Halloween, Montessori-Style

Yza Baights Lopez • October 30, 2023

Whether we are excited about the delights of Halloween or reluctant to face the excess of sweets, the holiday is upon us! In Montessori, we try to approach holidays as an opportunity to learn more about culture, which includes understanding the history as well as related traditions. As with other aspects of culture, we also think about how to give and show respect in a way that is developmentally appropriate. Above all, we keep in mind what makes sense for each child.

Teach the History

How did Halloween begin? This is an excellent time to explore the origin of Halloween with your child. Young children appreciate a very simple explanation that is linked to the rhythm of the year. For example: “Around this time, when the nights are getting longer and darker, different cultures have different ways of marking this shift from summer into winter. In our culture, one way people have celebrated the change of seasons is by dressing up and visiting neighbors.”

With older children, it’s fun to do a little research together into Halloween’s ancient Celtic origins. Telling a little teaser story can spark some interest in learning more. For example: “Did you know that Halloween began over 2,000 years ago? It wasn’t called Halloween then, though. Its name was Samhain (pronounced ‘sow-in’), which means ‘summer’s end.’ Back then winter was a dangerous time, so people got together to face some of the superstitions and fears, and also to play games and eat together before winter began. Let’s see what else we can discover about this celebration and traditions over time!”

If you are interested in learning more with your children, here are some helpful links for collaborative research:

The Origins of Halloween Traditions

This History of Halloween for Kids

Halloween History for Kids: Six Facts They Should Know

Practice Grace & Courtesy

It’s not often that we march up to multiple houses and demand treats! As such, we want to be thoughtful about how we introduce the practice of trick-or-treating to our children, uphold our family values, and model showing manners while having fun.

Young children will likely benefit from some demonstration before they jump into the experience. Role-playing with a family member, friend, or neighbor can set children up for success before they are in the awkward situation of standing before a stranger uncertain about what to do (or not do).

With older children (and their friends if they are trick-or-treating as a group), it’s also helpful to collaboratively review expectations such as walking on people’s sidewalks rather than marching through yards, only approaching houses with porch lights on, the protocol for knocking and/or ringing the doorbell, how to politely respond or engage when someone comes to the door, and what to say as you leave (e.g. “thank you” or “Happy Halloween!”). In addition, Halloween is an excellent time to review road safety around crossing the street and checking for cars.

Remember Developmental Appropriateness

Our young children are still distinguishing between what is real and what isn’t. As such, Halloween can be an exciting and yet sometimes disorienting time. Our language can help. Just like with toddlers when we say, “This is a picture of a giraffe” rather than “This is a giraffe” when we present a language card with a giraffe image, during Halloween festivities, we can be specific about how we talk about people in costumes or even decorations. For example, we might say, “Oh look, there is a person dressed up in a witch costume!” rather than “There is a witch!” Or we might offer some explanation if our children are hesitant, “Those bat and spider figurines hanging on the porch look so real, but when I look more closely I see how they are made of plastic. Can you see that, too?”

If fears do arise, acknowledge your child’s feelings, let them know it’s okay to feel scared, and make sure they feel heard and supported. The last thing we want to do is minimize our children’s fears. Sometimes this means making some modifications to the Halloween plans. Ultimately, we want to make sure the festivities are fun for our children. This might mean considering other options, like decorating pumpkins versus dressing up like zombies. Low-key or autumn-themed activities might be best if children are feeling anxious or fearful.

However your family chooses to celebrate the season, remember we have an opportunity to model respect and thoughtfulness, as well as the importance of having some fun! Let us know what you love to do this time of year. We would love to hear about your family’s favorite autumn and Halloween traditions!

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Unifying Words and Their Meanings: The Quiet Genius of Montessori Vocabulary Lessons

