Your Lower Elementary Child
“No child can be free
unless he is independent.”
Maria Montessori
Welcome to Child of the Redwoods, Where Parents are Empowered Educators
Your elementary child thinks they’re all grown up one minute, but then in the next they are crawling into your lap and snuggling up like a kitten. At this age, you are probably seeing some budding deeper awareness of the world emerging. Often, this manifests as an interest in stories or media with strong themes of good versus evil. Other times, it is our elementary children who are leading the way with advice on how to be respectful. The next minute, they turn around and make gross noises and laugh hysterically about it!
Homeschooling a 1st to 3rd grader isn’t easy, but you’re committed: this child is ready for some serious academic learning, and when their interest is caught, they have the capacity for an enormous amount of random information retention. At times, you shake your head in wonder: how did they know that? If you’ve been looking for ways to nurture your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grader’s intellectual, physical, and emotional growth, we are here to show you how to make the magic happen.
You and your child will be partners in learning. You’ll embrace the teachable moments in everyday life, and you’ll learn how to be a better teacher by following your child and relying on time-tested, highly effective lessons.
""I loved all of the videos explaining the different materials, and I loved the live coaching sessions! Aubrey has this amazing way of reading our stressed brains about homeschooling things and finding a way to put us all at ease and put everything back into perspective."
Gloria
Our Unique Approach
We believe that not only is it possible for parents to be effective educators — they already are.
Homeschoolers know their own children best. Yet a successful homeschool experience for parents of young children requires two elements: a solid foundation and a day-to-day practice built around high-quality curriculum and parent support. That’s why we built all our foundation and practice programs around the 3 Cs - Curriculum, Community, and Coaching.
Montessori lessons and activities covering all core subject areas
Private community for guidance, motivation, and accountability
Live group coaching plus video demonstrations and lectures
Children also deserve a method of instruction that nurtures the whole child and delivers the absolute best that early childhood education can offer. The Montessori method is progressive and time-tested. It has always been and continues to be our North Star.
"The community gives me a fixed point in the month where I can collect my thoughts and look back at where we've been and where we're going."
Gwen
A Solid Foundations
Our Foundations of Lower Elementary program teaches the Montessori method so that you know what, when, and how to teach each subject.
In our Foundations of Lower Elementary program (included in both the Complete Curriculum and Unlimited plans), you’ll learn how elementary children understand their world and tips for teaching executive functioning skills like goal-setting and growth-mindset, plus Montessori teaching techniques for every subject. You’ll get lessons, yes, but – more importantly – you’ll get the big picture.
Primary provides you with complete support through the 3 Cs — Curriculum, Community, and Coaching. That means you’ll receive lesson guides for the entire curriculum, access to our private online community, and live group coaching events.
And, coming in Fall 2024, you’ll also get step-by-step guides for every Lower Elementary lesson and a complete set of our Lower Elementary Planning Cards.
Here are just a few of the things you’ll learn how to do for your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grader:
Lesson plan and document progress
Teach the Five Great Lessons plus the Laws of the Universe
Teach your child to read, write, study words, and analyze sentences
Teach your child the basic operations, plus long multiplication and division
When you complete Lower Elementary, you’ll understand how to fully implement the Montessori method on any budget (materials optional but not required!), and you’ll walk away with fun and engaging, sequenced lessons to give your child. You’ll know why they are important and which ones to focus on for your child’s skill level.
""It's such an incredible value for the price! It was like having Aubrey sitting right there with me, patiently taking me through each step."
Naomi
Your Daily Practice: Monthly Themes
Our vibrant Constellation program combines coaching, community, and monthly themed lessons and activities to keep you inspired and motivated.
Knowing what to teach and how to teach is a great foundation for your homeschool, but you can also save time with quality printable materials and lessons fully scripted and ready to go. Even if you use a nature-centric, relaxed approach to homeschooling, without a regular influx of inspiration, it can be hard to maintain your teaching rhythm.
This is where our Constellation program truly shines. Each month, you’ll get a new theme pack filled with lessons, printables, reading and art recommendations, and more. And it’s already included in both the Complete Curriculum and Unlimited plans!
Because we emphasize a spiraling curriculum approach, each month touches on a wide array of subjects, including the sciences, reading and writing, math, practical life, and sensorial.
How can we aspire to write a thematic unit for such a broad age range? Simple: this program is designed to grow with your child. All of our themed activities are rich, authentically Montessori, aligned with the foundation program, and come with guidance on how to give the lesson to children of different ages.
"The monthly themes are so diverse and interesting. And I love that the activities within each theme are just as diverse, in that they span a breadth of meaning."
Libby
Each Thematic Activities packet includes:
A recommended book list
Art, poetry, and music selections
A monthly pacing guide
Themed projects and lessons
And because we created Constellation for budget conscious homeschoolers, we include as many print-at-home items as possible within the packet, including parts cards, lab sheets, and visual recipes. When a lesson does call for special materials, we emphasize common household objects.
"I have been so inspired by the Constellation themes, love attending the live coaching sessions, and love being able to ask and answer support questions. I would definitely recommend Child of the Redwoods to anyone wanting to homeschool."
Caitlin
The Opportunity Is Here
You may never have thought of it this way, but the research confirms: you are already your child’s most influential educator. You’re teaching them all the time. The more you understand about how learning works, the more you can provide an intentional, enriching experience for your child.
After all, learning doesn’t start and stop according to a school clock. It’s organic and ongoing. Once a child grips a concept, they won’t let go.
"I loved learning about the teaching concepts and materials in bite-sized chunks that fit into a busy-mama schedule. Yes, yes, and more yes! Definitely recommended."
Libby
We are here to help you know what to do — how to effectively guide, give lessons, introduce and review concepts. We want you to feel confident and qualified. We’re here to make all easier — especially for those of you who are new to homeschooling.
Because it’s not just your child who should be finding the joy in learning… we want it for you, too.