Montessori home education with a real teacher behind your child's learning.
A structured, low-screen Montessori programme for New Zealand home-educating families — with personalised mathematics and literacy, individual feedback on submitted work and optional one-to-one teacher support.
For children approximately 5–13 years old.
Planning and active teacher support follow the four New Zealand school terms.
You want the freedom of home education — not the pressure of becoming the curriculum designer, teacher and planner all at once.
Home education gives children flexibility, time and space to learn differently. But it can also leave parents carrying every educational decision alone.
Montessori Kiwi gives you a carefully structured Montessori programme, individual teacher input and professional support where it matters most.
Not just curriculum access. An actual teacher relationship.
Your child isn't simply handed a collection of lessons. There is an experienced Montessori teacher behind the programme who can see their work and respond to their learning.
Personalised core learning
Mathematics and literacy are adjusted to your child's actual level, needs and progress.
A teacher sees their work
Children can submit work through Google Classroom and receive individual teacher comments and feedback.
Individual access when needed
An optional 15–30 minute individual teacher check-in is available when needed, up to once each week during active programme terms.
Built from real experience
Montessori Kiwi combines Montessori teaching, school leadership and firsthand homeschooling experience.
Montessori isn't an add-on. It's the foundation.
Montessori Kiwi is designed and supported by a Montessori-trained teacher rather than simply borrowing a few Montessori ideas.
The programme draws on genuine Montessori practice: independence, developmental readiness, concrete-to-abstract learning, purposeful activity, the Cosmic Curriculum and respect for each child's individual pace.
You don't need to become a Montessori teacher yourself. The professional Montessori knowledge sits behind the programme.
Montessori at home — not school on a screen.
Online support shouldn't mean an online childhood.
Technology is used where it helps: accessing resources, Google Classroom, submitting work, viewing short presentations and communicating with the teacher.
Much of the actual learning happens through books, writing, discussion, Montessori materials, practical activity, research, experiments and the real world.
Your child might spend their day...
- Reading real books
- Writing stories, reports and explanations
- Working with hands-on mathematics
- Conducting science experiments
- Creating maps and timelines
- Cooking, measuring, designing and building
- Researching something that fascinates them
- Learning outdoors and developing practical skills
A planned curriculum, personalised where it matters most.
Families get the security of a carefully structured programme without forcing every child through exactly the same learning path.
Tailored mathematics
Your child's mathematics responds to what they understand now, what needs consolidation and what they are ready to learn next.
Tailored literacy
Reading, spelling and written language can be adjusted to suit the individual child rather than being determined only by age.
Flexible wider curriculum
Science, history, geography, culture and Montessori Cosmic Studies are pre-planned, with meaningful choices and flexible pathways built in.
Strong academics. A much bigger view of education.
Children need strong foundations in literacy and mathematics — and opportunities to understand the extraordinary world around them.
Literacy
Reading, comprehension, spelling, grammar, handwriting, creative writing, factual writing, research and oral language, with individual adjustment where needed.
Mathematics
Number, operations, fractions, decimals, geometry, measurement, patterns and problem-solving, with learning tailored to your child's mathematical development.
Science, history & geography
Montessori's Cosmic Curriculum connects learning through stories, experiments, timelines, research and big questions about the Earth, life and humanity.
Practical life & interests
Cooking, gardening, art, design, technology, physical activity, caring for animals, projects and real-world skills can all become meaningful learning.
Professional support without recreating school at home.
We get to know your child
We begin with their current level, strengths, interests and any areas where they may need additional support or greater challenge.
Maths and literacy are personalised
Core learning responds to your child rather than simply assigning work according to age.
The wider curriculum is ready
Families receive structured learning across science, history, geography, culture and Montessori Cosmic Studies, with flexibility and choice built in.
Your child submits work
Work can be submitted through Google Classroom, where the teacher can review it and provide individual comments and feedback.
Talk when you need to
An optional 15–30 minute individual teacher check-in is available when needed, up to once each week during active programme terms.
Designed around the New Zealand school year
Montessori Kiwi programme planning and active teacher support follow the four New Zealand school terms.
This gives families approximately 10 months of active programme planning, individual feedback and teacher support each year, with natural breaks around the usual New Zealand school holidays.
Home education still gives your family flexibility. You remain free to organise your child's actual learning days and schedule in the way that works best for you.
Real teacher involvement is built in.
Montessori Kiwi is not simply a resource library. Enrolled families have an experienced Montessori teacher behind the programme who can see the child's work, respond to their learning and help determine sensible next steps.
- Individual feedback on submitted work
- Personalised maths and literacy
- Optional 15–30 minute individual teacher check-in
- Guidance when you're unsure what should come next
For children who don't fit neatly into a box.
Montessori Kiwi may suit children who benefit from greater flexibility, individual pacing or a quieter and more responsive approach to education.
- Advanced in particular subjects
- Needing additional time in other areas
- Uneven learning profiles
- Neurodivergent learners
- Children who need movement and flexibility
- Children deeply interested in particular subjects
- Children disengaged from conventional schooling
- Families needing education to fit around real life
You don't need to become a curriculum designer.
Parents remain at the heart of home education, particularly with younger children. But that doesn't mean you need to have every educational answer.
You shouldn't need to spend every evening wondering what maths should come next, whether the writing is at the right level, which science topic to choose or whether something important has been missed.
