Bedtime Routines

Bedtime Routines for Younger Children

by Lorna McGrath & Tim Seldin

An excerpt from their upcoming book Montessori for Everyone The type of sleeping arrangements for infants and toddlers are debatable and based on the family’s beliefs, cultural background, and values. In Montessori-inspired homes, we strive to help our children become independent even for sleeping arrangements. So, while there are no strict rules for sleeping arrangements, we do want to help our children to be able to settle themselves and sleep on their own.

Often, during the first few months of an infant's life, they sleep in a bassinet in the same room as their parents. The bassinet is a small cozy space for a newborn and convenient for night feedings. It doesn’t take long for an infant to outgrow the bassinet and move onto a floor bed or into a crib in another room.

Many parents choose a floor bed instead of a crib for their infants. The floor bed is basically a small mattress that may or may not have a frame to lift it a few inches off the floor. A floor bed allows for more independent movement when they begin to crawl and climb. It also eliminates the need for the interim use of a crib between bassinet and a bed that is higher up and has no sides.

If you do choose a crib, when your toddler begins to try to climb out, it's time to put the sides down so that they can safely get in and out of the crib. The next step in bedding may be a mattress on the floor, a junior bed, or a regular size twin bed. The decision is up to you to decide what’s best for your child. A gate in the bedroom doorway or closing the door helps them to stay in their room during this transition. You must be sure that the room is set up in such a way that they will be totally safe if they are awake and alone in the room.

Even infants and toddlers can be overstimulated by lots of activity, screen time, or noise in the house before going down for the night. After the evening meal, you will want to choose activities that will soothe and settle rather than excite them. A warm bath, a story, or just snuggle time in a rocking chair all can help them to be ready for sleep. Be cautious about using a motorized swing or rocking with you holding them. They are good for calming, but you want to put your child in their bed before they actually fall asleep so that they become used to being in bed and falling asleep on their own.

If they should awaken during the night, and it’s not time for feeding or changing a diaper, go to their room quietly, but don’t pick them up. Instead, wait a minute or two and see if they can settle back down by themselves. If you feel that your child needs your help, gently talk to them. Tell them that it is still night and time for sleep. Sit next to the crib for a few minutes while they settle back to sleep.

Winding down from active play to quiet, calm for sleeping can be difficult when children, who have been playing one minute are suddenly told that it is time to go to sleep the next. One solu-

tion is to get the children into a habit of getting ready for bed earlier in the evening and then allowing them to look at books, snuggle with a favorite stuffed animal, or read quietly by themselves in bed with the lights on.

You might want to try tucking them in at the beginning and then come back for bedtime whispers and lights off as they are falling asleep. Whispers are messages of love that you speak softly into your child’s ear after you tuck them in. There is an intimacy about quietly speaking into a child’s ear that sends them to sleep feeling cherished.

If your child wakes from a bad dream or monster, calmly reassure your child that you understand that is scary, you are there, and it is safe in their bedroom. Night lights are helpful for some children or a special snuggly thing.

One family had a designated old, worn stuffed animal that used to belong to mom or dad when they were young as the family’s “Bad Dreams Chaser.” This faithful companion guarded over anyone who is having difficulty falling asleep or who wakes up after a bad dream.

Bedtimes As Children Grow

In today's plugged-in world, it's difficult to imagine for many of us not having our smartphone, a TV, or tablet in or near the bed. Digital technology is so pervasive that many parents today cannot really appreciate how important it is to think carefully before allowing any digital technology into their children's bedrooms.

From a very early age, it is wise not to allow devices in the bedroom, because once they are allowed in, it's difficult to establish in children’s minds that the bedroom is a place to sleep and dress. As with any kind of digital technology, you will want to carefully monitor what your children are doing and watching. Once digital technology gets behind a closed door, you really can't monitor what is going on. It's just as easy for a child to sit in bed under the covers with some sort of portable digital device or tablet and play games until late in the night, or exchange instant messages with friends who are also awake, as it was for many of us when we were young to read books under the covers by flashlight. The difference is that digital devices are far more stimulating and tend to keep our brains, whether child or adult, much more active and make it difficult to fall asleep. It’s important for children to develop a good sleep routine. By the way, it's equally important for us as adults to develop one, too. There has been considerable research into the effect of the blue light given off by the screens of digital devices, whether phone, laptop, or a television set. The light is problematic on a number of levels, but for now, let’s just think about the effect of flashing lights on our brains as we drift off to sleep. It should be selfevident that falling asleep to the background sound of a TV show or movie is not likely to lead to the kind of calm, deep sleep that we all need to restore ourselves with a good night's rest. Most schools around the world can tell countless stories of students who arrive for class sleep deprived, cranky, or half-asleep.

