What – No Briefcase? Montessori and Paperwork

Edward Fidellow

 

Montessori parents are often bewildered by the lack of paperwork coming home with their child. There’s hardly any! So what does my child do all day? What can he be possibly learning?

 

For most of us our school experience was a blizzard of paper work – spaces to fill in, lines to write, dots to connect. Pages upon pages of busy work that hopefully conveyed to parents that we were learning. Much of it was redundant, boring and the waste of a good tree! But that was the measure for parents that learning was happening.

 

You’ve now entered a new universe when you chose a Montessori program. You didn’t choose Montessori because it resembled your learning experience but because it represented the learning experience you wished you’d been privileged to have. When you visit the environment your eyes feast on amazing materials – colors, shapes, complexities. Is this material really for my three year old or four year old - isosceles triangles, quatrefoils, reniform leaf shapes? Does he really touch it and feel it and use it? But when there is no paper trail coming home, you wonder!

 

Socrates said, “There is nothing in the mind that is not first in the hands.” And it is the touching of these concrete materials that begins the building of the mental processes in your child. Traditional education begins with intellectual development hoping to make the abstract concrete. Montessori education begins with the development and refining of the senses, allowing your child to build this concrete knowledge one step at a time until he is ready and poised to make the great intellectual leap into the abstract. In Montessori education, it is the child’s own developmental timetable that causes this explosion of  or calendar but a continual cultivation and development of the child’s growing intellectual power that is being fed day by day in a manner that allows your child to appropriate and practice the tools and skills that will form his intellectual abilities for a lifetime. 

 

All this time the child is building within himself this intellectual capability. Montessori education is very much like the construction of a jetty. Rock after rock is submerged in the water, seemingly lost beneath the surface but then the day comes when the latest rocks begin to become visible and break the water’s plane. Your child is building a very concrete foundation for all further intellectual development one achievement at a time.

 

These processes and achievements, in many ways, are very private for your child. Your child often doesn’t speak of them – or want to speak of them until after (sometimes long after) they have become operative and well established in your child. It is not that they want to exclude you from their developmental journey but they guard it – not jealously – but protectively, as if speaking about it would jeopardize its development.

 

This is why your best ally in understanding your child’s development and progress is the teacher and not random pieces of paper that wend their way home. The teacher is a good guide to share with you your child’s progress because much of what the teacher does in the classroom is to observe and document this progress. Montessori education is never just a question of teaching or presenting materials but of presenting and teaching at the appropriate time and in the appropriate way. Each child has a different learning style – one size doesn’t fit all. And it is this different learning style of your child that is celebrated and used to your child’s advantage in the learning process.

It is not so much what is put into your child that creates this tremendous Montessori learning explosion but what comes out of your child – out from their personality, their talents, gifts, and temperament. Montessori is about aligning learning with the way your child learns. There may not be another time in his life where the whole world is bent to give him every advantage and opportunity to learn as quickly and as effortlessly as possible.

 

Every day your child is absorbing the whole world around him trying to make sense of it, trying to master the parts he can. And it is in his Montessori classroom that this world is made tangible and accessible. He can’t always tell you when he is going to make the discoveries that will propel him on to new and even more exciting discoveries. (“Did you know that three times two is the same as two times three? The windows are rectangles and so are the tables.”) Instead of being given the answers – which he would be expected to put down on paper – which could go home; he is given the questions and allowed to discover the answers for himself. This joy of discovery is hard to put on paper.

 

There are two ways better than paper to know what your child is learning. Ask his teacher. She has the great joy of daily watching the discoveries light up your child’s eyes, of watching your child work the challenges of learning and the joy that comes to your child from mastery. She is watching the emergence of your child’s personality, watching his character form and his intellect develop. When you are talking with the teacher listen to the excitement of her voice as she relates your child’s progress and read in her eyes the joy she shares in your child’s discoveries and accomplishments. Much better than paperwork.

