Explore how Simone Davies & Junnifa Uzodike apply Montessori principles to raise neurodivergent kids. They discuss balancing support and independence, fostering autonomy, teaching social skills, and navigating family agreements. Learn about creating a conducive environment for growth and fostering respectful relationships.
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insights INSIGHT
Montessori for Neurodivergent Children
Montessori supports each child’s unique development by adjusting the environment and adult responses.
It's naturally suited for neurodivergent children with individual needs and learning styles.
insights INSIGHT
Montessori Philosophy
Montessori is a lens for viewing children's potential, respecting their growth, and understanding their developmental stages.
It emphasizes guiding, not leading, children, and preparing the environment for their self-development.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Adapting Montessori
Adapt the environment to support neurodivergent children's needs, such as providing noise-canceling headphones or visual schedules.
Accept and support each child's individuality.
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Montessori is often thought of as an educational philosophy, but my guests for today’s episode, Simone Davies and Junnifa Uzodike, are committed to bringing Montessori into the home and guiding parents through the principles of Montessori to enhance their children's development and foster respectful relationships with their families and the world.
Over the years, I’ve learned how much alignment there is in the strength-based parenting approach we subscribe to in our community, where we see and respect our children as the unique humans they are, with the core principles of Montessori, which prioritizes meeting our children where they are and being a guide for them as they navigate their childhood.
So I invited Simone and Junnifa to come on the show to talk about how we can apply these Montessori principles to parenting our neurodivergent kids and some of the other concepts they write about in their lovely new book, The Montessori Child: A Parent's Guide to Raising Capable Children with Creative Minds and Compassionate Hearts.
About Simone Davies
Simone Davies is the author of The Montessori Toddler and co-author of The Montessori Baby and The Montessori Child books, comprehensive guides to raising children in a Montessori way.Simone is an AMI Montessori educator based in Amsterdam. She also has a popular blog, instagram and podcast “The Montessori Notebook” and is mother to two young adults. Simone currently runs parent-child Montessori classes in Amsterdam at her school Jacaranda Tree Montessori.
About Junnifa Uzodike
Junnifa Uzodike is an AMI trained Montessori guide for the 0-3, 3-6 and 6-12 levels. She is the co-author of The Montessori Baby and The Montessori Child book with Simone Davies. She is also the founder and head of school at Fruitful Orchard Montessori in Abuja, Nigeria. Since discovering Montessori in 2011, Junnifa has continued to build her knowledge and experience in child development using Montessori principles. She has three children whom she has raised using Montessori principles from birth. Junnifa’s Montessori work includes guiding children at Fruitful Orchard, mentoring teachers and closest to her heart is supporting parents in implementing Montessori from birth. She inspires parents around the world to bring Montessori into their lives by sharing her Montessori journey and offering courses and other resources via her blog.
Things you'll learn:
What the philosophy of Montessori is and the planes of development
Why the Montessori approach to parenting can be a good fit for neurodivergent children
How to raise children who have a strong moral compass
The role of family agreements to reduce conflict and support healthy family dynamics
What scaffolding looks like in Montessori when helping children expand their sense of capability and responsibility
Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children