moonlight Posted December 22, 2010 Share Posted December 22, 2010 hello, i would like to order some montessori materials for my children. are there any website recommendations that anyone has?? and i would also happily take any product recommendations as well.. thanks, seema Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted December 22, 2010 Share Posted December 22, 2010 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blessedbyHim Posted December 22, 2010 Share Posted December 22, 2010 www.motessoriforlearning.com also has lots of resources to download! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn E Posted December 22, 2010 Share Posted December 22, 2010 I enjoy the catalogs from Montessori Services and their partner company Small Hands which was created for parents of Montessori students. I haven't purchased from them yet, but I drool all over the catalogs when they come. :) One thing I like is that they not only sell most of the individual components you need for a lot of practical life activities--baskets, cloths, polish, small spray bottles, small pitchers, etc.--but they also sell sets that include all the parts you need for an activity. If you preferred, looking at the catalog gives you a great guide to follow in putting together your own materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreistetter Posted December 22, 2010 Share Posted December 22, 2010 I've had good luck with Montessori Services. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flux Posted December 22, 2010 Share Posted December 22, 2010 Montessori Concepts has cheap stuff (but I haven't ordered from them). Michael Olaf has WONDERFUL catalogs, full of practical advice and wisdom. The pictures are in black and white, to place emphasis on the "why" behind the product, but they have so many wonderful products, ideas, and tips. I:001_wub: when I receive a new one. My sister gets the Small Hands catalogs as well and they are in color/eye candy, and full of great stuff, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 (edited) hello, i would like to order some montessori materials for my children. are there any website recommendations that anyone has?? and i would also happily take any product recommendations as well.. thanks, seema I had seen your other thread about having your resources covered by your husband's employer so one thing to focus on would be invoicing since I assume you will need to provide that to your husband's employer in order to get it covered. Anyway, my friend has purchased some products from this company: https://www.alisonsmontessori.com/Articles.asp?ID=121 Also, I am not sure if you are looking to follow the Montessori method of teaching in your home or just looking to get some Montessori educational toys for you children but if it is the first then I would highly recommend reading some books on the Montessori method. I have been fascinated with Maria Montessori's work for a long time now but I did not have a good enough understanding until I started reading "The Absorbent Mind" about a week ago. I will be finishing it today. Anyway, if it is the method of teaching you are looking for (the approach), just to point out that while hands off from the teacher's end it is not entirely teacher free. The teacher is called to observe the children while they are learning, the whole time that they are involved in their activities but not to intervene, allowing room for the children to learn and grow at their own pace. But of course if it is just educational toys you are looking for then you can find some great stuff in the site I linked here and several of the others previously mentioned. Good luck :). Edited December 23, 2010 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReneTL Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 I have ordered things from Montessori Outlet and had good luck. What are you looking for exactly? (BTW, I have both of the lower elementary math manuals from NAMC for sale if you're interested, PM me.) My girls were in Montessori school before pulling them and I wanted to keep using Montessori math, but decided I needed the structure of Singapore. The materials work very nicely with Singapore's approach. (You could also use Singapore's manipulatives.) I use the Fraction Box, the Stamp Game, multiplication and division boards, the Bead Decanomial, and the Algebraic Peg Board the most; I have certainly gotten my money's worth from them. I also bought the small, large and flat bead frames that I haven't really used much at all - hardly touched, really. I hope that helps - good luck! Peace, Rene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 Just to clarify, The Absorbent Mind I mentioned in my previous post is not a teacher's guide to the Montessori method. In this book Maria Montessori explains and gives examples of how her educational approach came about using her medical background and her time as an educator of young children. This book focuses mainly on the age range between 0 and 6, although she does compare and contrast with the other two age groups (6-12 and 12-18) at certain points. It is not an easy read but definitely worth while for those that are interested in how a child's mind works, based of course on Maria Montessori's theories ;). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poke Salad Annie Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 (edited) I love the Michael Olaf catalogs too! David Gettman's Basic Montessori is a nice book for explaining the materials and how to use them. Montessori at Home by Heidi Spietz (AMC) is another good book to have for reference. I found all of my Montessori books at thrift stores or garage sales. I think you could have great success with very simple things, giving them a Montessori purpose. This would spare a great deal of expense. I would suggest getting some inexpensive trays and setting up activities for your children. I never spent $$$ on Montessori stuff, but made-do with what I could find very cheaply at thrift stores or otherwise made my own. It is very easy to go ga-ga over all the Montessori goodies for sale. (Ask me how I know. ;) ) My best advice is to look around for some blogs featuring Montessori used in a home environment or even a Montessori teacher's