FOR PARENTS, TEACHERS, OR ANYONE WORKING WITH YOUNG CHIDLREN IN ANY CAPACITY: Over the years the Michael Olaf Company received hundreds of letters and emails from people around the world with questions about Montessori and how to use Montessori ideas to improve the lives and education of children. The answers were then included in the text of the Michael Olaf catalogues, revised every year. Here is information about the formation of the Michael Olaf Company beginnings

FOR THE CLASSROOM: The Association Montessori Inernationale Material Committee continues to oversee the development and manufacture of the real, approved, Montessori materials. These are didactic materials appropriate for Montessori classrooms. It is important to know that the words "Montessori materials" is often used as a marketing tool to sell things that often have no relevance to a Montessori education. Here is a link to the AMI page on this subject: materials committee

EXAMPLES OF MONTESSORI MATERIALS FOR THE HOME & MONTESSORI COMMUNITY

Educateurs sans Frontières Blog

Educateurs sans Frontières (EsF) was begun by Renilde Montessori, the granddaughter of Maria Montessori, MD. It is dedicated working with individuals, families, communities, organizations, and governments, to champion the rights, education, and welfare of humans worldwide.

A new website is being developed in order to keep track of all of the amazing projects that are being developed around the world. Blog posts will be a way to share as projects develop. Here is the New website: ESF Website

The 4th EsF Assembly was held in Khon Kaen, Thailand in the summer of 2015. It was an intensive 2-week assembly of people from 30 countries. It included experts from the fields of neuroscience, indigenous peoples, refugees, people suffering from Alzheimer's, and sustainable community development. Here is an example of what was presented on just one day: one EsF day

Susan Stephenson one of the bloggers for the EsF website. The above picture is from a post on this page: EsF Blog

Susan Mayclin Stephenson's Blog

For many years Susan, co-owner of Michael Olaf Montessori Company, sent "emails home" during her Montessori work abroad to a growing number of interested people. Later, believing the old adage that "a picture is worth 100 words" she switched to sharing pictures of this work on FaceBook. Now she is combining the two, text and pictures on her blog. You can sign up to receive blog posts, where she shares news of her travels, Montessori work (for example in Mongolia where the above picture was taken), and art, here: Susan's blog

WWW.MONTESSORI.EDU

in 1998 The International Montessori Index was begun by several Montessori organizations. The main message that it was thought important to get out into the world was the fact that the name "Montessori" is not protected by any copywrite. This means that any one can use it to describe a school, a teacher training, and materials.

At this site, which is linked to colleges and universities worldwide, there is valuable information to help a parent, or a prospective teacher, learn to recognize a bona fide school or training center.The members of this site are required to reveal their details to the public so it is clear that one is getting the best training possible to be a teacher, and materials that are selected by trained Montessorians.

Some of these items are made during Montessori teacher training, others you can find in your local country or community. If available from Michael Olaf we have included the link

Montessori Shop

	For gentleness and security, in holding, picking up, putting down, in the first days of life. A traditional topponcino is made by students taking the Montessori Assistants to Infancy course:
	Sets of these large vocabulary cards can be kept in the Michael Olaf frame to make them visible as art as well as important vocabulary of plants, animals, art, and so on.
	Just as with music, provide good quality art materials and a way for children to create art, with clay, pencils, scissors, crayons, and paints. And books and pictures as models and inspiration.
	Students in the Montessori Assistant to Infancy training make these special place mats that allow a child to help set the table at a much earlier age than was previously thought possible:

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