Shiller Learning

Hi Jacqueline and Friends,

I am skeptical of Shiller Learning.  I am familiar with many, many authentic Montessori vendors and this company has never been represented at any of the Montessori workshops I have attended.  I would stay away from it!  I think it is a knock-off business trying to capitalize on the Montessori name.  This is a common thing—businesses and people/schools using some Montessori materials and calling themselves “Montessori” without truly being Montessori.  Stick to the materials, books, and companies I have listed on your blog.

Also,  please let your blog viewers know that even though I am not on the vendor list, I am authentic and do not sell anything—I am free.  I am willing to come to them or they can come to me.  I have given up leading my church Montessori Toddler Class and that will give me more time to help you and your group.  It is my passion to help families with children and my absolute pleasure!

I will write up a bio for you.  That should help people in your sphere to trust contacting me too.

As far as older school age children, many of the materials for the young ones are suitable for them too!  However, for those children who are beyond those materials I don’t know much, but I have wonderful, professional, colleagues at Montessori schools that I can contact and get help.  We could probably even set up a field trip to see Elementary Montessori—however that would be a GREAT privilege based upon my reputation and rare for most people.  It would have to be at the convenience of that school and under their guidelines.  Maybe they would be interested in some type of workshop for you?  I have my graduated students at this school so I have a good standing with them.  If you or your Homeschoolers are serious about Elementary Montessori, let me know what you would like to pursue for the Elementary Level (age 6 to 12)

For those who are interested in older children, I recommend the book:  “Montessori Today: A Comprehensive Approach to Education from Birth to Adulthood” by Paula Polk Lillard.  I found it to be a fascinating and easy read; I especially enjoyed the part covering information about High School Level classes!

Based upon your questions, I think we should schedule a gathering to talk only about “curriculum”—the difference in secular ideas of curriculum where you buy instruction books, go page by page and you are the teacher, verses Montessori where the real world is the curriculum and you offer the world to your child based upon their interests through many different avenues such as activities with music, art, writing/reading/research, math, science experiments, geography, field trips, history of how humans have positively influenced the world, the Bible, etc.  It is hard to imagine or to know how to change to Montessori if your mind is filled with only how public school is set up—a workshop can help with that.  It would be fun to set up two little classroom examples and let the parents try out each class to see the difference!

Love,

Aunt Donna 😊🍎💕