The Montessori Room

CREATING A MORE ACCESSIBLE MONTESSORI

Why We Started The Montessori Room

We are a group of 3 mothers and educators with a vision for a more 'accessible' Montessori.

What does that mean?

Well, traditionally when people think of Montessori, they think of a lot of structure - the perfect playroom, all the themed shelves, and a lot of materials the average person doesn't know how to introduce to their children.

This can feel overwhelming to a lot of parents.

We believe there's a lot of value to the Montessori approach and there's not just one way to get the benefits from it.

Benefits for your children, like:

more independence
a more respectful relationship between parents and children
the ability to focus on one task a time
understanding the importance of taking care of your space (home, environment, and possessions)
a love of learning
emotional regulation
proper social development

...and so much more!

And benefits for you, like:

a more organized, minimalist approach to your home and children's toys
natural, Canadian made toys you can feel good about giving your children
children that are more self-sufficient, even at a very young age

That's why our goal is to help more families bring Montessori into their homes, through simple materials, toys, and education, without the pressure to do it all perfectly.

We know there's already enough pressure as a parent. We're here to alleviate it, not add to it!

Who We Are

Laura Berthiaume, BSc., MSc.

When I was pregnant with my first son, my husband and I had many conversations about how we wanted to raise our children, like many first time parents.

One thing we both felt strongly about is that traditional education was lacking in flexibility and fun. It also tends to leave a lot of kids behind that don't fit a very specific mold. My husband hated school growing up and we talked about what we could offer our children that was different.

10+ years after graduating, we finally realized that learning could be engaging and fun if you were allowed more freedom to pursue your interests and do it in your own way.

Our conversations prompted me to look into other popular educational models, like Waldorf, Montessori, and Reggio.

It was then I realized how amazing the Montessori approach is in its ability to support a child's natural curiosity and love of learning.

I have since implemented a Montessori approach at home and have watched my children thrive in their independence, confidence, and joy.

My only goal in this business is to bring that same love of learning to other families.

Talya Metz, B.A., M.A.

Passionate about Early Childhood Devleopment, I received a Master's degree at OISE (UofT) in Child Study and Education. I then went on to work as an SK teacher for almost 10 years at a private school in Toronto.

As an educator, I strive to engage my students through hands-on, inspirational learning experiences. To do this, I always had to make sure the materials my students engaged with were beneficial to them socially, emotionally and cognitively.

Now, I am devoted to using my experience and knowledge to bring the most amazing materials and toys to The Montessori Room. I want families to feel confident that the toys they are buying for their children are the best - open-ended, beautifully-made and fun!

Katie Lannaman, IT Mont. Dip., RECE

I'm thrilled to be bringing Montessori to so many families in this new and exciting way!

Dr. Montessori dedicated her life to studying the "whole child", from their developmental needs to their unique interests, and created an educational methodology that has been practiced for over 100 years. I truly believe that every child deserves the opportunity to have their potential recognized and to develop a love of learning. I've seen firsthand, working in a Montessori Pre-Casa/Toddler Classroom for the last 7 years, how this approach allows children to thrive.

What is Montessori?

The Montessori approach was developed by Italian physician Maria Montessori.

Through careful observation of children, she designed a school meant to work with children's natural curiosities, movements, and innate desire to learn about the world around them, rather than an educational system that fights these urges.

This meant revisiting all the current ideas of what school should look like and changing the classroom design, materials, and approach.

Traditional Schools vs. Montessori

In traditional classrooms lessons are taught in a big group. The teacher talks and the students listen. In general, the same lessons are taught to all the kids.

Montessori realized that each child learns differently and a at different rate so lessons are taught to individuals or in smaller groups and are designed to meet each child's specific needs. Lessons are also more hands on and child-led, giving a child the opportunity to participate in the learning process. Montessori observed that children need to move and learn through experiences, rather than through sitting and listening to a teacher.

Because, in some ways, this approach was so different to traditional schools, many educators were resistant to give it credit for decades.

But with more research and parents realizing that traditional schooling isn't working for everyone, the Montessori approach had exploded in popularity in the last decade.

Since gaining popularity, the market is now flooded with Montessori-style toys - but it's at the point that parents are often overwhelmed again and not sure what's best for their child's development.

Let us help you clear the clutter.

Our Toys and Home Goods

Every item you will find in our store is made in Canada or carefully selected according to these important principles: natural materials, beautifully made, ethically made, in small quantity, made locally in Canada (except when it was impossible to find it here).

And of course, each and every item follows the Montessori or Waldorf principles and philosophy to help children become more independent, self-confident, and imaginative.

Questions or ideas?

If you're curious about our background, any of our ideas or there's products you're interested in that we don't currently carry, send us an email at

Thanks,

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