Saturday, March 1, 2025, 8 AM – 4 PM
The Northern Kentucky Convention Center
1 West River Center Blvd., Covington, KY 41011
Registration Rates & Dates
Early Bird Rate, $140 (January 10th – January 24th)
Regular Rate, $150 (January 24th – February 21st)
Membership School Rate, $130 per person for 5 people
No walk-in registration is available
Professional Development Information
- TRIS-ECE Kentucky Hours are Approved!
- American Montessori Society hours are pending approval
- Ohio OCCRRA* hours are pending approval.
*You must enter your OPIN number when you register AND bring it with you the day of the conference. If you don’t have an account with the Ohio Professional Registry, click here to create one. Please check with your administrator if this is required for you/your school.
PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT CMS TO SEE IF YOU NEED ONE.
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Conference Schedule
8:00 – 9:00 am – Conference Registration & Exhibitors Open
9:00 – 10:30 am – Session A: Keynote Speaker
10:45 – 12:30 pm – Session B Workshops
12:30 – 1:45 pm – Lunch & Shopping
1:45 – 3:30 pm – Session C Workshops
Workshops with * next to the name are pending approval for the State of Ohio hours through OCCRRA.
*Session A – Keynote Speaker: 9:00 -10:30 am
Dr. Laura Saylor
*Intersection of Cognitive Science and Montessori Education: Bridging Research and Practice
Dr. Saylor will share how the principles of cognitive science align with and enhance the practices of Montessori education. This session explores the evidence-based connections between how the brain learns best and Montessori pedagogy. Attendees will delve into key cognitive science concepts, such as working memory, attention, and executive functioning, and learn how Montessori methods naturally support these processes. Through engaging discussion and practical examples, this presentation highlights the synergy between current research and Montessori, offering insights into how this intersection can empower educators and support student success.
Laura Saylor, Dean of the School of Education at Mount St. Joseph University, holds a Ph.D. in Educational Studies from the University of Cincinnati and an M.Ed. from Xavier University. With over 30 years of experience, including teaching and leading a Montessori school, Laura frequently presents at national conferences. Her research focuses on the intersection of cognitive science and Montessori education. She is the co-author of Powerful Literacy in the Montessori Classroom and contributed a chapter to Montessori in Contemporary Culture titled “Research and Observation: Pedagogical Essentials for Building a Better World.”
Session B Workshops: 10:45 am-12:30 pm
1. The Science of Reading
Early Childhood 3-6 years, Lower Elementary 6-9 years, Upper Elementary 9-12 years, Adolescent/High School 12-18 years old, Administration
Dr. Laura Saylor
Teaching pre-literacy skills and reading successfully requires deep knowledge of how children learn to read as well as the strategies that are most impactful when teaching the many skills involved with reading. This session aligns Montessori didactic materials and pedagogy with current research on reading development. Participants will learn how the Montessori method is aligned with the Science of Reading in that they are both scientifically based and contain methods that follow a logical, systematic, and explicit progression of teaching and learning
2. All of the Things:
The Art of Cross-Curricular Team Teaching
Lower Elementary (6-9), Upper Elementary (9-12)
Sarah Weber and Jennifer Robertson
Imagine a classroom with more than 50 learners, each exploring their educational journey through a variety of subject areas and skills. There is a healthy buzz in the room, as students are sprawled around the floor or collaborating at tables. Some students are reading aloud together in a small group with comfy pillows; others are working through a series of geometric nets. An adult is sitting on the floor with a small group in front of a complex timeline. Does anyone know what is going on?
This presentation will navigate attendees through the Art of Cross-Curricular Team Teaching. In our active Upper Elementary environment, the teachers utilize a team-teaching approach in which we teach all subjects, rather than just one, to multiple grade levels, incorporating a holistic approach to Montessori’s Cosmic Curriculum that allows us to get to know each child across all curriculum areas. To successfully guide our current class of 53 students, we are in constant, respectful, and humble communication. We will share our success stories as well as our challenges and how we overcome them to guide each unique learner in our community on their learning journey.