It's important to appreciate that each digital device has its own benefits and challenges. For example, smartphones are small and easily slipped out of sight, and they allow children to watch movies, surf the web, talk to their friends all night long, or play games among many other uses. We forget sometimes that a modern smartphone is essentially a powerful computer. Likewise, any of the gaming consoles may allow players to engage in much more realistic and sophisticated games. While it would be much more difficult for children to hide the fact that they are playing, even if they are listening to the audio through headphones, those console games are often so engaging that they can become highly addictive. We also have to remember that many contemporary game devices allow children to play in real time with other players, who may be their best friends or strangers online somewhere around the world.

So, for those reasons, we strongly recommend you have a firm policy that bedrooms are not a place for any digital devices, including TVs, smartphones, tablets, or computers. If you find yourself uncomfortable being consistent on that policy, at least strive to have a clear lights-out policy that you really check on and enforce. A good example might be that all digital technology has to be turned off and possibly left on the dining room table after a specific time, which obviously can be adjusted as children get older.

Here is some advice from most sleep experts:

n Avoid caffeinated drinks after 2pm and before bedtime. n Dim the lights in the room. n Turn off or turn down the volume on any music that might be playing. n Avoid using the bed for anything other than calming activities that help in falling asleep. n Advise adolescents to get up, get out of bed, go into another room, and do something that won’t wake them up further, such as take a bath, if they wake in the night.

In a Montessori-inspired home, we want to deliberately organize the environment to facilitate the development of good habits and avoid addictive behaviors that can interfere with children's optimal health and development. Help your child to make a clear connection in their minds that the bedroom is a place to relax and sleep. 

Lorna McGrath, MEd, is Director of IMC School Accreditation, Program Director of the Montessori Family Alliance, and Senior Consultant of The Montessori Foundation. Lorna has 41 years of experience in the field of education, teaching children from 18 months through 6 years old and from 12 through 18 years old in both public schools and independent Montessori schools. Lorna is a Montessori teacher educator, conference presenter, and school consultant. She can be reached at lornamcgrath@montessori.org.

Tim Seldin is President of the Montessori Foundation and Chair of the International Montessori Council. His more than 40 years of experience in Montessori education includes 22 years as Headmaster of the Barrie School in Silver Spring, Maryland, his alma mater from toddler through high school graduation. Tim was co-founder and Director of the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies and the Center for Guided Montessori Studies. He earned a B.A. in History and Philosophy from Georgetown University, an M.Ed. in Educational Administration and Supervision from The American University, and his Montessori certification from the American Montessori Society. Tim Seldin is the author of several books on Montessori Education, including How to Raise An Amazing Child, and The World in the Palm of Her Hand. Look for his new book, Montessori for Everyone, co-authored with Lorna McGrath, soon to be released.

I hear you, and I am hearing this sentiment from many parents and caregivers across the world. It is indeed an exhausting time to be a parent of young children.

One of the things we emphasize in Montessori is to “control the environment, not the child.” I would urge you to look at the setup of your home. Consider how much independence the physical layout allows (or even fosters) for your children.

Let’s examine the question of snacks. Are your children able to select and choose their own snacks? Some parents place appropriate snacks in a low container or basket in the cupboard, where a child is able to access them at will. The child need not ask, or even discuss having a snack with the parent; she may simply get a snack whenever she wants one from the special snack basket. Once the snacks run out for a day, snacks are finished for that day. If you have two children you will need a snack basket for each child. It is the work of the parent (or the parent and child together) to fill this basket each evening or morning, so it is ready for the child. This process eliminates all discussion around daily snacks! as if your children were going to school outside the home. Doing this ahead of time eliminates the need for discussion about what food will be eaten for lunch. If the food is to be warmed, and time is of the essence, your child can be taught to use the microwave oven, or you can help if needed.

Try to arrange the basic school supplies so that they are easily accessible to your child. If your child is too young to use them appropriately without direction, limit the materials offered until she has had lessons on how to use them. Try to avoid situations where you need to dole out scissors, tape, markers etc. for each and every activity. This part may require some level of trust.

