Montessori Education: Sensory Processing Disorder Part 1 of 4

This is the first of a four-part series. We hope that it will be of value to our Montessori community of readers.

One day, when my son was two years old, he suddenly announced that he didn’t eat meat anymore. “I’ll eat it again when I’m a man.” My husband and I were pretty shocked, but thought it was just a phase he was going through and pretty much laughed it off. After all, we weren’t vegetarians and toddlers explore and exert their independence through the things they can control, like choosing which foods to eat. As a Montessori mom, I decided to follow my child, and to carefully observe as he made this choice.

Almost overnight, his once wide range of tastes became very narrow. He cut off most food with the exception of foods with sharp, pungent tastes (extra sharp cheddar and parmesan cheese, natural peanut butter, and ketchup) and crunchy textures (bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, grapes, romaine lettuce hearts). We thought he was experiencing the “picky eater” stage and would soon outgrow it and become the grazing omnivore once more. Twelve years later, I am surprised to say that not much has changed.

Another thing happened about this time. I started noticing when we went to the park, he always begged to go on the swing, but then immediately wanted off. As he grew older, he preferred swinging by lying on his tummy; he never wanted to sit upright. He became fearful of unknown staircases and escalators, refusing to go on them unless he was held. Learning to roller skate and ride a bike were difficult, too. As much as he wanted to be like the other children, he just couldn’t do it. He complained about being ‘tired’ and wanting to be carried on short outings. Again, I wasn’t worried – I stayed true to the philosophy of Montessori and followed my child. After all, he knew better than I what his needs were and there were so many other, more important issues.

It wasn’t until the summer of fourth grade when an acquaintance started telling me about her work as an occupational therapist did I begin to question what was shaping my son’s world. She asked if I had ever had heard of Sensory Integration Dysfunction (now referred to as Sensory Processing Disorder). I had to admit that I had not. She gave me a copy of Carol Kranowitz’s book, The Out of Sync Child. What I read described my child to a “T”.

Children who React Differently

As Montessori teachers and parents, we have the opportunity to interact with many different children. Each child is unique, with their own individual personalities and ‘quirks’. However, some seem a bit more ‘quirky’ than others. There is the child who:

• refuses to wear socks no matter what weather because they make her feel ‘trapped’
• covers his ears as if in pain at the slightest noise (vacuum, telephone, airplane overhead)
• wears her clothes inside out because the seams are so rough and irritating to her skin
• must lay his head down all the time
• is ‘too tired’ to walk by himself
• can’t stand to be held, hugged, or touched, or conversely, needs to be held and touched all the time
• must always have something to chew on, even after outgrowing the “oral” stage of development
• gets carsick 5 minutes after leaving the house
• is repulsed by rough/sticky/wet/soft clammy sensations
• gags on food of different textures/temperatures/tastes
• has a sense of smell that is far more developed than anyone else around
• doesn’t realize he’s been hurt or is bleeding
• spins for hours without ever getting dizzy
• is extremely sensitive to light and prefers playing in semi-dark to dark rooms.

Dr. A. Jean Ayres, PhD, was the first person to describe her theory of sensory integration dysfunction, now known as Sensory Processing Disorder. SPD is difficult to diagnose because many of the markers coexist with other disorders, including ADHD, autism, aspergers, fragile X, and several others. Through subsequent Montessori blogs, we will discuss the signs of SPD and how the Montessori environment is suited for children experiencing SPD.

Resources

• http://www.out-of-sync-child.com/default.htm
• http://www.siglobalnetwork.org/about.htm

Related NAMC blogs:

• Montessori Education: Sensory Processing Disorder Part 2 of 4
• Montessori Education: Sensorial Activities for Sensory Integration – Part 3 of 4
• Montessori Education: Practical Life Activities for Sensory Integration – Part 4 of 4

For further information on Classroom Management see NAMC's Classroom Guides.

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/index.htm

Montessori Musings: Development Needed Before Reading

Children must master the language of things before they master the language of words. —Friedrich Froebel, Pedagogics of the Kindergarten, 1895.

