s/o Montessori products and websites

[Guest]

I have started researching the Montessori approach to teaching more deeply hoping to implement certain aspects of Montessori for my younger child. While reading The Absorbent Mind I realized that my other child would also have done well with Montessori. Those of you that have used or are currently using the Montessori approach, could you please tell me what books I should read covering the 6-9 age group? I just picked up "The Montessori Method" from the library and "Teaching Montessori in the Home: The School Years (I own the Pre-School years). Are there any other books I could read for this age group?

[helena]

It's been a long time since I've read Montessori's books so I can't point you to a specific one, (I did quickly look through a few here on my shelf, but nothing for 6-9 jumped out at me).

 

A couple thoughts though..

If you get the chance to attend a Montessori conference, do! There's classes, vendors, and lots of excited Montessori teachers. So much fun...

 

Here's a site that list 6-9 scope and sequence: http://www.amazon.com/Miswak-Stick-Hygienically-Processed-Individual/dp/B001GEAGL2

 

This site may be helpful too:

http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/The-Five-Great-Lessons_ep_66-1.html

 

I've been thinking of buying a student manual for teachers taking the upper elementary training course. My mom works with a university who sometimes sends their Montessori teachers (in training) to her school to put in classroom hours. I'm hoping to score some manuals that way. :001_smile: Here's a link to one: http://www.montessoritraining.net/elementary_program2/course_content.htm. At least it's a bit of a guide...

 

Hopefully someone will chime in with good links and info. I'm from a Montessori family, I grew up in that world. Yet here I am, educating my own kids and I'm not sure how to contine growing with Montessori. I've always leaned towards CM in my curric choices, but I'm now wanting to reeducate myself and play a little catch up. I'm a Montessori teacher myself, but I feel my experience ends at 1st grade. That said, I totally run my class like a Montessori teacher (I even ring a bell :tongue_smilie:).

 

 

:lurk5:

[Guest]

Thank you for your reply. I probably should have said for the 6-12 growth period :). I find a lot for the 0-6 but not sure if there's much beyond that.

 

By the way, were you trying to link this with your first link in your post? I did not know of its existence but googled after you mentioned a scope and sequence ;)

 

http://www.moteaco.com/69scope.html

 

I know of NAMC and the Montessori for Everyone website. Since I am not quite sure yet how I want to implement Montessori in our homeschool (we are happy with what we have been using so far), for now I am just investigating. My little one seems an ideal candidate for the Montessori approach but I would still be looking at making my own materials as much as possible. The NAMC packages are definitely interesting but pricey ;). Hope you can score some freebies to check out :).

 

I'll see where my research takes me. Thanks again,

Edited December 28, 2010 by Guest

[Poke Salad Annie]

If I was just starting out, I would get the Gettman's Basic Montessori book for detailed step-by-step explanation of all the activities. I would check the library or buy it used if possible.

 

At one time, there were whole manuals online, but only found via the way back machine, and I cannot remember what to search for any longer. Sorry I'm not more helpful there. Those manuals were wonderful, and free.

 

As I said in the other thread, there was a yahoo group for making Montessori materials, but I don't have that link any longer. Maybe you could do a search of yahoo groups?

 

If you do plan on making your own, I would advise getting a laminator and a box of pouches if you want to make your materials last through more than one child. Look out for old National Geographic magazines for pictures of other cultures to use for continent work. Old workbooks can be cut up and used for math or grammar work, then laminated. Once you get started finding things, and browse some online blogs of people who use Montessori at home, you can get going with your own ideas. Read the books first. There is a teacher's diary of a year in a Montessori school that is great. I've loaned mine out to my neighbor and never got it back, so I can't remember the title. It's wonderful. Maybe someone here can help remember the title. I don't think it was the Hainstock book, but it could be.

[Poke Salad Annie]

I think this is the link for the manuals I was referring to:

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20060518023026/http://www.moteaco.com/albums.html

[Dawn E]

I took some classes towards credentialing here and they have a great store with materials and teacher manuals for both early childhood and elementary. I know the manuals are a bit pricey...but you might still enjoy surfing around here for some ideas.

 

ETA: This is the research/development dept. of the school, Montessori Teacher Education Center, San Francisco Bay Area.