It is essential that you create a predictable time when your family or parts of your family spend time together. When can the child reasonably expect you to be available to play with them, read with them, do art with them, play sports with them outside, or begin to prepare dinner together? If your child knows that as soon as school is over, they have a snack and quick check in with a parent, then they are expected to engage themselves with books, toys, or activities, either alone or with their sibling until a certain time when Mommy or Daddy are available. This creates some predictable routine.

Perhaps, in the beginning, this independent time can only be 10 minutes. But as your child grows and matures, it can probably increase! If this time is defined, your child will not need to constantly ask about when you are coming to interact, as she has a predictable routine to depend on—at least most days. Some families place an actual schedule on the wall to help define the parts of the day so

the child knows what is coming next. This is an excellent idea so everyone is aware of how the day will proceed. Time is very elusive for young children, so this has been a helpful tool for parents and children alike! (missymontessori. com has downloadable schedules that families can use or you can create your own!)

Child-friendly homes, predictable routines, and shared experiences of playing and cooking together have been the best ways for children to learn to rely on themselves for part of the time. 

is a reading specialist, elementary educator, author, consultant, and creator of educational materials for primary and elementary students. Check out her new downloadable materials on her website cathieperolman.com.

For more than three decades she has dedicated her energies to improving reading for all youngsters.

She is the author of Practical Special Needs for the Montessori Method: A Handbook for 3-6 Teachers and Homeschoolers published by the Montessori Foundation (available through montessori.org.) She is a regular contributor to Tomorrow’s Child and Montessori Leadership magazines.

Cathie Perolman holds a BS in Early Childhood Education and a MEd in Elementary Education with a concentration in reading. She is credentialed as a Montessori teacher. She is married and has two adult children and two adorable granddaughters. Cathie lives in Ellicott City, Maryland with her husband.

No one is perfect with money; we’re all creatures of habit. When we’re stressed out or bored or unhappy, we spend more, which can become a vicious cycle and contribute to our bad feelings.

A spending cleanse is a way to reset our money habits. It means paying attention to where our money goes, to determine if our spending aligns with our values and goals. We all need a periodic spending cleanse because it’s so easy to let good money habits slide. It’s surprising how quickly we get off track.

A spending cleanse is a time to step back and be intentional again. It’s a way to enhance your financial wellbeing and diminish your stress around money. A cleanse, is appropriate any time you want to become more aware of your spending habits.

Here are a few options for how you can do a spending cleanse:

Buy nothing with plastic or cash. Purchase your groceries and pay your bills the day before you begin, and then stop. You might want to jot a note when you feel an impulse to spend.

Put your cards in a drawer and don’t touch them for a month. Live off of cash only.

Don’t buy any wants—only purchase items that are legitimate needs.

Track every dollar you spend, using all payment methods. Before you start, create a spreadsheet or find an online tool to help you track your spending.

REMEMBER: If you’re in a relationship or part of a family, get others on board with this experience. You will all benefit from the effort and the support.

Once you are done, reflect on your spending. What was the best part? What was the most difficult challenge? What new habits do you want to carry forward?

A spending cleanse heightens awareness about how, when, and why we spend money. It gets us away from mindless outlays and helps us focus on aligning with our goals and values; essential elements to an increased sense of wellbeing.

Whatever method you choose, make an appointment with yourself to evaluate where you’re doing well, as well as, discover any notso-great habits. 

by Jae Jun | Reprinted with permission from Bellascasa.com

Children!...they might be little, but their stuff is everywhere! In my home, I have used five Montessori magic steps to organize all of my children’s stuff (including outgrown clothes, school work, gifts (birthday, goodie bag etc), kids ‘meal toys,’ and all the other stuff) that is involved in children’s lives. Maybe your child is so young that papers and school work are not even in the picture for you… this is the best time to start! Getting on top of the influx of stuff now is a great way to get started; the stuff only increases over time!

I’m a busy working mom with two children, and I know what you’re feeling; I can totally relate. Like you, my home can accumulate school work, toys, outgrown clothes, and so much more! So I’ve prepared some tips and suggestions that are easy to try and can really make the positive change in your home life that you are looking for.

It’s simple, it’s clean, and it works like a charm.

