated, and that they are a vital and timely component to our ability to learn. It might seem counterintuitive, but mistakes are addressed →

Larry Page and Sergy Brin, the founders of Google, often credit Montessori with their success. Did you know that they both attended Montessori schools as children? Steven Levy, a journalist for Wired magazine, recently interviewed →

The famous British philosopher Bertrand Russell describes the Montessori approach to discipline, in his book "On Education". Here's Russell, in 1926: "I had always understood that Madame Montessori dispensed with discipline, and I had wondered →