Holding to the basic tenets of the Montessori philosophy, theory and method can be a challenge in a world that is growing exponentially in the arena of technological innovation. There is constant pressure to educate young children in ways that are removed from their natural tendencies, and that are contrary to the Montessori way. One example of this is in the area of early reading programs.

Learning to read is not a race, though some popular media and some contemporary early childhood programs would lead us to believe otherwise. Parents who are driven to give their child an edge in a world of information are pushed to expose their child to the rudiments of reading before the child is developmentally ready. Children who are not developmentally ready to read will only be frustrated when pushed too fast, too soon. Learning to read becomes a distasteful process. Montessori , on the other hand, focuses primarily on developing a lifelong love of learning through a very specific, developmentally-appropriate curriculum.

Maria Montessori understood that knowledge is acquired by a process of construction. In the Montessori environment lessons are presented at the level a child is living, rather than making the child learn at the level information is given. Montessori theory supports the view that children build cognitive structures first through their senses. In the Montessori environment, this construction begins with the development of gross and fine motor skills, and becomes more elaborate as Montessori students interact with their world. Through observation, participation and experience, Montessori students further build self-confidence as they use their own intelligence to reason and figure things out.

Reading is a complex process. It involves auditory and visual discrimination in addition to cognitive construction. Montessori educators understand that children must reach certain developmental milestones in order for learning to become their own. The Montessori teacher prepares the environment to support this development, and her role as observer and guide is key in nurturing this independence. The following lists provide some helpful information in this regard:

Cognitive Developmental Preparation

• Sensorial development aids reception of information
• Perceptual development aids in organizing and integrating information
• Neurological development aids in physical procession of information
• Social development aids in understanding relationships between people and events
• Symbolic development aids in decoding
• Concept formation
• Verbal and visual language

Development Needed

• Gross & fine motor control
• Eye-hand coordination
• Ability to perceive figures in space
• Directionality
• Ability to organize spatial relationships
• Ability to differentiate contrasting symbols and sounds
• Ability to classify
• Ability to understand meaning in content
• Strong auditory discrimination
• Ability to focus
• Ability to understand and follow verbal directions

Each level of purposeful activity in the Montessori environment builds a scaffold of learning that is in line with the Montessori student’s mental and physical development. Children learn and internalize the skills necessary for reading if the lessons presented follow a developmental sequence which aligns with their cognitive development.

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Developing Clothing Guidelines for Outdoor Play at Your Montessori School

Whether your Montessori school’s geographic location has both extreme winters and summers or your climate is more moderate, by offering written clothing guidelines for outdoor play Montessori schools can help parents prepare for, and students enjoy their outdoor experience at school. Following are a few ideas to help you on your way.

When developing the outdoor clothing guidelines for your Montessori school, it can be helpful to differentiate between the various age levels of your Montessori students. Distributing this information communicates your care and concern that children come prepared for outdoor activity and inclement weather.

For the winter months, your Montessori early childhood students should come to school every day with a warm coat, snow pants (if appropriate for your area), hat, gloves or mittens, scarf and snow boots (if appropriate for your area). For warmer weather, Montessori preschoolers should have jackets, rain gear and appropriate boots for wet weather. I have worked in Montessori schools where rain coats and rain boots were kept at school, since rain can be especially unpredictable.

The guidelines for your older Montessori students can be more tailored for specific conditions. For example, lower elementary Montessori students can wear a jacket and hat on warm days (below 50 degrees F) and boots, snow pants, hat, coat, and gloves or mittens on snowy or cold days (below 32 degrees F). If it is raining or below -10 degrees F(including wind chill), students stay inside. Soggy, wet or mucky conditions require boots, coat and a hat.

Clothing guidelines for upper elementary students in the Montessori school may be similar to the lower elementary guidelines, with some minor adjustments. For example, if it is below -15 degrees, you may choose to keep upper elementary students inside.

Remember to check your state’s temperature requirements for children’s outdoor play as you prepare your guidelines, and suggest that parents label their children’s outdoor clothing.