Now let me break down how it works. Here is the foundation:

1. Limit the number 2. Basket, tray or bin 3. Rotate 4. Access 5. Order

And please note … Dr. Montessori was really on to something: based on her deep understanding of children, she figured out that adults play a key role in setting up the home environment, where children can pursue their interests and cultivate their skills. In the Montessori world, we know that the set-up matters; how the space is set up can make or break the opportunity for independence.

Here’s how it all works!

Young children truly enjoy an activity when it is limited in number. This allows them to really explore the toys and inspires creativity to work with them in different ways. Limiting the number of items in an activity also gives the child a better chance to put the activity away without any frustration or complication. If a game or activity comes with lots of parts, only put out the fewest number of parts needed and store away the rest.

Once you’ve limited the number of items in an activity, it’s time to place it in a self-contained basket, tray, or bin. Putting an activity on a tray or in a basket puts the focus and interest on the activity itself, not the packaging it came in. Easy-to-carry baskets, trays, or bins makes it a breeze for children to clean up and put away!

Once you limit items in an activity, use storage bins to store the extra pieces and parts. Now that the activities are limited you can rotate the contents regularly. Regular rotation keeps activities interesting to the child and keeps them engaged.

Homes with siblings can still have activities available for each child within the same space. Once the activities have been limited and kept in a tray, bin, or basket, keep the older child’s activities in a place where only they can reach, and keep the younger child’s materials lower to the ground for easy access. If your home doesn’t have ways in which to raise the activities of an older child, you can put their toys in a container that the younger child cannot open.

Once your child’s items are in smaller quantities and in easier-tohandle containers, it’s important to organize the space and determine where each activity will go: a place

for everything and everything in its place. Children have a strong sense of order, and providing designated, consistent places for activities to be stored is directly linked to developing a logical mind. Also, the consistency of putting things in their place will avoid frustration and opposition when clean-up time comes around.

Now! Let’s take a look at some simple tricks for powerful tidyup tips for your home. With these five steps, timing is essential. I realized there are at least five categories of stuff that constantly need putting away. Have you ever noticed, the stuff just keeps coming ... and coming ... and coming! I feel like every time my daughter leaves the house, she comes back with something more! Here are some general categories of stuff that comes:

n School work: paper, art work, etc.

n Toys: of all shapes and sizes

n Books: library books and ones you own.

n Gifts: goodie bags, birthday gifts, holiday gifts.

n Clothes: outgrown, no longer fit.

My overall organizing area is in the garage. This is the place I immediately put things to be sorted out. By having this area in the garage, I catch things before they get into the house.

On the small table, the left basket is for little objects that do not have a place in the home. The basket on the right is a place that collects outgrown clothes or clothes I want to donate. If I come across one piece of outgrown clothing, I immediately take it to the garage instead of keeping it in the closet; each item that leaves brings more joy for us. And the container in the back is where I store paper goods.

When the baskets are full, I take action. The clothes get donated.

The small object collection: some are discarded, and some get recycled (i.e., for use in The Sound Game—“Can you bring me an object that starts with ruh?—the child selects ring).

Paper goods: What to do with all the paper—drawings, writing work, worksheets, and much more! My first step is to examine the piece of paper/artwork/writing, and ask myself: Does this spark joy? This is the all-important question I learned from the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. So this is where I keep their precious work—the special ones that “spark joy.” I purchased a large folder/portfolio for each child to store the saved work.

Books! The main thing to keep in mind is rotation. Let your local library help you to keep a rotating, fresh collection of books for your kids. We have a designated return-to-library basket where books go when the children are done with them. Each of my daughters has a bag for our library trips that has a spot for their library card. Of the many books that might be available, keep rotating to highlight different books over time.

Another situation, what to do with goodie bags from birthday parties, trinkets, and freebie toys (e.g., from fast-food kids’ meals [note: not an endorsement])? Here’s the solution that has worked well for me: I have a designated tray to place little things on a temporary basis. For example, when my daughter comes home from a birthday party with a goodie bag, she wants to play with it right away. When she is done playing with it that day, she puts it on the tray. She can manage this step and gets it to the tray all by herself. After a few days, I toss the items or find a good way to recycle them (again, The Sound Game), or put them in the object basket in the garage to figure out later.

Now for the gifts from your child’s party; this year, Chelyn (age 9) invited eleven friends and received eleven gifts. That’s lots of things all at once! But thanks to our insanely powerful managing system, we immediately processed all eleven gifts and enjoyed each one of them in turn. Here’s how it worked: Chelyn chose three gifts that she wanted to play with and put them in the three baskets below. These three baskets are where items of current interest are stored. And where did the remaining eight gifts go? The other toys go to the big storage bin in the garage, where she keeps her things. She rotates three items into these three baskets from the big storage bin; she is old enough to manage this system on her own.

