Ask Maitri

Question:

I am raising two children. My daughter is 4 years old. My son is 10 months. He is not crawling. The difference between them is 3.5 years. But the feeling and state is like becoming a mother again for the first time.

Question:

Good evening I have recently completed my AMI 3-6 Guide training and have three daughters at home ( 6 months, 2.5 and 4 years) and I have started setting up our basement with the intention to homeschool and wanted a bit of guidance as the space is not a typical classroom size. I’m leaving most of the practical life work upstairs near the kitchen but wanted to create sensorial language and math downstairs.

Question

I understand that each child develops at a different speed. However, I was wondering if you have (or can recommend), content appropriate for the age of 4.5/5? I will be starting a new job as Nanny/Governess to twin girls of 4.5 and as i have only recently started my Montessori training, I am looking for content that will really help bring structure to the support I provide.

Question

Your albums does not consist of the first stage of teaching, Origin, history, methodology and application. Why is that?

Question:

I'm wondering if the phonogram folders kit correlates with the pink series in montessori or the blue or the green?

Question:

Greetings, my son is four and is homeschooled. I recently came across your website and am so impressed by the thoroughness of it and the quality of the materials. But it's a bit overwhelming knowing where to start. My son enjoys being read to and can recognize the letters in the alphabet and say them. We are working on the sounds. The words he recognizes by sights, as far as I can tell, are his name (William), Mama, and Papa. Which materials would you recommend I purchase for him at this age/stage/readiness level?

 Question:
I closed my school, sold most of the materials I wouldn’t use with my grands after being a 3- 6 guide over 30 years. I have many Montessori guide friends from those years. Many also retired in recent years. In my garage I have stored all my AMS curriculum albums. I have found from asking around that there isn’t a market for these much loved and utilized resources. I thought maybe our local homeschooling parents might be interested but most homeschooling parents here lack the finances to purchase something like these even at a nominal cost. I just haven’t had the nerve to add them to the landfills and I am assuming other retirees are hanging on to theirs too.

Had you considered ever being a go between for buyers and Montessori retirees wanting to find a new home for these albums? 

Question: 

You once told me to "start where they are" in using the Montessori approach with my children on the autism spectrum. Well, one of them turns 15 next week and I am STILL working in the 9-12 cycle. He is making progress, but rather slow.... From a brain standpoint - have I missed windows with him?? I feel so "rushed" sometimes and like I'm totally so far behind and I'm making the wrong choices for him. I've tried public school, private school, unschooled, ....all the things. It all mostly results in frustration and a long shutdown towards ANY learning and then having that slow return to a more structured learning period each day. Here is a good example: His writing is REALLY horrid. He fatigues easily and there seems to be a total disconnect from brain to hand....I have metal insets, sandpaper letters, a Montessoriam app for tracing on the iPad, etc....I have the bigger pencils for a better grip (although his hands and fingers are huge and long). I'm not trying to make him write everything out, but rather get him to the point of legible printing and being able to function in his adult life with writing confidence.

Question: 

Hello! I'm wondering if there is a reason why your card materials don't have colored borders to match Montessori color coding? I was making our own personal religion cards for Mass and I added a border, but I want to buy many of your cards and the perfectionist in me is wondering if I should just make my cards without a border to coordinate with yours. But, that got me wondering if there is a benefit to not having the border and why you went that route.

Question: 

Currently I’m amidst our third year of homeschooling our two boys (11 & 9), and still repairing holes left from the public school. After IEPs, tutors, different curriculums, I’ve discovered my boys (dyslexic and brilliant!), benefit from the ways I learned - old school, Montessori, tried and true.

I have gathered many of the resources and even have the primary albums for teaching. However, at the same time I’m trying to “catch them up” without hurrying their mastery. My oldest overthinks spelling and I have literally started from the beginning to break old habits and correct understanding. I find starting with “very easy” gives the momentum of accomplishment and fosters confidence.

Would you mind offering any feedback you have and even better, a sample daily routine that incorporates appropriate subjects? With language as their biggest struggle I tend to focus on that in particular but I want our homeschool experience to feel less like “English tutoring” and more well-rounded. This has been my biggest struggle as I need to focus on their language skills without taking the joy from holistic learning. I get stuck with how to teach all the LA parts together (ie. What to teach at the same time? Grammar before Writing mechanics?) how much time to allow for the subjects. I wish I could rewind and afford Montessori for both of them, but this is our journey and we’re embracing where we are. I truly appreciate your willingness to help.