Edited December 27, 2010 by Dawn E

[helena]

By the way, were you trying to link this with your first link in your post? I did not know of it's existence but googled after you mentioned a scope and sequence ;)

 

http://www.moteaco.com/69scope.html

 

 

Oops! :D Yes, that's what I meant to attach.

[Guest]

Oops! :D Yes, that's what I meant to attach.

 

Not a problem :D. Glad you mentioned it because I had never come across that website. Great site! Lots of great info.

[Guest]

If I was just starting out, I would get the Gettman's Basic Montessori book for detailed step-by-step explanation of all the activities. I would check the library or buy it used if possible.

 

At one time, there were whole manuals online, but only found via the way back machine, and I cannot remember what to search for any longer. Sorry I'm not more helpful there. Those manuals were wonderful, and free.

 

As I said in the other thread, there was a yahoo group for making Montessori materials, but I don't have that link any longer. Maybe you could do a search of yahoo groups?

 

If you do plan on making your own, I would advise getting a laminator and a box of pouches if you want to make your materials last through more than one child. Look out for old National Geographic magazines for pictures of other cultures to use for continent work. Old workbooks can be cut up and used for math or grammar work, then laminated. Once you get started finding things, and browse some online blogs of people who use Montessori at home, you can get going with your own ideas. Read the books first. There is a teacher's diary of a year in a Montessori school that is great. I've loaned mine out to my neighbor and never got it back, so I can't remember the title. It's wonderful. Maybe someone here can help remember the title. I don't think it was the Hainstock book, but it could be.

 

Thank you for posting. Actually I put a hold on the Basic Montessori book at the library after I saw your post in the other thread :). I had left it trying to focus on books directly from Maria Montessori but after you mentioned it I figured I would give it a try. That is what I am looking for, a detailed explanation of the activities.

 

The link you attached appears to be the correct one but sadly many of the books now say unavailable. I was interested in the book From Childhood to Adolescence but I cannot seem to find it anywhere. I am trying to read whatever I can from the library in order to decide which to buy. I have The Method on PDF but figured I would also get it from the library since I do a lot of my reading in bed at night and prefer the book to my son's laptop :tongue_smilie:.

 

I joined the Yahoo group a few months ago but have not really spent enough time there. I need to do that at some point soon. Thanks for reminding me.

 

Funny you should mention a laminator, my friend suggested the same thing. She ended up getting one and has been using it a great deal so far. I do laminate quite a bit on my own (I make flash cards for my son) but by hand with contact paper :tongue_smilie:. Thanks for the great ideas too :), I never would have thought of old workbooks. We have been hsing for 3 years now and my son is only in grade 1 (so we have not accumulated much yet) but it's a good point to keep in mind instead of tossing. I hate tossing! I try to recycle as much as I can ;).

 

Funny, you mentioned blogs. That's what I did most of the night last night. My little one does not sleep much and has been taking late naps and staying up till morning lately so it gives me something to do. I started a resource list with blogs, websites, suppliers etc. I added some of the resources I did not have from the other thread also ;). I am definitely reading the books first. I want a clearer picture on what is involved and a clearer understanding. Oh, I also own How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way and am hoping to use some of the ideas from it in the meantime with my little one because he really wants to get involved in school and comes and tries to write on the board or erase it for us or climbs on my lap to get at whatever we are doing :lol:. Anyway, I will try to google the other resource you recommended. It sounds interesting also.

 

I hope it is ok with you if I pick your brain in the future, if I need to :)!

Edited December 28, 2010 by Guest

[Guest]

I took some classes towards credentialing here and they have a great store with materials and teacher manuals for both early childhood and elementary. I know the manuals are a bit pricey...but you might still enjoy surfing around here for some ideas.

 

ETA: This is the research/development dept. of the school, Montessori Teacher Education Center, San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Their manuals seem interesting. I knew of NAMC but did not know about these. NAMC is close to me (I am in BC, Canada) but I think these are slightly cheaper. Were you happy with the classes you took and materials? I have been considering possibly getting some manuals for certain topics for my 7 year old and was thinking of NAMC. Do you know by any chance how they compare? Would you recommend these manuals over NAMC? Feel free to PM me if you prefer.

