Montessori Albums and Guides

Montessori Homeschool Curriculum

Montessori Albums at each plane or sub-plane of development, for purchase by homeschoolers or those who cannot access a full training. Please see our Nugget on Montessori album subject areas for more detailed information on what to look for to meet your particular needs.

Montessori Homeschool Curriculum

Please note: I am only including options for obtaining a complete set of albums at that age for less than $1000 per age level; most options are much less expensive than this benchmark. For our purposes here, we stay with Dr. Maria Montessori's planes of development research - elementary is a 6-year age span.

Albums are the lesson plans and a portion of the Montessori curriculum; this "ultimate" list is geared to homeschool Montessori but most Montessori albums listed are good for small schools even without formal training. The actual Montessori curriculum, defined as a play-by-play, step-by-step process is the child himself. Both school and homeschool Montessori curriculum is focused on the individual child; these guides aid you in understanding the universal child as well as how and when to provide additional keys of exploration.

This page's goal is to be a one-stop guide to homeschool Montessori album resource options - an ultimate guide to Montessori guides if you will ;) If you know of a resource not listed, please post in comments or contact the blog owner. I will get that Montessori album resource added in!

Looking to organize the presentations within the albums? This is our Montessori scope and sequence page with many options in aiding you to organize your unique child's curriculum.

Assistants to Infancy (conception to 3):

Montessori Homeschool Curriculum

Montessori Research and Development

• Price for complete set: $116
• Individual albums available? Yes ($11-26/each)
• Ongoing support/mentoring/? Not clear
• Anything missing: No
• Some materials provided: Available separately
• Note: No pictures (NOTE: Some pictures now, some in color)
• NOTE: Digital albums (cannot be printed) available at The Montessori Parent - prices slightly lower and no shipping cost

My Montessori House

• Price for complete set: $78 (2 albums)
• Individual albums available? Yes - $39 each
• Ongoing support/mentoring? Not clear
• Anything missing: Not clear
• Some materials provided: Available separately

North American Montessori Center

• Price for complete set: $899
• Individual albums available? Yes - $149 each (times 7)
• Ongoing support/mentoring? only for certification program (add $1100)
• Anything missing: seems complete
• Some materials provided: Available separately

Montessori for the Earth

• Price for complete set:  $19.99-22.99 
• Individual albums available? not clear
• Ongoing support/mentoring? Yes?
• Anything missing: No?

Primary (3-6 or 2 1/2-6):

Montessori Homeschool Curriculum

World Wide Montessori - Karen Tyler

• Price for complete set:  $150-300
• Individual albums available? Yes
• Ongoing support/mentoring? Yes
• Certificate of Completion also available. 
• Anything missing: No
• Affiliation: AMS
• NOTES: She has all the albums divided into 12 subject areas. 
• NOTES: Albums also available at Alison's Montessori; cheaper option is directly with Karen and her online support/mentoring.
• Reading/Writing: Pink/Blue/Green Series

Keys of the World - AMI Primary Albums

• Price for complete set: 15% discount for entire set (currently $120)
• Individual albums available? Yes - $20-45 each (downloads; printed is higher)
• Ongoing support/mentoring? Yes (additional fee - $15 each or $60 for all 5 areas)
• Certificate of Completion also available. 
• Anything missing: No
• Affiliation: AMI
• NOTES: Corresponding support/mentoring albums in the works. Videos are also in-process. 
• NOTES: Printed and in binder options available.
• NOTES: These primary homeschool/school albums correspond to Keys of the Universe elementary homeschool/school. Samples here as well as on the front page of the main site. 
• Writing/Reading: developed by Maria Montessori; modified only where needed for English
• Muriel Dwyer summarized this approach in her booklet. 

Montessori Tube Academy

• Price for complete set: not clear ($100 for 6 album bundle; courses are separate)
• Individual albums available? Yes 
• Ongoing support/mentoring? Yes
• Anything missing: Theory, Background and introductory information for each section of the albums provided. Primary (3-6) is missing Exercises of Practical Life. 
• Some materials provided: Available separately
• Writing/Reading: uses the pink/blue/green

Elizabeth Papandrea 

(to contact: put her name together as one word followed by at yahoo dot com)

Her contact information may or may not be up-to-date; if someone has her recent accurate contact info, please share!