Second, ask your child. But don’t ask him what he learned today – he may not be able to tell you (and it still may be private but he’ll share with you when he is ready.) Ask him what he sees out of the window. He may just read the street signs to you (which isn’t bad for a three year old.) Ask him about his friends. Ask him about colors or dinosaurs or cars – and then listen. He will tell you all kinds of things. He will use all kinds of words – vocabulary and concepts you didn’t even know he knew. And if you keep listening you’ll learn not only what he learned but you will set a pattern for conversation and discussion that will take you well beyond the teenage years – much more satisfying and important than paperwork.

www.crossmountainpress.com   

 

Advantage of a Five-Day Montessori Program

Advantage of a Five-Day Montessori Program

At the elementary level, both public and private schools run on five-day schedules. Preschools, however, are a different story. Preschools (especially traditional ones) typically offer a choice between two-day, three-day, and five-day programs, so parents can choose the option that best fits their schedule and what they feel their child can handle.

At MCDC we only offer only a five-day schedule for our Primary Program serving children ages 3 to 6. We believe the benefits of a five-day program are immeasurable. Our policies and practices are child-centered. Children learn to love learning by exploring and concentrating on their chosen activities. At our school we offer them the freedom to repeat those activities without interruption until they master them. This supports a child’s natural learning process. Thus, we believe, a five-day program is in the best interest of every young child. For children ages 3 and 4, you may choose between a half-day and a full-day program. Children ages 4.5 and up attend full-day programs.

Here is an Adult Perspective

Imagine you are very excited about beginning a new project today, such as learning to put together a scrapbook, knitting a sweater, or building a new shelf. You assemble the materials and begin. The joy of this process is very fulfilling, and you look forward to continuing tomorrow.  Something comes up, however, and you can’t get back to this labor of love until Wednesday. On Wednesday you assemble your materials, and the thrill of this work returns. You know, though, that tomorrow you will again be unable to return to this work. On Friday your enthusiasm is dampened. You have to assemble your work again, re-trace your steps, and try to remember where you left off Wednesday.  If this frustrating sequence of on-again, off-again continues, you may soon lose interest in the project.

It is more so with children. Starting a new learning activity is easier with consistency. It helps children maintain their enthusiasm and interest if they are allowed to continue. Waiting entire days between stages of activities causes them consternation, just as it does to you.  The process of developing longer and longer attention spans is also thwarted when whole days intervene.

Additionally, there are so many activities in a Montessori classroom that no child can possibly complete them all in the school year. Imagine how much more learning can be opened up for a child who does not have to limit her or his attendance to two or three days a week!

The Montessori program is designed to meet each child’s interest at his or her particular age and developmental level. Missing out on many of these activities simply limits the customized possibilities that a child can enjoy.

Continuing this process children who remain in the Montessori program for the crucial Kindergarten year have the chance to reap the benefits of all the groundwork laid during their first two years in the program. In addition to the academic growth and acquisition of knowledge, the children have the important opportunity to be role models and teachers for their younger classmates, developing early leadership skills and further developing self-confidence. Participating in this program enables children to develop more as independent and capable decision-making individuals.

 

Is Family Mealtime Important?

By Leah Davies, M.Ed.

According to recent surveys, less than half of the families in the United States actually sit down to a meal on a regular basis. Yet, studies report that family meals are strongly related to the development of adolescent mental health and stability. A Harvard Medical School study found that there are nutritional, as well as social, emotional and academic advantages that occur in children when families share meals together.

Why are family mealtimes important?

• A sense of belonging and mutual trust is fostered when adults and children eat together and enjoy each other's company.
• Family meals provide opportunities for adults to model table manners and nutritious food choices.
• Eating together encourages adult-child communication skills such as listening patiently to each other and expressing one's opinion in a respectful manner.
• Mealtimes provide a setting for moral and intellectual discussion where family values are shared.
• Since children thrive on routines, family meals foster a sense of security and stability.
• When children help with meals, they learn skills such as shopping, setting the table, preparing food, serving food, and cleaning up.
• Family meals can foster family traditions and enhance cultural heritages.

