Hi ...The kids call me Mrs Jo.
I have been an early childhood educator for 35+ years, hold a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Learning and Development with a concentration in Applied Psychology (developmental psychology)from University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a Montessori credential from American Montessori Association. I have worked with children of all ages in many different types of classrooms in many countries around the world. I was a home educator of my two now grown children for ten of their academic years.
I have basically given my career to early childhood because I believe that the foundation is the most important part of a building. Without a strong and firm foundation, the building will not stand. As with buildings, so with humans: our small children need a firm foundation for the people they are becoming. From a strong start, children can move forward to become who they choose to be in all their wonderful potential.
My hope is that this website will grow into a community of support and help for all parents who wish to stay at home with their children. We'll use Montessori as the powerful tool that it is to help you help your children in that journey.
I hope this blog will give parents a fuller understanding of what Montessori is and how it can be adapted for the home. I hope you can join me in this journey of learning and discovery of the child!
Mrs Jo
"To keep alive that enthusiasm is the secret of real guidance, and it will not prove a difficult task, provided that the attitude towards the child’s acts be that of respect, calm and waiting, and provided that he be left free in his movements and in his experiences."
-Dr. Maria Montessori, Montessori's Own Handbook, p78