**Montessori Primary Teacher Manual Bundle Giveaway **
I am so very pleased to have been given the opportunity to both use and review these incredible resources from Montessori Print Shop AND to share them with one lucky family at the end of this week. The name is a bit misleading because the scope and sequence actually covers the skills normally presented in most traditional school programs through middle elementary grades. I would suggest taking placement tests for Saxon Math for instance to determine correct grade level placement after completion of these manuals. You may be surprised at how much ground has been covered! On with the review….
Several years ago I wrote about our Montessori journey and what I felt was most critical to the success of the method. Despite the explosion of materials in recent years, I shared that we were not seeing a dramatic increase in peace and order in individuals and homes, termed "normalization" in Montessori circles, a primary goal of Montessori education. Montessori-at-home is now often characterized by hands-on projects which multiply to fill prime tabletop and shelf real estate at an alarming rate. This was not always so.
My thoughts are the same today. Few people really dissect down to the heart of any given method – Montessori or otherwise. Hence, there are blocks and trays cluttering schoolrooms and adding more stress to teacher/moms who have no idea what the big picture is nor where all that stuff fits in, literally or figuratively. There are resources offered that carry a particular label which don't actually reflect the method they are linked with. That doesn't bring us closer to a Montessori environment. In fact one would be far closer to realizing the promise of Montessori with a very small number of materials and a good grasp of the overall goals.
So when I read this:
"They (children) are in the constant process of trying to understand what the environment is all about and how they fit into it. Without order the children will not be able to develop a sense of their relationship with the environment."
I nodded vigorously. Yes! Further, I would argue that Mom needs to be able to make sense of the method and its relationship with the environment. I can heartily recommend these primary manuals to help make that happen.
The manuals first present that big picture overview of the both the skills to be mastered as well as a review of those learned in other areas and how they correspond to and complement new learning. Then they move from that broad view to sequential presentations, broken into steps with clear instructions and material lists. Once you have a firm idea of the goal you can determine if a given material will enhance the learning or clutter it up. Montessori Print Shop materials, which correspond to each lesson, are conveniently linked. Therefore, after familiarizing yourself, you can immediately prepare your lesson in its entirety with very little expense.
The manuals defy some preconceptions about both the Montessori method and the children themselves. They present some inspiring ways to look at things. For instance, in the math manual she says:
Children have "an inborn attraction for math due to their innate sensitivities to time, order, and sequence."
How contrary to many of our own prejudices about math! As with the language manual, she explains how the Practical Life and Sensorial activities will have already begun to lay the foundation for future understanding. Instead of viewing the bean pouring and weighted bottles as isolated activities, you begin to see how beautifully the materials work together across the curriculum to build the child's understanding.
She discusses the indispensible role of the teacher and inspires us to “use elegant vocabulary” and “good body language” and sincere eye contact. She stresses that the success of the materials rests upon the ongoing conversations you have with your children. Instead of reducing the method to the acquisition of purely empirical knowledge, the author encourages us to enrich our environment with music, literature, fine art, and warm interaction.
Montessori education was not intended to be cold and mechanical, as it is often caricaturized, but rather to holistically develop mind, body, and spirit. All those activities are a means to that end, not an end in themselves. They are also not promised to be effective in the absence of a sweet disposition and participation in religious and cultural ritual. It is all about integrating the separate parts of life and learning into a cohesive whole. With that in mind, I wrote all those years ago to first get understanding. (Prov 4:7) Develop peace and order in your environment and yourself. Then share the wonder of God’s orderly creation with the little people you love. I truly feel this a wonderful resource to aid in that effort and encourage you to spend some uninterrupted time mulling over those introductory sections before diving into the lessons. They are concise but weighty words.
If would like to be included in this drawing for the bundle of Practical Life, Language, and Math Manuals, please leave a comment and enter a good email address. Winner will be announced on Saturday.
post script: Disregard the email sent out earlier. The widget is fidgety and there is no time to fidget this week <g> We have a wonderful random winner selector in house. (She can be seen doing the jacket flip above lol)
If you have left a comment you are good. We've gotcha. : )
Starry Sky Journal 
Your photography is beautiful! The bundle sounds wonderful. I love MPS’s printables.
What a beautiful review. I’d love to win!
Thanks for the review and for sharing…both your thoughts and the materials. My favorite sentence is
“Develop peace and order in your environment and yourself.”
I would love to be entered! Sounds like wonderful material.
Rebekah
What a neat giveaway ~ would love to win this for my little guy.
Me, please. Lovely photos of your kiddos at work! 🙂
I am a big believer in Montessori! I would love to win this bundle!
