Registration

Saturday, February 28, 2026, 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 9th – January 23th)

Regular Rate, $150 (January 24th – February 23rd)

Membership School Rate, $130 per person for 5 people

No walk-in registration is available

Professional Development Information

• Certain workshops have received approval from the OCCRRA. These workshops are indicated with an asterisk (*).
• ECE TRIS Kentucky hours are pending approval

*You must bring your OPIN number 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.

BECOME AN EVENT SPONSOR!

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 approved for the Ohio Approved hours through OCCRRA.

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THANK YOU TO OUR CONFERNCE SPONSOR:

Session A – Keynote Speaker: 9:00 -10:30 am

During this keynote session, we will sing and discuss songs that relate to the foundational tenants of the Montessori classroom, relating each song to a quote from Maria Montessori. We will also explore the principles of Balance, Direction, and Connection as they relate to song writing and teaching. Throughout the session we will gather ideas for an original song, write the original song together, and finally sing and record the original song at the end of the workshop.

David Kisor is a composer, performer, musical director and teacher, and received his Master’s Degree in music composition from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music.

David is a nationally recognized musician, composer, and educator whose work beautifully integrates music, connection, and child development—a perfect harmony with Montessori philosophy. David will guide us through how music can nurture social-emotional growth, ignite joy in the classroom, and support learners from the earliest years through adolescence.

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Session B Workshops: 10:45 am-12:30 pm

I want to invite 0-3 Montessori guides, supporting educators, family child care educators, and families to talk about the importance of Grace and Courtesy for infants and toddlers, what grace and courtesy are, and their relation with current research, and how we can offer it to the young children in our environments. While working with this age group for almost 10 years in a Montessori setting, I have gathered information and practical knowledge on how we can model and present Grace and Courtesy lessons to learners from the first sub-plane of development, and I am eager to know how other adults are guiding young children during their social-emotional development.

Positive Psychology informs us that we all have a set of character strengths that, when practiced in our daily lives, become the basis for health and happiness. Many of these character strengths emerge in early childhood. Participants will review the basic concepts of Positive Psychology, learn how to recognize emerging character strengths in young children, and explore the use of songs and related activities to enhance this positive development.

Regardless of your specific role in a child’s life, your presence is part of their prepared environment. The way you move, breathe, speak, and engage guides how they move, breathe, speak, and engage. Only when we know how to pause and be present in our own bodies, are we able to lead with intention and grace. In this Wellness Workshop, you will receive the guidance necessary to practice mindful movement and breathwork in your own body; even when you don’t have time. After experiencing this in your body, you will be given the tools and resources to share this practice with the children you serve.

Explore the art of bookmaking as a powerful tool to enhance multiple literacies across the curriculum. Handmade books become vessels for ideas and feelings — welcoming emerging, reluctant, and avid readers, writers, and artists alike. In this hand z-on workshop, you’ll discover how bookmaking can support personal expression, document learning, and foster creativity in every area of the classroom. Together, we will create multi-page books from a single sheet of paper, as well as bound books using slits, stitches, and sticks. You will leave with a collection of handmade books, practical techniques, and curriculum ideas designed to inspire literacy, deepen learning, and spark joy for teachers and students.

In this presentation we will learn how to use the Treasure Chest to model happiness journaling for the students. By using a visual representation of a treasure chest, the students will be encouraged to reflect every day on the good in their lives. The Treasure Chest is a way of introducing happiness journaling to Upper Elementary and Middle School Students. Gratitude practice is added to the Middle School level as students mature and look outward more. Happiness journaling has been shown to improve the happiness and quality of life of people long after they finish the practice. It helps to make our students more aware of the positive elements of their lives and provides a type of protection to their emotional well-being as they begin to navigate the changes of adolescence.
It is taught twice a year as an important part of our Peace education curriculum and helps build the children’s ability for emotional self-regulation

In this presentation we will learn how to use the Treasure Chest to model happiness journaling for the students. By using a visual representation of a treasure chest, the students will be encouraged to reflect every day on the good in their lives. The Treasure Chest is a way of introducing happiness journaling to Upper Elementary and Middle School Students. Gratitude practice is added to the Middle School level as students mature and look outward more. Happiness journaling has been shown to improve the happiness and quality of life of people long after they finish the practice. It helps to make our students more aware of the positive elements of their lives and provides a type of protection to their emotional well-being as they begin to navigate the changes of adolescence.
It is taught twice a year as an important part of our Peace education curriculum and helps build the children’s ability for emotional self-regulation.

How can we balance the Montessori philosophy of independence with the need for explicit instruction in writing? In this session, we’ll explore how to help children become confident, joyful writers while honoring their natural curiosity and independence. You’ll discover how the science of reading supports writing development and how phonological awareness connects to early writing skills. Together, we’ll dive into phonics-based writing instruction, setting and tracking individual writing goals, and using Montessori materials to support those goals in meaningful ways. You’ll also learn how to create authentic writing opportunities that connect to the real world and inspire purposeful communication. Join me as we explore how to nurture strong, capable writers in a way that aligns beautifully with Montessori principles and sets every child up for success.

Project learning within a Montessori community fosters self-direction, research, and holistic thinking. Science projects provide opportunities for children to explore their interests, ask questions, and conduct research. By engaging in hands-on experiments and observations, students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, science projects encourage family collaboration and communication as children work to design experiments, analyze data, and present their findings.