3 Practical Life for the Elementary Classroom -The Backbone to Living the Cosmic Approach through Servant Leadership
Lower Elementary (6-9)
Rosemary Quaranta
Practical Life has four threads that are interwoven to make up what is known as the “foundation of the classroom”: Care of Self, Care of Environment, Grace and Courtesy and Control of Movement.
The weaving together of these threads results in the essential fabric of concentration, organized thought, independence, refinement and control of movement, self-confidence and a lasting sense of community which leads to service of others. To gain a deeper understanding of the purpose of Practical Life in the elementary classroom, one must prepare a classroom that allows for children to form a rich and respectful community as well as see themselves as servants to the entire school community as well as the larger world community.
Montessori’s timeless wisdom of the need for meaningful work being tantamount to the development of the mind is rooted in the real work of life. This work is often not developed in the elementary classroom and often gets pushed to the back burner. If we believe in the foundation of the Cosmic Approach then we need to see this work as essential and one which inspires the students to make a difference in the world.
This workshop will provide an inspirational perspective on the progression of meaningful work and the development of self and community. The Practical Life curriculum is not just chores and this workshop will shift your mindset and awareness to experience ways to combine grace and courtesy as the foundation of your classroom. Through meaningful activities you will see the interwoven threads of Practical Life and how they lay the foundation for the harmonious outcome of the mind and body working as one toward its cosmic task. This deliberate work is truly what Montessori meant by “Peace Education”.
4. Every Contribution Matters: Empowering Montessori EducatorsBeyond the Classroom
Early Childhood (3-6), Lower Elementary (6-9), Upper Elementary (9-12)
Dr. Heather Gerker and Sheba Kapur
Montessori teachers advocate for the rights of the child daily, but how can we extend this advocacy beyond the classroom? Grounded in recent research that amplified the voice of Montessori educators and their experiences with policies, this workshop will explore advocacy as a continuous journey rather than a one-time act. We will discuss what it means to be an advocate, focusing on both individual roles and collective support. Participants will reflect on the skills and experiences they bring to advocating for Montessori education and identify how their contributions, no matter how small, form a crucial part of the larger advocacy narrative. From small gestures to significant actions, each person in the Montessori community plays a unique role in creating a positive impact. Using our strengths with intention, we can embrace advocacy as a lifelong journey.
5. Creating a Classroomwide Executive Function Culture
Lower Elementary (6-9), Upper Elementary (9-12), Adolescent/High School (12-18)
Barbara Hunter
Through an interactive format, participants will explore what gets in the way of academic progress due
to poor executive function management and what can be done to offer support. Students have little
control over the information they are expected to learn, but they do control how they manage learning
and output. Participants will understand how to support growth and development in these areas and
leave with strategies to develop executive function management skills in their students.
6. Arts Integration in the Montessori Classroom
Early Childhood (3-6),Lower Elementary (6-9), Upper Elementary (9-12)
Maria Franzini
The Montessori approach provides a natural integration of all subjects, extending easily into the arts areas! This session will highlight specific arts integrated lessons connecting music, movement, visual art and drama to the core Montessori subjects. Primary children can learn basic musical rhythms by recreating stories featuring animals of the season. Students learning letter formation and spelling may practice small group work by forming words using their bodies. Syllabic rhythm will be discovered through rhythmic word games. Students of all ages benefit from using a work of art as a springboard to discussion, movement and storytelling. Come and learn these arts integration strategies and more! Activities with the Montessori tone bells will also be covered.
7. Educating the Human Potential: Challenges in the 21st Century
Early Childhood (3-6)
Crystal Dahlmeier
“Education should no longer be mostly imparting of knowledge, but must take a new path, seeking the release of human potentialities. ” Maria Montessori, Education for a New World, p. 1
As Montessori guides, we know the impact the Montessori prepared environment can have on children, families, community and ourselves. As we teach, however, we often face obstacles that challenge our commitments and beliefs.
Join us as we revisit the key principles of Montessori programs, and examine them in light of the challenges of the 21st century.
Do modern children still have the same developmental needs that Montessori identified over 100 years ago? Are mandated state standards, licensing regulation, emphasis on testing and cultural expectations requiring compromise or accommodation? What about use of technology (screens) and the lingering impact from COVID?
