Mathematics is often viewed as a subject to avoid or run away from. Most people find it difficult to link Mathematics to real-life situations and therefore view it as an abstract idea. According to the French Mathematician, Blaise Pascal, all humans are born with mathematical minds. If this is the case, one might wonder why many of today’s children are growing up still struggling with mathematics. Maria Montessori believed that mathematics learning should be part of the child’s early experience since he is born with a mathematical mind. In her words, “children display a universal love of ..read more

Shola, a six-month-old baby, lies in her crib made with a loopy bed sheet and a bulky blanket. Her mother dresses her ina fine linen dress and fuzzy sweater to make her warm, since it is a cold day. Shola’s mum places her lovely furry teddy and soft fabric doll by her side, patting and singing for her. Shola enjoys her nap as she rolls from the bed to the shaggy rug. It’s quite interesting to know that the world of a child is full of different fascinating textures.  As young children explore their environment, they encounter different objects with all kinds of textures. The fascinating th ..read more

The Montessori continent globe is the next globe to introduce a child to after the sandpaper globe in the early Montessori Geography exercises. Once a child can complete the three-period lesson with a sandpaper globe, the child can move on to the continent globe presentation. The continent globe is a round physical globe mounted and rotating on a wooden base at a 23° angle, (the same as the earth’s axis in relation to the sun). It is approximately 23cm high (about 9 inches) with about 17cm diameter (about 6.5 inches). Water is represented in blue colour while the continents are represente ..read more

Dr T. Chandroo is the Chairman of Modern Montessori International (MMI), an international group of companies with over 100 teacher-training centres and pre-school centres globally, including United Kingdom, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Myanmar, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt and the UAE. Additionally, Dr Chandroo also serves as the MMI Group’s CEO, which duties and responsibilities involve overseeing conception and implementation of all business strategies, policies and processes. Aided by a professional and committed team of directors, managers and executives, D ..read more

Get Neo-Montessori Life delivered straight to you. Buy now for N2,000, £4.50, $6.00 Neo-Montessori Life (NML) is the official quaterly magazine of Chelis Montessori Centre (CMC) connecting Nigeria to the Montessori wider world, a Montessori training and research Centre based in Lagos, Nigeria. Neo-Montessori Life is designed to promote awareness of Montessori education and contribute to its practice and knowledge in Africa by providing rich and authentic contents that will educate, inspire and motivate parents, Montessori educators, administrators, teacher trainers and everyone who cares abou ..read more

My name is Enimien Inegbedion. I am a mum of two – a girl and a boy. I studied Computer Science at the University of the West of England in Bristol and then went on to obtain an MBA, after which I started working in the telecom space in Nigeria. I worked there for about four years before I got married and moved back to the UK. While I was there I fell in love with the Montessori way of life. I have always had a natural connection with children and a desire to impact them one way or the other. For a while, I focused on photography, one of my many passions. I was taking pictures of children, wom ..read more

When people hear the name ‘Montessori’, they generally think of something involving a huge sum of money and they ignorantly shy away from it. Some educators also think that it is expensive because they assume all Montessori materials must be purchased before the environment can be set up. Contrary to these beliefs, the Montessori Method of education is one that focuses on the total development of the child, therefore a Montessori environment can be set up anywhere – in schools, homes and churches – without spending so much. This type of environment is designed with the child’s interest in mind ..read more

The Broad Stairs, also known as Brown Stairs (due to its distinct brown colour)  is a material designed by Dr Maria Montessori. It is made up of 10 brown rectangular stairs of the same length (20cm), differing in breadth and height, from 1cm to 1dm. The largest rectangular prism has a base measuring 10cm and the smallest 1cm. The prisms increase in size progressively: 4 of the first prisms make the second, 9 of the first prisms make the third, and 16 of the first prisms make the fourth. The prisms are arranged next to each other from the largest to the smallest so they resemble a staircas ..read more

Montessori is synonymous with childhood education. What if I told you that Montessori education produces amazing results at all stages of life, down to the last stage, which is old age? I’m sure you’re wondering how. Let’s dive in. First of all, what exactly is dementia? It is a term used to describe a group of symptoms that affect memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily life. It usually occurs in people aged 65 and over (although it can occur in younger people). One of the most repeated advice by doctors to people on the management of dementia is “KEEP Y ..read more

“Jane, can I have the TV remote control, please?” “No, mummy. No, mummy, please.  The next programme is Dora the Explorer; I like it too.” Jane pleaded, trying to convince her mum. Her mum reached out to collect the device and changed the channel to one of her favourites. Almost immediately, Jane started throwing tantrums. In a bid to restore normalcy her mum conceded to Jane’s choice of cartoon. The above scenario and other similar ones play out in many homes today. Also, because tablets and mobile devices are now being controlled by children, many parents are quick to surrender to their ..read more