As a Montessori teacher — and as a mother — I often remind parents that the first three years of life are the most powerful and formative time in a child’s development.

Everything in a Montessori environment — from the layout of the room to the way the adult speaks with the child — is designed to help children do things by themselves and learn through their own discoveries.

In a Montessori classroom, everything is shared — but not all at once.