Welcome to The Heart of the Guide
A growing collection of practical wisdom, guidance, and compassionate encouragement for parents and educators.
When my first granddaughter was born, I found myself wanting to gather everything I had spent a lifetime learning into something I could pass on to her parents.
After more than three decades as a Montessori educator, teacher trainer, child development specialist, and literacy expert, I had accumulated not only knowledge and research, but also the kind of practical wisdom that comes from working alongside thousands of children and families.
I wanted to create the resources I wish every new parent had—grounded in child development, informed by research, and shaped by years of experience.
That simple desire became The Heart of the Guide.
Today, it is a growing library of Guides, courses, and writings created to help parents and educators understand children more deeply and guide them with clarity, confidence, and compassion.
Welcome!
~Anita Marie
What You
Will Find
The Heart of the Guide is a growing collection of thoughtful resources designed to help parents better understand their children and themselves.
Here you'll find practical Guides, research-informed writings, and gentle encouragement rooted in child development, Montessori principles, and decades of experience working alongside children and families.
The Heart of the Guide currently centers on two areas of practice. I invite you to explore them below and discover the resources that speak to where you are today.
New Here?
Begin by downloading my complimentary guide.
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Featured Conversation
Montessori Explained: How to Raise Independent, Confident Kids
In this conversation on the Rethink Time podcast, I share the heart of the Montessori philosophy and why the adult is the environment.
The conversation doesn't end here. Continue the journey in The Heart of the Guide Journal on Substack, where I share essays, reflections, and practical wisdom to support you as you grow alongside your child.