"What is the greatest sign of success for a teacher transformed? It is to be able to say, 'The children are now working as if I did not exist.'" ~Maria Montessori
I'm the director of a small Montessori preschool and kindergarten. I've been blessed with a caring and supportive family, as well as a career that has always been my passion.
I have three beautiful girls who never cease to amaze me.
I'd love for this blog to help clear up some of the many misconceptions about Montessori education.
After reading my post about the typical Montessori day, one reader emailed me asking if the students truly find interest in these academic activities at such a young age. In a future post, I plan to write a bit about Sensitive Periods. To give you a synopsis, Montessori believed that children go through periods of extreme interest in certain topics. For instance, a three-year-old might experience a sensitive period for order, a four-year-old for language, and a five-year-old for social connectedness. Currently, G is in the heart of her sensitive period for language and g is in a senstivie period for opening and closing- typically to lids on washed containers. She'll spend 20 minutes working with one container and repeat the process again and again.
I explained to the reader that some children show extreme interest in Mathematics and will choose lessons like the Hundred Board daily. I perused my school pictures and found a child enjoying the Hundred Board. Placing the small tiles on the board is called the "Point of Interest" in the lesson. Each Montessori "work" has a Point of Interest that captures the child's attention, whether it's a clinging sound, a shiny bowl, or a tiny object. This particular three-year-old truly enjoys small objects and sequences of numbers, therefore the Hundred Board is just right for him. I'm looking forward to giving him the extension lessons on this work- placing the odd or even tiles and placing the tiles in a spiral.
Maybe he's also experiencing a Sensitive Period for hoods? :)
Every day I thank God for the gift of my life's work. I am one of the lucky few who figured out what I wanted to do "when I grew up" immediately out of college. Thomas Moore writes about this gift in his book, A Life at Work: The Joy of Discovering What You Were Born to Do. This is a great book to read if you are at a crossroads and trying to figure out what you want to do next.
My family knows that I live and breathe Montessori education, on the brink of obsessiveness, simply because I believe the philosphy could change our world. No, I do not claim to hold the power of world peace. I do, however, believe that God has given me this knowledge and this passion for knowledge to give to the children. Most people realize the obvious benefits of a Montessori education in terms of academic preparedness. But what many people don't see is the formation of character, the moral development, and the inner sense of peace and calm that is passed on to the children. I've seen many high quality preschool programs, but I've never seen one that actually has a peace curriculum. Maria Montessori spent many years in India where she created her early childhood peace curriculum. In 1932, Montessori addressed the International Bureau of Education in Geneva with a piece entitled A Remedy for War: Peace and Education. I was able to get my hands on a copy of it, translated into English, which I will add to the school's lending library for parents. The American Montessori Society has published a video about her thoughts on peace and education. When time allows, please take a few minutes to watch this short video about the fundamentals of her peace curriculum:
In today's busy households, many of us are neglecting to give our children proper exposure to character development. I made a frightening discovery at the beach this week. My oldest daughter made a new friend each day that we were there. Innocently enough, they built sandcastles, turned themselves into mermaids, and jumped over the little waves in the ocean. I enjoyed watching them and listening to their four-year-old conversations. Soon after, I started to cringe while watching and listening to the interactions.
One little girl was making conversation with G near the shore. She soon started to pick up on the fact that G has a relatively high level of anxiety. This little girl started to list things in the ocean that could potentially hurt her. I watched G's reaction to these statements and noticed that she simply started to walk away and play closer to our blanket. The girl followed her and started talking about how her friend's mother passed away and how sad that would be if it happened to G. She continued to change subjects ranging from loud thunderstorms to scary rides at the boardwalk. I eventually did intervene and I asked the child if there was anything positive she would like to talk about. She immediately realized that I had picked up on her game and lost interest. Fortunately, G started playing with her sister and by the end had ignored her completely.
On day two, G was playing with a ladybug that continued to land on her finger all morning. She named the ladybug "Pretty" and was overjoyed when the bug landed on g's little nose. After a while, she started to play with a little girl who was sitting next to us. G told this little girl all about Pretty. Shortly after, Pretty landed on G's towel. They had fun watching the insect crawl up and down G's arm. Seemingly out of the blue, the little girl proceeded to snatch the bug away from G and run to the ocean. My daughter started screaming for her to "please let it go back to it's family" as she chased the girl down the beach. The little girl laughed as she plunged the ladybug into the sea. Tears started streaming down my daughter's face, as she walked back to the blanket. The little girl pranced back to G, asking if she wanted to play something else now. This time, she simply uttered the words "no thanks".