 

I will check out their website a little more for ideas as you suggested. By the time I got to their website I only got as far as checking out the teacher's manuals and some of the curriculum materials. I need to spend more time on there.

[Dawn E]

Their manuals seem interesting. I knew of NAMC but did not know about these. NAMC is close to me (I am in BC, Canada) but I think these are slightly cheaper. Were you happy with the classes you took and materials? I have been considering possibly getting some manuals for certain topics for my 7 year old and was thinking of NAMC. Do you know by any chance how they compare? Would you recommend these manuals over NAMC? Feel free to PM me if you prefer.

 

I will check out their website a little more for ideas as you suggested. By the time I got to their website I only got as far as checking out the teacher's manuals and some of the curriculum materials. I need to spend more time on there.

 

I am not very familiar with NAMC, so I can't really compare or contrast the two. This particular school is under the AMS (American Montessori Society) and that was the preference of the director of the school I was working at. I only taught for two years, and though I greatly value the instruction I received, I didn't pursue completing my credentialing because I've been home since that time. I took four of the six summer classes--practical life, sensorial, language and math. The other two classes would have been more classroom logistics and child development focused. I think the manuals I purchased for the program were great, but they were meant to be fleshed out by the student. For example, part of our class work was taking pictures of all the activities and inserting them in the proper places in the manuals. So, the manuals are likely to be without illustrations, though they are very descriptive. The book mentioned before--Basic Montessori--is the closest thing I've seen to them...giving explicit directions on how to present materials to the child. Most of the philosophy discussions came directly from Montessori's books--the manuals are definitely the how and not the why, though they do present a glimpse of what the use of the material is preparing the child for.

 

I think if you know and trust NAMC I would go with them. I can assure you that AMS is well trusted also, though, so I think either way would be fine. The classes were phenomenal for me. I've always been a language arts gal. I majored in English, have an affinity for grammar, and have always been a voracious reader. I was so looking forward to the language class, and it did not disappoint. I actually dreaded the math class because math had always been my biggest struggle in school; however, I LOVED that class even more than the language one. For the first time I saw the beauty of math, and I knew that if I had been taught math the Montessori way my life would have been far different. Heck, I might have even been a math major. :) I think Montessori was a genius and the materials are brilliant. It is incredibly hard to implement in a home environment completely, though, unless you have a completely set apart designated environment specifically organized according to Montessori's plan. However, even if you are not able to fully implement it in the home, you can still put the philosophy to work and utilize materials in such a way that will greatly benefit your student.

[Poke Salad Annie]

Something I did years ago which I really enjoyed was to tour a Montessori school. There are none where I live, so was thrilled to have the opportunity while visiting a relative out of state. It gave me a much better picture of how *Montessori* worked. If you have a school nearby, it might be worth checking to see if they will let you visit.

 

Another thing I will mention is to check around for used materials from nearby Montessori schools. I have read somewhere (again, I'm terrible with links) of a bulletin board online where these things would be listed.

 

Oriental Trading Co. has some good things to use for different trays. I have a wooden stamp set of clock faces which were probably ~$4 or $5 for the set. If you have a good idea what you're looking for, you can find some good things there. The quality is not bad from what I've ordered. I make sure to read the reviews first though.

 

That Michael Olaf catalog is worth its weight in gold. I linked to it in an earlier thread. It's on their website and can be viewed from there, or just call an order one for ~$7. I still have mine from several years ago. You might also see if a local Montessori school has any old catalogs they are willing to part with (and bake them a tray of goodies in exchange :D).

 

With a set of shelves full of pre-set trays, Montessori work could become that afternoon time of self-exploration, if you are not going full-fledged into using the program.

[stripe]

I once saw a listing on my local section of Craigslist from a Montessori teacher who was selling her stuff, so it doesn't hurt to keep your antennae out.

 

I don't know if this is the board you're talking about, but you can look at

http://www.vegsource.com/homeschool/

 

My opinion is -- don't pay for the Michael Olaf catalog. I did and was really irritated when it arrived. It's like the text of some book merged with a sales catalog. Then they kept sending them to me once or twice a year. They also don't give the name of the manufacturers for their stuff, and some of them are available for much cheaper elsewhere. I recognized some items from Plan Toys. I may have just been in a really anti-Montessori mood when I looked at it, though.