8.The Role of White Montessorians in the Work of Antiracism
Early Childhood 3-6, Lower Elementary 6-9, Upper Elementary 9-12
Dr. Katie Kitchens and Carley Riley
“Adults must defend children. We adults must see the real humanity in children, the humanity which will take our place one day, if we are to have social progress. Social progress means that the next generation is better than the one before.” (Montessori, 1946, p.140). In this interactive session we will utilize a variety of modalities to explore the role of white Montessorians in the work of antiracism. In addition to emphasizing the spiritual preparation of the adult, we will also explore concrete practices for supporting young white children in developing positive, antiracist racial identities. This session is rooted in Montessori principles of spiritual preparation of the adult, hands-on learning, the Planes of Development as they relate to developmentally accessible practice, and Dr. Montessori’s concept of universal liberation.
Lunch & Shopping: 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm
A box lunch will be served on the Conference Level with plenty of comfortable seating areas to relax, enjoy your meal, and network with Montessori colleagues! A vegetarian option is available, but we are not able to accommodate other dietary needs and allergies. You are welcome to bring your own food to the conference center as well.
Thank you to our Lunch Sponsor:
Exhibitors are open during this time and are looking forward to sharing their beautiful resources with you!
Session C Workshops: 1:45 pm – 3:30 pm
1. Let’s Get Cooking: It’s Not Just Meal Prep
Early Childhood 3-6 years
Kristi Lethenstrom & Ali Finnegan
In this session, we will discuss the importance of not only food prep but also cooking in general!
Learning how to use a knife safely, and to squeeze the juice from an orange can set up the child
for great success. However, those skills can also prepare our students to follow a recipe, cook
food, and make snacks at home. Often children are not afforded the time to cook, and as
Montessorians, it is our responsibility to allow the opportunity to expose our students to those
skills. Come join us and learn unique ideas and recipes you can implement into your classroom
based on themes and topics you are studying. This session is designed to give educators in the
3-6 environment the opportunity and encouragement to feel confident that cooking can be done
at any age in the 3-6 classroom.
We will embark on a discussion of how to incorporate cooking into your Geography studies, how to weave it into science, and how it links into Math and Language as well. This session will be geared toward opening your mind to ideas of cooking in the classroom, what you need to get started, and how cooking with children can solidify a particular lesson you are teaching. In this session, we will dive into ways cooking can enrich the topics you are studying and how allowing students the opportunity for hands-on learning is a key to success in all areas of their education. In Montessori, we have lessons in Practical Life
designed to prepare students for how to use a knife, how to spread butter, how to cut cheese, a banana, and even a pickle but what if we took it one step further and allowed children the opportunity to use all those skills to cook in the classroom. Put on the apron, wash your hands, and join us for a session on how you can do so much more than just meal prep in the classroom! Learn how we incorporate cooking into our classrooms regularly and all you need to be successful.
2. Executive Functioning Skills in the Classroom.
Upper Elementary (9-12)Adolescent/High School (12-18) Jaclyn Schutzbach and Dr. Jennifer Gibson
This presentation will help teachers foster a set of skills students need on an everyday basis–executive functioning (EF) skills. EF is associated with academic and social success (Cantin et al., 2016; Jacobson et al., 2011), and includes skills such as organization, prioritization, planning, and working memory. Children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and autism often struggle with EF (Benallie et al., 2021). The Montessori educational approach naturally helps students to build EF (Diamond & Lee, 2011; Lillard, 2016) and is associated with stronger working memory than other educational approaches (Courtier et al., 2021; Denervaud et al., 2019). Yet, recent research suggests the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted EF in students across an array of educational settings (Korzeniowski, 2023), meaning you could be seeing more EF challenges in your classroom. Our research team has begun implementing a classroom-based EF curriculum called AIMS in upper elementary (ages 9-12) and middle school (ages 12-15) Montessori classrooms. We are adapting skills typically taught in executive functioning interventions to fit the Montessori setting and approach. In this presentation, we will present fundamental information about EF and then provide an interactive component to help teachers discern ways to implement EF strategies in their own classrooms.