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Montessori Practical Life Activity for Earth Day

It’s Earth Day 2010, and to mark the occasion, one of our recent Montessori teacher training program graduates has a great activity idea that she is graciously sharing. Whenever you work with food, please prepare in advance any adjustments to accommodate allergies, proper handling of material and food, and lessons in safely using utensils and appliances.

SOLAR-COOKED STUFFED APPLES

Activity submitted by NAMC Montessori Lower Elementary Graduate, C. Wilkerson

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Purpose

To practice safe cooking while baking apples in a solar oven.

Material

Push-type apple corer, cutting board, small sharp knife, medium bowl, small bowl, spoon for mixing, measuring cup, pastry brush, fork, bowl or pan to wash apples in, paper towels (or cloth towels), solar oven, table for solar oven, 2 black enamel roasting pans with lids, foil, 4 pot holders, 2 plastic solar cooking bags, 6 wooden clothespins with springs, 2 black cooking tiles or bricks, 1 stand-up oven thermometer, large tray, large serving spoon, and plates, forks and knives for each student.

Ingredients

Peanut butter, raisins, cinnamon, honey, water, lemon juice, 1 packet instant oatmeal for each 2 to 3 orders of oatmeal-stuffed apples.

Presentation

• This activity may be presented in Year 3 (Lower Elementary).
• Plan the activity when warm, clear weather is predicted.

Part 1: Getting Ready

• Announce that today students will plan a solar cooking activity with apples.
• Discuss how apples might be obtained:
  • Does anyone have access to a tree with ripe apples?
  • Can each student bring an apple?
  • What if a student doesn’t have an apple to bring? Can some students bring extras?
• Set a date to bring the apples to school.
• Review Physical Geography lessons about the Earth’s rotation and orbit, and discuss how Earth’s current position and weather conditions will influence solar cooking.
• Receive class orders for apple stuffing choices. These may include plain/no stuffing, peanut butter or oatmeal.

Part 2: Food Preparation the Day Before Cooking

• Remind students to start with hand washing. Set a good example by washing your own hands first.
• Ask students to gather apples, corer, paper towel-lined tray and two cooking pots. Have a small, sharp knife available.
• In a pan or bowl provided, demonstrate adequate apple washing. Ask students to wash all apples and set them on the paper towel-lined tray.
• Demonstrate the use of the apple corer. Invite students to take turns coring all the apples.
• If needed, use the knife to smooth each apple opening.
• Pour a tablespoon of lemon juice in a small bowl. For apples to be left unstuffed, use a pastry brush with lemon juice to brush lightly on the cut portion of the apple to prevent exposed flesh from turning brown (oxidation).
• For each 2 to 3 orders of oatmeal apples, pour one package of instant oatmeal in a medium bowl and add enough water to make a thick consistency, mixing with a spoon. Add a dab of honey, as an option.
• Fill apples with mixture until level with the top of the apple.
• Line cooking pots with aluminum foil.
• Place apples in cooking pots, cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Tidy and clean the work area. Compost apple cores, or use as feed for chickens or other animals, if this is an option.

Part 3: Cooking Day

• The Montessori teacher needs to remove apples from the refrigerator at the beginning of her work day.
• The first Montessori students to arrive may set up outdoor table and assemble the solar oven according to instructions for that particular solar oven.
• Align solar oven to reflect the maximum sunlight.
• Place back tiles or bricks in the solar oven.
• Place each pan, lid on, inside a cooking bag and place on the tile/brick.
• Place a thermometer inside one bag so that it can be easily read.
• Seal each bag with a clothespin.
• Check oven hourly and realign with the sun’s rays accordingly.
• Prepare tray with cinnamon and raisins to be used as optional “toppers”.
• Cooking time can vary greatly. Plan for about three hours at a minimum of 160-200 degrees Fahrenheit (70-90 degrees Celsius).
• Be very careful when opening a bag to check for doneness. Undo clothespin and open bag, keeping your body away from any heat that escapes from the bag. Apples are ready when a fork can be easily inserted into an apple’s flesh. Use potholders to slide pans out of their plastic cooking bags when ready.
• With a serving spoon, place an apple on each plate.
• Invite students to add “toppers” of their choice.
• Remind students to clean their individual eating areas and dishes, and the cooking dishes.
• Fold and properly store solar oven.
• Return items and table to their proper locations.

