Growing Home
Joyful Children. Harmonious Communities. Peaceful World.
WORKSHOP: Growing Your Home to Include Nature (Free Recording)
Here is a 1 hour workshop I gave for caregivers in the Montessori Thrive network. It is designed to inspire and motivate caregivers to share nature with the children in their lives.
Maria Montessori described the sensorial experience of the 1st plane as essential to the child’s development, and where better to learn about the world, than to experience it directly. As it turns out the natural environment isn’t only beneficial for children of the 1st plane, but children of all ages including adolescents and adults. It is where we gain balance, learn self-regulation, practice patience, develop our creativity, connect with others, and find peace. It is essential to human well-being, yet it is often difficult to navigate bringing children into nature. In this interactive workshop we will cover some more about the essential benefits nature provides, discuss challenges caregivers encounter when taking children outside, relieve fears about being out in nature, and of course provide a few suggestions and many resources for how to incorporate nature into your homes and everyday lives as caregivers.
What is Growing Home?
A World of Possibilities for Educating the Whole Child
Vision
At Growing Home we believe that cultivating joyful children through a whole child approach to education leads to harmonious communities and a more peaceful world.
Mission
It is our mission to guide and support caregivers, down a path that fosters a love of learning in children of all ages, by offering strategies and resources anchored in principles from nature and place-based learning, Montessori philosophy, and positive discipline.
Is Growing Home right for you?
Our Approach
At Growing Home we design our content based on what children really need. Infants to adolescents, we offer sound strategies that help you, the caregivers, cultivate an environment where children can thrive.
Whether you participate in Growing Home workshops, nature adventures, trainings, consultations or regular coaching sessions for your family, you will feel better about the relationship you have with the children you care for, they will find more joy in their learning and their life, and together you will find the respect and balance needed to create harmony. Let’s start growing home together.
Strategies We Teach at Growing Home Help You To:
Observe children in your care, to better understand their development and interests
Discover the meaning behind “Follow the Child” in order to best meet their educational needs
Explore and exercise mutual respect between adults and children
Connect with nature to foster a sense of place in the world
Embrace the power of outdoor and pretend play
Provide opportunities for responsibility and challenge
Design spaces that work with your child’s natural tendencies
Set and communicate clear and effective behavior expectations
Use your child’s natural rhythm to create a daily routine
Encourage curiosity and creativity through all areas of learning
Support self-sufficiency skills
Become a learning partner with children
Our Services
Joyful Children. Harmonious Communities. Peaceful World.
Nature Adventures
These outdoor nature programs provide opportunities for children and adolescents to experience the joy of connecting with nature on the individual level, with their caregivers, and/or in small groups of peers. Part science class and part playgroup, we use all of our senses to observe, explore, adventure, and inquire.
Workshops
Both in-person and online workshops are designed for caregivers to expand their knowledge about a specific topic. Small groups of adults will come together in a supportive environment to ask questions, raise concerns, and share their own experiences.
Here is a free caregiver workshop I gave for Thrive Montessori. The workshop: Growing Your Home To Include More Nature, provides inspiration and motivation to get yourself and children outside and tackles some of the fears and challenges that prevent families from getting out.
Personalized Coaching and Consultations
This service is directly tailored to the needs of the individual caregiver and their children. We start with a family survey to assess what you need and make a plan together. You can choose a one-time consultation about a single topic or purchase a monthly subscription to receive continued support. In-home, video, and phone call sessions are available.
Homeschool Portfolio Evaluations
Are you a home educator looking for a trusted approach to evaluation? With experience in public, private and homeschool education I am well versed in child development. When evaluating portfolios I take a whole-child approach to education so you are encouraged to present any work that shows the growth of your child throughout the year. My services range from the most basic review and sign off, to a more custom in-depth examination that includes feedback. Reach out to learn more or book your evaluation today.
Custom Programs
It seems like Growing Home could have skills that your population needs, but you don't see a program that is an exact fit? Reach out today to have a custom program built for your organization, business, or group. Examples of programs previously created include: science teacher professional development, citizen science programs for children, counselor training, and Girl Scout badge programs.
The Story of Growing Home
Sarah Sallade, M.S., M.Ed.
founder, parent, explorer, scientist, educator
If you had asked me two years ago if I was looking forward to leaving a teaching job at a Montessori school and being a stay at home mom and a home school parent, I might have attempted to give it a positive spin, but deep inside I never thought I would embrace it. Now, I can firmly say I find joy in it. I love how I have so much more time to connect with my children, how we have slowed down our pace of life, and how we focus on what is important to us and not everyone else. Not that every day is easy, far from it. It has been a lot of trial and error, careful observation, great failures and small successes. However, I have sought out others who are on this journey and found support I didn’t even know was out there.
When the pandemic hit and I saw so many others all of a sudden in the position I had been in and I found myself reflecting on my experiences (both successes and challenges). I wondered, can my journey benefit families during a time of such great stress where pressure to provide home education has increased and outdoor only play dates are the norm? This question led me to develop Growing Home, LLC.