By Danielle Giordano • April 6, 2026

Have you ever watched a Montessori teacher give a lesson and thought, "That seemed...very short!”? If so, you may have witnessed a three-period lesson. What looks almost effortlessly simple is actually one of the most carefully designed teaching techniques. The three-period lesson is the primary way we introduce new vocabulary to young children. We use it constantly for phonetic sounds, geometric shapes, textures, quantities, names of parts of a flower, names of continents, and so much more. Virtually every time children learn a precise new word for something they're experiencing with their senses, we are using a version of this lesson. Why Vocabulary Needs Its Own Method Young children are in what Dr. Montessori called a sensitive period for language. This is a window of time when children’s minds are especially primed to absorb new words and refine their understanding of them. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that absorbing a word isn't the same as truly knowing it. Children might hear the word "rough" many times without ever firmly connecting that sound to what their fingers actually feel on a piece of sandpaper. The three-period lesson closes the understanding gap. It's built on an insight Dr. Maria Montessori borrowed from educator Édouard Séguin. Learning a word happens in stages: first association, then recognition, then recall. Moving through those stages deliberately, with no extra words or distractions to clutter the lesson, gives children's minds the clearest possible path to making a lasting connection. “Both object and name should strike the child's understanding at the same time — but only the name itself, and not some other word, should be pronounced.” — Dr. Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child The Simplicity of the Three Stages Here's how the three-period lesson unfolds. We’ll use a classic example of teaching the words "rough" and "smooth" with our sensorial textured boards. 1. ASSOCIATION — "This is..." The adult presents the object and names it clearly, with no extra words. The child repeats the word while experiencing the sensation. "This is rough." The child runs their fingers across the surface and repeats: "Rough." 2. RECOGNITION — "Show me..." After a brief pause, the adult asks the child to identify the object by name. The child simply points or touches, and thus no verbal answer is needed. "Which is smooth? Which is rough?" The child points to each in turn. 3. RECALL — "What is this?" The adult points to an object, and the child produces the name themselves, demonstrating that the word is now truly theirs. "What is this?" The child touches the surface and answers: "Rough." The whole lesson might take only two or three minutes, and this brevity is part of what makes it work. A child's attention is fully focused on precise vocabulary acquisition. What Happens When a Child Gets It Wrong One of the most quietly radical aspects of the three-period lesson is what happens when a child gets it wrong. If a child points to the wrong texture in the second stage, the adult doesn't correct. We don’t say, "no, try again.” Instead, we just end the activity gently, with the understanding that we will try the lesson again another day. Dr. Montessori was clear about this approach. A correction at that moment doesn't help a child learn the word. In fact, a correction only reinforces the feeling of having failed. So we simply close the lesson. The child carries no impression of having gotten something wrong, and when we revisit the lesson, the child comes to it fresh. As Dr. Montessori wrote, an error in the second period is simply a sign that the child "was not at that instant ready for the psychic association.” Nothing is wrong with the child. The teaching hasn’t failed. It just wasn’t the right moment. After the Lesson: When Words Come Alive One of the loveliest things to observe after a successful three-period lesson is what children do next. A child who has just learned the words "rough" and "smooth" will often wander the classroom touching things: the edge of a wooden shelf, a piece of fabric, the surface of a stone, and quietly naming the texture to themselves. The words become tools for understanding the world, and they want to use them everywhere. This spontaneous generalization is exactly what the lesson is designed to spark. The goal is never for children to recite vocabulary on command. Rather, we want to give them language that deepens and sharpens their experience of everything around them. Trying It at Home You don't need Montessori materials to use this approach. Any time you want to help a young child connect a precise word to something they're experiencing (the names of spices by smell, the names of fabrics by touch, the names of tools in the garden), the same three-step structure applies. Name it clearly. Ask them to show you. Ask them to tell you. Keep it brief, keep it joyful, and if they get stuck, simply set it aside and try again tomorrow. The lesson works because it respects how young minds learn. New connections need space, simplicity, and the freedom to form without pressure. To see this vocabulary tool in action, schedule a visit here in [Your Location]

Our Montessori Bookshelf: Water Connects Us

By Danielle Giordano • March 30, 2026

Rivers are so important to our human story. They are sources of nourishment, transportation, and connection. We see how children are naturally drawn to water, and rivers offer a powerful way to understand ecology, interdependence, and our place within the natural world. With this in mind, we want to share some of our favorite books about water, rivers, and watersheds. Through story and illustration, children can trace the journey of a single drop of water, observe how land and water shape one another, and begin to understand how human choices affect the health of our planet. We’ve grouped the following collection of river and water-focused books by developmental stage. Each title offers language, beauty, and meaningful context for deeper exploration. Whether you are reading with a toddler, a younger elementary child, or an emerging researcher, these books invite wonder, responsibility, and reverence for one of Earth’s most essential elements. For the Youngest Hey, Water! By Antoinette Portis This picture book takes us on a journey of how water is part of our lives in so many ways: from sprinkler spray to a teardrop trickling. The clean-lined illustrations transition between bird’s-eye views and close-up images. This is a great transition book for toddlers moving from pages with one word labeling a picture to a narrative that connects to daily experience. A Place for Rain By Michelle Schaub, Illustrated by Blanca Gómez A lovely introduction to the concept of rain gardens, this picture book follows a simple story of children witnessing how rain runoff can be transformed from being problematic into something stunning and special for everyone. The sweet, slightly geometric illustrations highlight how even simple actions can have a big impact. Water Is Water By Miranda Paul, Illustrated by Jason Chin Although a picture book about the changing states of water, the lyrical text and charming illustrations make this a delightful and fun-filled page-turner! It’s a great way to introduce young children to the water cycle and the importance of water in our lives. Water Cycle: For Younger Elementary Drop: An Adventure through the Water Cycle By Emily Kate Moon Bridging between comic style and traditional picture book, the story follows the character, Drop, as she travels through the water cycle. Delightful and engaging, this is a great book for younger elementary children and can serve as an easy-to-access resource for understanding the states of water. A Drop Around the World By Barbara Shaw McKinney, Illustrated by Michael S. Maydak Written in rhyming verse, this story follows Drop from a cloud near Maine around the world and back to Cape Cod Bay. A map inside the cover shows the journey, and emoji-style images accompany the text, linking to more detailed descriptions of the amazing science at each step along Drop’s path. Watersheds If the Rivers Run Free By Andrea Debunk, Illustrated by Nicole Wong This captivating picture book takes readers through the human story of rivers’ importance in our lives, the mistakes we’ve made, and how we can make things right and help rivers run free again. The rhythm of the text is accentuated by moments of human realization, with bold statements that step out of the rhyming pattern and gently jar us into a sense of action. The illustrations take readers on a journey, too! One Well: The Story of Water on Earth By Rochelle Strauss, Illustrated by Rosemary Woods Through its clear text and lush illustrations, One Well emphasizes the interconnectedness of water on our planet. It offers an array of interesting information that will appeal to children in elementary years, both through narrative text and short snippets overlaid on the images that fill each page. The fact that this picture book has an index is an indicator of how just how much its 32 pages contains! River Story By Meredith Hooper, Illustrated by Bee Willey Rich in realistic content yet engaging and accessible, this lushly illustrated picture book takes readers on a journey from the source of the river to where it empties into the sea. Watersheds: A Practical Handbook for Healthy Water By Gregor Gilpin Beck, Illustrations by Clive Dobson Best for older readers, this book offers helpful and non-technical information about watershed concepts and environmental concerns. This is an excellent resource for older elementary or younger adolescents engaged in ecology research. The illustrations are beautiful, too! We’d love to hear what you think about these books! You can also download a printable list for the next time you visit your local bookstore or library! Also, feel free to schedule a visit here in [Your Town/Location] to learn more about how the story of water flows through children’s lives!