Extensions

• Graph the temperature each 15 minutes during cooking. How long did the apples need to cook at the maximum temperature reached?
• Discuss what other ingredients might be used next time for variety.
• Try different varieties of apples and compare flavors and cooking times.
• Try other recipes for solar cooking.
• Discuss reasons for using solar ovens in different places around the world. Consider pasteurization of water, time saved from looking for firewood (and what could be done with that time), the role of females in these endeavors, and conservation of resources.
• Investigate the value of the black tiles or bricks used in a solar oven.
• Investigate variations in design of solar ovens.

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Developing the Mathematical Mind in the Montessori Environment

The highest form of pure thought is in mathematics. ~Plato

Maria Montessori believed that human intelligence is no longer based on natural intelligence but on mathematical intelligence. Humans have moved beyond the innate survival instincts of early humans and moved toward an analytical awareness of the world. Math is more than math facts and computations. It deals with shape, space, patterns, symbols and the relationships found therein.

Mathematics: Birth to Age Three

Learning about patterns occurs in utero: the cycles of day and night, activity and inactivity, the patterns of the mother and the family. The developing child also hears the patterns of speech and music around him. Music is thought to enhance the development of the mathematical mind due to the fact that the neural pathways of learning music are very similar to those for mathematics and may help with the mylinization of those neural pathways.

Montessori observed that humans tend to be attracted to order. After birth, consistency with routines and activities such as feeding, bedtimes, bathing and playing help the child establish an early sense of order and sequence. Babies learn to think logically and know what to expect. Deviations from the expected order can cause confusion and cause upset. This early tendency towards mathematics causes the child to observe others and to compare, contrast, and classify objects in his environment. Consistency helps the child make sense of the world around him. Using clear, precise language also helps develop the mathematical mind. As children are beginning to order their world, we use mathematical terms such as big, small, more, some, few, many, to help them learn to quantify.

Mathematics: The Preschool Years

Although preschool students have had several years working with numbers and mathematical concepts, children do not immediately begin working with the math materials in the Montessori preschool environment. Instead, the child is indirectly prepared for later mathematical works through the Montessori Practical Life and Sensorial activities where she develops the fundamental abilities necessary for higher level mathematical concepts: discrimination, recognizing similiarities and differences, constructing and comparing a pattern or series, finding relationships, and understanding terminology.

Many of the Montessori Sensorial materials are based on the concept of 10, which helps children visualize and comprehend our decimal system. By understanding the decimal system and place value, the child is introduced to geometry: a point (Golden Bead) is a unit, a line (Golden Bead 10-bar) is 10, a plane or square (Golden Bead 100-square), and a cube (Golden Bead 1000-cube) is 1000. With this understanding, Montessori preschool/kindergarten students are able to add and multiply to form larger numbers and subtract and divide to make smaller quantities. Because they first experienced these concepts through their senses, Montessori students are able to understand the true nature of the operations.

Mathematics: Elementary

Children inherently like working with math materials because they correspond to the logical way our brains work. Montessori wanted to ensure that each child is presented with materials that correspond both to the child’s interest as well as their developmental needs. Through self-exploration with the Montessori didactic materials, the mathematical abstraction becomes apparent to the child. Montessori students are not simply memorizing facts and rules but absorbing the knowledge and making it their own.

Elementary-aged children are both imaginative and able to reason. They are able to create mental pictures and manipulate images in their minds. Montessori math materials help children form these mental pictures as the work to internalize concepts and skills. No longer satisfied to repeat activities for the sake of repetition, the elementary child requires materials which provide repetition but with more variety.