• Price for complete set: $60-$100 (ranges during promotions)
• Individual albums available? Yes - contact for pricing
• Ongoing support/mentoring? No
• Anything missing: Not usually (if the list includes theory, sensorial, exercises of practical life, language and mathematics)
• Affiliation: AMI 
• Note: Generally seems to be offered in conjunction with the elementary albums (as a package)
• Note: I am hearing reports that some of the primary contents are "missing" compared to other AMI albums. There are supplementary albums available elsewhere to full in these components.
• Writing/Reading: developed by Maria Montessori; modified only where needed for English

North American Montessori Center (NAMC) - Main Program

• Price for complete set: $849
• Individual albums available? Yes - $149 each (times 6)
• Ongoing support/mentoring? only for certification program (add $1100)
• Anything missing: seems complete
• NOTES: Additional services offered
• Reading/Writing: Pink/Blue/Green Series

North American Montessori Center - Homeschool Program

• Price for complete set: $499
• Individual albums available? No
• Ongoing support/mentoring? Yes
• Anything missing: if the displayed tables of contents are complete, they are leaving out MANY presentations; samples indicate that many of the follow-ups and exensions are not included
• NOTES: Provided materials are limited but useful; utilizes the pink/blue/green series

InfoMontessori

• Price for complete set: Free
• Individual albums available? Yes - free 
• Ongoing support/mentoring? Available via forum
• Anything missing: Missing Theory; random exercises
• NOTES: Appears to be AMI-based; transitions easily into AMI elementary
• Writing/Reading: developed by Maria Montessori; modified only where needed for English

Montessori Teachers Collective (Moteaco) - on the webarchive.org page, select the 2013 and 2014 records. 

Montessori Teachers Collective (Moteaco) - NEW site (UPDATE 7/13/2021 - their site may be compromised! Please use the web archive version until the issue is resolved)

• Price for complete set: Free
• Individual albums available? Yes - just math and culture
• Ongoing support/mentoring? not clear
• Anything missing: ONLY Math and Culture is available for primary level
• NOTES: Culture includes: Geography, History, Biology, Physical Science but may not include all aspects of these subjects
• NOTES 2: Excellent for follow-up resources in these areas

Shu-Chen Jenny Yen

• Price for complete set: Free
• Individual albums available? Yes
• Ongoing support/mentoring? No
• Anything missing: Missing Theory/Administration, Many cultural items
• NOTES:  Language is present, but not complete for the primary level; great for follow-ups or variations

My Montessori House

• Price for complete set: $99
• Individual albums available? Yes - $39/year
• Ongoing support/mentoring? Not clear
• Anything missing: Appears to be missing theory/background
• NOTES: Hard to understand the organization based on Montessori principles

New Child Montessori - owner is deceased; if you can find used guides, they are nice. 

• Price for complete set: $250
• Individual albums available? Yes; $35 each for 4 seasons; $75 for art; other additions available
• Ongoing support/mentoring? Not clear
• Anything missing: This is a nice follow-up/overview/setting the tone for a Montessori home with Montessori-style activities; it is NOT a set of Montessori albums
• NOTES: Excellent for supplementing
• Note: I've received many private comments that this set should not be included on this list since it is not really Montessori. I will maintain its listing for the present, because it can certainly provide for supplementation outside of the "academic Montessori" portion of a homeschooler's day. 

Montessori Research and Development

• Price for complete set: $226.80
• Individual albums available? Yes; $7-32 each 
• Ongoing support/mentoring? No
• Anything missing: Appears complete
• NOTES: May have too many activities that seem like requirements, yet not enough real keys
• Note: No pictures
• Reading/Writing: Pink/Blue/Green Series
• NOTE: Digital albums (cannot be printed) available at The Montessori Parent - prices slightly lower and no shipping cost

Montessori-Book.com

• Price for complete set: $39.90 (e-book) or $75 (printed)
• Individual albums available? Yes ($7.98 or $15)
• Ongoing support/mentoring? Not clear
• Anything missing: Missing presentations within subject areas
• Notes: May be ideal for those living in the western Pacific countries, as shipping is lower than for the US - they seem to be located in that area

Montessori for the Earth

• Price for complete? set:  $19.99-22.99
• Individual available? unclear
• Ongoing support/mentoring? Yes? (unclear)
• Anything missing: seems to have all album titles present; unclear if presentations are complete

Montessori Print Shop (7/13/2021 - the site might be compromised - security may be compromised, but I have visited the site with no issue)

• Price for "complete" set: $66.27
• Individual albums available? Yes - $15.99-21.99 
• Ongoing support/mentoring? no 
• Anything missing: theory album (some theory included in subjects; incomplete); missing science explorations (found in language extensions in other AMI albums)
• Affiliation: Purports to be AMI; sample album pages and TOC indicate items contrary to AMI
• NOTES: Additional services offered

Nienhuis - links are constantly updated. Please browse for their guides.

• I'm listing them as a resource for images and for some of their guides. It should be noted that not everything Nienhuis provides is actually according to the AMI blueprints to which they claim to follow. 
• No on-going support/mentoring is offered. 
• math guide for 3-9
• language guide for 3-9
• history guide for 3-9
• Do a search for "manual" on the Nienhuis website as links change regularly. 