Montessori Kiwi provides the framework, curriculum and professional Montessori teacher input so you can spend more of your energy supporting your child.
I've been the teacher — and I've been the homeschooling parent.
Lisa Dei Gratia is a Montessori-trained teacher, New Zealand registered teacher, Montessori school founder and parent with firsthand homeschooling experience.
Lisa founded Porirua Montessori Primary School and has also supported and mentored trainee Montessori teachers.
Montessori Kiwi has not been developed only from the perspective of a teacher or school leader.
Lisa has personally homeschooled too.
That means understanding both what good Montessori education looks like professionally and what it feels like when responsibility for your child's education sits at the kitchen table with you.
Built from both sides of home education.
Montessori Kiwi combines professional Montessori knowledge with an understanding of what is realistic for families educating children at home.
Structure without rigidity.
Individualisation without starting from scratch.
Teacher support without turning home into school.
Genuine Montessori without needing to recreate an entire classroom.
Your homeschool. Professional Montessori support behind it.
Montessori Kiwi is a private educational programme and support service rather than a registered New Zealand school.
What this means for your family
Parents or legal guardians remain responsible for their child's home education and for meeting New Zealand's home education requirements.
School-aged children being home educated generally require an exemption from enrolment at a registered school through the Ministry of Education.
Montessori Kiwi provides curriculum, personalised core learning, teacher feedback and professional guidance for families to use as part of their own home education programme.
Personalised Montessori education with real teacher involvement.
You're not simply paying for access to lessons. Your child receives a structured Montessori programme alongside personalised core learning, teacher review of submitted work and access to individual professional support.
Founding family programme fee
Standard programme fee: NZ$2,750 per child per school year.
- Montessori-trained teacher behind the programme
- Pre-planned Montessori curriculum
- Flexible learning pathways and activity choices
- Mathematics tailored to your child's level
- Literacy tailored to your child's level
- Google Classroom for submitting work
- Individual teacher comments and feedback
- Optional 15–30 minute individual teacher check-in when needed, up to once weekly
- Normal teacher response time within 48 hours during active terms
- Planning and support across the four New Zealand school terms
Need help preparing your New Zealand home education application?
If you're new to home education, I can help you prepare a Montessori-style application that clearly explains your proposed learning programme, the areas you intend to cover and how Montessori will form part of your approach.
NZ$69 including GST
This is a separate optional service. You do not need to enrol in the full Montessori Kiwi programme to ask for application support.
Frequently asked questions
Is Montessori Kiwi a school?
No. Montessori Kiwi is a private home education curriculum and educational support service. Parents remain responsible for their child's home education and for meeting New Zealand home education requirements.
Is this genuinely a Montessori programme?
Yes. Montessori Kiwi is developed and supported by a Montessori-trained teacher. Montessori is the educational foundation of the programme rather than simply one influence among several educational approaches.
Does joining Montessori Kiwi give us a home education exemption?
No. Families apply separately to the Ministry of Education for a home education exemption. Montessori Kiwi does not issue exemptions and cannot guarantee that an application will be approved.
Can you help with our home education application?
Yes. Montessori-style application support is available separately for NZ$60 + GST, which is NZ$69 including GST. I can help you structure and describe your proposed Montessori-based home education programme.
Does the programme operate all year?
Active programme planning and teacher support follow the four New Zealand school terms. This provides approximately 10 months of active planning, feedback and support each year.
Is the whole curriculum individually written for my child?
No. The wider Montessori curriculum is carefully pre-planned so families don't need to create a programme from scratch. Mathematics and literacy are individually adjusted according to your child's level and progress.
How does teacher feedback work?
Children can submit work through Google Classroom. The teacher reviews submitted work and can provide individual comments and feedback. During active programme terms, our normal response time is within 48 hours.
Do we get a weekly teacher call?
An optional 15–30 minute individual teacher check-in is available when needed, up to once each week during active programme terms. It is designed for guidance, clarification and reviewing next steps rather than functioning as a compulsory weekly tutoring lesson.
Is this screen-based learning?
No. Technology is used for communication, accessing resources, short presentations and submitting work, but much of the child's actual learning happens through books, writing, research, Montessori materials, experiments, practical activity, projects and everyday life.
Do we need a complete Montessori classroom at home?
No. Montessori Kiwi is designed for real homes. Some specialist Montessori materials can be helpful, but families do not need to recreate an entire Montessori classroom.
Have you personally homeschooled?
Yes. Montessori Kiwi founder Lisa Dei Gratia has firsthand homeschooling experience as well as being a Montessori-trained teacher, New Zealand registered teacher, Montessori school founder and mentor to trainee Montessori teachers.
Why does Montessori Kiwi cost more than an online curriculum subscription?
Montessori Kiwi includes much more than access to curriculum materials. Your child's mathematics and literacy can be personalised, submitted work receives individual teacher feedback, and families have access to optional individual teacher check-ins and ongoing professional guidance.
How much does Montessori Kiwi cost?
The standard programme fee is NZ$2,750 per child per school year. Founding New Zealand families can currently join for NZ$2,400 per child for their programme year. This covers approximately 10 months of active planning, feedback and teacher support across the four New Zealand school terms.
Home educate with freedom — but with an experienced Montessori teacher behind you.
Get a structured Montessori curriculum, personalised core learning and genuine teacher involvement without having to recreate school at home or work everything out yourself.
Email: montessorikiwi@gmail.com