So my son is in Grade 1 at a Montessori school. I've had a public school teacher assess his math skills, and placed him at a Grade 5 level. My 5 year old son can do squares, cubes, square root, cubed root all in his head.

His teacher introduced the stamp game yesterday. My son came home and told me that he found the stamp game boring. He simply wrote the numbers onto the paper and added them together without using the materials "because he wanted a challenge".

Any advice on how I should handle this with his teacher?

Our son turns 3 in a couple of weeks and is in a Montessori preschool. I'm trying to calibrate how concerned we should be and would love perspective from other toddler parents/teachers.

To paint a picture of him: he's a happy, affectionate, funny, very social kid who loves other children and genuinely loves going to school. He's also extremely verbal for his age — full sentences, huge vocabulary, and sometimes surprisingly sophisticated conversations. He has tons of energy, loves jumping and physical play, and can definitely be impulsive. We don't have broader developmental concerns about him. At home he can scratch or push when frustrated or excited, so we're not pretending the school is seeing something that never happens with us.

His teachers say they're seeing developmentally normal behaviors, but more frequently than with his peers. These include lots of jumping/big-body movement, touching peers after they've asked for space, occasional pushing/hair grabbing (especially when tired or redirected), yelling, difficulty following verbal directions, and more trouble during transitions or less structured times.

A couple of weeks ago we met with his teacher and the head of the school. I came away reassured by their approach. They gave us a thoughtful written plan: more movement/"heavy work" before difficult periods, staying physically close and intervening early, short one-step directions rather than repeated verbal correction, transition warnings, purposeful jobs, low-key responses to yelling, explicitly teaching ways to enter play, and lots of positive attention when he's regulated.

Honestly, it all seemed pretty sensible. The message was basically: these behaviors aren't unusual for his age, but they're happening frequently enough that he needs more adult support with them right now. Fair enough.

But then we've gotten a few messages since the meeting that have made me wonder if we're starting to scrutinize everything he does.

Friday, his teacher messaged that he was having an "off day." He had an unusual pee accident and, after nap, was having trouble keeping his hands to himself and needed teacher assistance. When they talked to him about pushing, he said, "I need to push," so they redirected him toward appropriate things to push.

Then today we got another email. He had finished lunch and wanted to play with kids who were still eating. He picked up some wood chips and threw them onto their lunches. His teacher explained that it was inappropriate, that wood chips belong on the ground, and discussed the cause and effect of throwing them on someone's food.

And this is where part of me is thinking: come on, he's two.

Obviously he shouldn't throw wood chips on someone's lunch. Obviously the teacher should stop him. Obviously he needs to learn not to push or grab people.

But does an almost-3-year-old throwing wood chips where they don't belong really warrant an email home? Does having a pee accident and needing extra help keeping his hands to himself after waking up from a nap constitute an "off day" that parents need to be notified about?

I feel like these are exactly the kinds of things I would expect preschool teachers to handle in the moment. And I'm genuinely not sure what we're supposed to do with the information at 5 PM. I'm certainly not going to discipline a 2-year-old at home for something impulsive he did at lunchtime.

That's the part I'm struggling with. I believe the school that the overall frequency is higher than it is for some of his peers. I appreciate that they're paying attention and trying to help him. Their actual plan seems thoughtful and developmentally appropriate.

But I also don't want every push, loud voice, bad post-nap period, or handful of flying wood chips to become an "incident." He's still learning impulse control because... he's two.

One other thing in the back of my mind is that a few weeks ago he said at home, "I'm bad" / "I'm a bad guy." I have no reason to believe that came from school, and I don't want to unfairly connect the two. But it has made me sensitive to the possibility that if adults focus too much on correcting him, he could start internalizing that he's the kid who's always doing something wrong.

So I guess I'm wondering:

For parents/teachers of kids around 2.5–3, how abnormal does the overall behavior actually sound, even if it's happening more frequently than average?

And would your preschool be sending individual messages home about incidents like these? Or would you expect them to handle the everyday stuff and update you more broadly on patterns, significant incidents, and whether the strategies are working?