Our process at Parker Woods Montessori involves structured guidance and modeling. Within four months before our Science Saturday event, we explore, research, and document with structured organizers and outlines. Through modeling and hands-on activities, we empower students to take ownership of their projects and become independent learners.

The goals of my presentation are to encourage teachers to take time to fully prepare students with tools and guidelines. I will have pictures which represent our science showcase. I will provide the following for participants: folder of graphic organizers, websites, rubrics, parent communication and a framework for lesson planning. Just as we develop the “prepared environment” we also must prepare the tools and resources so that students are set up for success.

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Thank You to Our Lunch Sponsor

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.

Exhibitors are open during this time and are looking forward to sharing their beautiful resources with you!

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Session C Workshops: 1:45 pm – 3:30 pm

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is foundational to a child’s success in the Montessori environment, where independence, collaboration, and respect are central values. This interactive workshop explores how songs can nurture social and emotional growth in early childhood. Participants will examine the CASEL framework and discuss how musical experiences can support children in developing self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social responsibility. Through singing, movement, and reflection, we will learn songs that promote self-control, following directions, cooperation, and kindness.

Aligned with Montessori principles, this session emphasizes experiential, child-centered learning and supports the development of the whole child—mind, body, and spirit. Songs provide multisensory, joyful entry points for grace and courtesy lessons and create shared experiences that strengthen classroom community. Educators will leave with practical tools and musical strategies they can immediately integrate into their classrooms to help children accept themselves, appreciate others, and engage with the world with confidence and compassion.

“We must be careful to bear in mind the double path which is always followed. There is an unconscious activity that prepares speech, succeeded by a conscious process which slowly awakens, and takes from the unconscious what it can offer.” (Absorbent Mind)

The Sensorial materials provide numerous direct and indirect preparations for language. Many are quite obvious, such as preparing the hand for writing. Others are more subtle and indirect, such as the way the 3 period lesson prepares for comprehension.

In this workshop we will explore listening, speaking, writing and reading as they are enriched and supported by sensorial and language materials and extensions. This workshop will also incorporate science of reading research on which reading comprehension is built and relate those to the Montessori materials and curriculum.

Preparing snacks in the toddler community is daunting! Say goodbye to graham crackers and goldfish, let’s practice how we can set up and make daily snacks that are prepared by the children. From spreading to cutting to cooking on the griddle, we’ll make egg sandwiches and cinnamon toast! Let’s make snack truly an integral part of our work cycle, not just a something else on our schedule to get through.

Struggling to fit in all the cultural subjects? This workshop shows how the Montessori spiral curriculum and “going wide” approach—offering keys to science, history, and geography—can empower student-driven work across levels. Participants will explore practical strategies to introduce broad concepts efficiently, minimize assigned projects, and create space for collaborative, child-led exploration. Leave with tools to streamline planning and ignite curiosity across the cultural curriculum.

This interactive workshop invites teachers to rediscover the intent and practice of Simple Gymnastics through hands-on exploration of movement and music. Participants will experience original Montessori collective activities, learn how these support regulation and normalization, and explore ways to integrate them authentically within their daily schedule. Connections will be made to contemporary neuroscience on co-regulation and rhythm, affirming Montessori’s foresight in linking movement, order, and peace.
Grounded in Montessori’s principles of purposeful movement and education for peace, this session offers teachers practical rituals to close the work cycle with dignity and grace. Attendees will leave with concrete ideas and renewed understanding that normalization is not only individual concentration but shared balance and rhythm within the community.

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.

This workshop presents a complete, Montessori-aligned approach to music education that supports the child’s development of language, sensory refinement, and creative expression. Attendees will experience hands-on lessons with the Montessori bells, three-part cards for music theory, and a composition sequence designed to help children move from concrete sound exploration to written music expression. Rooted in Montessori’s understanding of music as a sensorial foundation for language (specifically sound recognition) this presentation highlights how rhythm, tone, and pattern recognition directly support phonemic awareness, literacy readiness, and emotional development.

Through interactive demonstrations and collaborative composition activities, participants will learn how to implement a joyful and accessible music curriculum that meets children where they are developmentally. This session supports high-fidelity implementation by modeling the isolation of difficulty, use of precise language, and individualized pacing. Educators will leave with concrete materials, adaptable lesson plans, and the confidence to make music an integrated part of their classroom—regardless of their own musical background.

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)

This hands-on workshop will guide participants through the process of designing and constructing a tapestry table for the early childhood classroom. Together we will explore the developmental purpose of sewing work, including refinement of hand strength, bilateral coordination, concentration, and preparation for writing.

Attendees will leave with:
A fully constructed tapestry table ready for classroom use
Tips for scaffolding the work for different ages and abilities
Inspiration for extensions and variations

No prior woodworking or crafting experience required. Come ready to roll up your sleeves and build a beautiful material your children will use with joy and focus.

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No Refund Policy

We know that plans can change, and we truly wish we could accommodate every situation. As a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization, conference expenses such as venue, meals, materials, and speaker commitments are committed well in advance. For this reason, all conference registrations are non-refundable.

While we are unable to offer refunds or credits for any reason, we are happy to allow registration transfers at no additional cost. If you are unable to attend, you may transfer your registration to another person by contacting us at confernceinfo@cincinnatimontessorisoicety.org by February 27th with the new attendee’s name and contact information.

If the conference is canceled by the organizers, registrants will be notified with information regarding next steps.