The Kavanaugh Report

As a Montessori parent, I know that kids learn about the world through their senses. They are taking everything in around them and using those sensory impressions to understand their bodies and the world we live in.  As a mom of several neurodivergent children I also know that for some kids too much sensory input or too little sensory input (depending on the child, the sense, and the situation) can be really dysregulating. That is without the right amount of sensory input, children can have a hard time regulating their emotions, their body movements, and can feel a lot of discomfort. Even neurotypical children can benefit from sensory tools when seeking the right amount of sensory input from a specific situation.  Sensory Tools in Our Montessori Home In order to make sure all of our children's sensory needs are met in our home and when we go out into the world, we have a variety of sensory tools. At home they live in a basket on a shelf so they can be accessed whenever they ar...

It's so fascinating to me how children really are so very distinct in each stage of their development. The second plane of development - that is from ages 6 to 12 - is no different. Kids in the second plane have so many unique quirks, interests, characteristics, and needs. Now, I've been parenting kids in the second plane for six years now, and one part that I have found particularly fascinating is the sudden lack of external order and how that practically manifests.  Often, I've noticed, that as the sensitive period for order fades in children, a strong desire to collect random "treasures" (what I would call junk) increases. Little tiny things that don't have meaning to me suddenly become really important to them. A rock from the beach, a gem from that one art project, 14 scraps of paper, and just all the things.  Three Essentials for Elementary Kids  I've really found that kinds in the second plane need three things when it comes to this new found desire...

The new school year is right around the corner and for many of us that means our children are returning to the classroom. This may be a Montessori classroom or it might be a more traditional school. Either way,  it means a lot of their academic learning is happening away from home. One question I get a lot is whether or not to also have Montessori materials at home for our children. The answer for me is...maybe. Should you keep Montessori academic materials out during the school year? There are both pros and cons to keeping Montessori materials available at home while your child attends school elsewhere. (I'm not talking about homeschooling here, but when your child is enrolled in a school.) Each time I consider adding a material to my home for my kids, I weigh the pros and cons to decide if the material is worth it in our home or not at this time.  Keeping Montessori Materials Available: The Pros There are a lot of positives to keeping these incredible learning materials avai...

The second plane of development represents a new birth for a child. From the ages of 6-years-old to 12-years-old, Dr. Montessori observed that kids are in a period of stable growth where academic life can flourish and social relationships become very important. In fact, she identified a variety of characteristics of the second plane that are important to understand as we prepare our homes and ourselves for this unique time.  What are the Characteristics of Kids in the Second Plane of Development? All kids are going to have their own specific interests during this time, but they will all have common characteristics that influence their behavior and outlook on the world. These are deeply engrained characteristics that erupt during the second plane, and many of which fade after time.  Understanding these characteristics is really important in understanding our elementary children's motivations, capabilities and intentions. It also helps us use these characteristics to gain our ch...