What Maria Montessori Taught Me About Helping Beginners Invest in the Stock Market—and Trade Options
- Patricia Saylor
- Dec 6, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 7
I designed my stock market course the Montessori way.
While there are no stamp games or multiplication boards to manipulate for math understanding or pink towers to build, I do build something just as powerful with my students: a clear conceptual framework. It helps them see the big picture before they start choosing investing strategies.
That foundation matters more than you think.
From Kindergartners to Investors: Why Frameworks Matter
Montessori training turned my traditional teaching upside down.
When I taught public school kindergarten, the social studies curriculum started with “all about me” and “my community.” That sounds reasonable—until you realize how little context children have at that age.
I once had a kindergartner ask me, in all seriousness:
“What planet did the Mexican children come from?”
Contrast that with my Montessori students, who learned in preschool that “the Earth is made of land and water.” They were introduced to continents and landforms. They could distinguish between a strait and an isthmus. By the time we studied our own town, they already knew where they fit in the world.
One of my third graders, reading The Hundred Dresses, casually noted that Wanda Petronski had crossed the Atlantic Ocean traveling East to West when she came from Poland to the U.S.
That’s the power of building a framework first.
Investing Education Without Foundations = Frustration
Thousands of people online want to sell you an investing strategy. But if you don’t understand the structure underneath that strategy—how the market works, what risk really means, or why prices fluctuate—it’s like giving a continent report to a kid who hasn’t yet seen a globe.
You end up overwhelmed, confused, and discouraged.
How I Teach Investing the Montessori Way
Maria Montessori emphasized precise vocabulary to make big ideas stick.
So I don’t just tell my students to “buy index funds.”I explain what a stock market index is, how it's different from the overall stock market, and what mutual funds and ETFs actually do.
I don’t advise people to “buy the dips.”I teach them why prices go up and down, how to read a stock chart, and how to zoom out to see patterns over days, weeks, months, and years.
The result? My students don’t just do investing—they understand it. And that changes everything.
What About Options Trading?
If you’ve ever tried to understand options trading, you’ve probably run into this problem:You ask a simple question, and the answer you get is packed with jargon. Greeks, strikes, legs, premiums—most people creating options content don’t know how to teach. So they talk over your head instead of helping you build understanding from the ground up.
I take a different approach.
Just like in my classroom days, I don’t assume background knowledge. I define every term, give real examples, and explain how it all fits together. Only after we’ve built a strong foundation do I teach safe strategies—like selling cash-secured puts and covered calls—to help students generate income and manage risk.
If you want hype, I’m not your person.If you want clarity, I’ve got you.
No Foolproof Strategies, Just Smarter Investors
There are no guaranteed ways to get rich in the stock market. But there are plenty of ways to lose your shirt.
That’s why I encourage all beginners to spend 5–6 hours learning the big picture first. It’s not flashy. It won’t go viral. But it will save you money, confusion, and regret down the line.
And it will make you a much better investor.
Want to Learn More?
If you’re a parent, teacher, or someone who’s always appreciated clear explanations, you’ll feel right at home in my investing and options lessons.
I bring the same approach I used in my Montessori classroom to my investing books and YouTube videos, with video content for complete novice investors as well as those who are learning to trade options.
Every guide includes step by step, practical, support with a focus on real understanding.
👉 Reach out to book a 1:1 session in person or over Zoom.
Let’s build a framework for your financial future—together.
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