Here’s the best part, I usually revisit the girls spaces and things once or twice a year. I only have to spend 45-60 minutes each time I do this, thanks to the systems in place. I keep all of the things that I think the girls would like to use in the future in plastic bins in the garage. Everything I think they have outgrown, I give away right away. It is a constant weedingout process, but well worth the effort. You will also start to look at the things you purchase differently. We rarely buy “toys’’ and stick more to supplies and openended materials that will last over time. And the good news is, all of these systems for keeping things organized and tidy didn’t come overnight. It’s been years of finetuning to figure out what works and what continues to work as my children’s interests and needs change. You can start with just a small tiny step. The most important thing is to start.

You can do it! you can overcome the constant influx of stuff and maintain a peaceful home environment! Everyone wins when there’s less clutter and more space for the things that truly spark joy. 

Jae Jun is a mother of two daughters, Montessori teacher, entrepreneur, consultant, and maker of things. She is dedicated to helping parents become the parents they want to be. Her goal is to add value to the world by providing tools that can be used immediately to create beautiful, organized, and thoughtful spaces in your home.

If you’re interested in Montessori, she can help you make it happen at home. As a result, your children will love learning, and you’ll support their untapped potential!

Discover more at bellascasa.com.

by Cindy Acker

Do you recall that Bob Marley song? When I visit my daughter (Jenn) and son-inlaw (Patrick), it is typical that I hear some version of reggae or Bob Marley playing before I go home (even perhaps in his chiropractic office). It is with intention that they move in life, down to the music they listen to. Pat even renamed his chiropractic office in Seattle to reflect being intentional in life—it is called Conscious Chiropractic. I often tell myself that I want to grow up to be like Jenn and Pat, being so intentional about everything that I do. I have found myself of late, borrowing the words from Bob Marley’s song, when the information on the news or on The Rachel Maddow Show is just more than the heart needs to bear: “One love, one heart … Let’s get together and feel all right.”

Montessori education is respected in research for its strength in the sciences, including social sciences and mathematics. Montessori is a science-based method of responding to the developmental and educational needs, challenges, and abilities of children. Compatible with brain-based, multi-sensory teaching, Montessori education maintains more focus on critical thinking and mastery of skills, and less focus on test-outcome teaching. And it is a method of education in which the arts and sciences are not diametrically opposed. There

is an exactness involved in Montessori education that can be confusing when you watch it, until you understand that there are building blocks that have to do with pure science, and with spatial recognition—what goes

where, and how do you go from there, how does this fit. From critical thinking to expressive reasoning, the mind can go in many different directions, when adults don’t direct it, and this gives rise to creativity.

But the miraculous thing is that Montessori education combines this science-based educational methodology with—of all things, peace education. One would think they have no connection. However, if one can be so creative as to design solutions to complex math and science problems, one can create solutions to environmental challenges, disease, and war.

This makes Montessori education a unique pedagogy. It is a complex scientifically based methodology, which responds to the entire being of the child— from how the brain responds to stimuli via many different modalities, to the psychological development of the human being, which directly responds to the brain’s ability to take in knowledge. And peace resonates with the brain: it feeds it; it nourishes it. When the brain is positively engaged, there is more access to complex reasoning, more internal space to take a step back and do more—more pathways in the brain to create different solutions, to look behind you, then ahead to see where things are going, to observe, reflect, hypothesize, to see the causal effects of things.

When you think about it, many acts of violence happen in a moment when the brain perseverates over anger. Think about the result of engaged children who are so interested in what they are learning, who from toddler age on, are challenged to discover the joys of geography, geometry, history, science, and the arts. Think about the result of older children being in the living laboratory of the classroom, where children are encouraged to think about what they are thinking about.

The other natural extrapolation that occurs within an atmosphere bounded by peace on all sides, is that both love and gratitude become “brain changers.” In Greater Good Magazine, Joshua Brown and Joel Wong share gratitude research and its effect on the brain. They randomly divided participants into three groups. They asked one group to write one letter of gratitude to someone every week for three weeks; the second group was asked to write their deepest negative thoughts and experiences; and the third group had no assignment. Of the groups who wrote, those who wrote gratitude letters reported significantly better mental health for 4 weeks and then 12 weeks after the exercise was over.