Completely agree with your observation of lack of focus on normalization process in modern Montessori schools and homes. A lot of emphasis is put on knowing and mastering the materials while often forgetting about the “theory” behind their usage and purpose. And why are we so afraid to mention the word spirit when talking about Montessori method? The concept of spiritual embryo pretty much describes the core of our nature and derives the method. How else can we get to peace if not working/creating from within our most sacred spaces accessible via full immersion/concentration in an activity and via silence?
I love your inspiring words. Thank you for sharing.
I would love these manuals to help us in our journey at home.
I would LOVE to win!!!
Thank you so much for the giveaway!
Thank you for the give away! I’d love to have this bundle!
These would be beautiful to work with my ASD kids.What a blessing.
I have been studying Montessori for over a year now and am amazed at what she did and how she truly studied children and how their minds work. She was an amazing person and her ideas could touch and change the world! We all have to start somewhere and that somewhere and someone begins with each of us.
Looking forward to meeting you in England! We live here and enjoy the opportunities around us.
(Oh, please enter me in the giveaway also!)
Wow what a great prize, would love to win this.
Thank you for this opportunity! What a great give away!
i have tried to use the rafflecopter above but it will not allow me to enter! please be sure i am in the system! thank you!
Your words have given me renewed inspiration and direction. I already use Montessori Print Shop and have some individual teaching manuals for a few specific lessons. The entire manuals would be an incredible addition & help to me.
This is somethings I’ve been considering purchasing for quite some time. And I couldn’t agree more wholeheartedly with your thoughts on getting yourself organized and knowledgeable before diving into the “formal” teaching of your child. Thanks for this giveaway!
I’d love to have these manuals. Thanks for holding the giveaway.
Would love to win this for my own children and group of children I have in my nursery school.
Thank you for the insightful review and great opportunity! I would love to win this!
Great giveaway! I love Montessori. Also- your pictures are beautiful!
Hi, I would love to get for my little girl. We started the Montessori way of living and definitely this would boost our collection.
Entering my email below
These would be great for my classroom in Japan! Crossing my fingers….
Wonderful Blog…wonderful opportunity…count me in!
Hi Kim and MPS,
I am so delighted that you are giving us this opportunity to win this bundle. It would be of great help and support to me on my Montessori journey
Aimée
Thank you for this giveaway. We are just starting our Montessori journey. As I learn more about the process, I am amazed at how EVERYTHING works together. We would certainly appreciate the teaching albums.
Thank you Kim for offering such a lovely prize to someone! I love to see pictures of your kids doing Montessori activities.
Thank you so much for this giveaway!! I live in France and Montessori materials are hard to come by. However, they work wonders for my 5-yr-old autistic son Esteban.
Thank you so much for your generosity!! It is always great to find someone who is able to share their Montessori journey and knowledge with others!!!!
I have been looking for a review of the Teacher’s Manuals from MPS. I am so glad I found it. I love it and it sure would help us in implementing Montessori at home. Thank you for this chance.
Great post and giveaway
I appreciated your thoughtful review of the materials. Reading Maria Montessori has helped my homeschooling so much. I’d love the opportunity to read these manuals too!
What a wonderful giveaway. This would be a wonderful resource to have in our home classroom. Thank you for the opportunity!
I love your blog…thanks for taking the time to share with us! Would love these mterials 🙂
I have been introducing Montessori into my home with my two year old son. The amount of apparatus and literature out there is so overwhelming that one hardly knows where to start, thanks for the time and effort of this piece
Thanks Kim. Great post – wise words. Please enter ‘us’ on your draw.
This looks fantastic! I’m always looking for more natural ways to teach my preschooler. Thank you!
As I’ve always been interested in Montessori, this sounds sooo intriguing and I would love to try it out!
What a wonderful giveaway!
Love your post and I’m a believer of the Montessori method! Would love to know how to roll and unroll a rug!
TeacherJustineMCDC@gmail.com
Great giveaway!
Thank you so much for your generosity!! I love your blog, it gives me new inspiration with my own primary class. Please add my name to the drawing!!
Please enter my name in your drawing, and thank you for sharing your story!! Catesnewhome1@yahoo.com
My daughter has a Montessori Certificate to teach up to 6 year olds. Now she has her own baby, the start of her new at home class! would enjoy the books. I think it’s a very good program.
I have recently discovered your website and can’t believe the the truly fantastic resources that you share. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful ideas, as an ABA therapist I am constantly looking for fun new ways to make therapy sessions fun and engaging.
Thank you for this amazing offer. I would use this to work with my son with autism as well as my students.
We have recently started our Montessori journey and I have been trying to read up on it. I loved your post. Would love to participate in this.