Age 12-18

2026 Conference of the AMI Montessori Affiliate in the United States, AMI/USA

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2026 Conference of the AMI Montessori Affiliate in the United States, AMI/USA

In 1907 the first Montessori primary class, casa dei bambini, opened in the slums of Rome, Italy. Over the next twenty years people from around the world visited and took what they could back to their own country; the attempts were not always successful so in 1929 Dr. Montessori and her son created AMI, Association Montessori International, to support authentic Montessori practice. Today there are AMI affiliates in 40 countries. For more information on the vision and mission, CLICK: AMI

Over 850 of us met in San Diego, California, February 13-15, 2026. Montessorians and non-Montessorians alike were welcomed to three days of learning, reflection, and connection. The theme was Montessori as an Aid to life: Embracing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in Everyday Practice.
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Montessori Adolescents – Farm School in Sweden

SusanMayclinStephenson1 Comment

Montessori Adolescents –  Farm School in Sweden
In the 1970’s several of us met periodically to discuss Montessori’s plan for the adolescent and I created a newsletter The Erdkinder Project sharing progress with the group and stayed in touch with our mentor, Margaret Stephenson, who was adamant that most Montessori 6-12 classes were not preparing children for the independence and real work essential for an adolescent program. She did NOT mean academic preparation, but preparation in planning one’s own work,  being responsible for completing it, and finding it to be valuable to others, and as a result feeling the dignity and value during this first stage of adulthood.

15 farm

Montessori Centre for Work and Study
In October 2019 I was invited to speak at the teacher-training course being held in Sweden, on the southwest coast, at one of the oldest  authentic “Erdkinders” (Montessori land children school for adolescents). This is a working farm run for the most part by adolescents, students from many countries. Continue reading →

Book: Montessori for Family and Community

SusanMayclinStephenson1 Comment

Montessori for Family and Community

Engagingly written, this book makes the important elements of the Montessori approach accessible to a wide audience, using clear practical examples to explain profound developmental concepts.
—Lynne Lawrence, MBE, Executive Director of AMI,
the Association Montessori Internationale

154 pages: This is the book to begin with, for both parents and teachers. There are QR codes that lead to YouTube video clips the author has used in her work in thirty countries. They show the potential—especially in the first years—much more convincingly than words could (14 QR codes in the 0-3 section; 6 in the 3-6 section; and 3 more). There are pictures and practice from the author’s own teaching, and other authentic Montessori programs around the world.
Chapters:
Introduction . . . 1
Birth to Three Years . . . 10
Age Three to Six Years . . . 39
My Primary and Elementary Consultant and Mentors . . . 74
Age Six to Twelve Years . . . 81
Age Twelve to Eighteen Years . . . 115
Conclusion . . . 139
Maria Montessori . . . 140 Continue reading →