What was interesting, was the research that followed. The group that wrote the gratitude letters was compared with the group that did no letter writing to find out if their brains were processing differently. “Most interestingly,” they posited, “when we compared those who wrote the gratitude letters with those who didn’t, the gratitude letter writers showed greater activation in the medial prefrontal cortex when they experienced gratitude in the MRI scanner. This is striking as this effect was found three months after the letter writing began. This indicates that simply expressing gratitude may have lasting effects on the brain.”

If this is true, being centered in love, grounded in peace and bounded in gratitude, we model a life strengthening gift for our children—as parents, at home; as teachers in the classroom; as school leaders in our schools.

If it is true that the arc of history bends toward justice we must extrapolate; if the arc of gratitude and love is long, it must bend towards peace. In our classrooms, we want our students to be engaged and joyful; to learn and play; to hold solid values and to stand up for what is right. To be intentional and attentional. To be caring and kind. To be, as Bob Marley says: “One love, one heart.” In our world now, we must learn and guide children to be change-makers who help “get us all together, and we’ll be all right.” 

is an education professional for over 25 years, Cindy Acker has founded 6 private schools. She is founder/principal of The Child Unique Montessori School and public policy adviser for Montessori Council of California. Cindy has a BA in human development, and Masters degrees in Cultural studies/ spirituality and another M.A. in Educational Leadership. In the public policy arena, Cindy has served two terms as president of Professional Association for Childhood Education (PACE) and as vice president of The National Child Care Association. She is active in state and national policy concerning education and pediatric health.

Write your ad and send it to dondinsmore@ montessori.org. He will return a quote and it will go online as soon as it is paid.

The Cosmic Virus– Corona COVID-19

Written by Raife Cebec Designed by Murat Ağdemir llustrated by Merve Tokmak and Murat Ağdemir

A Montessori teacher who lives in Philadelphia, PA half of the year and in Istanbul, Turkey the other half wrote this book. She is a mother and grandmother. She wrote this book to help children around the world better understand the Coronavirus: where it started; how it spreads; how countries have tried to slow down the spread; what we can do to slow it down; and how it has affected human relationships across continents and oceans. She also emphasizes how people, even though they have had to isolate themselves, have found ways to cheer each other and to share food with those that are hungry. The author also mentions the positive effects of human isolation on wild animals and the environment.

Raife says the best thing about the “Cosmic Virus” is that people have a lot of time to spend together with their families. She ends the book with a challenge to children—the Covid story has not ended yet. “You, children, will write the ending after the virus. You will shape the future according to what you want to do and what kind of world you want to live in.” Raife leaves three blank pages and encourages the readers to write and/or illustrate the rest of the story.

The illustrations are really quite a unique blend of drawings and photography. They also include the familiar continent map and land and water lessons from Montessori classrooms. Because of the illustrations, the book is quite beautiful and engaging.

I would recommend this book for children from 5 to 11 years old. You can purchase this book from International Montessori Schools, Inc.: www.istanbulmontessori.com or contact info@istanbulmontessori.com for more information.

Where the Ocean Meets the Sand

by Beth Costanzo Illustrated by Ekaterina Ilina

A wonderfully illustrated book— the creatures of the sea and the creatures of the land jump out from the pages in brilliant colors, mostly life-like images. And, on top of that, this book rhymes and has a repeating phrase throughout the book. Young children love rhyming and repeating phrases because they can participate in the reading of the book! I’m excited to share it with my four-year-old grandson and any other children who love stories and rhymes. In this rhyming book, some children will enjoy seeing (maybe for the first time) a day at the beach, or others will remember days that they have already experienced at the beach. Either way, it is an engaging and fun book to read with your favorite children! It is available at Amazon.com.

What the World Needs Now: TREES!

by Cheryl Rosebush Illustrated by Zuzana Svobodová

This is a delightful children’s book about how trees support human life and how humans can support them. The illustrations are engaging, very colorful, and friendly. The book starts with a world map showing where Sumatra is and leading the reader into the rainforest of Indonesia, where they meet Jefri, the orangutan. The reader first learns about what orangutans do and eat and where they live. The author then describes the similarities between orangutans and humans including what we breathe. Now comes the part that trees play in creating the oxygen that we need to breathe and the balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide. Trees give us air to breathe, food to eat, and shelter from the elements and so much more. The author describes how trees are cut down for many reasons. She then assures the reader that it’s okay to worry and ask questions about the cutting down of trees. Next she says, “Here’s the good news: trees are renewable…” The book ends with several information pages—Amazing Trees From Around the World, Amazing Creatures of Sumatra, Indonesia, and an activity page to draw on. Cheryl Rosebush and Zuzana Svobodová’s new book will be coming out in February 2021. The title is What the World Needs Now: BEES! You can purchase these books from Amazon.com.

