The child's emerging sense of identity is deeply informed by their culture. Teachers who are called to work with children 0-3 know and understand that their role in the children's lives is to create a kind of second womb for them in the Infant & Toddler years; this second womb is created with the carefully prepared environment. After the…

Forty-two percent of LGBT youth say the community in which they live is not accepting of LGBT people (Human Rights Campaign). That's 4 out of 10. And lesbian, gay, and bisexual young people are almost five times more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to have attempted suicide. It is very, very hard for an LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,…

This is the first article in a series about diversity and inclusivity in Montessori environments. The series addresses the necessity of intentional, anti-bias-oriented teachings and practices and highlight some of the movers and shakers the authors have identified as working for social justice in Montessori. For the first article, they invite…

One of the few constants in the author's life since beginning work at a Montessori school, in 1968, is that people are still asking why more children, especially children from low-income families, do not have access to high-quality Montessori programs. The problem of creating free or low-cost opportunities has been a struggle since the first…

In this article the authors describe how Montessori teachers create environments that assist and support toddlers. For all Montessori children, especially toddlers, giving them opportunities to perceive and experience the world through their own unaided efforts is the central premise of their prepared environments. The caretakers prepare the…

For each of the past 19 years, the American Montessori Society has chosen to recognize one Montessorian as an AMS Living Legacy. Recipients are honored at the AMS annual conference for their salient work or volunteerism in the Montessori field and their dedication and leadership that has made an impact on the AMS community. It seems fitting that…

At the heart of Maria Montessori's philosophy is the idea of providing the child with the most supportive environment in which to develop one's potential, for the singular purpose of carrying out one's cosmic task. Montessori teachers everywhere dedicate their energies to participating in this endeavor. But do these same teachers take time to…