[Poke Salad Annie]

My opinion is -- don't pay for the Michael Olaf catalog. I did and was really irritated when it arrived. It's like the text of some book merged with a sales catalog. Then they kept sending them to me once or twice a year. They also don't give the name of the manufacturers for their stuff, and some of them are available for much cheaper elsewhere. I recognized some items from Plan Toys. I may have just been in a really anti-Montessori mood when I looked at it, though.

 

 

 

I actually got mine from the Montessori school I toured. They had some old copies and let me have one, so I really wasn't out any expense.

 

I agree about the prices, and you can find things around much cheaper. Being the thrift store maven that I am, I have found plenty through that channel. Some of things that come to mind are that cute little hand mixer, mortar and pestle, measuring cups, cute mixing bowls, and other things of that sort. You could also find cheap silver items for polishing, old picture frames to make those framed zipping (tying, snapping, etc.) activities, creamers for pouring, trays for setting up activities, and many of the books shown in the catalog. I used it as kind of a shopper's guide, then scrounge the thrift stores for what is available in my price point.

 

What I love about the catalog are the texts at the top of the pages. They were very helpful to me, and served as a kind of guide. Since you can access this online for free, it's a bonus.

[Guest]

Thank you for your replies everyone :). I will be back a little later to reply but in the mean time I am sharing a link from my friend that was really useful to me. She saw the thread and sent it to me to post for anyone that might be interested. It is a link to someone's blog with 6-9 albums :D. They were available free from another site but are not available anymore. This lady took the downloads and is sharing them in her blog while giving credit to the creator. Anyway, I hope they are useful to someone else also.

 

http://mondorfment.blogspot.com/2010/02/6-9-elementary-montessori-albums.html

[Guest]

I am not very familiar with NAMC, so I can't really compare or contrast the two. This particular school is under the AMS (American Montessori Society) and that was the preference of the director of the school I was working at. I only taught for two years, and though I greatly value the instruction I received, I didn't pursue completing my credentialing because I've been home since that time. I took four of the six summer classes--practical life, sensorial, language and math. The other two classes would have been more classroom logistics and child development focused. I think the manuals I purchased for the program were great, but they were meant to be fleshed out by the student. For example, part of our class work was taking pictures of all the activities and inserting them in the proper places in the manuals. So, the manuals are likely to be without illustrations, though they are very descriptive. The book mentioned before--Basic Montessori--is the closest thing I've seen to them...giving explicit directions on how to present materials to the child. Most of the philosophy discussions came directly from Montessori's books--the manuals are definitely the how and not the why, though they do present a glimpse of what the use of the material is preparing the child for.

 

I think if you know and trust NAMC I would go with them. I can assure you that AMS is well trusted also, though, so I think either way would be fine. The classes were phenomenal for me. I've always been a language arts gal. I majored in English, have an affinity for grammar, and have always been a voracious reader. I was so looking forward to the language class, and it did not disappoint. I actually dreaded the math class because math had always been my biggest struggle in school; however, I LOVED that class even more than the language one. For the first time I saw the beauty of math, and I knew that if I had been taught math the Montessori way my life would have been far different. Heck, I might have even been a math major. :) I think Montessori was a genius and the materials are brilliant. It is incredibly hard to implement in a home environment completely, though, unless you have a completely set apart designated environment specifically organized according to Montessori's plan. However, even if you are not able to fully implement it in the home, you can still put the philosophy to work and utilize materials in such a way that will greatly benefit your student.

 

Thank you for taking the time to post this for me Dawn :). I actually took some time and did a little comparison between manuals. I was checking out the manuals for two year olds and the NAMC books do have beautiful color illustrations but there's a very significant difference in price :(.