Layla and the Bots: Happy Paws

by Vicky Fang Illustrated by Christine Nishiyama

Layla and the Bots is just one of a series of four early chapter books for growing children’s vocabulary and reading skills. They suggest that this series would be for children age 5-7 years old and is 2nd grade reading level. Colorful illustrations fill each page and the text is placed strategically among them.

that “bots” is a real word that children use these days for robots. Before I became aware of this series I thought that my almost 5-year old grandson had just decided to shorten robots to bots. Many of you may already be familiar with this word, “bots,” but it was news to me!

The story really boils down to one about maintaining and restoring meaningful icons from past experiences, using creative thinking, being a team leader, and designing things that take into consideration the needs of others. Layla and the Bots, who are rock stars and inventors, found themselves faced with the closing of an amusement park that had been a favorite spot for families in their local community for many years. Through some investigation they found that the town’s people had found a new place to have fun, not only with the people in their families but with their dogs as well. From there the author takes Layla and the Bots through many steps to designing and creating a new kind of amusement park that included activities for dogs as well as people.

This series of books could be a fun addition to your home or school library for your early readers.

WOKE: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice

by Mahogany L. Browne with Elizabeth Acevedo and Olivia Gatwood Illustrated by Theodore Taylor III

This is a strong, inspiring book of poetry by three brilliant, “woke” poets. It is made even more powerful by the colorful, large images that portray the ideas in the poems on each page. The book begins with a preface by Mahogany Browne describing what it means to be woke. The way I understand it is – being aware of everything around you/ us and standing up when things are not right. Don’t sit back and take it or give up or hold an attitude of “that’s just the way it is.” Jump in and make a difference for yourself, your families, your friends, your fellow humans.

Children, young people, all of us, have seen so many things change in our world during 2020 that we never imagined could. One of the biggest lessons for all of us is that nothing is static. These poems say to me that many things are not right in our world but this is the time – now is the time – to be a force of change for justice, for bettering all of our lives if we just stay “woke.”

Parents and teachers can encourage their children from 9 years old and older to think about and discuss the meaning of each poem. As a result, children may become interested in learning more about America and its history, more about social justice, more about themselves. I highly recommend it for Upper Elementary and Middle School. You can find this book on amazon.com.

lornamcgrath@montessori.org

LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

Mountain Sun Community School seeks a Director of Learning to serve as an integral part of a strong educational team and help provide forward-thinking leadership for our exemplary nature-based Montessori school. This new role will facilitate the implementation of the Montessori pedagogy in a safe, healthy, and nurturing school environment that supports each child’s social, emotional, and intellectual growth and development. Learn more: www.mountainsunschool.org/employment

The Montessori School of Camden (MSC) is seeking a Head of School (Headmaster) beginning with the 2021-22 school year. MSC operates with a year-round calendar. The Board recently updated its Strategic Plan. Visit our website: www.montessori-camden.com.

Application: Send items to Joan McCulley, President Board of Directors at board-chair@montessoricamden.com

MONTESSORI TEACHING POSITIONS

Mountain Sun Community School seeks a Lower Elementary Class Lead Teacher to guide children ages 6 through 9 (1st through 3rd grade) in conjunction with an Assistant Teacher. Lead Teachers at Mountain Sun help direct students’ activities academically, emotionally, and physically in both a prepared Montessori environment and the outdoors in ways that challenge each child to reach his/her full potential. Learn more: www.mountainsunschool. org/employment

Lakeshore Montessori is hiring an experienced Primary teacher for our small 2 class school in Vancouver, WA. Just minutes from Portland OR. We have an amazing outdoor and indoor property one mile from downtown Vancouver. There is no income tax in WA State: great reason to live here. To succeed through COVID, we have created a half day schedule inside for lessons and out by noon for 2-3 hours of outdoor play. We set up outdoor heaters and new play structures. We offer salary and benefits equal to Portland rates. We are a year round school. Teachers get paid time off in between sessions. We are AMI trained but open to other trainings. Our school was established in 2006. The position begins June 19, 2021.