How Montessori Makes Long Division Make Sense

By Danielle Giordano • March 23, 2026

For many of us, we remember learning long division as a confusing sequence of steps to memorize and repeat (bring down, divide, multiply, subtract), often without a real sense of why it works. In Montessori classrooms, long division unfolds very differently. Through the Racks and Tubes material, children get to experience what division actually is. Two Ways to Divide: Sharing and Grouping Before introducing the material, we first clarify an important idea: there are two different kinds of division problems in real life. One asks, “If I share this equally, how much does each person get?” This is partitive division, or division by sharing. The other asks, “If I make groups of a certain size, how many groups can I make?” This is measurement division, or division by grouping. The Racks and Tubes material focuses on partitive division. Children physically share quantities equally and discover what one share receives. Materials like the Stamp Game emphasize division of measurement. Together, these approaches give children a complete understanding of division and help them choose the strategy that best fits a given problem. What Are Racks and Tubes? At first glance, the material is impressive and a little mysterious. Children are often drawn to the material, both for its beauty and its seeming complexity. Racks hold test tubes filled with beads, carefully color-coded by place value: units, tens, hundreds, thousands, all the way up to millions. Matching cups hold the dividend (the number being divided). Boards and skittles represent the divisor (the number doing the dividing). Every detail of the material reinforces place value. Each time children need to make an exchange, they trade in one bead of one category for ten of the next category (e.g. one hundred becomes ten 10’s). This process is visible and incredibly concrete. This material takes intentional focus. It takes time. And it makes the steps of long division clear. How Long Division Becomes Concrete When children solve a division problem with Racks and Tubes, they follow a logical, embodied process: They build the dividend using the racks and cups. They represent the divisor with individual figures on boards. They share beads one at a time, equally, to each part of the divisor. They stop when sharing is no longer possible and then see what remains from that category. They then bring down the next category of beads to continue the sharing process. Each step answers a real question: What does one unit get? What happens when we run out? What do we do with what’s left? Instead of being told “bring down the next digit,” children literally bring down the next category of beads. When exchanges are needed, they perform them physically by trading beads. Remainders are not mysterious leftovers. They are beads still sitting in the cup. Long division becomes a story children can follow. From Material to Abstraction One of the most beautiful aspects of this work is how naturally it leads into abstraction. At first, children record only the quotient. Later, they begin recording intermediate remainders. Eventually, they discover that multiplying the quotient by the divisor tells them how much has been used at each step. This is the very heart of the traditional algorithm. We don’t give abstract shortcuts. Instead we help children discover the pattern. This allows them to own the process. By the time children are working abstractly on paper, the algorithm already makes sense. It matches what their hands have done again and again. Why This Matters The Racks and Tubes material does more than teach division. It teaches: Deep place value understanding Logical sequencing Patience and precision Trust in one’s own reasoning Most importantly, it gives children confidence. Division is no longer something done to them. Instead, they can think through the process, step by step, with meaning and understanding. In Montessori, math is not about getting the answer quickly. It’s about building an understanding of why the process and answer makes sense. And with Racks and Tubes, long division finally does! Schedule a visit to our classrooms in Old Saybrook, CT to see for yourself!