As the Montessori elementary student moves closer and closer to abstraction, the need for prolonged use of materials decreases. All Montessori math lessons are presented first with the materials, but the upper elementary child quickly moves from concrete materials to abstraction. It is in this stage where practical application of mathematics is key. Montessori elementary students enjoy learning how math fits in the grand scheme of the cosmos. This includes studying ancient mathematicians such as Euclid, Pythagoras, Archimedes and Eratosthenes. They enjoy math puzzles such as The Sieve of Eratosthenes and Fibonacci sequences. They want to measure, construct, and recreate objects and recipes. They use their imaginations and their excitement to test theories in the Montessori environment. They are proud and astonished when they are able to solve complex mathematical algorithms such as square and cube root without the use of modern technology.

The Montessori environment is full of materials and lessons which inspire students to fully develop their mathematical minds. Unlike traditional schools, math is not feared in the Montessori environment. Concepts are internalized, not merely memorized. Children understand and master concepts before moving ahead in the Montessori curriculum. They are allowed opportunity to fully explore and understand on their own time rather on than on the timelines of others.

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

May Cultural and Practical Life Activities in the Montessori Classroom

May is a wonderful time of year. Particularly for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, Spring comes into full swing, bringing the joy of a new growing season and all its bright colors. In the Montessori classroom, there are many learning opportunities associated with nature, and it is a great time to organize “going out” activities for your Montessori students. No doubt teachers and students alike are definitely ready to take the classroom outside on sunny spring days, and what better time to explore first-hand learning opportunities in botany, zoology, and physical education as well as cultural geography activities such as mapping out your schoolyard? Don’t forget this is also an important time of year for environmental allergies, and plan to accommodate student needs accordingly.

There is also a wide variety of cultural and practical life activities that can be incorporated into the Montessori curriculum for any age group, such as a Spring Tea for parents/grandparents as the school year begins to wind down. Perhaps your Montessori school is near a seniors’ residence – your students could prepare a short choir performance for an afternoon visit. Organizing a classroom Spring Clean is another practical life activity that engages students in the care, beauty and order of their environment.

Other May celebrations provide cultural and artistic learning opportunities for your Montessori students as well. Previous NAMC blogs offer activity ideas for May Day (May 1), Cinco De Mayo and Kodomono-hi (May 5), and Mother’s Day (May 9 this year).

Enjoy!

The NAMC Lower Elementary Advanced Practical Life manual provides Spring Tea activities.

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/index.htm

Creating a Montessori Parent and Faculty Resource Center

Though creating a parent and faculty resource center at your Montessori school may seem daunting, the process can be surprisingly simple and the benefits numerous. The Montessori resource center can function as both a research center and a lending library. If your school’s resources allow it, this area could also offer computers and audio-visual supplies for use by Montessori students. Having a collection of books, periodicals, pamphlets, CDs and videos on campus will encourage parents to educate themselves on the Montessori method, and provide resources for parenting challenges. The resource center can be a place where you direct parents after parent-teacher conferences and other significant conversations.

If you have the resources to catalog everything on your school website, go for it. If not, highlight titles you feel are most important or rotate titles according to the time of year. The Resource Center area of your school website is also a wonderful place for showcasing websites that could be helpful to Montessori parents. In the Montessori resource center and on the school website, some books can be marked “essential reading for all parents,” “strongly recommended,” and “recommended reading.”

A group of Montessori upper elementary or middle school students might enjoy being in charge of the lending library aspect of your resource center. Whether you use an electronic system or the classic paper pocket with checkout card format, an accountability program needs to be in place.

Don’t forget to include titles for all ages of children. Some examples: Positive Discipline: The First Three Years: From Infant to Toddler--Laying the Foundation for Raising a Capable, Confident Child could be just as helpful as Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls or Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence. Remember to include gender diversity as well with titles such as Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys and Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know About the Emerging Science of Sex Differences. Parents might appreciate (especially before summer break) books with activity suggestions such as Child's Play: Montessori Games and Activities for Your Baby and Toddler and Montessori Play and Learn: A Parent's Guide to Purposeful Play from Two to Six.

