A New Homeschooling Article!
As many of you know, I homeschool my children using Montessori. A little while ago, I was approached by Sharon Caldwell, a representative in South Africa for The Montessori Foundation (and one of my longtime customers!), to write an article about Montessori and homeschooling for one of their publications.
I jumped at the chance, and even though I’ve written much about Montessori and homeschooling already, this time I approached it in a new way.
I decided to examine the blossoming Montessori/homeschooling movement and analyze whether or not it’s a trend or something more permanent.
While researching this article, I learned a lot and really enjoyed talking to some Montessori homeschooling parents to find out why they chose Montessori and how they use it in their home.
Without further ado: Montessori and Homeschooling – Here to Stay?
Hi Lori & congratulations on another brilliant article! I felt connected to what you were saying on so many levels even if we aren’t a traditional homeschooling family! My eldest son went to a Montessori preschool & we were the parents you mentioned who took the idea of Montessori-fying our home to heart & I really embraced everything I could read & learn. Without a Montessori school for him to move onto we spent a lot of time considering homeschooling before deciding that it wasn’t the fit for us at the moment, the next phase was trying to see if we could start a school in our area (though there were certainly glimmers of hope it wasn’t the right time) & have settled with the unusual choice of sending him to the beautiful Waldorf school in our area with the hope to continue to strengthen our Montessori living at home (making Montessori maths, language and cultural materials available to him). Our little guy will start at the Montessori preschool this year so it will be an interesting combination! I just wanted to thank you for your insightful & compassionate article that recognises that there are lots of different ways to love Montessori. If we could be purist Montessorians I would love it , but life isn’t always that clearcut so it’s wonderful that there are people out there encouraging us to be creative with it. Thanks again!
Hi, Amber! I’m so glad you liked the article. It’s neat to see how Montessori can be flexible enough to work in many different environments, different countries, different cultures, and different families. That’s one of my favorite things about Montessori
I like that you’ve chosen different options for each child – kids are unique, so it makes sense to go with what works for each of them. I’d love to hear updates once your other child starts Montessori preschool!
Dear Lori
Your article has inspired me to look back along a long road. Our three daughters have completed their education “at home”. They are excelling at University and work.
18 years ago we were pioneering home schoolers in South Africa. We were founder members of the South African Homeschool Association.We had three daughters within three and a half years. I attended various Montessori courses and started my own little Montessori school because I wanted to use the Montessori materials and create the prepared environment. When we reached the primary years, I had to choose between building a school, and homeschooling, we opted for the latter.
Throughout the early years we followed our homemade Montessori way. I followed the girl’s lead, and they developed their unique talents. I attempted to open as many windows to the world as possible. We only used a textbook if we could not do it for real. After much experimentation we settled on a homeschool curriculum called “Konos” that helped us with in-depth exploration in co-operation with other homeschooling families. Later we completed school with Cambridge University HIGCSE’s.
By then 17 year-old Joy was establishing herself as a music teacher in three instruments. Desiree went on to study Occupational Therapy. She is a top student and a Christian missionary. Jessica is the youngest and soaked up everything I taught the other two. At 14 she had completed IGCSE’s and decided to go to normal school “for the fun of it”. She excelled and received Honors Awards every year. Now she is studying Pharmacy with a scholarship.
They are beautiful, well balanced, whole adults. To every parent ready to make the commitment I would wholeheartedly reccommend homeschooling the Montessori way.
Wow, you have a great story! I love to hear from people who have homeschooled kids that are now leading successful, happy lives. It’s a great testimonial. Thank you for sharing!
Hello Lori .. I have stumbled across your blog in my research on homeschooling the Montessori way. The articles I have been reading have been of tremendous help. Thank you, Magda