The prepared environments facilitate movement and activity and only include easily accessible learning material that supports a child’s development. For the youngest student, the first materials will tend to be those that provide real-world skills, such as using scissors and other utensils, washing dishes, gardening, and more. And of course, we talked about toddlers but also teenagers. Two different ages that have a lots in common!

As someone who devoted her life to studying and observing children, Montessori devised her own theory of child development that greatly informed the Montessori method of teaching. I am always inspired by her Jacarandra toddler community and her blog and advice have guided my own practice with toddlers. This is the book I recommend most to parents. It made such a difference to how I communicate with my own children and in my work with babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. Carine has been running a Montessori based parents and toddler group and coaching families for 9 years. She now also runs an online group for over 14000 parents, sharing her knowledge and passion with people from around the world. Montessori education values the development of the whole child—physical, social, emotional, cognitive. MORE ABOUT THE MONTESSORI EDUCATIONGiving children opportunities to explore using their imagination to build confidence, creativity and self-expression Pikler triangle is a gross motor development tool designed by Dr. Emmi Pikler and a very popular item in Montessori households. It improves spatial awareness, balance, and coordination and supports self-confidence. It’s been my mission since then to find another way. I’ve now been working in Montessori education for 15 years and love to learn from the 100+ toddlers and parents I see every week in my classroom. I am so happy to share with you what I have learned and help you understand your toddler better too.

Montessori toddlers are exposed to everyday life activities, chores and tasks both at home and on the go. These toddlers are given the opportunity to participate in the daily tasks of the household, and enjoy using their play time to further advance these skills. What is the best age to start Montessori? For the 5-year-olds, the researchers found significant group differences in academic and social skills, executive functioning, and theory of mind. For the 12-year-olds, there were significant group differences in measures of story writing and social skills. Food preparation: smoothies, vegetable cutting, rinsing fruits, spreading jelly on bread, peeling a banana, etc. In terms of the specific learning materials, the Montessori method relies on certain types of materials, and they differ depending on the student’s age.Montessori education is a child-centered approach that encourages self-directed learning through hands-on activities and collaborative play. This design allows older children to serve as mentors and develop leadership skills and provides younger students with the opportunity to learn from their peers rather than adults (Marshall, 2017). A Montessori busy board provides a great opportunity to train dressing skills at varying difficulty levels. Its compact design combined with a high level of engagement makes it an ideal companion for traveling.

Toddlers love to behave like adults if only we give them the opportunities – whether it’s eating with real-life cutlery, helping out in the kitchen or sleeping in a big bed (not a crib). An important part of the sensorial materials is that they only incorporate one sense – there is nothing else to distract or further inform the child (for example, the cylinders that have the same sound would not be colored the same; Marshall, 2017). Montessori nurseries and schools have age-appropriate classrooms that let children learn through play using specially designed Montessori toys and resources. The school strives to have students reach their full potential, gain strong physical, creative, and communication skills, and develop confidence as individuals.

The Montessori knobbed cylinders are one of the classic Montessori materials you’ll find in every Montessori school. They help develop sorting by size, height, and width and prepare for basic mathematics activities at a later age.