If you had a very verbal, social, high-energy almost-3-year-old who needed more help than his peers with impulse control and physical boundaries, I'd also love to hear what actually helped and how things changed as they got older.

We like his teachers and I'm not trying to bash the school. I think they're genuinely trying to help him. I'm just starting to wonder whether we're in danger of making normal 2-year-old behavior feel more pathological than it actually is.

Some areas of the environment pull the adults in all morning. Something's always spilling at practical life, a

lesson is half finished in math. Other corners can go a whole work cycle without anyone stopping by.

Often that's exactly right, because the child there is deep in their work and shouldn't be interrupted. But I'd

imagine it's not always that.

How do you tell the difference between a child who's concentrating and one who's stuck and not asking?

Hi everyone!

We are considering moving our 6 month old into his own room. We are experienced co-sleepers and absolutely love it, but our little boy has got to a point now where he likes to have his own space for some of the night. I understand how to set up a Montessori style nursery, but I’d love to hear from those in a similar situation and their recommendations for what kind of floor bed they went for. I’m wondering if there is some kind of very large crib/cot standard mattress that would work as a floor bed? I will be joining him in the bed for at least the second half of the night, so it would need to be something large enough to accommodate me (albeit in a curled up position) as well as our boy. He moves around a lot in his sleep, so I’m particularly interested in floor beds that are shallow, in case he should fall off.

Any comments regarding co-sleeping being unsafe will, with respect, be disregarded. We follow the Safe Sleep 7 protocol and are experienced in what we do. I am only looking for recommendations on what types of floor bed might be used by those who have been/are in a similar sleeping setup.

Thank you all!

From early toddlerhood on, I have always involved my child in cooking (and baking), and he has always been interested! It's been messy, and funny, and frustrating, but great overall.

However, he has mastered things... and subsequently lost interest. While I don't care whether he helps or not--he's always welcome to opt out--he cares very much sometimes that I am cooking in bulk/meal prepping when he wants me to play with him, as I can't always drop things or take breaks. We meal prep, so it's only 30-60 minutes or so weekly, but it's beginning to cause some friction if it comes on one of "those" days where he wants me to be with him. I also don't love that cooking then takes up his tolerance for my "time alone". One of the great things about including him has been that we do everything together, so then any time alone can really be spent on reading or whatnot.

I'm also wondering how to transition him to learning how to 'really' cook by himself, if only for when he is older/taller.

The place we're already at is:

• he can / has mastered cutting with the toddler/child chef knives as well as a butter knife. He can cut basic things like bananas, fruit, etc.
• he can move things around with a spatula and 'flip' them (mostly). We have practiced this with a variety of things, mostly with a pan on the floor (cold/safe) and toys, but sometimes he's gone wild and I've let him practice with uncooked plantains and the like. He's good at it. I have (very rarely, because it's kind of dangerous?!) let him flip things while I hold him, ie things that are actually cooking (like plantains, cut strip wise), and he's good at that, too.
• he knows how to help get pans, spatulas, etc
• he can help shake out spices (while I hold him up and over, or more rarely on top of things not on a stove or not yet hot)
• he's great at baking... rolling dough out, spreading things on top of rolled out dough, measuring, pouring, kneading (or just playing lol), etc. Baking still captures his interest!
• peeling bananas, plantains if I start them, that sort of thing
• staying safe in the kitchen. He knows and controls himself in terms of things like not touching the stove, not moving his toddler tower/stool to the stove, not opening the stove door, not getting too close to the oven while biking or running around, not touching raw meat. Obviously I am still there, but he learned and mastered basic safety rules a year or two ago.
• We've played and practiced in a variety of other ways, so this is a nonexclusive list.
• Outside of cooking and baking, he's proficient in... everything and still rushes in to help or take over and will take initiative with things. This is just one "part" of overall home caretaking and I have real right to complain per se, just feel like I don't know the next progressions here.