Unfortunately, instances like this occurred in four out of the five "friendships" she made while at the beach. Each time, the other child's parents were watching and none of them took the opportunity to instill moral or ethical values into their children. I'm astonished and deeply concerned about the state of the world when these children are running it. Let's continue to look for meaninful connections with our children, and let's give them meaningful connections with society. We have the power to raise caring citizens of this world. Here is an exerpt from Montessori's Peace and Education:
"If a person were to grow up with a healthy soul, enjoying the full development of a strong character and a clear intellect, they could not endure to uphold two kinds of justice- the one protecting life and the other destroying it. Nor would they consent to cultivate in their heart both love and hate. Neither could they tolerate two disciplines- the one aimed at building, and the other at tearing down what has been built. Better humans than we are would use their intellects and their attainments of civilization to end the fury of war. War would not be a problem for them at all. They would simply see it as a barbarous state, opposed to civilization- an absurd and incomprehensible phenomenon, as expendable and defeatable as the plague."
We just returned from our annual trip to the shore. We had a fantastic time mostly thanks to my sister-in-law. Before our trip she told us to pack some baby powder, she said it helps to remove sand from baby's skin. Ok, sure, we thought. We'll pack it, but we know we probably won't use it.
You know when the baby is crying, hot, and miserable? She wants a nap but is just too uncomfortable with little grains of sand chafing every chubby fold. We gave it a shot and would you believe it, the sand is instantly removed from the baby's skin. Baby powder saved our vacation and provided us with a two-hour respite every afternoon. Seriously, try it.
Montessori teachers incorporate labyrinths into the curriculum for many reasons. Children can walk the labyrinth to calm themselves down, to resolve conflicts, or even to grieve the loss of a pet or loved one. Adults who walk a labyrinth say it is possible to lose the sense of space and time and be fully present in the moment. Ancient labyrinths have been found dating back to 18,000 BC in Egypt, Peru, India, Scandinavia and the British Isles.
I incorporate this philosophy into the classroom by using this hand held Cretan labyrinth from Montessori Services. I've recommended this activity to parents to put in a quiet part of the house. When the child starts acting up or needs some redirection, some quiet time with the labyrinth usually does the trick.
Many of you know that I'm looking to expand the school within the next couple of years. Wouldn't this outdoor labyrinth be an amazing addition to the new environment? I envision a small stool for children to take their shoes off and maybe a brush to wipe their feet after they've completed the walk. I love the child in the back raking the sand, almost like a Japanese Rock Garden. This teacher did a fantastic job creating this work of art herself with found materials.
You can incorporate a labyrinth into your home environment by using rocks as shown above, or with chalk in a driveway. Making labyrinths in the snow is fun or try it at night with candles!
In one of my Child Development classes, we discussed personality traits and temperaments in children. This topic is fascinating to me now that I have a second child who is the polar opposite of my first. I remember reading about some children who are "slow to warm up" and others who are more "spirited". I happen to have one of each. So, in other words, I have a shy kid and a wild kid. :)
When it comes to downtime around the house, my shy child requires every ounce of my attention. Whereas, my wild one wants nothing to do with me. She only comes to me in order to fill a basic need like eating or sleeping. I literally have to remind myself to go sit with her or read to her. On the other hand, I feel like I give my shy child way too much one-on-one attention.
I did some research about how much time is appropriate for parent playtime. Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with my kids. But how much time should one mom spend trying on crowns or "cooking" for the animals at the circus? The consensus seems to be that approximately three 20 minute sessions a day is adequate. This doesn't seem like much to me, but the research said that the MAJORITY of families spend only minutes with their children each day on a one-to-one basis. Yikes! On the other hand, researchers stated that children who spent too much time playing with adults were severely dependent and had trouble playing with children their own age.
How much time do you spend on the floor playing with your kids? What do you think about the 3 20-minute sessions idea? Do you feel we should gauge the length of active parent playtime to the child's personality type? I'd love to hear your feedback...
This is a great article about parenting kids who are "slow to warm up".
I wrote this article years ago in response to the question, "What does my child do in school all day?". Emma, a fictional second-year student, gives a description of a typical morning in a Montessori school.
I start off my school day in the car with Mommy. She tells me she loves me and helps me out of my car. I walk into school and put down my things. I unzip my coat and hang it up. I like to check my backpack to see if I have any mail for my teacher. Next, I'm ready to greet my teacher. I walk into the classroom where my teacher gives me a big smile. I give her a handshake and then I think about my work. I decide to work in the Math area (my favorite area). I know that I need a mat for my work. On my way to the mats, I stop to say hello to my friends Andrew and Sarah. I tell them about my weekend and then I decide it's time to get work out. I unroll my mat carefully on the floor, making sure it's not on anyone else's mat. Choosing work is easy in the Math area because I have had so many lessons. The work that interests me the most is the Bank Game. I see that someone else is using it right now to create the Decimal Layout, so I will have to wait until it is available.
