Montessori Homeschooling, One Family's Story

This book is very important to all of humanity. In 2020 we were taken to a new level, returning to the simple life and the family. In school or at home we must show our children that the world is a fantastic place by giving them the keys to the universe and following their authentic interests.
—Lyda Franky, Director of the AMI Montessori Affiliate for Colombia, South America

I highly recommend this book for Montessori teachers for ages 6-18 even more so because it reminds us that we offer keys to the world and a variety of ways for the child to explore it. As teachers, our vision is to lend an inspiration only until the child’s own inspiration is lit and this book shows us how this can be done both through practical glimpses into the family's homeschooling days, as well as through the examples of the homeschooler's own journal reflections.
—Christine First, Montessori adolescent program, New Zealand

Our English department teachers read Montessori Homeschooling, One Family’s Story and then made a presentation to all the Middle and High School staff. The experience of their son was very impressive for the whole group of teachers. When students recognize the purpose and are a fundamental part of what they are learning, they are more likely to dig deeper, and find ways to learn about what is important and relevant to them. Teachers have come to nurture our students’ desires and help them connect to their passions and interests.
—The English teachers, Montessori Colegio Bilingue, Cali, Colombia

The author shares valuable, informative methods for how to teach and interact with children and teens. I am using the author’s techniques at work with children from ages 7-18 with great success. Susan shares ways to treat children with respect and dignity and receive that respect in return. Examples of how to achieve reciprocity are abundant in this gem of a book. This is a must-have for parents or people working with children of all ages and backgrounds.
—Kathy Wollenberg, counselor for young adults, USA

New Book: Montessori Homeschooling
An enlightening and practical overview of Montessori theory and practice through elementary, middle, and high school.
This book, based on 15 years of homeschooling from elementary through to high school, is helping parents, traditional teachers, and Montessori teachers or guides, keep in mind a wider definition of education. —Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) Newsletter, Amsterdam, Fall 2020

	Montessori Homeschooling, One Family's Story Susan Mayclin Stephenson ISBN978-1-879264-27-4 $19.95, 279 pages, 126 black and white pictures
This book is very important to all of humanity. In 2020 we were taken to a new level, returning to the simple life and the family. In school or at home we must show our children that the world is a fantastic place by giving them the keys to the universe and following their authentic interests. —Lyda Franky, Director of the AMI Montessori Affiliate for Colombia, South America I highly recommend this book for Montessori teachers for ages 6-18 even more so because it reminds us that we offer keys to the world and a variety of ways for the child to explore it. As teachers, our vision is to lend an inspiration only until the child’s own inspiration is lit and this book shows us how this can be done both through practical glimpses into the family's homeschooling days, as well as through the examples of the homeschooler's own journal reflections. —Christine First, Montessori adolescent program, New Zealand Our English department teachers read Montessori Homeschooling, One Family’s Story and then made a presentation to all the Middle and High School staff. The experience of their son was very impressive for the whole group of teachers. When students recognize the purpose and are a fundamental part of what they are learning, they are more likely to dig deeper, and find ways to learn about what is important and relevant to them. Teachers have come to nurture our students’ desires and help them connect to their passions and interests. —The English teachers, Montessori Colegio Bilingue, Cali, Colombia The author shares valuable, informative methods for how to teach and interact with children and teens. I am using the author’s techniques at work with children from ages 7-18 with great success. Susan shares ways to treat children with respect and dignity and receive that respect in return. Examples of how to achieve reciprocity are abundant in this gem of a book. This is a must-have for parents or people working with children of all ages and backgrounds. —Kathy Wollenberg, counselor for young adults, USA

Each chapter describes one year of home schooling from kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is encyclopedic in detail and charmed with honesty about failures and successes. This is quite a span, with the right kind of limited stimulus exposed at the right ages and stages and leading to wider independence. It comes through with the widest scope at adolescence. They had four guidelines: keep the developmental stage in mind, prepare the environment and offer the work, observe to see if it is working, and lastly, adapt and “follow the child”. This Montessori-inspired home-schooling centered in the family ended with Michael’s acceptance at Brown University. It is more than a fairy tale; it is a triumph for all families to witness. —David Kahn, Director Emeritus of NAMTA, North American Montessori Teachers Association, adolescent education speaker and consultant —Barbara Kahn, and David Kahn, lecturer for the Montessori Adolescent diploma and Executive Director Emeritus of the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association	CONTENTS How We Began The Grades Kindergarten First Grade Second Grade Third Grade Fourth Grade Fifth Grade Sixth Grade The Young Adult Seventh Grade Eighth Grade Ninth Grade Tenth Grade Eleventh Grade Twelfth Grade Final Thoughts Books

