61. What if my child asks me to switch languages?

Welcome back to the Multilingual Montessori Podcast! We're returning in 2026 with new episodes and a new co-host, and we'll be here every month to answer your questions about raising and teaching multilingual children from a Montessori perspective.You can learn more about Gabrielle on ⁠Episode 20: How Multilingual Montessori Came to Be⁠.You can learn more about Jenna on Episode 46: Jenna Clark Embrey, Dramaturg at Lincoln Center Theater.Have a question you'd like us to answer on the podcast? Submit it here!Follow Multilingual Montessori:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Consultations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Courses and Workshops

In this episode, I interview a former teaching team about their time working in a bilingual Montessori classroom together in Oaxaca, Mexico! Charlotte Peck is a 3-6 Montessori educator and certified Positive Discipline Parent & Early Childhood Educator. Charlotte has over 13 years of experience working in non-profit youth organizations, public and private education, and Dual Language Montessori programs in the U.S. and Mexico.  Guadalupe Tinoco, or Lupita, is a 3-6 Montessori educator living in Oaxaca, Mexico. Lupita has worked in Education for almost 20 years and now runs a own Montessori program in Oaxaca called Ambiente Montessori with a dear friend. Charlotte and Lupita met when they were the English and Spanish teachers, respectively, in a bilingual Montessori 3-6 classroom in Oaxaca, Mexico. During our conversation, they shared the structure of their bilingual classroom, what worked and what they needed to adjust as they went along, and what their co-teaching experiences were like. Charlotte also shares what life outside the classroom was like for her as an American living in Mexico, and Lupita shares what it has been like to start her own Montessori program. Follow Charlotte on Instagram: @montessoricharlotte Follow Ambiente Montessori on Instagram: @montessori.ambiente Follow Multilingual Montessori:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Consultations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠

Today’s conversation is the third in a series of check-ins with my good friend and new bilingual mom, Samantha. We previously checked in when Samantha’s daughter was 12 months and 15 months.  If you missed our first two conversations, you can go back and hear them (they are episode 50 and episode 56). We recorded this update back in the spring, when Samantha’s daughter was 18 months old, right after her family returned from a trip to Italy to visit her partner’s family. I hope you enjoy this 18-month check in with Samantha! Follow Multilingual Montessori:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Consultations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mariana Bissonnette (she/her) is an internationally recognized speaker, author, AMI 0-6 trained Montessorian and AMI 3-6 Trainer-in-Training working with parents, teachers, trainees, and school leaders in implementing Montessori on either side of the classroom doors. She is also the founder of The PEACE Program (Parent Education and Child Empowerment) where she supports families, Montessori educators, and Montessori schools. Mariana’s work centers on the depth of the Montessori method in service of the child’s liberation from oppressive systems that constrain their ability to develop as they are trying to. Our conversation today focuses on language development, particularly in the first 18 months of a child’s life. Mariana talks about the three trimesters of language development, which I found endlessly fascinating. She also shares her own experiences learning multiple languages and raising Montessori children with her husband, who is also a Montessori educator. We also talk about her book, Babies Build Toddlers, and how we can best support children in the early years. Follow Mariana: ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ Facebook YouTube Follow Multilingual Montessori:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Consultations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Podcast⁠⁠⁠

Nichole Holtvluwer is a mom and Montessorian with over two decades of experience working with young children. Nichole currently lives and works as a Montessori Toddler Guide at Hala Kahiki Montessori School on the island of Lāna’i, part of the Hawaiian archipelago, with her husband and their 3yo daughter and 7yo dog. You may know Nichole as Radicle Beginnings on Instagram, where she shares lots of information and inspiration about supporting babies and toddlers using Montessori principles. Nichole is a hopeful enthusiast who believes when young children are respected and understood by the adults who surround them, they have the power to change the course of our world.  We recorded this conversation back in February, and we covered topics including toddlers, multilingualism, and moving halfway around the world for Montessori.  Episode 19: Siri Panday, Director of Education for Toddler and Primary at Marin Montessori School NPR Codeswitch Podcast: Saving a Language You're Learning to Speak Follow Nichole: ⁠Website⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ Follow Multilingual Montessori:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Consultations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Podcast⁠⁠⁠

Today’s episode is the second in a series of check-ins with my good friend and new bilingual mom, Samantha! In our first conversation, I introduced you to Samantha and her one-year-old daughter, who is learning both English and Italian at home. We talked about the joys and challenges Samantha was experiencing with her daughter’s bilingualism, and what her daughter’s language use was like as she turned one year old. So if you didn’t get a chance to listen to that first episode, I encourage you to go back and listen to that one first! That was episode number 50, from November 1st, 2023. Today’s episode is our next check-in, for 15 months old! Since our last check-in, Samantha and her family traveled to Italy to spend time with her in-laws, and her daughter got to experience Italian culture, food, and language in Italy for the first time. I hope you enjoy this 15-month check in with Samantha! Follow Multilingual Montessori:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Consultations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠

