"The artist is not a special kind of person; rather each person is a special kind of artist."—Ananda CoomaraswamyIt's the first month of the year and you may still be making room for holiday gifts. In my house, these gifts traditionally included fresh, new art supplies. As the children grew up, the size of the crayon box al... Read More

"The education of our day is rich in methods, aims and social ends, but one must still say that it takes no account of life itself."—Maria Montessori, The Absorbent MindBy now your children are settled in their classrooms and are being cared for and educated by your extended "village." Perhaps you're still concerned about w... Read More

A Book Review by Kelly Griffith-Mannion, M. Ed.As a Montessori mom, I've just found the perfect best friend—a well-informed, articulate "Montessorian, " always ready to give me succinct, detailed advice on how to pull off the best parenting job ever! Well, all right. My new best friend is an invaluable book from the Sandpip... Read More

"Music matters. Encourage your child to listen to all kinds of music and to clap, dance and sing along."—Tim Seldin, How to Raise an Amazing ChildFrom the soft chimes inside their soft, furry toys to the full orchestration of "Carnival of the Animals, " children learn how to distinguish different sounds, rhythms, and melodi... Read More

Do you find pastry intimidating? Children don't! Any child who has played with modeling dough will be eager to use the same techniques to create a pastry-based snack. And any parent can make it happen, with ready-made pie crust, realistic expectations, and Montessori-style step-by-step skill-building.Fiddling with scraps of... Read More

Ah, summer... When magic words like "sleep-over" and "camping trip" nudge the older child's inclination to stretch beyond their immediate circles... When younger children clamor to explore their immediate outdoors... When parents juggle schedules to make outdoor experiences available to all their children... immediately!Exp... Read More

"It is just as degrading to the young child as to an adult to have someone constantly doing everything for him."—Elizabeth Hainstock, Teaching Montessori in the HomeIf you want to have strong, confident, and independent children, let them help! Recently we've heard from a variety of sources about the importance of teaching ... Read More

"The teacher shows the children how to clean out the little corners where dust has accumulated and shows them how to use the various objects necessary in cleaning a room - dust cloths, dust brushes, little brooms, etc."—Maria Montessori, The Montessori MethodLet's do some spring cleaning with our children!In "those good old... Read More

Explore the "universal language" of music with your children Children have a wonderful capacity to appreciate and make music. Early exposure to a music of all types has intrinsic value -- it can tell a story, set a mood, and reflect the character of a culture. Music stimulates the part of the brain associated with pattern r... Read More

We've all seen young children doing any number of imaginative things with wooden blocks: building a toy animal corral or a parking lot for cars, or a doll's cradle. What makes block play open-ended, after all? Merriam-Webster's definition of open-ended, applied:"not rigorously fixed": the outcome of the child's activity is ... Read More