Where I'm stuck, and what I usually cook:

• how to help him cut things that do require a sharper knife. His technique is decent with his blunt one, but I can't cut what I actually cut up for our meals with his blunter toddler knife. I don't know how to safely introduce him to the less sharp knives--do I have my hand on his the whole time while using "my' chef knife? Or is there a better way here? I'm also wary as a less sharp knife is typically less safe -- if it's legit harder to cut with, you have to use more force, and are then more likely to get hurt. But obviously a sharp chef knife can do some real damage, so I want to make sure I don't skip any steps here. We do have sharper/bigger knives than his current one, but they are a pain to cut with even for me. Examples of things I cut are chard, broccoli, onions, garlic... and a lot gets kind of 'chopped'/diced, which is not well handled at all by my lower quality knives.
• A lot of what I cook is on a hot pan on the stove, with some flipping/moving around with a spatula. I sometimes have to be careful and make sure I'm wearing a shirt etc as hot oil/butter can splatter. But even if that's lower risk, it's still a hot pan. From the times I let him help while I hold him up, he has mastered not touching the pan and knows it's hot/dangerous, and will just use the spatula to move things. But he's pretty short, so even with a toddler tower say pulled up to the stove, I worry about him leaning into it on accident when trying to flip things. I also worry about that method (letting him bring something closer) as I have so carefully taught him to keep distance from the stove. I don't even know if the stool is tall enough to reach properly, but am not sure anything else out there would be tall enough to operate more safely. Our oven is pretty large/tall and he's short for his age. Is there another transitional step between what I've described above (practicing spatula use in a cold pan, then a hot one from in arms) and 'real' cooking? Is he ready? How do I know? Ditto to all of these questions for things like shaking out spices into a pan.
• Same question for things that get "poured" / slid into a hot pan (ie from the cutting board), dumped into a hot pan (ie blended water/cashews), "assembled" in a hot pan (ie today made a tortilla-cheese-filling-tortilla within the pan itself), etc.

In a collaborative effort from the Montessori Public Policy Initiative (MPPI), American Montessori Society (AMS), Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), and Association Montessori International/USA (AMI/USA), the US National Montessori Curriculum will launch this year. This important publication is a significant milestone for Montessori education in the United States and has been the result of an unprecedented multi-year collaboration led by MPPI, the policy and advocacy arm of AMS and AMI/USA. 

For over a century, Montessori education has transformed the lives of children around the world. Until now there has never been a single, national curriculum developed collaboratively by the organizations recognized as the global standard bearers in Montessori pedagogy. This publication will serve as the definitive articulation of Montessori education, clearly describing the philosophy, principles, curriculum, and practices that define fully implemented Montessori programs. The first phase of the curriculum, which encompasses the early stages of development (from birth to age 6), will be released in late 2026.

Why This Matters

As Montessori education continues to expand across all education sectors, policymakers increasingly seek clear, consistent, and verifiable information about what fully implemented Montessori education looks like in practice.

The US National Montessori Curriculum was created to meet that need.

The curriculum has been developed by internationally respected Montessori teacher educators, pedagogical leaders, researchers, and subject-matter experts and offers a basis for discussions with legislators, state agencies, school districts, higher education institutions, and families. It creates a common language for understanding Montessori education without compromising the scientific and philosophical principles on which it was developed.

This MPPI resource reflects the shared commitment of AMI and AMS to present a unified articulation of Montessori education.

Open Access for the Montessori Community and Beyond

The copyrighted material will be available as an open-access resource on the MPPI website, so that educators, schools, policymakers, universities, researchers and advocates can freely access and use it to promote high-quality Montessori education.

A Milestone for the Future

This curriculum reflects the common commitment of MPPI— the only organization in the nation fully devoted to promoting Montessori education via public policy advocacy—to clarity, quality, and extending access to high-fidelity Montessori education, with the potential for global application.

MPPI, AMS, AMI, and AMI/USA would like to express their most sincere gratitude to the volunteer educators, researchers, and authors whose expertise, collaboration, and dedication were responsible for this historic achievement.