My guests for this episode are Simone Davies and Junnifa Uzodike, the authors of the upcoming book, The Montessori Child. They are both accomplished Montessorians and authors, and just generally lovely people. We had a great conversation about their work and their upcoming book, and I know you’re going to enjoy it. Simone Davies is the author of “The Montessori Toddler” and co-author of “The Montessori Baby” and “The Montessori Child” books, comprehensive guides to raising children in a Montessori way. Simone is an AMI Montessori educator based in Amsterdam. She also has a popular blog, instagram and podcast “The Montessori Notebook” and is mother to two young adults. Simone currently runs parent-child Montessori classes in Amsterdam at her school Jacaranda Tree Montessori. Junnifa Uzodike is an AMI 0–12 trained teacher, a wife, and mother to four children, all raised with Montessori principles from in-utero. Junnifa is the founder and head of school of Fruitful Orchard Montessori school in Abuja, Nigeria, serving children from 15 months to 12 years old. She is the co-author of The Montessori Baby and The Montessori Child books, and sits on the board of Association Montessori Internationale. Their new book, The Montessori Child, comes out on March 5th, 2024, and is now available for pre-order. And if you pre-order it, you can get access to digital bonuses through the publisher that include a collection of poetry and songs curated by Simone and Junnifa, illustrated clothing labels for drawers, an observation sheet for when difficult situations arise, and more. And if you would like to win a copy of the book, be sure to take my podcast listener survey! As I enter a new year of podcasting, I would love to learn more about you, the listener, and what you'd like to hear from the podcast - even if this is the first time you’re listening! To thank you for taking the podcast listener survey, you'll be entered to win your choice of e-book from guests on the Multilingual Montessori podcast, including The Montessori Child by Simone and Junnifa. Show notes for Episode 55 Podcast Listener Survey

Alexandra Torres Guerrero is the Interim Principal at Latin American Montessori Bilingual Public Charter School in Washington DC, where students learn in both English and Spanish.  Alex was born in Bogotá, Colombia and has lived in the DC area since 2007. She is AMI-trained at the 0-3 and 3-6 levels, and is currently doing her AMI Administrators Certificate training. She has worked at LAMB for the past 12 years and recently became the school’s interim principal. LAMB is a really unique school because it is a public Montessori charter school, and so I was excited to have the chance to chat with Alex about the dual language structure of the school, how they serve the student and parent community, and the joys and challenges that come with joining the Montessori method with the public and charter schools frameworks.  Take the Podcast Listener Survey (and be entered to win one of three e-books written by past and future podcast guests!) Show notes for Episode 54⁠ Follow Multilingual Montessori:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Consultations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Podcast⁠⁠⁠

Trisha Moquino is a member of the Cochiti, Kewa, and Ohkay Ohwingeh Tribal Nations. She is the Co-Founder, Education Director and Elementary Keres Speaking Guide at Keres Children's Learning Center, an Indigenous Language Immersion Montessori school in Cochiti Pueblo, NM. Trisha also helps in the continued development of KCLC’s Indigenous Montessori Institute, an anti-racist teacher training grounded in our Philosophy of Indigenous Education.  In this conversation, Trisha shares what it’s like to be a part of a heritage language immersion school and why language revitalization efforts are so important for the Cochiti Pueblo community and other Indigenous communities. She also shares why she felt that Montessori was the best pedagogical fit for the language revitalization efforts of the Keres Children’s Learning Center, and why it was important to create a training center for Montessori guides that is grounded in anti-racism and an Indigenous philosophy of education.  ⁠Show notes for Episode 53 Follow Multilingual Montessori:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Consultations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Podcast⁠⁠⁠

Zil Jaeger (they/them) is a Montessori educator, consultant and coach, with a passion for literacy and a commitment to anti-bias, antiracist education. They are Montessori trained at the 3-6 and 6-12 levels, with multiple literacy certifications. They believe that classrooms should be spaces of joy, critical engagement, and community-minded learning. An advocate for literacy learning, Zil is devoted to translating research into effective classroom strategies. They love supporting teachers, caregivers, and schools to empower children in their learning. In this conversation, Zil shares insights into the sciences of reading, and how we can support literacy learning in Montessori environments according to the latest research. They also share their memories of going to Montessori school as a child, and their experience being the parent of a child attending a public Spanish-language immersion elementary school in Portland, Oregon! Zil is offering listeners of the Multilingual Montessori Podcast a 15% discount on their shop with code LITERACY. Show notes for Episode 52 Follow Zil: Website Instagram Follow Multilingual Montessori:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Consultations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Podcast⁠⁠⁠