Multilingual Montessori

Claudia Lundahl is an AMI Montessori toddler guide, postpartum doula, and freelance artist living in London, England. One of Claudia’s first teaching experiences after college was teaching English in France through TAPIF, which stands for Teaching Assistant Program in France, where she taught English to French middle schoolers in a town along the Swiss border near Geneva. Claudia then discovered Montessori, and we talk about her experiences as a toddler guide, including what developmental work happens in a Montessori toddler classroom and what it’s like to be an early childhood educator and not be a parent. Claudia also shares her experiences as a postpartum doula and why she finds that work aligns very well with Montessori principles. She also  shares about her experience starting an English-immersion Montessori homeschool class in London with a French family during the first summer of the pandemic. Claudia is a font of knowledge about toddlers and Montessori, and I think you’ll learn a lot from her, whether or not you have a toddler in your life! Follow Claudia: Instagram Follow Multilingual Montessori: Website Instagram Consultations Patreon

Romali Rosales Chavarría is a Montessori educator, researcher, and mom of two bilingual sons. Romali is from Mexico and lives in Glasgow, Scotland with her family. In the spring of 2021, she published an article in the Journal of Montessori Research called “Second Language Corner for Children’s House: A Practitioner–Researcher Journey Into Bilingualism in Montessori Education” in which she shared her experiences implementing an English language program in a Montessori Children’s House classroom in Mexico. In our conversation, Romali shares her thoughts about implementing bilingual programs in Montessori, as well as the process of researching and writing her article, and where the fields of multilingualism and Montessori are headed next. Link to Romali's paper: https://journals.ku.edu/jmr/article/view/13401/13910 Follow Multilingual Montessori: Website Instagram Consultations Patreon

Beth Allison is a mom, educator, and entrepreneur who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Beth is Navajo and grew up on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, but she is not fluent in the Navajo language. When her son, who is now 2 and a half, was born, Beth decided to learn Navajo along with him. She quickly found that there weren’t as many teaching resources for an indigenous language like Navajo as there are for world languages like Spanish and Mandarin. So she began creating and sharing resources and videos for other parents teaching their children Navajo as well, which she now shares on her website The Allison Exchange. In our conversation, Beth talks about what it was like to grow up hearing Navajo spoken around her but not speaking it herself, and why she made the decision to raise her son speaking Navajo. She shares a history of the Navajo language and why it means so much to her as a Navajo woman and mother to keep the Navajo language and culture alive and pass it down to the next generation. Follow Beth: Website Instagram YouTube Follow Multilingual Montessori: Website Instagram Consultations Patreon

Andrea Imhof is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Oregon. Her research focuses on understanding language development in the early years and how it is impacted by high-stress factors. Before she went into research, Andrea worked as an elementary school teacher and advisor in low-income neighborhoods of New York City. Andrea shares her advice from her dual perspective as a former teacher and a current researcher about how we can support language development in the early years. Andrea is also raising a bilingual son: her husband Lars grew up speaking Swedish at home, so they are planning to raise their six-month-old son Axel with Swedish as well. We also chat about the similarities between Montessori and the Reggio-Emilia daycare that her son attends, and why we both love the idea of forest preschools. More about Andrea Imhof TED Talk about "Serve and Return" (Molly Wright: How Every Child Can Thrive By Five) Follow Multilingual Montessori: Website Instagram Consultations Patreon

This episode is all about food! Tina Laboy and Rachel Coleman are the co-hosts of Mom Genes the Podcast. Tina is a Registered Dietician and certified personal trainer who lives in Austin Texas, and Rachel is a Marriage and Family Therapist and a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist who lives in Southern California. Together on their podcast, they take listeners on a journey of unpacking their old beliefs about food and weight to increase their confidence and raise body confident kids. I was curious to find out what advice Tina and Rachel could share about what language that can use - and what language we should avoid - when talking to children about food and about their bodies. I think this is a topic that a lot of parents and teachers struggle to approach in any language, and I knew they would have some great advice. Plus, Tina and Rachel are both moms (Rachel is a mom of three and Tina is a mom of one, with another due at the end of January) and Tina’s son goes to a Spanish-immersion preschool, so we also chatted about what that experience has been like for her family. Follow Mom Genes: Website Instagram Follow Multilingual Montessori: Website Instagram Consultations Patreon

Welcome to this bonus episode of the Multilingual Montessori Podcast! Since starting this podcast in September, I’ve interviewed ten incredible Montessorians, mothers and child development experts, from all across the United States and the world, who so generously shared their knowledge and wisdom about raising and educating multilingual children from a Montessori perspective. At the end of each episode, I invited each guest to share some advice that they had for listeners. I decided to compile all that advice into one episode that I hope you will find as inspirational and informative as I did! Follow Multilingual Montessori: Website Instagram Consultations Patreon

Renee Chen is a mom of two girls, who moved with her husband and children from Shanghai, China to Austin, Texas five years ago. In this conversation, Renee shares the joys and challenges of raising bilingual children, and of being bilingual herself, in a country where she isn't a native speaker. She talks about her experience starting a Mandarin-language class for her daughters' friends, and how she helps her daughters maintain their Mandarin fluency as they grow older. We also discuss differences and similarities between Montessori in China and in the United States! Follow Multilingual Montessori: Website Instagram Consultations Patreon

In this episode, I speak with Ayanna Lewis, a librarian, a Montessorian, and a lifelong learner. Ayanna went to Montessori school as a child from ages 3 to 11, and today she is a Children's House guide in Denver, Colorado. Ayanna and I met during our Montessori teacher training at the Maria Montessori Institute in London. In addition to her AMI Diploma, Ayanna also has two masters degrees: one in reading, writing and literature, and one in library sciences. Before she became a Montessori guide, she worked as a school librarian for fourteen years! In this conversation, Ayanna and I chat about her path to becoming a Montessori guide and how she uses her training in both literacy and library sciences in her Children's House classroom. We talk about how her love of books began and how she got started working in education. She also shares her best tips for supporting children’s literacy and fostering a love of reading at home. Mentioned in the episode: International Children's Digital Library The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle Elephant and Piggie Books by Mo Willems Don't Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems Knufflebunny by Mo Willems Goin' Someplace Special by Patricia C. McKissack Follow Multilingual Montessori: Website Instagram Consultations Patreon

Sonia Cagle, an American mother raising her kids in Sweden, shares her adventure of adapting to a new culture. She discusses the joys and challenges of teaching her children Swedish while comparing American and Swedish education systems. Sonia highlights the importance of outdoor play in Sweden, the surprising parenting practices she values, and how they align with Montessori principles. Her insights into family-friendly policies and community support evoke a desire to embrace a Swedish lifestyle, making listeners consider a move to this welcoming country!

Jessica Whinery, a Montessorian and entrepreneur from Austin, shares her inspiring journey of starting a Montessori school during the pandemic. She discusses traveling through Asia with her family and how cultural experiences shaped their education. Jessica emphasizes the importance of biculturalism and how she introduces Indian traditions to her daughter. Additionally, she highlights the significance of sex-positive parenting and effective communication about bodies and consent with children. Her insights blend education, culture, and parenting beautifully.