If your Montessori school budget does not allow for purchasing many resource materials at once, ask your Montessori faculty and parents if they have titles they would care to donate and/or titles that could “reside” in the resource center. Faculty can keep more of their personal books and other media at home if they know there is a copy in the resource center that they can reference if necessary.

Make sure to have a strong selection of Montessori titles in your resource center. Some suggestions by Maria Montessori include:

• The Absorbent Mind
• Advanced Montessori Method
• Child in the Family
• Child, Society and the World
• Discovery of the Child
• Education and Peace
• Education for a New World
• Formation of Man
• From Childhood to Adolescence
• Montessori Elementary Material
• Montessori Method
• The Secret of Childhood
• Spontaneous Activity in Education
• To Educate the Human Potential

Some suggestions about the Montessori method include:

• At Home with Montessori, by Patricia Oriti
• Montessori in Contemporary Amercian Culture, by Margaret Loeffler
• Montessori: Play and Learn Parents Guide to Purposeful Play from 2 to 6, by Joy Starrey Turner
• Montessori and the Special Child, by R.C. Orem
• Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius, by Angeline Stoll Lillard
• Montessori Today, by Paula Polk Lillard
• The Normalized Child, by Kathleen Futrell
• Nurturing the Spirit, by Aline D. Wolf
• Parents Guide to the Montessori Classroom, by Aline Wolf

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Daily Preparation of the Montessori Teacher

It is my belief that the thing which we should cultivate in our teachers is more the spirit than the mechanical skill of the scientist; that is, the direction of the preparation should be toward the spirit rather than toward the mechanism. ~Maria Montessori, The Montessori Method.

A few years ago, on a particularly stressful morning, my son and I were late leaving the house. The road on the way to my Montessori school had a steep hill and in my haste and state of preoccupation, I neglected to watch my downhill speed. Sure enough, I caught a glimpse of flashing lights in my rearview mirror. The first thought through my mind was “Wow, someone got caught”. Then, I realized that someone was me. I was humiliated. My first speeding ticket ever and with my son in the car. On top of that, while I was being written up, my husband drove by and saw the whole thing. Needless to say, I arrived at work shaken up and extremely late. My Montessori students were due to arrive any minute and I was not in the right mindset to greet them. I quickly made a cup of tea, turned on some soothing music, and sat at a table for a few moments of silent meditation.

Preparing for your day as a Montessori teacher is crucial part of preparing the environment. It is much more than just opening the door to your classroom a few minutes before the children arrive. When we enter that door, we need to leave the ‘emotional’ clutter behind. You may be running late, ran out of milk for breakfast, been up all night with a sick child, received a distressing phone call in the middle of the night or be overdrawn at the bank. Whatever the challenge, while this is important to you, being in the moment for your Montessori students is at the heart of the matter.

Here are a few preparation ideas for Montessori teachers/parents to consider:

Morning Preparation

At the beginning of the morning, create a calm, peaceful state of mind:

• Turn on calm, soothing music
• Brew some tea
• Light a candle (if allowed by regulations)
• Place fresh flowers in the room
• Turn on lights
• Check the snack area
• Tour shelves for a final check
• Write journal /word of day/problem of day on the board
• Sit and take some deep breaths
• Set out your first lesson with materials
• Be at the front door to great your students with a warm, welcoming smile on your face

At the end of day

• Review the day’s events with your assistant or co-teacher
• File all observations made during the day
• Empty your “inbox” of student work
• Make and return any parent communication
• Check and straighten shelves and materials
• Meditate and give thanks for the day

Renew and refresh each day and night

• Yoga or Tai Chi
• Physical Exercise
• Meditation
• Family and friends time
• Time to play and relax

Preparing yourself well is part of preparing the Montessori environment. Ensuring a calmly prepared Montessori teacher ensures a prepared Montessori environment where children are safe, respected, and free to develop in peace.