With specific details of interests followed, work accomplished, and many pictures, this book describes a fifteen-year experience of day-by-day, year-by-year, learning how to create an authentic Montessori education at home and in the community through elementary, middle, and high school. This is not an instruction manual for Montessori homeschooling but one example of an education for life of interest to parents and teachers—Montessori and traditional—who value a unique educational path, rather than one where all children are educated exactly the same way. The idea of “following the child” helps growing children and young adults feel that their own choices, their own individuality, are valid and can be respected. Read about a person who eschewed traditional curriculum and tests from elementary through high school, received a scholarship to attend Brown University, graduated in three years, volunteered for an environmental organization in India, went to law school, and now is a musician and head of his own law firm, all following Montessori principles. From the chapter "Final Thoughts" Many, even those who have never before heard of Montessori education, will recognize themselves with pleasure in this book. There are already families around the world who value spending time with their children above all else, carrying out the daily work together while having conversations and telling stories, and in this way sharing their traditions. They respect their children’s choices of what to become interested in, and provide time for concentration and reflection, for making sense of incoming information. There are teachers who recognize in this book their own intuition to respect choice and concentration, and to give their students opportunities to help with the cleaning and care of the classroom, to solve practical problems, and to have opportunities to help other students with their work. When we understand human needs and tendencies at different stages of development, prepare an environment that calls forth the best work, and then get out of the way, nature can do the work of creating the complete human being
Read about a person who eschewed traditional curriculum and tests from elementary through high school, received a scholarship to attend Brown University, graduated in three years, volunteered for an environmental organization in India, went to law school, and now is a musician and head of his own law firm, all following Montessori principles. From the chapter "Final Thoughts" Many, even those who have never before heard of Montessori education, will recognize themselves with pleasure in this book. There are already families around the world who value spending time with their children above all else, carrying out the daily work together while having conversations and telling stories, and in this way sharing their traditions. They respect their children’s choices of what to become interested in, and provide time for concentration and reflection, for making sense of incoming information. There are teachers who recognize in this book their own intuition to respect choice and concentration, and to give their students opportunities to help with the cleaning and care of the classroom, to solve practical problems, and to have opportunities to help other students with their work. When we understand human needs and tendencies at different stages of development, prepare an environment that calls forth the best work, and then get out of the way, nature can do the work of creating the complete human being	Newsletters announcing books #13 Book, Child of the World: Montessori, Global Education for Age 3-12+, March 2013 #14 Book, The Joyful Child: Montessori, Global Wisdom for Birth to Three, July 2013 #15 Book, The Universal Child, October 2013 #21 Book, No Checkmate, Montessori Chess Lessons for Age 3-90+ May 2016 #23 Book, Montessori and Mindfulness, November 2017 #25 Book, The Red Corolla, Montessori Cosmic Education (preparation in the 3-6 class), June 2019 *#26 Book, Montessori Homeschooling, One Family's Story* , August 2020** #27 Book, Aid to Life, Montessori Beyond the Classroom, March 2021 #28 Book, Please Help Me Do It Myself, Observation and Recordkeeping for the Montessori Primary and Elementary Class, May 2022 Other Newsletters of interest #2 Montessori Art, Jan 2010 #3 Montessori Cultural Geography, May 2010 #4 Montessori Parenting/Teaching, Aug 2010 #5 Montessori Home Environment, Nov 2010 #6 Montessori in Sikkim, Jan 2011 #7 Montessori Math, Apr 2011 #8 All 2009-2011 Newsletters, May 2011 #9 Montessori Grace and Courtesy, Aug 2011 #10 Montessori Biology, May 2012 #11 Practical Life, Real Life, Aug 2012 #12 Happy Children for the Holidays, Dec 2012 #16 Montessori Language, Apr 2014 #17 Swaddling, Caring for Others, Authentic Montessori. Nov 2014 #18 Concentration, Where the Magic Happens!, May 2015 #19 Michael Olaf Montessori Company, Nov 2015 #20 Cosmic Education, Feb 2016 #22 The Music Environment July 2016
These books speak to anyone wanting to understand Montessori. They are based on the author's fifty years of experience as a Montessori teacher and administrator, speaker, school consultant, and examiner for Montessori teacher training courses. Some have been translated in other languages, the English versions are available from Montessori book suppliers and online. QUOTING BOOKS Permission is granted to quote up to 500 words at any one time—on websites or school newsletters or social media—from any of these books, as long as a link back to the book is provided. AUTHOR'S WEBSITE, Montessori work over the years, art and international blog, SUSAN MICHAEL OLAF Montessori information MICHAEL OLAF MICHAEL OLAF Montessori shop BOOKS & MATERIAL Updated on May 1, 2022

New Book: Montessori Homeschooling