What can busy families do to improve their mealtime enjoyment?

1.   KEEP IN MIND THAT IF YOU ARE TOO BUSY TO HAVE FAMILY MEALS, YOU MAY BE TOO BUSY. Plan ahead, think creatively, and make adjustments to fit your family's schedule. For example, you may want to change the time of day you eat together or have a picnic on a blanket before or after a ball game.

2.   HAVE MEALTIMES WITHOUT TELEVISION. If your family usually watches TV during dinner, decrease the habit slowly. Begin with one or two TV-free meals a week and gradually increase the number. Limit other distractions as well.

3.   KEEP FOOD SIMPLE AND VARIED. Elaborate meals are not necessary for quality family time. Serve the same favorite food on a certain day of the week or month. To save time and effort, plan for and use leftovers.

4.   SERVE FAMILY MEMBERS THE SAME FOOD AT THE SAME TIME. Provide a variety of food choices and refrain from forcing children to eat certain foods. If your children are not hungry at mealtime, cut back on snacks between meals.

5.   LIMIT THE TABLE DISCUSSION TO AGREEABLE OR NEUTRAL TOPICS. Focus on the positive by asking questions such as, "Tell something good that happened today." Listen attentively and make sure the speaker feels respected. Mealtime is not the place for criticism or rude behaviors.

6.   INVOLVE THE CHILDREN IN PLANNING, PREPARING, AND SERVING MEALS, THUS BUILDING TEAMWORK AND COOPERATION. Listen to their meal suggestions and try to make eating together fun. Invite them to help create memorable holiday foods and decorations.

7.   TRY PLAYING SOFT MUSIC, LIGHTING CANDLES OR USING FLOWERS TO CREATE A PLEASING ATMOSPHERE. For a special treat, have a family dinner in a quiet restaurant. Limit visits to fast-food establishments.

8.   TEACH BY SHOWING, NOT BY TELLING. When you make pleasant family mealtimes a priority, your child or children will more likely be healthy, well-mannered and well-adjusted.

Used by permission of the author, Leah Davies, and selected from the Kelly Bear website [www.kellybear.com]

 

About Maria Montessori

About Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori was born in 1870 in Chiaravalle, Italy and died in 1952 in Noordwijk, The Netherlands.

She became the first woman medical doctor in Italy, and early in her career, she started working with children in the slums of Rome. Her training as a scientist allowed her to observe children with an eye to recognizing their intrinsic needs. She went on to create educational materials that matched children’s developmental needs.

Maria Montessori was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize in 1949, 1950, and 1951. A scientist, educator, humanitarian, and philosopher, she was also a visionary.

About Montessori Education

In 1907 Montessori opened the first Casa de Bambini (Children’s House) in Rome. In this environment, children were introduced to activities and then allowed to choose to participate or not. Montessori learned from the children which activities were appropriate. Gradually Montessori accumulated a series of materials that are still used in Montessori schools around the world. As well as the materials, her observations led her to theories on how children learn best. Many of her “discoveries” are well-accepted in early childhood education today.

• Respect for the Child: Children are different from adults and each other; each one of us is unique and deserves respect.
• The “Absorbent Mind:” The first six years of life are immensely important in terms of learning. During this period, children have extraordinary abilities to learn almost effortlessly; they “absorb” information from their environment, whatever that environment might be.
• The “Prepared Environment:” Children learn best and become confident individuals in an environment (home or school) where appropriate activities are available, where they can choose their own activities, and where they can progress at their own pace using self-correcting materials. Montessori tells us to “follow the child.”
• Purposeful Work: Through meaningful activities designed so children can succeed, children create themselves. The child, in essence, is asking us to “Help me do it by myself.”
• The Human Potential: Education begins at birth… and never ends. If children’s developmental needs are met, children will be able to maximize their potentials, whatever they may be. Montessori extended this premise to the world as a whole, where fulfilled and well-balanced adults would begin to behave better towards each other, leading eventually to a world at peace.

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