Related NAMC blogs:

• Preparation of the Montessori Teacher

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Preparation of the Montessori Teacher

The teacher, when she begins work in our schools, must have a kind of faith that the child will reveal himself through work. She must free herself from all preconceived ideas concerning the levels at which the children may be. ~Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind.

When Montessori spoke about the spiritual embryo of the child, she also addressed the spiritual preparation of the teacher. In fact, she emphasized the spiritual preparation of the teacher over the necessity for academic training. She said that teachers must divest themselves from thoughts of what is “normal” behavior. She trained Montessori teachers to recognize in themselves their own limitations and prejudices as those negative characteristics are readily identified and absorbed by the child. She cautioned Montessori teachers to give up their need to control and to learn to support the child and the learning community. She taught teachers to approach the developing child with reverence and humility. The dynamic and the relationship between the Montessori teacher and child depend upon the attitude with which we approach the child.

To become acquainted with the material, a teacher should not just look at it, study it in a book, or learn its use through the explanations of another. Rather, she must exercise herself with it for a long time, trying in this way to evaluate through her own experience the difficulties of, or the interests inherent in, each piece of material that can be given to a child, trying to interpret, although imperfectly, the impressions which a child himself can get from it. Moreover, if a teacher has enough patience to repeat an exercise as often as a child, she can measure in herself the energy and endurance possessed by a child of a determined age. For this final purpose, the teacher can grade the materials and thus judge the capacity of a child for a certain kind of activity at a given stage of his development. ~Maria Montessori, Discovery of the Child.

Montessori also believed that teachers should be prepared technically. Montessori teachers must have a thorough knowledge of the stages of child development so that they are best able to meet the needs of their students. It’s also important to fully understand the use of the Montessori materials and for which students they are best suited. Montessori said that part of the technical training of Montessori teachers was to understand the importance of pedagogy: the three-period lesson; using controls of error; using minimal words in lessons; maintaining student interest; establishing firm ground rules with consistent implementation.

In addition, Montessori stated that teachers should be prepared scientifically. Montessori teachers are keen observers of the children and the environment. Carefully documented observations allow the Montessori teacher to be consistent and objective when working with students. Observations also help Montessori teachers and parents from approaching the child with preconceived ideas or expectations. Our observations allow us to document child progress and development and allow us to be flexible follow the child, rather than following a prescribed linear curriculum.

The teacher's skill in not interfering comes with practice, like everything else, but it never comes easily. It means rising to spiritual heights. True spirituality realizes that even to help can be a source of pride. ~Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind.

By committing to study the philosophy and method of Maria Montessori, we are committed to becoming lifelong learners. Our most important teachers are the children we have chosen to guide. Through them we are humbled and our eyes are opened to the great possibilities yet to come. Through self-preparation we are then able to meet the needs of the children in our care.

Our goal is not so much the imparting of knowledge as the unveiling and developing of spiritual energy. ~ Maria Montessori, The Child in the Family.

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Independence and Movement: Montessori Elementary

Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

A few years ago, I received my certificate to facilitate Positive Parenting courses, developed by Lynn Lott and Jane Nelson of Positive Discipline. In my first small group session with parents, I always ask this question: “Imagine it is 20 years from now and your child is coming home for Sunday dinner. What are the qualities you wish to see in your adult child walking through your front door?” I let them brainstorm for a few minutes and then we collectively come together and write our responses paper for everyone to see. Generally, the qualities identified look something like this:

• happiness
• success
• pride
• honor
• love
• honesty
• self-worth
• independence

When this is shared, I then ask the most important question: “Is what you are doing now as a parent developing these character traits in your children?”

Independence is a skill. Like learning how to swim or ride a bike, it is not something that comes naturally or develops overnight. What it looks like and what it means to be independent needs to be modeled and practiced repeatedly, until it is mastered. Parents (and teachers) who wish to smooth the way and all obstacles may also be removing the precious experiences which help children grow.

Children who have been in the Montessori preschool spend three years preparing to be independent. As they enter the Montessori lower elementary environment, they are once again explorers, embarking on a new stage of development. They ask serious and important questions: Who am I? What am I? Where did I come from? Who and what came before me? While seeking these connections, they journey closer and closer to independence.

