Freedom and the Montessori Classroom
“To give a child liberty is not to abandon him to himself."
Read moreIMSP Blog
Toilet Training: A Key How to Succeed
How to handle toilet training? It seems to often become a great source of anxiety and frustration for parents, but it doesn’t have to be. In Montessori Infant and Toddler classrooms, we use a time-tested, practical and respectful way to support toileting.
Read more
The Little Panda
If you’re interested in kids activities or events happening in Prague during the coming weekend or through the year, check out the website of our partner - www.littlepanda.cz.
Read more
Get To Know Primary Lead Teacher: Veronika Newkirk
Veronika wanted to be a teacher from her childhood. Despite this she was graduated from Legal Studies at the Charles University. After having her first child, she fell in love with Montessori and her dream job came true. She devoted her career path to being a Primary Montessori teacher.
Read more
Starting Preschool: How to Handle Saying Goodbyes?
Before the age of two, the child undergoes a series of developmental changes making them ready for a new social environment. Although the parents are still the most important people in their world, children now need an expansion of their social horizons: the experience of a peer group, of being socially independent. This is a big and valuable step: learning to function without the parents in a community of friends and teachers.
Read more
Let´s pack for a trip with your Toddler
Summer is the perfect time for trips and outings. A backpack of their very own is a great gift for an older toddler or a pre-schooler: It builds their independence and confidence as they actively participate in preparing for each trip, and then carry their necessities by themselves.
Read more
What does Grace and Courtesy look like in practice?
The purpose of the Grace and Courtesy curriculum in Montessori is to offer our children the best possible assistance on this path. Explaining and modeling clearly, we share the most harmonious ways of behaving, relating and communicating, and help children practice and master them. Step by step, from the simplest skills (like saying “excuse me” or shaking hands) children build a “vocabulary” of actions that allows them to act appropriately and feel confident in social settings. How do we actually practice it in particular age groups?
Read more
Grace and Courtesy: Why is it so important?
Grace and Courtesy is a major part of the Practical Life curriculum from infancy through adolescence. You might overlook the Grace and Courtesy curriculum when you first visit a Montessori classroom; unlike Mathematics or Language, there usually isn’t a dedicated shelf or corner for it. However, it is nonetheless an essential part of the curriculum, with set lessons and goals; its „didactic materials“ are the teachers themselves, as well as the children’s community. Its aim is far more than simply teaching etiquette: it is to aid the self-construction of the child in their task to assume their full place in the human community.
Read more
Cooking With Children can be fun
It is often said that “the family that eats together, stays together”. We would like to suggest taking it a step further – and encourage every family to cook together, too. In Montessori, we know that kitchen work provides a host of benefits to children, all the way from toddlers to adolescents; it is a part of the Practical Life curriculum as soon as children can walk! However, its advantages are in no way tied to the classroom and can be just as easily – if not more so – applied at home.
Read more
Planting Toddlers in Mud
April showers bring May flowers... here we are in the blustery, chilly beginnings of Spring. It is a time of much anticipation as the first leaves and flowers appear, but also often much frustration for parents as seemingly endless mud, rain and puddles interfere with outside play.
Read more
Video: Blueprint for the classroom: A Way to Move Forward
How do we encourage peacefulness and respect in the Montessori classroom? Together with the children, we prepare a blueprint for our classroom community!
Read more
Reading from a Young Age Matters
A picture is the first content of a book that a child can „read“. Thanks to pictures, a child can understand a story without knowing how to read, interpreting the main figures/animals, the environment, and the situations from the visuals. From illustrated facial expressions and body language the child can also tell emotions. Enjoying a good book raises a love and passion that is necessary for prereading skills.
Read more