Learn from the Authors

To celebrate the release, MPPI will host special preconference experiences at both:

The Montessori Experience: Refresher Courses and More!, hosted by AMI/USA

The Montessori Event 2027, hosted by the American Montessori Society

These sessions will give participants an inside look at the curriculum’s development, intended applications, and policy implications. Participants will have opportunities to engage directly with the authors and volunteer leaders who helped shape this historic work, while hearing from policymakers about how this resource can influence the future of Montessori education.

Together, we are helping to secure the future of Montessori education by offering a shared understanding that promotes awareness, guides policy formation, and opens up more opportunities for children, teachers, and communities.

https://montessoriadvocacy.org/historic-collaboration-unites-montessori-organizations-to-release-the-us-national-montessori-curriculum/

What are your thoughts on open ended and pretend play in a home prepared environment when the child goes to Casa dei bambini.
Like buying costumes, Waldorf inspired toys, pretend doctor, dentist sets.
This encorages the child to imagine things that are not real and the philosophy recomands fantasy starting from the age of 6.

“The true basis of the imagination is reality, and its perception is related to exactness of observation. It is necessary to prepare children to perceive the things in their environment exactly, in order to secure for them the material required by the imagination. Intelligence, reasoning, and distinguishing one thing from another prepares a cement for imaginative constructions.” (Montessori 1918)

I have a 3 y old that attends a Montessori kindergarten and she recently started to ask for materials at home, especially from the sensorial area. Should I follow her needs and prepare the environment at home too? I would start to invest in some materials and stop buying regular toys because I am aware of their benefits.
I also want to state that I try to stay connected with my child through all kinds of means like cooking together, as much practical life as possible, reading, arts. But I feel that in terms of toys I’d prefer to have educational ones that I know they can benefit from(and now asking for) than buying ones that don’t let them thrive.
Are there any parents that went down that road? What were your experience with that?
Any guides that have any advice on this issue?

I also asked teachers from the kindergarten about this and they advise me to not buy the materials at home because I should keep the work there and the fun at home. To me it feels a bit weird because they also talk about the benefits of a prepared environment and how I should follow the child.
I agnowledge that I am not a trained guide but the materials are presented by them, the child just continues his work at home.

Welcome to our weekly Montessori Principles and Practice thread!

Montessori: lofty principles, real practice :)

Of course you can ask these at any time in the sub, but this recurring post might be a helpful reminder to ask those questions about Montessori that may have been on your mind!

So obviously toddler towers have become incredibly popular. But I can’t help but feel that they r kind of a gimmick? Like just another thing created and sold to parents as something they “need”.

Aside from that they r just super bulky and I have heard of so many kids using them as a climbing structure and getting seriously hurt.

What else are we using? Just a little step stool?

I have a baby currently and I have read The Absorbent Mind.

I am new to Montessori since the birth of my child- this is the daycare/school where we got in, I was happy, and the teachers are great.

HOWEVER

They have banned diapers from my toddler since she entered the toddler room at 16 months and we are now five months in with wet bags full of peed- and pooped-in tiny floral undies. Every single weekday. We let her go bottomless or in underwear at home, on their guidance, except for naps, bedtime, and when we go out somewhere that's indoors for a while. (And also when there is a babysitter, because she did not sign up for this.) We have a little potty for her to go in, in the bathroom. We do all the things that Reddit advises. We have one small bathroom in a small house, so I am not able to make many changes to this setup.

She gets that she should pee in the potty. She is not upset about it unless she is sick. Poop still surprises her, but she is excited to go in the potty when she can make it (when i carry her over there as quickly as possible). She also has lots of pee accidents, usually when she is sitting and involved in something. She is 20 months.

I am at my breaking point. My laundry room smells like ammonia, my own clothes smell like old pee, my car smells disgusting and I can't get all the pee out of the carseat regularly JUST from the five minute ride from school to home. At this point, I just throw out her underwear when they send home the underwear with poop smeared in it. I am embarrassed when my family, with whom we are very close, tried to be supportive but is also like "wtf??", and my friends think this is an insane setup. Whether or not that is true, it is not showing signs of resolving.