blog. You can find oodles of ideas there. Yes it's nice to have a real pink tower, golden beads, etc., but if you have a Hobby Lobby around and are a bit crafty, you can make your own. There was a yahoo group for making Montessori supplies for home use, but I'm not certain it still exists. The Montessori Manual by Dorothy Canfield Fisher is available online free. She is also the author of Understood Betsy, a book which demonstrates her love for the Montessori way of teaching children to do things on their own. If I were to invest in a few things, I would invest in a laminator and a box of pouches (cheap at Sam's club), some continent maps with removable pieces (such as the framed puzzles which are about $11), a set of insets (which don't have to be Montessori--there are cheaper ones), and a catalog from Michael Olaf company. As I said before, you can make so much of these goodies, and you may find you truly enjoy the challenge. Part of the fun is the hunt for ideas and materials. For example, I made a thousand chain with a few packs of long athletic shoestrings I bought for 25 cents/pkg and some pony beads from Walmart. Quick, easy and cheap. I printed and laminated the labels, and we were good to go. I hope you have as much fun with the Montessori materials as we did. Oops! Just realized from your location that Hobby Lobby and Walmart are probably not options. Just the same though, I think you may be able to repurpose lots of things you have on hand or can order a similar item. Edited December 28, 2010 by Poke Salad Annie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 (edited) I found a website with the neatest ideas for making your own Montessori stuff, and you could download her stuff. (It included Chinese things, for anyone who homeschools in Chinese.) http://www.monthome.com/ Here are some things on making your own Montessori things: http://faculty.fullerton.edu/syen/mts/_link.htm Can you order from India? There are a lot of Montessori things in India (due to her own work there, I imagine) and there are some neat websites out there with inexpensive items but creative applications such as this that I bookmarked a month or so ago http://www.navnirmiti.org/index.html Edited December 23, 2010 by stripe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 I found a website with the neatest ideas for making your own Montessori stuff, and you could download her stuff. (It included Chinese things, for anyone who homeschools in Chinese.)http://www.monthome.com/ Here are some things on making your own Montessori things: http://faculty.fullerton.edu/syen/mts/_link.htm Thank you for linking these two :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 Here are some things on making your own Montessori things You're welcome. Sorry I was so inarticulate! Yikes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 You're welcome. Sorry I was so inarticulate! Yikes! Oh please! No one is more talented at that than me ;)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuzu822 Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 I'm a big fan of the printables from Montessori for Everyone. There are lots of freebies there as well. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 Michael Olaf has WONDERFUL catalogs, full of practical advice and wisdom. Yet another recommendation for the Michael Olaf catalogs! Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jbowman Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 Good online stores include Kid Advance, Adena Montessori, & Montessori Outlet. FYI, I have included a complete guide to recommended Montessori materials for the home, as well as over 200 Montessori activities you can easily make in my new book, Montessori At Home!, just published & available on CD also. You can see it at http://www.montessoriathomebook.com paste it in your url window as the search engines haven't found the site yet. Hope that helps & good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonlight Posted December 26, 2010 Author Share Posted December 26, 2010 thanks everyone for all your responses. i will have fun shopping...it's going to take me some time to go through it all. i don't really know much about the montessori method. i was just really looking for some simple and easy learning activities for my younger child... and yes, i'm looking to spend my husband's employers money! :-) i really only have to provide them with my receipts. they've never questioned my why's or how's other than in the beginning when i gave them a super long educational statement. just the sort of thing i love talking about! :-) i guess they figure i would give them a 10 page report if they questioned any of my purchases! lol... seema Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted December 26, 2010 Share Posted December 26, 2010 Also, I am not sure if you are looking to follow the Montessori method of teaching in your home or just looking to get some Montessori educational toys for you children but if it is the first then I would highly recommend reading some books on the Montessori method. I have been fascinated with Maria Montessori's work for a long time now but I did not have a good enough understanding until I started reading "The Absorbent Mind" . :iagree: Maria Montessori wrote many interesting books. Your children will get so much more out of the material if you understand the philosophy and subtleties of each work, and how to present it. For example, washing your hands work, isn't just about quickly washing and drying your hands. There are actually layers to that work. Some are practical, some are profound and life altering for the little one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poke Salad Annie Posted December 26, 2010 Share Posted December 26, 2010 In light of the fact that most of my posts are driven by budget-minded thoughts, I felt I should take a different tack and offer a few other ideas, not budget related. Some of the things I love of the Montessori materials are: *the botany cabinet *geometric cabinet *wooden continent maps (I've always drooled over these!) *metal insets *color boxes (I like the 3rd box best) *knobbed cylinders *geometric solids Again, I agree with others that it would be very helpful to read the thoughts behind the