3. MUSIC FOR A MONTESSORI ENVIRONMENT:
Songs that Nurture the Self-Directed Child Infant/ Toddler (birth to 36 months), Early Childhood 3-6 years
David Kisor
MUSIC FOR A MONTESSORI ENVIRONMENT: Songs that Nurture the Self-Directed Child: Participants will learn how songs can be used to build Concentration, Independence, Community and Movement in the Montessori environment. Participants will become familiar with appropriate key research findings, listen and move to the songs based on Montessori principles and child development research, and explore ways to use the songs in the classroom and the home.
4. R.A.D.D- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through Authentic Montessori Experiences
Lower Elementary 6-9 years, Upper Elementary 9-12 years,
Adolescent/High School 12-18 years old
Melanie Brown & Katey Dodd
R.A.D.D stands for- Roots in Montessori, Authentic and Age Appropriate, Diverse, and Depth of Knowledge. This RADD presentation shows how providing a modern and authentic Montessori experience creates an environment that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive to all student needs. This presentation will show the ways to stay RADD through an impressionistic lesson tied to the trinomial cube.
5. Engaging Families Through Difficult Conversations
Early Childhood 3-6 years, Parents, Families, Guardians
Angela McDonald
This training explores the concepts of conflict resolution and assists participants in creating strategies to utilize while having potentially difficult conversations with families. This course specifically explores the concept of the Role of the Teacher. As our youngest learners enter school for the first time, families and teachers must work to navigate sensitive topics. This can be challenging for teaching staff to know how to both support students and families in an ever changing and challenging world. Together discussions will be had regarding the role of the family in the classroom, the role of the teacher as an educator and also the importance of bringing up sensitive topics to support whole child growth and development.
6.Reimagining the Role of the Guide
Early Childhood 3-6
Kara Renick
Imagine back to the first day you read or heard the word “Montessori.” Now think about when “montessori” changed from a word to a rotating wheel of inspiration, constantly turning in your brain.
-How did you get from day one of being a Montessorian to now?
It takes good training and GREAT role models to become an inspiring Montessori guide in the classroom.
Now… Let’s reimagine our role as a guide, connecting children to the environment. A great Montessori teacher is not only a guide to the children. Our role extends out farther than guiding the child 0-6. It is more than using the Montessori method for children 0-18! Our role as a Montessori guide is to guide our assistant teachers just as we do the children.
Now go back to your first day in the classroom. The materials are foreign to you and you’re just finding a footing as a teacher. Let’s learn how to create the inspiring Montessori guide you needed to kickstart your journey through the Montessori philosophy.
In this workshop teachers will learn how to inspire other individuals. We will walk through the active role they currently reside in as an early childhood teacher as well as the additional responsibility to mentor their assistant teachers. Attendees will leave my workshop ready to cultivate the next generation of Montessorians. They will walk away not only inspired to begin this new journey but prepared with new concrete tools and documents to succeed in the classroom as a whole: Teacher | Child | Environment | Montessorian in training (assistant guide)
7. Oh! For the Love of Reading!
Lower Elementary (6-9)
Nancy Whitton
This workshop will present a comprehensive, sequential, clear, easy, effective and engaging phonics reading program using hands on activities, suggested workbook pages, level appropriate readers, a sight word component with teacher information and child contracts. Teachers could use the whole program or could use any activity to enhance their preferred reading program. The goal of this workshop is to support teachers in being effective reading teachers – which supports students in learning to read.
8.Empowering Oral Language Development: Engaging All Learners Through Picture Books
Infant Toddler, Early Childhood (3-6)
Kathy Vogt and Kristin Patterson
A solid foundation in oral language is essential for a student’s reading success. Prioritizing the development of oral language skills is crucial. The challenge lies in finding effective ways to enhance these skills for students who face difficulties.
In this workshop, you will discover how to leverage interactive literacy experiences to strengthen oral language abilities. As classroom teachers, we often encounter a diverse range of learners, and this workshop will demonstrate how to utilize picture books to engage advanced students while also creating supportive experiences for struggling learners to develop both oral language and foundational literacy skills. Participants will leave with practical lesson plans ready for classroom implementation, along with a wealth of knowledge on how to adapt their favorite picture books into lessons that cater to both struggling learners and the diverse needs of their students.