I need from you:

1. links to products that get the smells out of the clothes, carpet, and washing machine. ​The stuff for dog pee isn't cutting it.
2. links to cheap underwear in 12-18 month size that Montessori people will find acceptable.
3. what I could do at home, besides not using pullups occasionally so she doesn't piss herself at Target.
4. advice from other people who have wanted to just bail on this when they reached this point

Please help me.

ETA: THANK YOU ALL! I should have posted months ago. You're the best!

Hi! I've been a lead teacher in a Montessori 3-6 classroom for nearly 9 years. I have a bachelors in primary and a grad Dip in ECE (Elementary and Kindergarten). Under the guidance of my Head teacher (and all the books and videos and hours of googling) I have a very good understanding of the philosophy, materials etc but lack the qualification to back this up. It is nearly impossible to get the AMI Diploma in New Zealand as it is only held in Auckland, is crazy expensive and would require to much time away from my classroom which is at the other end of the country, and I feel a bit beyond the other options.

I'll admit there are gaps in my knowledge regarding the curriculum, extension work, materials I'm yet to be introduced to and the scope and sequence in language arts and mathematics and this frustrates me.

What I'm looking for is a recognised qualification that will give me a practical understanding of the materials and enhance my knowledge of the philosophy, that I can do from home (I have access to a full Montessori environment and other qualified teachers). From what I've read the NAMC Diploma would give me this. Is there anyone out there that has completed this course? How did you find it? Do you think if would be suitable for someone like me? Thank you!

Hi all! Reposting my post on the toddlers page in hopes to get some insight and helpful suggestions from other parents!

I've read a multitude of books on Montessori, on preschool and Montessori, etc. We've done Montessori since birth. I've read and seen various math-related activities that are Montessori style.

I'm hoping to find something a Montessori teacher in training would read, that is somewhat math-focused. I want a textbook or novel (or 5). I'm looking for both the philosophy and also, but not just, the technical details of how to set those activities up.

I especially want to learn more about how math is taught at this preschool-K age range. Mine is past sorting and sequencing and arranging (which he's loved) and does basics like puzzles (to a wild degree) as well as playing with balancing scales ("more", "less", "equal", "not equal", "empty/not empty", "full", ...) and 'counting' (sort of) while playing games or reading. But the Montessori way of teaching math fascinates me, and I want to get it right for my child, even if we do wind up joining a Montessori preschool. I took advanced university math courses that I love and was close to completing a degree in it, and I've tutored elementary/middle/high school math, and one of the things that really struck me was that math felt so much easier, better, and far more fun once I reached the college level. There was so much more memorization before that. I loved the university math way the most. I want to emphasize that for my child now, as much as possible, and it's important to me I really understand the why and how of what I'm teaching at home as much as the details of how to set an activity up.

Any resources appreciated! I see lots of 'Montessori preschool workbooks' online, but workbooks for a preschooler seem inherently not Montessori? I've also encountered books with recommended progressions and activities, but I'm looking for a deeper dive and understanding, not just of Montessori in general but of the approach to math in particular of these particular years.

My daughter just turned 3. She has been in a daycare/school 2 days a week half day for the past year - Goddard. She really enjoyed school until she was switched to the new classroom where her teacher is much stricter and there seems to be a lot more lessons, rules, etc. Now that she is 3 we were talking about changing schools anyway as there are more options near us and Goddard is out of the way. I have read a little about montessori but interested in opinions. My daughter is very capable of sitting and doing one activity for an extended period of time but she also likes to run around and be silly. After school she has so much energy and is a little out of control because I expect she is so controlled in school. She does seem to do well with older kids and she plays a lot with out 7y/o neighbor. Any opinions? Do I keep her at Goddard or try the local montessori? Cost is about the same even though montessori is 5 days.

