I must admit that I can vividly recall a time when I graciously traded my younger sister five whole pennies for one quarter. In the process I absolutely convinced her what an amazing deal she was getting, because "everyone knows five is more than one." Glowing with pride over her newfound wealth, she shared the details of o... Read More

"I went to a session last week at my daughter's Montessori school where they talked about how they believe in overestimating what kids can do. So today I decided to break from my usual routine...and explained to her that we were going down to the laundry room and she was going to help. It was amazing. She started loading th... Read More

"Spring came again to the northern garden and so did the bluebirds." —R. Bruce Horsfall Bluebirds Seven The dawn chorus of birds is a universal sign of spring, and you might listen for it with your early-rising children - even from inside your home. Morning is a perfect time to hear birds as they greet the rising sun. It's ... Read More

Glass at Home—by Tim Seldin, How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori WayWhenever possible, try to build a control of error into each activity so it becomes clear to your child when she has made a mistake. The rationale behind letting children use cups and bowls that break if they are dropped or misused is that children... Read More

"By teaching children what they need to learn early in life, they may be better able to cope with the problems of their culture than by learning late the basic rules when little time is allotted for their mastery."—Nancy Rambusch Learning How to LearnWe often overlook how important it is for our children to have experiences... Read More

Maria Montessori urged us to "give the child a vision of the whole universe..." so that children might better understand Earth's place in the cosmos. Books, card materials, and star charts take children only so far - no photograph can replace the awe-inspiring vision of millions of diamond-bright stars twinkling overhead.Wh... Read More

"Every child is gifted. They just unwrap their packages at different times."—AnonymousLooking at a shelf of parenting books in the bookstore recently made me wonder how parents today decide how to raise their children. One could become The Confident Parent or listen to The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer while trying to remem... 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

It's summer at last - time to relax and take it easy. What does that mean for you and your family? It's not easy to slow down when there are so many demands on your time.How can you re-create for your children the feeling of the uninhibited play you might recall from your own childhood summers? Times have changed and demand... Read More

"Children will be smarter, better able to get along with others, healthier and happier when they have regular opportunities for free and unstructured play in the out-of-doors."—American Medical Association, 2005Were you told to "go out and play" when you were a child? Now, as a parent, do you give your children the same ins... Read More