Please send resumes to: Lakeshoremontessori01@gmail.com

The NewGate School, Lab School of The Montessori Foundation, is seeking an experienced Elementary Montessori Guide for the 2020/2021 school year.

Founded in 1984, The NewGate School is the Lab School of The Montessori Foundation. NewGate is an independent, non-profit, international, college-preparatory Montessori school, home to 200 Montessori students from 18 months through the 12th grade.

Our Lower School has 120 students from 18-months through 6th grade. Our Lower School campus is a charming 5-acre former organic farm school. Classrooms are cottages with private gardens, shaded decks, mature trees, and the timeless beauty of old Florida.

Our Upper School has 80 students from grades 7-12. It is a 5-acre property surrounded by protected woodlands, with an outstanding Gold Level LEED certified building. As a lab school, our faculty works with the Montessori Foundation in curriculum and prgram development.

Our home is beautiful Sarasota, Florida, one of the best places to live in the United States. Our students enjoy the vast cultural and environmental opportunities of this beautiful international city.

NewGate is accredited by AdvancED (SACS/CASI), the International Montessori Council (IMC), and is recognized as an International Baccalaureate World School for the IB Diploma Programme (grades 11 and 12).

NewGate is an international educational center of inspiration and support for Montessori schools around the world. In collaboration with the Montessori Foundation, the school is engaged in curriculum development, professional education for Montessori school administrators, and Montessori conferences.

The school tends to attract committed Montessori families and educators who specifically move to Sarasota to be part of our international Montessori community.

Our faculty looks for passionate and experienced Montessori teachers who want to be part of the vibrant Montessori Foundation and NewGate community.

Candidates must have at least a BA or BS degree and hold Elementary Montessori certification from MACTE teacher-accredited programs. The school offers health benefits and NewGate tuition assistance for children of our staff. The school’s community is active and supportive, and we have a national board of Montessori leaders. Learn more about NewGate at newgate.edu. tanyaryskind@montessori.org.

Bridgemont International School has been developed by internationally renowned Montessorians with decades of experience running Montessori Secondary programs. This new online Montessori school, serving students from 7th through 12th grade, will launch this Fall with an inaugural class of seventh graders. Bridgemont will add one grade each year through the completion of the high school program. Bridgemont will deliver an authentic Montessori secondary education online using a new model of instruction: a highly interactive blend of live and pre-recorded key lessons, seminars, group projects, and innovative solutions to experiential distance education.

Bridgemont students will not get bored, and they will never feel alone. We will begin this year by restricting enrollment to students residing within the United States, however, we will expand internationally in the near future. The Bridgemont difference will be our close-knit online community, where we encourage students to think deeply, work diligently in their studies, and form life-long friendships. Our graduates will be well-rounded global citizens. When you join Bridgemont, you will discover a unique and highly effective implementation of Montessori at the Secondary Level.

Come be part of our small initial team of Adolescent Montessori guides! When you are part of our inaugural team, you will help to shape the direction of what is certain to become a long-standing Montessori institution. If you are interested in being part of this project and would be excited to help develop our program and curriculum development, contact us today. We are looking for dynamic Montessori educators who value student-teacher interac-

tion and have a desire to foster the social development of children while also preparing them for university, citizenship, and life.

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree, preferably with an Adolescent or Elementary Montessori credential from a MACTE certified teacher education program. Compensation, including benefits, is competitive and commensurate with experience.

If you are ready to apply, please send a resume and cover letter. Or, if you just have questions and want to learn more, please contact rhowe@ bridgemontschool.com.

IMS is a diverse, engaging community made up of teachers and families of many cultures, languages, and backgrounds. Our ideal candidates have a passion for guiding young people, are lifelong learners, and thrive in a collaborative, international culture. Our ideal candidates also have experience in a language immersion program.

Minimum requirements for all positions include Montessori certification, three years’ experience in a lead role, strong communication skills in both written and spoken English and in the immersion language, and no need for work sponsorship now or in the future.

We anticipate positions in our elementary (Spanish or Mandarin Chinese) and primary (Chinese) programs. To apply please send a cover letter and a resume/CV to hiring@imsnc.org

To place a classified ad, send your ad to tcmag@montessori.org. $2 per word with a $50 minimum.