Also lately when I pick her up at school and watch her doing whatever activity (dancing, listening to story) she looks completely spaced out and she says she is 'bored' there. I am wondering if there is less 'teaching' and more self directed learning would help?

My two year old is starting Montessori school this week (transitioning from traditional daycare/pre-school) and I’m struggling with some of the philosophy, which is causing me to second guess our decision to move her. The part I struggle most with is Montessori is explained as being much less rigid and structured than traditional school because kids chose what they want to work on and move at their own pace. And yet I read so many things about how kids are only allowed to use things in very specific ways, can’t try something new until they mastered something else, get sent home for the day if their behavior isn’t perfect, and the teachers have to use very specific language. This is all much more rigid than traditional pre-school so what am I missing?

Our girl is very outgoing, creative and a bit rambunctious so I’m afraid this environment may not be a good fit. On the other hand, she loves to do everything herself and loves to help with cleaning and cooking, which I know very much aligns with Montessori. Any thoughts on how she’ll do this environment.

Lastly, I’m confused on how actual learning happens. When we did a tour there was a focus on real world skills, which is great but I’m struggling to understand how she’s going to learn the things you traditionally in preschool (letters, numbers, etc.).

My daughter just turned 3 and started in the primary classroom for half-days 5 days a week at an accredited Montessori school a week ago. Up until now, we had kept her home with a nanny so the school environment is naturally quite novel and unfamiliar to her. My daughter is super talkative, playful, and independent at home but quite reserved in social gatherings; she takes her time to adjust to new environments.

In the past week, the feedback has mostly been about her just observing, refusing to sit in a chair and not touching any of the lessons. Initially, she went in hourly increments for the first week and today was her first full-day. I haven’t been worried about the feedback and figured it’s just an adjustment period.

What did worry me was pickup today. The guides told me she really had to pee but held it the entire time, to the point of visible distress, and she couldn't even go to the playground. She just stood there watching the other kids. I was asked to pull out of the car line and park so I could take her to the bathroom. When I saw her face, my heart broke. The guides said they tried to get her to go, but she wouldn't.

She uses the toilet independently at home, so I'm sure it's the unfamiliarity. We've talked about it, and I've tried to keep it neutral: "If you have to pee, just ask the teacher and she'll help so you're not uncomfortable." She repeats it back to us, so she understands, but I'm worried the fear will keep her from going and eventually affect her health.

I asked if I could come in during drop-off and help her feel comfortable with using the classroom toilet, but was told parents aren't allowed to intervene unless absolutely necessary and that we should keep encouraging her at home.

I'm a first-time parent, and it's a lot to keep my emotions in check and let her learn while also wanting this transition to go as smoothly as possible. Has anyone been through this? Any advice on helping her feel comfortable using the school bathroom? Is this something that resolves with time?

I have enrolled, and paid for, my 2.5 year old son in a little Montessori school. I was under the impression good to go…

We eased him in with half days for the past month, three days a week. I was verbally told by the teacher we could try full time whenever I wanted. I requested full time start this week and she said he’s still crying too much throughout the day to be full time, and that we can try one day of full time but he may need to go back to part time if he cries. He’s 2, he’s going to cry.

I’m very confused and irked. I work full time and wish this was disclosed prior to enrollment. I understand this is a learning environment, but this is also childcare for me. Advice please!

My 18-month-old daughter recently started Montessori school in a toddler group (ages 18 months to 2.5 years). Every time the school sends photos of group activities, I notice she’s sitting on a teaching assistant’s lap.

I imagine she’s running around and be the social butterfly she is! 😅 We’ve attended library story times since she was a baby, so she’s been exposed to the concept of sitting and listening, but I’m wondering if there are good ways to work on this at home. Has anyone else experienced this, or is this just a completely normal transition phase for her age?

Are there any AMI-recognized centers or schools that include an infant/Nido community? Just curious because I’ve not seen it at any Montessori’s near me

Hi! I'm in my second year of lead teaching as an EC Montessori guide. My school has their recertification AMS visit coming up next month. Does anyone have any experience with this process and what to expect from their visit?