Meet Alia Graves

Hi, I’m Alia Graves!

I’m a Montessori educator, parent educator, and consultant with more than 20 years of experience working with young children, families, teachers, and schools.

My work is grounded in a simple belief: toddlers are far more capable than we often give them credit for. When we thoughtfully prepare their environments, adjust our expectations, and seek to understand what their behavior is communicating, we create opportunities for greater independence, confidence, connection, and success.

I began my career in traditional early childhood education before discovering Montessori—an approach that completely transformed the way I viewed young children and my role as an educator. Today, I am an AMS-credentialed Infant & Toddler Montessori Guide and a certified Positive Discipline Parent and Educator Facilitator.

Alongside my work with toddlers in the classroom, I support parents, educators, and schools through workshops, professional development, consultations, and practical resources.

My approach brings together Montessori philosophy, child development, Positive Discipline, and more than two decades of real-world classroom experience. I am especially passionate about prepared environments, toddler independence, behavior, sensory needs, and purposeful work. I also help adults recognize when changing the environment may be more effective than trying to change the child.

Whether I’m helping a parent create a calmer home, guiding a teacher through challenges in the classroom, or partnering with a school to better support its youngest learners, my goal remains the same: to make life with toddlers feel more understandable, intentional, and connected.