 

I did not explain that the reason I know about NAMC is mostly because my friend has the 3-6 and 6-9 manuals. I wanted to get her ok first before posting about her family ;). She has recently started using them after taking her kids out of their Montessori school, for this year, to homeschool. She lives far from me however (she is in the US) so I cannot see the manuals up close :(. Anyway, I had not asked her how she feels about the materials yet because they just started recently and I did not know how involved we were going to get with Montessori yet (I still don't :tongue_smilie:). She did know about the training programs you linked and had done a comparison before deciding to go with NAMC. She told me she ended up going with NAMC because she liked the fact that they had illustrations and that helped her greatly in deciding what products to buy. She ordered the items she wanted to use after going through the materials. She has three children and will get to use them with all three, so they way she sees it, since the materials are for three years per child the cost ends up being worth while. I totally see her point so now I have to keep reading to see how involved I want us to get first.

 

I was always a math and science kid so LA (we moved back to Europe when I was in elementary school) would be the area I would need more help in :tongue_smilie:. It is one of the main reasons why I use so much when it comes to LA, with my son. We are a very tactile family all around so we would more than likely (both hubby and I) have done well with a Montessori approach also.

 

I am waiting on Basic Montessori from the library for now. I am second position for that so it will take a few weeks before I get it. I may just go ahead and buy it since my friend also recommends it. She even told me that she found Basic Montessori more useful for the 3-6 group to the NAMC manuals. She did like the 3-6 math album though and she loves and has found the 6-9 manuals very useful.

 

I agree with you about Montessori. I think the lady was a genius, also. It is one of the main reasons why I keep coming back to Montessori even though I no longer have the space to implement it fully. I have always been fascinated by how a child's mind works and have always spent a lot of time observing my boys. Reading The Absorbent Mind gave me an even greater appreciation about how their little minds work and I was even able to see some mistakes I have made with my oldest. Anyway, I will spend the rest of this school year studying and see where it takes me. Situations do change ;).

Edited December 29, 2010 by Guest

[Guest]

Something I did years ago which I really enjoyed was to tour a Montessori school. There are none where I live, so was thrilled to have the opportunity while visiting a relative out of state. It gave me a much better picture of how *Montessori* worked. If you have a school nearby, it might be worth checking to see if they will let you visit.

 

Another thing I will mention is to check around for used materials from nearby Montessori schools. I have read somewhere (again, I'm terrible with links) of a bulletin board online where these things would be listed.

 

Oriental Trading Co. has some good things to use for different trays. I have a wooden stamp set of clock faces which were probably ~$4 or $5 for the set. If you have a good idea what you're looking for, you can find some good things there. The quality is not bad from what I've ordered. I make sure to read the reviews first though.

 

That Michael Olaf catalog is worth its weight in gold. I linked to it in an earlier thread. It's on their website and can be viewed from there, or just call an order one for ~$7. I still have mine from several years ago. You might also see if a local Montessori school has any old catalogs they are willing to part with (and bake them a tray of goodies in exchange :D).

 

With a set of shelves full of pre-set trays, Montessori work could become that afternoon time of self-exploration, if you are not going full-fledged into using the program.

 

Hi Annie :). I might try to go and check out a Montessori school. My friend has also been sending me pics of her set up and her kiddos using their Montessori materials. I do have a school right next to me but it is a public Montessori school so I don't know how it would compare to the private ones. I am sure there are private ones around me too though. Montessori is pretty big here it seems and even the regular public schools seem to implement some of her approaches, like combining the ages groups together into group activities.

 

Again some great ideas you have posted here :D! I did not even think about looking around Montessori schools for used materials. I will look into that also and some of your other suggestions.

 

Thanks again :)!

[Guest]

I once saw a listing on my local section of Craigslist from a Montessori teacher who was selling her stuff, so it doesn't hurt to keep your antennae out.

 

I don't know if this is the board you're talking about, but you can look at

http://www.vegsource.com/homeschool/

 

My opinion is -- don't pay for the Michael Olaf catalog. I did and was really irritated when it arrived. It's like the text of some book merged with a sales catalog. Then they kept sending them to me once or twice a year. They also don't give the name of the manufacturers for their stuff, and some of them are available for much cheaper elsewhere. I recognized some items from Plan Toys. I may have just been in a really anti-Montessori mood when I looked at it, though.

 

:lol:

 

Actually, I have a few suppliers for Montessori products here in Canada and I am hoping that it will be cheaper shipping wise for me so I will be looking at that.

