Time to Watch & Learn
So now as the academic year draws to a close it’s time to reassess what worked and what didn’t work for you and your setting. Take the time to step back and observe the children. Some of them will be...
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How to…..Curriculum
Let’s talk about curriculum. If you’re lucky you would have gotten some idea of how to create and implement a curriculum while you were in college but even so creating it from scratch and using it...
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Typical Day
Our settings are child centred, we prepare our environments to engage children and help their natural development. We follow the child, we let their needs dictate WHAT, WHEN and HOW we do stuff but we...
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Trying and Failing – Importance of challenge
Courage may not at first be an obvious trait associated with children but if you look you’ll see it everyday in your setting. As teachers part of our duty is to prepare the environment for a new day...
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Under New Management
What happens when you take over an existing service? What do you need to consider? These were some of the questions one of our readers asked us to answer recently. The following are some helpful tips...
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Summer Audit
Summer is here and it’s time to audit your materials, throw out the unsalvageable, repair & create new learning opportunities. Luckily there are many people in the same boat as you so...
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Ideas to help you restock your shelves
We’re always on the look out for good pictures we can use to create materials and the following links won’t disappoint. In the autumn many of you will start with the Solar System and here’s how to...
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August 2012 Newsletter
From a Dull, Wet Summer to the Excitement of the New School Year So we’re heading towards a new school year! I hope you feel refreshed and ready to welcome your pupils back to class. For some of you...
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Cutting
When I want to cut something I go to a drawer and pull out the scissors, cut what I need to cut and place the scissors back where I got it. I’ve used the scissors so many times in my life that the...
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It’s a Mystery….
One of the things we enjoy doing most is visiting Early Years settings and talking with the people who work there. We learn so much from these visits and only see them as a positive experience but we...
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How to make a box
So you’ve made your beautiful materials and are hunting high and low for a suitable box to house them and display on your shelf. You search through old Christmas present boxes…those who know you well...
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Snowman display
Sonia created a snowman display in her classroom and has kindly allowed us to share it. The template for the individual snowman pieces can be found on First Grade Fantabulous’ Blog and will cost you...
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Christmas Elves – Sonia Cole
Sonia has been really busy making seasonal decorations to adorn her setting. The elf door display pictured below was drawn freehand! And if you’re lucky enough to possess an artistic trait Sonia has...
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A Week of Sensorial Exploration – David King
This week in class we embarked on some Sensorial Exploration. (Warning if you are against combining materials or ‘playing’ with the materials you may want to look away now) The Pink Tower and the Broad...
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Through the Looking Glass; the other side of being a Montessori Teacher –...
When you are training to be a Montessori teacher you become lost in a sea of new terms, ‘the absorbent mind’, ‘normalisation’, ‘freedom and discipline’, to name just a few. Add to that the pressure of...
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Can you help?
We’d like to compile a short article for people who are looking for a Montessori school to send their child to but as they may not have gone to a Montessori school themselves won’t know what they...
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Beans and Chips Part 1 – David King
The theoretical importance of animals in children’s lives has been well documented so there is no real need for me to discuss it here. Many of us are aware of the positive and calming effects animals...
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Broad Play Based Curriculum
Here’s a FREE poster from Border Counties Childhood Network which shows what a broad play based curriculum is. Looking at the definition on the poster would you define your curriculum as a play based...
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Information Cards
Over the past couple of months we’ve been working on the resources we have available for children in the 6-9 year old age bracket. We’ve been concentrating on information cards with corresponding...
View ArticleAn inspiring video – Prairie Flower Montessori School
Prairie Flower Montessori School is someone we’ve connected with via Facebook as they too have their own business page where they generously share tips, ideas and pictures of their setting. Recently...
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Montessori Magpies – David King
What an amazing summer we have had here in Ireland and it is far from over. We still have a few weeks before we return to our environments, but I am pretty confident that I am not the only one who has...
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Creating the most from your outdoor space
If you’re thinking of developing your outdoor area but don’t know where to start this pdf from the Northern Ireland Curriculum website, Learning Outdoors in the Early Years, is an excellent resource...
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From Ireland to Australia – Trish Murphy Murray
Hello, my name is Trish, I’m originally from Cork and just recently moved to Australia. We are based in a town 3 hours South of Perth called Margaret River. I studied Montessori teaching (0-6 years)...
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Outdoor Play Conference
On Saturday the 21st of September 2013 we’re hoping to get down and dirty at the Outdoor Play Conference being hosted by Border Counties Childhood Network and the Crann Support Group in Monaghan. The...
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Tuscan Approach to Early Childhood – Study Trip to San Miniato, Italy
In October last year I was given the chance to take part in a study trip organised by Leargas and facilitated by Early Childhood Ireland to experience the Tuscan Approach to Childcare which is...
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New Resources for Subscribers, March 2014
Every two weeks we issue an update to our subscribers to let them know about the new resources we have uploaded to the website. We limit ourselves to telling them about only 4 as otherwise the update...
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Our New Outdoor Area – Lee Herlihy, Horizon’s Montessori Cork
Our new outdoor area is open and ready for the children to explore and enjoy. It took a lot of thought and I found the ideas posted by others on the internet a great source of inspiration. Barry from...
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Our Outdoor Space – Rachel Berns, Kavan Kids Kreche
Just a brief outline of our story. Kavan Kids Kreche has been open since June 12th 2006, and this years is our 8th anniversary. We are a full day care and Montessori. We also have a Montessori school...
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Have a Look inside
The January 2012 edition of our Newsletter contained a gallery of pictures which showed the layout of rooms in 5 Early Years settings, 3 located in Ireland, 1 in Italy and 1 in South Africa. We decided...
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A Taste of Autumn – Bea Sommer
We’re lucky enough to be part of a very active and generous community. During the past month we came across Bea Sommer’s beautiful pictures which we thought really captured Autumn in Ireland. We...
View ArticleEntire contents of classroom for sale
We are always sad to hear of settings closing and like to do all we can to help make what is often a very emotional time a bit easier. Kelly Bowe from Cosykids is closing her setting after 13 very...
View ArticlePurple Turtle Montessori
I really love spending time in early years settings so I was thrilled to be asked by Brenda from Purple Turtle Montessori in Malahide, Co. Dublin to visit. The children made me feel very welcome and...
View ArticleSecond Hand Equipment
Although it’s summer people seem to be doing a Spring clean and have the following equipment for sale. If you’re interested in purchasing any of the materials please contact the sellers directly
View ArticleProject
We’re giving you advanced notice of a project we’d like you to be part of. We would like to compile a portfolio of 1st day photographs of early years settings not of the children but of the room which...
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Kentstown Montessori School’s Outdoor Area
This is another photo blog I’ve been meaning to put up. I visited Kentstown Montessori School last November and was really impressed by their whole setup and especially their outdoor area. It was a wet...
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