Montessori method. The books I listed in a prior post are short and to the point if you need a quick-start beginning. The other books listed by Maria Montessori are really central to understanding the *whys* and *hows* of the materials and their uses. Beauty of the materials and the respect for them is one of the ideas that is central to the method---and I agree, it is a series of layers to all of the work. A pouring tray activity is much more than what it appears at first sight. There is a beautiful depth to everything in the Montessori method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 27, 2010 Share Posted December 27, 2010 Well, no offense to anyone but I find that if you do not use the materials as they are meant to be used, it is really a waste of money spending $180 for a single wooden map (that's the cost of the better quality maps) the peaces of which will be tossed around the house because the child does not know how to use them. Of course there are the lower quality materials that are less expensive. Also, there are the Melissa and Doug educational toys that are great for young kids. My son has many of those and got a whole bunch more for Christmas. Not sure what stores you have available in Abu Dhabi but Dubai has several Toysrus stores (we used to go to a large one in Festival City) that carry Melissa and Doug products and there's also a booth at Modesh World in the summer. At least there was one when we went in the summer of 2008. Here's a link to their products from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=melissa+and+doug&x=0&y=0 I just bought six of these for my son for Christmas: Melissa and Doug Wooden Chunky Puzzles Not sure how old your child is. My son is 23 months and loves these puzzles. We also got him these: Lacing Beads Geometric Stacker If it is just educational toys you want, I would hold off from getting any Montessori materials just yet, unless you really want to educate your child the Montessori way. You can then spend the money on programs that you know you will like using with your child. Just my thoughts anyway :)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted December 27, 2010 Share Posted December 27, 2010 Well, no offense to anyone but I find that if you do not use the materials as they are meant to be used, it is really a waste of money spending $180 for a single wooden map (that's the cost of the better quality maps) the peaces of which will be tossed around the house because the child does not know how to use them. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonlight Posted December 27, 2010 Author Share Posted December 27, 2010 i guess i should have made it clearer. while i don't know enough about the montessori method, i do know enough about it that i would like to implement some of the values of the method...for example like recognizing that my 4 year old could benefit from rhythm and order in his daily routine, playing with a purpose, and developing him as a whole child...i am also very interested in the waldorf method...just trying to find what works for us as a family...i am looking for more than just wooden toys! :001_smile:will also be looking into the books that were mentioned as well...while most of you would just go to the local library and get a bunch of books about the montessori method, i don't have that luxury. i have to go out and buy books since there aren't real public libraries here. taking that into consideration, i'm always looking for book and product recommendations.. and while money was a consideration when my husband was getting a Phd, he has a nice package that gives us an educational allowance here in abu dhabi...money for education was a big motivation in moving and leaving the comforts of oregon that we were so used to. i don't see how spending part of his "paycheck" on educational materials for my children should be a concern...:chillpill::D i'm telling you all, come look for jobs here. apparently the locals are worth 18.1 million dollars each...i'm sure some of you have hard about the 11 million dollar christmas they had here in abu dhabi! what's a couple of hundred dollars compared to that??:lol::lol::lol: thanks for the product recommendations. will definitely be looking into them. as for the melissa and doug products--we have several items and have been able to find them easily here. thanks, seema Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poke Salad Annie Posted December 27, 2010 Share Posted December 27, 2010 That is a fantastic opportunity you have for funds for education! A few other things I would like to add to my list posted earlier: * a set of beeswax crayons * some Lyra/Ferby pencils * a set of bells I love the wooden Montessori maps, but they're out of my price range. I always wondered about losing some of the pieces too. Seriously, anything in the Micheal Olaf catalog is drool-worthy. I think you can access it online at http://www.michaelolaf.com/JCcontents.html Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 (edited) i'm telling you all, come look for jobs here. apparently the locals are worth 18.1 million dollars each...i'm sure some of you have hard about the 11 million dollar christmas they had here in abu dhabi! Btdt and I don't find that the UAE is all that anymore but I am glad it is working for you and your family. Good luck Edited December 28, 2010 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonlight Posted December 28, 2010 Author Share Posted December 28, 2010 thanks! :) imo, abu dhabi is way better than dubai. still very doable. dubai is way too much of everything. i hope abu dhabi doesn't turn into that...but let's see..it's working for us now and it has been a trade off and for us the benefits far outweigh the cons... seema Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 I think it's great your family has the income from a reasonably well-paying job, with education benefits to boot. In today's world -- or at any time, honestly! -- that is not always easy to find. I hope your kids are able to benefit from the situation you're in, and that you are relieved of the stress of funding and can just concentrate on giving them a good education. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 Hi Seema, I was just checking out this site. The site I found this company through says that they are probably the most widely known Montessori company: http://www.nienhuis.com/en/ and their site says that they sell in the UAE through this company, if you want to check them out: http://www.braille-house.com/index.php?!=profile Hope this helps a little! It would be great for you to be able to go and see the products before buying. They are in Dubai. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonlight Posted December 29, 2010 Author Share Posted December 29, 2010 ooh thanks...going to dubai this weekend to see friends but am not sure if i'm going to be able to shopping, but i will plan a separate trip...i am waiting on the books i ordered, but it will be a couple of weeks before i get them...not a fun thing for a very now now now person! :lol: was just talking to my husband and i mentioned montessori and it was like a lighbulb went off in his head and how we both thought it would benefit our 4 year old...my mil used to have a montessori school in pakistan so my dh is familiar with it..probably more than i am... seema Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonlight Posted December 29, 2010 Author Share Posted December 29, 2010 wow...a double thanks...that store looks mouth watering...all the more reason to wait to get my books before i go into a buying frenzy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 Seema, if you feel that you want to fully implement Montessori in your home there and you will be there for a long time and given that you have the budget for it, I would go for it :). Do read up on it first though to make up your mind. This was our schoolroom in the UAE. Sadly I do not have that kind of space anymore :(. [ATTACH]4107[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]4108[/ATTACH] Not sure if you know about Bookdepository.com. They are a UK supplier and they ship anywhere in the world without charging shipping. Price shop though between them and whomever you order your books through right now to see if it is worth your while. I wish I had known about them while we lived in the UAE! http://bookdepository.com/ Hope you find whatever makes you and your family happy :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkacademy Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 That classroom rocks Seema, if you feel that you want to fully implement Montessori in your home there and you will be there for a long time and given that you have the budget for it, I would go for it :). Do read up on it first though to make up your mind. This was our schoolroom in the UAE. Sadly I do not have that kind of space anymore :(. [ATTACH]4107[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]4108[/ATTACH] Not sure if you know about Bookdepository.com. They are a UK supplier and they ship anywhere in the world without charging shipping. Price shop though between them and whomever you order your books through right now to see if it is worth your while. I wish I had known about them while we lived in the UAE! http://bookdepository.com/ Hope you find whatever makes you and your family happy :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonlight Posted December 29, 2010 Author Share Posted December 29, 2010 yes, i love bookdepository and buy almost all of my books from them... your school room looks so spacious... i'm seriously lacking in the space department right now. we are looking to move in a month though because i refuse to not have a school room anymore and i'm tired of tripping over all our things. i can't access half of my things right now because one of my rooms in basically storage... and rent prices have gone down considerably so i'm excited about that. abu dhabi took some time to get used to but we have a great homeschooling group here and i finally have a group of friends that i have clicked with so it's starting to feel like home and we are settling in nicely now. for a while though, i seriously missed portland and all our homeschooling friends and activities...how long were you in dubai? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 That classroom rocks Thank you! Sadly it is in our past :(. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 (edited) yes, i love bookdepository and buy almost all of my books from them... your school room looks so spacious... i'm seriously lacking in the space department right now. we are looking to move in a month though because i refuse to not have a school room anymore and i'm tired of tripping over all our things. i can't access half of my things right now because one of my rooms in basically storage... and rent prices have gone down considerably so i'm excited about that. abu dhabi took some time to get used to but we have a great homeschooling group here and i finally have a group of friends that i have clicked with so it's starting to feel like home and we are settling in nicely now. for a while though, i seriously missed portland and all our homeschooling friends and activities...how long were you in dubai? My hubby worked in Dubai but we lived just outside of Dubai because while we were there the rent was too high and I, like you, wanted more space :). We had a maid's room at our last place (where the pictures were taken) that we used as storage. I never bought into the whole need a maid thing there :tongue_smilie:, but that's just me. Anyway, we were in the UAE for nearly 3 years. The sand all over the place took a while (almost a year) for me to get used to but I did love the place. I have always been an architect enthusiast and having a son (my 7 year old) with a passion for structures we loved the intricate, spare no cost, structures there and all the construction machines. Sadly the UAE paid for that though and so did many of the workers that were left without a job and no income to stay or leave to go back home. I better not get started on that :tongue_smilie:! Very very sad situation... and then you had the news telling you that construction had not gone down when we could see all around us incomplete structures. ETA: No, my husband was not in the construction industry in case you are wondering. Edited December 29, 2010 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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