Like the Montessori preschool environment from whence they came, students are free to move and explore in the Montessori elementary environment. Through movement, children explore their world. They touch it, they move and manipulate it, they go outside and out into the world to examine the natural beauty around them.

The materials in the Montessori elementary environment are spread throughout the room in a logical and orderly manner. Journals are in cubbies, materials are on shelves, pencils are in a pencil holder by the pencil sharpener and work mats are in a basket by the library. Important social connections are made – Montessori lessons are now given in small groups and students enjoy working with one or two classmates. Montessori students in this stage of development are learning how to establish community and the Montessori environment gives them freedom to explore this in a safe, supportive manner. Children learn to discuss ideas and listen to others without judgment. The Montessori elementary learning materials offer the reality, concretely demonstrating learning concepts, encouraging and enabling Montessori students to explore with their imaginations, creativity and authentic interest.

Montessori understood that realizing one’s place in the world and being able to function as part of a community is an important part of being independent. Children in the Montessori elementary environment are encouraged to experience, observe, and yes, make mistakes as they try to make sense of their world. As they develop, Montessori students begin to move away from the concrete materials and proceed to thinking and reasoning abstractly on their own. They develop self-control both physically and emotionally, toward what Montessori called normalization. By being an important part of and engaging in the classroom community and beyond, students learn the social norms of society and l how to adapt and behave within the context of different social settings.

Freedom and movement go hand-in-hand in the Montessori environment. Becoming independent and capable means being free to explore and develop. Independence and well-being do not come from sitting at a desk for long hours and memorizing facts. These are achieved by exploring, experiencing and creating your personal working relationship with others and with the world.

See our other related blogs in this series:

• Montessori Musings: Development of Movement in Children
• Movement in the Montessori Infant/Toddler Environment
• Independence and Movement: Montessori Preschool

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Independence and Movement: Montessori Preschool

My son turns 14 this month. As a Montessori mom and educator, with each passing year I am reminded of the stages of development he’s gone through. As high school looms in the not so distant future, visions of driver’s education flash before my eyes as I prepare myself for the day I hear “Let me take the car, Mom. I can drive there by myself”.

“I can do it myself”. A big statement at any age, but never so big as the transitional stage between toddlers and preschoolers. Their fierce drive to be independent permeates and dominates their world. From eating to dressing, from toileting to pouring juice, the preschool child faces each new challenge as one to be attempted, practiced, and mastered. Success now ensures success for life.

Dr. Montessori stated that, in our attempts to aid or help the child, we were really hindering the child’s development. While we would like to shield our children from making mistakes or would like them to hurry and let us help them dressed so we are not late leaving the house, they will not learn the skills necessary to be independent if we do for them what they are capable of doing for themselves.

Studies have shown that children retain 20% of information obtained auditorially, 30% visually, and 70% from ‘doing’, or what we sometimes refer to as active learning. The Montessori environment is prepared so that children interact constantly with the Montessori learning materials and the prepared environment. Through the five senses and especially through movement Montessori students discover, explore and even influence the world around them. In essence, they are creating their minds through movement.

The Sensorial and Practical Life areas in the Montessori preschool environment require exactness in movement in order to succeed at a particular work. Other curriculum areas of the Montessori preschool environment also incorporate sensorial learning materials, such as puzzle maps and manipulative calendars in Montessori Culture & Science, the Golden and Colored Beads in Mathematics, and the Sandpaper Letters in Language Arts. This exactness in movement in the use of Montessori learning materials begins the process of learning in very concrete ways, fostering the development of motor skills, coordination, attention, focus, and competence, that lead to the child’s independence. Through real-life experience in the Montessori prepared environment, the child constructs his own reality, awakening curiosity, creativity, and intelligence.

See our other related blogs in this series:

• Montessori Musings: Development of Movement in Children
• Movement in the Montessori Infant/Toddler Environment
• Independence and Movement: Montessori Elementary

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/