JustMontessori

• Price for "complete" set: $175
• Individual albums available? Some 
• Ongoing support/mentoring? no
• Anything missing: theory album; descriptions of all subjects are present, detailed presentations are missing for most subjects - informative though, with pictures
• Affiliation: non-clear
• NOTES: daily lesson plans provided for cultural-type subjects; other subjects are described but no daily lesson plan; daily lesson plans as these are laid-out do not align with Montessori principles of key presentations and following the interests of the children for follow-ups. This appears to be only one year's worth of experiences. 

Wikisori

• Price for "complete" set: FREE
• Individual albums available? Some 
• Ongoing support/mentoring? no
• Anything missing: theory album; descriptions of activities and experiences are provided by individual users so may be inconsistent. 
• Affiliation: none
• NOTES: This is a good supplementary resource. 
• NOTES: Contains some primary and some elementary level experiences. 

Montessori Album

• Price for "complete" set: FREE
• Individual albums available? Some 
• Ongoing support/mentoring? no
• Anything missing: theory album; descriptions of activities and experiences are provided by individual users so may be inconsistent. 
• Affiliation: none
• NOTES: This is a good supplementary resource. 

Carrots are Orange

• Price for "complete" set: FREE
• Individual albums available? Lesson plans are directly on the blog
• Ongoing support/mentoring? not clear
• Anything missing: this is a good resource; may not contain every presentation
• Affiliation: none
• NOTES: This is a good supplementary resource. 

Montitute

• Price for "complete" set: $890-990
• Individual albums available? Yes; $29 each, no course included (+$50 shipping/order)
• Ongoing support/mentoring? yes
• Anything missing: appears to be complete
• Affiliation: none
• NOTE: This is an online training course.  
• NOTE: They encourage the use of print rather than cursive. 

Lockhart Learning

• Price for "complete" set: not available
• Individual albums available? No; but individual sections of albums/subjects are. Prices range from free to $170
• Ongoing support/mentoring? (not clear but seems so)
• Anything missing: theory, music; but see note below regarding math, geometry, language, geography and biology. 
• Affiliation: none clear
• NOTE: This option includes individual studies within the subject areas. She is adding items monthly; currently portions of mathematics, geometry, language and some geography/biology are available. 

Elementary (6-12):

Montessori Homeschool Curriculum

Keys of the Universe

• Price for complete set: $400
• Individual albums available? Yes $20-45 each as well as videos at GoF(download) or KotU main site; albums available in approximate age-order portions at KotU segments
• Ongoing support/mentoring? Yes; Videos are in-process; added weekly. 
• Certificate of Completion also available for those wanting a course. 
• Anything missing: No
• Affiliation: AMI (therefore ages 6-12)
• NOTES: Printed options in binder available as well. 
• NOTES: Elementary Montessori Art Album also available (astronomy is in-progress); these AMI-style albums (the astronomy and art) are in addition to the core AMI albums.
• These elementary Montessori homeschool/school albums can be used with elementary children new to Montessori; but they do flow from the Keys of the World homeschool/school primary Montessori albums.

Montessori Tube Academy

• Price for complete set: not clear ($100 for 6 album bundle; courses are separate)
• Individual albums available? Yes 
• Ongoing support/mentoring? Yes
• Anything missing: Theory, Background and introductory information for each section of the albums provided. Elementary is missing music, geometry, and math is only 71 pages.  
• Some materials provided: Available separately

Montessori for the Earth

• Price for complete? set or individual (this is unclear) :  $15.99 to 22.99
• Individual available? not clear
• Ongoing support/mentoring? yes
• Anything missing: MISSING all upper elementary; theory/background/administration for all ages
• NOTES: Lisa organizes things quite differently

Montessori Teachers Collective (Moteaco) - on the webarchive.org page, select the 2013 and 2014 records. 

Montessori Teachers Collective (Moteaco) - NEW site (check website security - I recommend using the webarchive)

• Price for complete set: FREE
• Individual albums available? Yes
• Ongoing support/mentoring? Not clear
• Anything missing: MISSING - Geography; portions of language, art/music, upper elementary; theory/background/administration
• Notes: Includes - Mathematics, History, Geometry, Biology, Language, Great Lessons
• Notes: Great for follow-ups

Elizabeth Papandrea 

(to contact: put her name together as one word followed by at yahoo dot com)

• Price for complete set: $80-$100+ (ranges during promotions)
• Individual albums available? Yes - contact for pricing
• Ongoing support/mentoring? No
• Anything missing: Not usually (if the list includes geography, geometry, mathematics, history, language, biology, music and theory)
• Affiliation: AMI (therefore 6-12)

My Montessori House

• Price for complete set: $40
• Individual albums available? This is one album with a variety of areas
• Ongoing support/mentoring? No
• Anything missing: MISSING Great Lessons; grades 2-3 and portions of grade 1, No History, No Biology; other provided subjects are incomplete; NO theory
• Notes: Their set for this level is incomplete, but could be useful for follow-up. "Bankers Game" is a modification of the primary Change Game, NOT the elementary Bank Game. 

