Famous People Who Were Montessori Kids

Since Montessori has been around for awhile, there are plenty of adults around who were in Montessori schools as children. Every so often I’ll meet someone, and when they find out I’m a Montessori teacher, they’ll exclaim, “Oh, I went to a Montessori school when I was little!” Many times it was only for preschool, since Montessori elementary is less common, but they will usually have vivid memories of using the materials. Most people seem to remember the pink tower and the continent maps.

So it comes as no surprise that there are plenty of famous people who attended Montessori schools. Here’s a short list:

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon
Sergey Brin and Larry Page, co-founders of Google
Anne Frank, writer
Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Austrian painter and architect
Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia
Will Wright, designer of The Sims
Katherine Graham, owner-editor of The Washington Post
Sean Combs, famous rapper of Bad Boy Records
Julia Child, first TV chef
Princes William and Harry, British nobility
Helen Hunt, Academy Award-winning actress
George Clooney, Academy Award-winning actor
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, novelist and Nobel Laureate
Joshua Bell, American violinist, owner of Stradivarius violin
Lea Salonga, multi-awarded Filipino-American singer and
Broadway actress

This list used to be posted in the “Montessori method” article at Wikipedia, but it’s been removed. The rationale for removing it was that there was no info given as to how long these people actually attended, where they went to school, etc. I can understand that to a certain extent. But I do think it’s nice for people to see that Montessori isn’t a wild, wacky method of education – plenty of people turn out just fine (and more than moderately successful).

The question is, how much did the Montessori method affect these people? Is it responsible for their subsequent success? Did it influence them to be creative, outside-the-box thinkers? Recently, I came across this article that describes how Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, remembers his Montessori experience:

“[His parents] enrolled Sergey in Paint Branch Montessori School in Adelphi, Maryland. He gravitated toward puzzles, maps and math games that taught multiplication. “I really enjoyed the Montessori method,” he tells [the reporter]. “I could grow at my own pace.” He adds that the Montessori environment—which gives students the freedom to choose activities that suit their interests—helped foster his creativity.”

There you have it – the Montessori method at work. Sure, there were lots of factors in Sergey’s life that contributed to his intellect; his father has a Ph.D in Mathematics, and his mother is a research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. It was in the genes. But Montessori took that natural ability and allowed it to flourish.

If you’re interested, I found another list of famous people who have Montessori connections. I was intrigued that Alice Waters, a famous chef and writer known for her promotion of organic, locally-grown produce, was at one time a Montessori teacher.

I don’t want to get carried away by celebrities; obviously, for every Montessori student who grows up to be famous, there are hundreds more who simply live lives of excellence in whatever field they’ve chosen. But for prospective parents, or reluctant family members, seeing that the “proof is in the pudding” might tip the scales in favor of Montessori.

Posted by Lori Bourne on Saturday, March 31st, 2007 at 9:30 am on the Montessori for Everyone blog http://bit.ly/c7woO0

 

Children; Yesterday and Today

In this article I will attempt to share my observations of children I have worked with over the past 40 years of teaching and how they have changed. I am alarmed at the stages of learning that are not being met. When I was growing up and when I first began teaching, children spent a lot of time in the out of doors. They played in the mud, dug in the garden, collected rocks and bugs, built forts and tree houses, climbed trees and rocks, who needed a climbing structure? When they came to the Montessori classroom they were ripe for learning.

 

Now adults seem to think our children have to have a soft landing wherever they go, and OMG if they get dirty they need to be disinfected. Our children’s lack of outdoor experience has a name: “Nature Deficit Disorder is not a medical condition — it describes our lack of a relationship to the environment. It hurts our children, our families, our communities, and our environment. Luckily, the cure starts in our own backyards.” Read more on “Nature Deficit Disorder”. It is very interesting and I believe it has a lot to do with where our children are today.

 

It was 1974; I was head teacher of a class of 36 children 2.5 – 6 years old. I often thought then, “I would like to work in an orphanage; parents just get in the way”.  It did not take long to realize that parents are the main teachers and have the most influence on their children. When we work together as a team, the children benefit. Montessori is a wonderful environment for children to thrive in and it is dependent on our team effort. We sometimes even accepted children just over 2. “Why?” you say, because they were potty trained and ready developmentally to begin in our program. Actually, the sensitive period for potty training is 18-24 months. As far as potty training goes, please don’t be offended but, when disposable diapers hit the scene parental motivation to help their child learn to use the toilet was lowered. Today we are all moving at such a fast pace that we do not want to take time to do what we can put off until tomorrow. This is not serving our children. When we miss that sensitive period it is much more of a struggle to train the child.

 

In those days, most two and three year olds had already begun expressive language and speaking in 3-4 word sentences. A child is capable of speech if it is expected and role modeled by adults. Expectations are the key. Children are very capable of high levels of learning and parents can naturally expect it. When we talk to children like we talk to adults, they pick up on the nuances of vocabulary and conversational skills. The developmental level attained by a 3 year old today is sometimes a year behind children I taught when I first started teaching. Today, we begin with many children who have not learned to look you in the eye when talking, who speak in stilted baby talk, high pitched singsong voices or point and grunt when they want something. Why is this? My guess is that the speed we move at today and TV have had the greatest effect on the very young. Because adults had to move fast, mentally and physically, to keep up in our society, television became a great tool to keep children quiet and occupied. Unfortunately, this does not meet the developmental need of the young child’s brain. Please watch this video. There is no response needed the program just drones on whether the child speaks to it or not. So language is stunted in a way. Youngsters hear words but do not have to speak back to them.  When children are with an adult the back and forth of conversation is absorbed by the child’s brain, which is like a sponge between 0 and 6 years old. The adult can slow down and/or enunciate speech as they converse with the child. They can also vary the words so their child learns to have more interesting communication skills. Instead of “gimme water” or “wa wa” your child can be expected to say “I am thirsty, may I have a drink, please?” They will not get these skills from TV shows that dumb down language for children.

 

I really believe it is not the quantity of time that you spend with your child, but it is the quality and focused time spent which will benefit your child the most. So turn off the cell phone, computer and TV and spend 30-60 minutes a day, listening and communicating with your child, playing in the mud, building something, cooking, gardening, the possibilities are endless. You can never make up this time later. Remember the song “Cats in a Cradle” , it is so true. Take it to heart. No one else can do what you do for your child. Also, this is not just Mom’s job; both parents need to be involved. Remember it is just a short time each day that will create a lifetime of memories.

By Marijane Schafer, Director of Montessori Child Development Center, Poway

 

A Smile is Contagious

A smile costs nothing, but gives much. J
It enriches those who give it. It takes but a moment,
but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.
 
None is so rich or mighty
that he can get along without it,
and none is so poor
that he cannot be made richer by it.
 
A smile creates happiness in the home,
promotes good will in business,
and is the cornerstone of friendship.:)
 
It can perk up the weary,
bring cheer to the discouraged,
sunshine to the sad,
and is nature's best antidote for trouble.
 
Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen,
for it is something that is of no value to anyone
until it is given away. :)
 
When people are too tired to give you a smile,
give them one of yours.
No one needs a smile so much
as he who has none to give.
 
 
Author Unknown