 

Thank you for posting :). I probably would not pay for a catalog anyway because the way I see it is if a company wants to sell their products they should at least make their catalog available for free :tongue_smilie:.

[stripe]

Thank you for posting :). I probably would not pay for a catalog anyway because the way I see it is if a company wants to sell their products they should at least make their catalog available for free :tongue_smilie:.

It's basically half-book/half-catalog. Read it online and decide for yourself.

Joyful Child (birth to 3)

Child of the World (ages 3 to 12)

[Guest]

It's basically half-book/half-catalog. Read it online and decide for yourself.

Joyful Child (birth to 3)

Child of the World (ages 3 to 12)

 

OK ;), I didn't realize those were suppose to be the catalogs. For some reason I thought it was something separate with the products all in one. Thank you for pointing that out. I think I will hold off for now and just focus on the books and decide at a later date what to get and from where. I just found out that Basic Montessori is waiting for me at the library. I guess the other person never picked it up. :hurray: for me!

[stripe]

The print item is essentially split in half horizontally on each page. Top = book. Bottom = catalog.

[Guest]

The print item is essentially split in half horizontally on each page. Top = book. Bottom = catalog.

 

Thank you for the additional input. I did speak in haste before :tongue_smilie:. It's been many years since I have visited the Michael Olaf website. I went in and checked out the Montessori Overviews/ Catalogs and I can see charging the $7 for the informational materials although I am fine with just reading it online and it's great that it is available online also. I wish there were more samples for some of the products though, especially the books. I do have his site on my list, so I will see what I will do once I read a little more about it. I have been reading the more detailed Biography on Montessori (I have read other short biographies before) found at the beginning of The Method book and all I can say is WOW! What a woman! I am even more fascinated now than before. Anyway, being in Canada I really need to check shipping costs also, so this is definitely a factor when deciding on suppliers.

 

Thanks again and a Happy New Year to you and your family :)

[Bayt ul-Hikmah]

I have NAMC's Culture and Science album for ages 3-6 and the Zoology album for ages 6-9. If anyone would like them, send me a PM!

[Shifra]

Marie--

 

While I love Michael Olaf and have bought from them plenty over the last 20 or so years, in all honesty they are very expensive and their shipping is even more! And that's to the USA and you live in Canada! So if you can find another source for their materials (especially the books!) either locally or in Canada, I would suggest that you buy there. If not, Michael Olaf's products are very good and the information is invaluable. I also like Montessori N Such, but again, their shipping is outrageous!

 

Also plenty of teacher stores that you may have in your local area have Montessori supplies, especially sandpaper letters and possibly the moveable alphabet or the pink tower (maybe though not in pink--the color is not the concept being taught so it does not matter, except to traditionalists!).

[Guest]

Marie--

 

While I love Michael Olaf and have bought from them plenty over the last 20 or so years, in all honesty they are very expensive and their shipping is even more! And that's to the USA and you live in Canada! So if you can find another source for their materials (especially the books!) either locally or in Canada, I would suggest that you buy there. If not, Michael Olaf's products are very good and the information is invaluable. I also like Montessori N Such, but again, their shipping is outrageous!

 

Also plenty of teacher stores that you may have in your local area have Montessori supplies, especially sandpaper letters and possibly the moveable alphabet or the pink tower (maybe though not in pink--the color is not the concept being taught so it does not matter, except to traditionalists!).

 

Thank you for posting this. The last time I was in the Michael Olaf website was over two years ago when we lived in the Middle East and from what I remember it was one of the main reasons I did not visit the website again. It was much too expensive to have anything shipped there and everyone that knows me knows I hate paying shipping anyway :lol:. Luckily, I do have a supplier here in Canada where I can purchase and pick up my order without paying shipping :). They only have the discount products but that is all I would be able to afford right now anyway ;).

 

Thanks again,

[stripe]

And it's not as if Michael Olaf makes those items. They have selected other manufacturers' items. So use it for inspiration.

[Guest]

And it's not as if Michael Olaf makes those items. They have selected other manufacturers' items. So use it for inspiration.