Montessori for Everyone

• Price for complete set: unavailable
• Individual albums available? Biology (Zoology and Botany) for 6-9 - $29.99
• Ongoing support/mentoring? Yes
• Anything missing: MISSING upper elementary for this subject
• Notes: This album corresponds with their offered materials and is gorgeous.  

North American Montessori Center - NAMC

• NOTE: They do not meet our price mark for this age group (at over $3000 for albums for the complete elementary range), but individual resources may be useful to you at $149 for individual albums and $32-$75 for components of curriculum support/mentoring. 
• Upper elementary link
• Lower elementary link

Cultivating Dharma - the link is sometimes changed

• Price for complete set: Free
• Individual albums available? Yes
• Ongoing support/mentoring? Not clear
• Anything missing: ONLY provides geometry, mathematics, language (but it is for 6-12); MISSING: Great Lessons, Geography, Biology, Music, Theory
• Notes: Albums are very similar to AMI

Montessori Research and Development - Lower Elementary

Montessori Research and Development - Upper Elementary

• Price for complete set: Roughly $800
• Individual albums available? Yes
• Ongoing support/mentoring? No
• Anything missing: Seems complete (except THEORY)
• Notes: Some albums may seriously overlap with primary
• Note: No pictures (NOTE: some pictures have been added, some in color)
• NOTE: Digital albums (cannot be printed) available at The Montessori Parent - prices slightly lower and no shipping cost

Magellan Montessori  NO LONGER AVAILABLE - please notify us if this becomes available again - used copies may be available

• Price for complete set: Roughly $60 (Kindle or Kindle Apps only)
• Individual albums available? Yes (~$10 each)
• Ongoing support/mentoring? Yes - optional on website
• Anything missing: MUSIC; UPPER ELEMENTARY; (geometry is included in math)
• Notes: ONLY covers lower elementary

Wikisori

• Price for "complete" set: FREE
• Individual albums available? Some 
• Ongoing support/mentoring? no
• Anything missing: theory album; descriptions of activities and experiences are provided by individual users so may be inconsistent. 
• Affiliation: none
• NOTES: This is a good supplementary resource. 
• NOTES: Contains some primary and some elementary level experiences. 

Adolescence (12-15): 

Montessori Homeschool Curriculum

• list of albums is not yet available (if you know of the list of the albums, please tell me in the comments and I'll add them here!)

Cosmic Education - Foundations for use with children just coming into Montessori at an older age.

Montessori Algebra for the Adolescent - and Geometry! 

• Individual Album: $150
• Ongoing support/mentoring? No - training is assumed
• Notes: These appear to be in AMI style; they are illustrated. This is a complete algebra course plus more subjects, for middle school and high school.
• NOTE: This album appears to include geometry as well (the extent of coverage is unknown - they state "an appendix for geometry". It also includes chapter for trigonometry and calculus, though these may be introductory rather than full high school level courses.) 
• REVIEW is posted at Montessori Trails - this album presumes that the elementary AMI albums for mathematics and geometry were completed, but provides areas of overlap if the elementary sequence was not completed or the child did not have elementary Montessori mathematics and geometry (if an elementary child does not complete the final chapter of the AMI elementary math album, this elementary work can be done in their "6th or 7th grade" (middle school) years, phasing into this adolescent algebra album as the child is ready). 
• NOTE: This author, Mike Waski, now has Montessori Geometry for the Adolescent!

Faith Formation:

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

• Online training unavailable
• individuals sell albums
• adaptable to many liturgical-based Christian denominations
• Elizabeth Papandrea offers an Extraordinary Form version of Level 1 at Montessori Candy

Moira Farrell's Catechesis Albums

• first book is CGS-inspired; all are excellent for at-home ideas, inspiration and devotions, but are not Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
• 3-6, 6-9, 9-12

Godly Play

• Montessori-inspired
• can be used by Christian denominations with or without a liturgical calendar emphasis
• materials are available at a couple different places

Young Children and Worship

• Follow-up of Godly Play (see information above)
• books contain the current patterns for Godly Play
• materials are available at a couple different places

Faith and Play

• Godly Play extended into the Quaker faith

So there you have it - the ultimate guide to Montessori albums, guides and homeschool resources. I hoped you enjoyed the thoroughness of this list!

Montessori Homeschool Curriculum

LAST UPDATE: 4/6/2020

Let me know if new Montessori curriculum resources should be added!

Montessori Homeschool Curriculum