2018! What a year! As I look back, I am filled with thanks for an amazing year. Every year I think things will slow down enough for me to catch up with my life but I am learning to accept that my life will always move a little faster than I can imagine and so I just buckle up and try to keep up. In January 2018, I opened Fruitful Orchard Montessori thinking I’d have just Solu and Metu for the term since I did not advertise. By the third week, we had one part time child and another child attending full time. That was the beginning of the scramble to keep up with life. On February 1st, my famil ..read more

Yesterday I observed 6 isolated incidents. I am posting them here because I want to remember the feeling I got when I reflected on them. I heard a child crying while being dropped off, I went over and tried to talk to him but he continued to cry. As I looked around, trying to decide what I could use to distract him, I realised I could not hear his cries anymore. I looked over and saw him enveloped in a hug by one of my returning 4 year olds. She held him and was patting his back. After a while, she let him go and they both proceeded to other activities. We installed a new play structure yeste ..read more

Hi there! Happy May to you! It’s worker’s day here in Nigeria and I’ve been getting a little rest and also catching up on some work. Can you believe it’s the fifth month of the year already? I can! If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that April was a very exciting month for me. I got appointed to the board of directors of the AMI. It was very exciting and significant for me to be the first African on the board. I am honoured to be called open to support Dr. Montessori’s work in this way and feel very positive about the direction of the AMI as expressed in it’s strategic goals. I atten ..read more

I’m excited to bring you the next interview in the Essence of Montessori Series. Today’s interview is with Simone Davies of The Montessori Notebook. Simone is a very experienced Montessori mum and guide with a beautiful heart. She has a lovely aesthetic that comes through in all that she does. My first encounter with Simone was when she gave me some kind feedback on one of my first posts on this blog. I have followed her work with admiration ever since. I’m so excited to be meeting her next month in Amsterdam! This interview was the first thing I read this year and it gave me a wonderful persp ..read more

Hello and Happy New Year! I know it’s March but the beginning of the year was one big busy blur for me. I only now feel like I’m coming up for air and able to think about the new year. While it has been really busy,it has also been an exciting year so far because one (actually two!) of my Montessori dreams came true! I can only tell you about one today though.  A lot you have followed me on this crazy amazing Montessori journey but incase you haven’t, I’ll give you a quick rundown. In 2011, I discovered Montessori by chance while taking my mum to visit a local school. I was so moved ..read more

With Montessori, we try to support the child’s development of independence from infancy. we often address movement, toileting, care of self and the environment. What about communication? Can we support independence with communication from infancy? Can we help our babies tell us what they are thinking? Yes! One of the ways that we help our children is by using sign language. I recently introduced the first sign to my daughter like I’ve done with her siblings around the same age (4-5 months). It made me think about the place of signing in a Montessori home. Signing to babies is compatible with M ..read more

I received a question from a reader asking how to support her toddler’s work now that her infant is crawling and can get to his shelves and also distract him while he  is working. I thought I’d answer with a post. While the original question specified infant and toddler, I think this can be an issue with children in any combination of different stages of development. one child is always interested in the work of the other child or just interested in being with or playing with the other child. I have grouped my suggestions into three categories: the environment, materials and grace & c ..read more

This is the fourth interview in the Exploring the essence of Montessori Parenting series. Today’s interview is with Heather of Little Bluestem Montessori. If you don’t already follow her on Facebook, do so at the end of the post!  As with the other posts, grab a cup of tea (or wine), relax, take your time and read carefully to absorb all the wisdom.  I’ll let her tell you about herself. Tell me a little about yourself. I am Heather Harty.  I am a trained Montessori guide from birth through 6.  I am married and have one daughter, age 4.  We live a in small town in centr ..read more