After scanning the shelves, I decide on the Hundred Board. I realize that this work is quite a commitment, because it will take most of the morning. Fortunately, I can put my nametag on the work if it is not completed today. I carefully roll my mat and put it away, because I like to use the Hundred Board at a table. I choose the table with the little lamp because I think it is beautiful. I lay out the work on the table and open the box labeled "1-20". I take out the small, white tiles and place them on the table. I find the time with a number "1". I place this tile in the upper left hand corner. If I ever need help placing the tiles in the proper order, I can just use the control chart. Much time passes and I realize that I am very hungry. I stand up, push in my chair, and place my nametag on my work. This way, the teacher and the other children know I am going to return to it soon.
At the snack table, I notice two of my friends enjoying carrots. One more seat is available, so I start assembling my snack. First, I get a plate and then look at the snack number for the day. The number is "3" today, so I take three carrots with the tongs. I carry my plate and a napkin to my place and return for a drink. Carefully, I pour the water into my cup. I learned how to use tongs and pour in the practical life area last year! I join my firends at the snack table and we chat quietly.
On my way back to the Math area, I notice there are beautiful maple leaves on a tray. I approach the teacher in the practical area and explain to her that I would like a chance to try that work after my Hundred Board. She smiles and gives me a brief lesson on the leaf rubbing. I write my name on a piece of paper and try the work. When I finish, my rubbing looks just like the maple leaf! I clean up the tray and return it to the shelf. Proudly, I carry my leaf rubbing to my cubby. I can't wait to show it to Mommy and Daddy later!
I sit back down to work for several minutes. Soon, I hear a soft bell. I know this sound means it is time to clean up and join my friends on the line. This is such a long work, so I leave my nametag there for tomorrow. I join my friends while we sing some songs. After singing, the teacher explains that she has a new lesson for the group. She shows us how to walk on the line "heel to toe". If we want to try, we raise our hands and we get a chance. I feel brave today, so I raise my hand. I realize it's not as easy as it looks! The teacher says that another day we can try this lesson holding a flag.
Now it's time to go outside. The teacher whispers my name to get my coat. After putting on my coat, I notice that one of the younger children is having trouble zipping his coat. I walk over to him and ask if he needs help. It makes me feel good when I can help other kids. We walk outside in a line...what a beautiful day! I decide to go to the slide with my friends. After many turns, I'm ready for a break. I decide to sit on a bench and listen to the birds. Soon, I see my friends lining up.
Once my name is called, I know it means Mommy is here! I gather my things, making sure my leaf rubbing is safe in my backpack. I say goodbye to my teacher and shake her hand. I know I'll see her again tomorrow. Mommy is smiling at me as she asks, "Did you have a fun day?". She has no idea how hard I worked today! But I guess I did have fun too, didn't I?
(...or "learnt" for those of you speaking British English)
I had just finished putting g down for her morning nap, when G asked if we could do some activities downstairs. I immediately agreed, quickly formulating a mental list of lessons that I've been waiting to present to her. Once we got to the classroom, I asked her if there was anything in particular that she wanted to work with. She got out a magnetic fish puzzle that I put out for the younger children at the beginning of the year. After working with it for a while, she asked me how to write the word "crab". I got out the moveable alphabet and showed her how to make the blend "cr" and then asked her what letters would complete the word. She completed the word, and then asked for help spelling some more. We worked like this together for a while, but deep in my Montessori brain I was thinking, "I should've asked her to clean up the fish puzzle first, it looks like a mess over there, it might be distracting to her, blah blah blah."
Well, don't you know it, she looked over at the fish puzzle and started fishing again. This time, however, she fished for the crab and placed it on the mat next to the word "crab" that we had previously spelled. She started spelling "fish" and then asked me for help with the "sh" sound. She picked up the fishing pole again and started picking up all of the fish from the puzzle and placing them under the word "fish". This continued through the words "seahorse", "octopus" and "jellyfish".
What a beautiful lesson she created out of her own interests. Her lesson included language, sorting, and zoology! Imagine if I had interrupted her thought process (as many well-intentioned parents and teachers do) to ask her to pick up the puzzle. Of course, instilling a sense of order is one of the foundations of the Montessori philosophy. However, this has been ingrained in her head since birth- she knew to pick up all of the work after her attention wained. Why didn't I trust my parenting skills? Why didn't I trust my child?
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