Montessori Notes from Colorado Catholic Homeschool Conference

Joanne Baker, who gave a talk on Montessori at the Colorado Catholic Homeschool Conference, asked me to pass along information about obtaining her notes from the talk. You can e-mail her at jbaker7@yahoo.com. Her forwarded message follows...

I just gave a talk at the CO Catholic Homeschool Conference about Montessori and Classical Education. For this occasion, I decided to try to help others to start up a classroom by putting into a manual all my work in building a homeschool classroom for my 4 - 9 year olds.

The manual has what you need to do the bulk of math and language for 4 - 9 years old as well as music and some of the culture. That is:
- it tells you where to get info, supplies, materials you need, and
- it has "cheat notes" lesson cards, and checklists with sequences of lessons
- it has tips I picked up on Montessori method and philosophy from my Catechesis training and experience homeschooling.

My policy was to try to:
- be as close to Neinhuis materials as possible,
- be as close to Maria Montessori's philosophy, method and lessons as possible (as in her books),
- stick to the essentials,
- acquire materials the cheapest, easiest and least time-consuming way, considering I have little artsy craftsy skills, and my husband does not do carpentry,
- approach it from a traditional Catholic viewpoint, though I have NOT included Catechesis, except for a few notes and recommendations.

I also recommend books that fit in with Catholic Classical Education using the Montessori method for over 9 year olds. (I have a liberal education, and designed and taught a liberal arts program to children years ago. I hope to put my talk into an MP3 file so if you want to hear it, I can e-mail it!)

I have to be honest that though this is for beginners, it is for people who are used to a lot of reading and figuring out themselves, though it will save you a lot of the work that I had to go through.

Those who use the manual are invited to join a special yahoo group to give their input and to receive updates, as we get them together. The manual is unbound and hole-punched so you can put it in a binder and add updates. (Really, I just want others to give me input and support for my homeschooling!)

If you want a sample Table of Contents, let me know and I will e-mail it.

On FRIDAY JUNE 23, I am making copies of the manual for anyone who wants one. If you decide you want one you can mail me a check by then and a mailing address, or if you want to come by and visit me in Castle Rock, CO, you can let me know in advance and pick one up after then (and take off $3 shipping). If there is interest after that time I may do another shipment at the end of the summer.

It is about 100 pages and I am asking $15 postage paid.

God bless,

Joanne Baker