 

True, there are only two maybe three makers from what I understand. Love the Gonzagarredi (I seem to remember reading that these are the best out there, made exactly according to Montessori's specifications)! Sadly they are much too expensive for me. All the other companies buy from these main makers ;).

[stripe]

There are things in there that are not made by Montessori companies, I am sure, such as a melon baller, a sake cup, or a rolling pin, in their food prep/serving area. I imagine you could find suitable kitchen items along the lines of what's in their catalog for much less. Similarly, there are blocks in the games/blocks/puzzles area that are made by non-Montessori manufacturers such as Keva (which they explicitly name) or the HABA sets (pyramids, US capitol, arches, etc, which they do not name as being HABA). That is what I was referring to.

[Guest]

There are things in there that are not made by Montessori companies, I am sure, such as a melon baller, a sake cup, or a rolling pin, in their food prep/serving area. I imagine you could find suitable kitchen items along the lines of what's in their catalog for much less. Similarly, there are blocks in the games/blocks/puzzles area that are made by non-Montessori manufacturers such as Keva (which they explicitly name) or the HABA sets (pyramids, US capitol, arches, etc, which they do not name as being HABA). That is what I was referring to.

 

I see what you are saying and I noticed that also. I actually have (at least it looks the same) one of the globes shown for example for the 0-3 group, which is definitely not Montessori. First of all I really need to decide how much and how I want to implement Montessori in our homeschool. Otherwise I will never be clear on what I need. It's the way I am. I need to be clear on what I want to do first. The website is definitely a good place to go for ideas. I spent quite a bit of time yesterday on the Montessori for Everyone website and there's a lot of good info there also. Being a visual person I like seeing pictures. Especially pictures with color. One thing that is sadly missing from the Michael Olaf website, which can be an issue for us visual people. At least I know it is for me to a certain degree.

[Guest]

Since I had started this thread already I figured I would come here and post a great resource I found with free downloads on some of the Montessori Books. I had most of the ones they have but was able to download Dr Montessori's Own Handbook which I didn't :D. Anyway, thought I would post a link for anyone interested. The link goes directly to the page with the download for Dr Montessori'w Own Handbook but a search on Montessori will give all the books they currently have available.

 

http://www.archive.org/details/drmontessorisown00mont

[Poke Salad Annie]

Don't forget about the Dorothy Canfield Fisher books here and here. Lots of good stuff to read, and free.

[Guest]

Don't forget about the Dorothy Canfield Fisher books here and here. Lots of good stuff to read, and free.

 

Thank you but sadly, living in Canada, I do not get the downloads from google. I don't even get to see the books you linked to read online. Just a snippet view on one. A friend had already sent me The Montessori Manual and I was able to get A Montessori Mother from this site. I also re-downloaded The Montessori Method (with a version that is better than the google one) and was very displeased to find that the copy I have from the library, which I am currently reading, actually has parts deleted. So the library book is going back and I am reading this one ;). Oh... and I was also able to get The Montessori Elementary Material (which I also didn't have), the third in the series coming after The Montessori Method and Spontaneous Activity in Education :D.

[Poke Salad Annie]

Does archive.org work for you? I'm sorry, I forgot that you were north of us. :blush:

 

Editing to add... Is it possible to e-mail those to you, or is that a copyright infringement?

Edited January 10, 2011 by Poke Salad Annie

[Guest]

Does archive.org work for you? I'm sorry, I forgot that you were north of us. :blush:

 

Editing to add... Is it possible to e-mail those to you, or is that a copyright infringement?

 

Yep, archive.org worked great! I downloaded quite a few books including the two you linked (although a friend had already sent me The Montessori Manual). Thank you for offering :). Does archive.org not work for you? Some of their books are better copies, much clearer and with the color of the original books. The images are clearer also but you have to find the better downloads. I have been going to the ones with the highest number of downloads.

[stripe]

Archive.org works for us in the US just fine. They do have different books than Google.

[Guest]

Archive.org works for us in the US just fine. They do have different books than Google.

 

That's what I figured since the website is from the US :). Some of the books are links from Google but I cannot download those so I just picked the ones that were not from Google. Luckily, they have several downloads of some of the books and some of the ones I found that I already had were also better quality.