Montessori 3–6: Orientation of New Students at Start of School

Part 2 of 3 - Summer Transition

In Part 1 of this three-part series, I began with some ideas for a phase-in approach to orienting new students in the Montessori 3-6 environment. This basically involves the introduction of new students through a shorter daily work period with a focus on grace and courtesy lessons, rules and routines, along with a phasing-in of the multi-age student body over the first weeks of the school year. For further information, please review Part 1 at your leisure.

A further option for phasing-in new students came about with the implementation of summer camp at our Montessori school. I found that for many years, my new students often attended our summer camps before the beginning of the school year in the fall. This was an excellent way for new children to acclimate to the school environment. I felt that having a phase in period was not as necessary as before. When I did get some new students later in the fall, it was not difficult to give them the time they deserved to acclimate to the school environment. In this instance, I felt that having a formal phase in orientation was not as necessary at the start of the new school year. When I did receive new students in the fall, it was not as difficult to give them the time they deserved to acclimate while the rest of the class, already accustomed to the environment, worked independently.

With the summer camps, I also found this a way to help parents by not having their children attend only an hour and half a day. We would spend the first half of a full morning class time outdoors or in the gym space for free play. Then we would enter the classroom and spend the rest of the morning there. Many of the students enrolling had been in day care in the years before starting Montessori, so they were used to being away from parents.

A shortened day did not seem as necessary as before, especially if I utilized our wonderful outdoor environment. This allowed new children the less structured approach of free play outdoors balanced with a shorter work period. And with the regular class times being utilized it was more convenient for parents. Some years I would start some children a day or two later than the original group, but once the regular school year began they continued their set schedule of attendance.

Related NAMC Blogs:

• Part 1 of 3 – Phase-In Orientation
• Part 3 of 3 - Parent Involvement

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.

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

NAMC thanks Maureen Northacker for this blog contribution.

Montessori 3–6: Orientation of New Students at Start of School

Part 1 of 3 – Phase-In Orientation

Each year approximately one third of the established Montessori multi-aged classrooms will be children new to the Montessori experience. A phase-in orientation strategy in the first weeks of school is a valuable tool in helping new children become acclimated to the Montessori environment. The larger, established Montessori school likely already has an established phase-in policy that the Montessori 3-6 teachers follow. The independent Montessori school may have more flexibility in determining what approach works best for its particular group of students.

Phase-in orientation basically begins with a shortened work period and smaller class size to help introduce the environment to new students. At the same time, returning students also benefit from a review of the grace and courtesy lessons. The shortened work period does not make the new student feel that school is "too long", and she leaves each day wanting to return to continue her exploration of her new Montessori environment. The smaller class size also helps the Montessori teacher in her effort to establish grace and courtesy, and rules and routines in the Montessori classroom.

Over the years I have implemented the phase-in strategy in almost every way possible. My favorite is when I have only my returning five- and six-year-old students attend the morning class with the new three-year-olds. At midday, the three-year-olds return home. The four-year-olds then join the older students for the afternoon class.

Some Montessori schools start the year with a small combination of new and returning students that stay perhaps an hour and a half each day for the first week. There might be two "shifts" each morning with different children in attendance. Every few days more students are added to the initial group of each shift until the entire class is present for the full time period. This can also be done over a period of two or three weeks.

Related NAMC Blogs:

• Part 2 of 3 - Summer Transition
• Part 3 of 3 - Parent Involvement

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.

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

NAMC thanks Maureen Northacker for this blog contribution.

Creativity and the Montessori Teacher

What is it like to be a Montessori teacher? Is there much creativity in it?

Recently I read a reply to this question that said that those seeking creativity in a teaching job should look to other methods instead of Montessori. The reply stated that "the Montessori materials were already chosen" leaving little room for teachers to utilize their creativity.

I found this interesting. I remembered that as an art and design major in college the last profession to interest me at the time was teaching. However, once I discovered Montessori through my first child's preschool experience, I found myself drawn to this unique blend of order, movement, beauty and creativity. In the Montessori 3-6 classroom imagination and creativity abound as children choose to explore the Montessori materials. Children are free to explore without intervention or intrusion, as long as they are respectful of the material, themselves and others in the Montessori environment. The Montessori teacher/guide follows the children and their interests rather than a set curriculum that dictates what the children should learn at chosen times.

Of course, children in a Montessori multi-aged classroom (such as 2.5 to 6 years) do not have the same interests at the same time. The Montessori teacher must be a keen observer, excellent record keeper and be able to translate what is learned through this observation into a meaningful, attractive and dynamic learning environment. The Montessori environment is constantly evolving - daily, weekly and over the months. The Montessori teacher employs creativity in setting up a prepared environment with engaging, attractive materials and activities that meet the individual and unique needs of the children.

The Montessori environment is designed for the independence of its constituents. Children are able to make choices to meet their internal and intrinsic needs. The daily flow of the Montessori classroom changes over the hours as children choose different work throughout the day. It takes a lot of creativity on the teacher's part to help the children eventually become calm, focused and peaceful. The "prepared environment" is the key and its design is orchestrated by the Montessori teacher before the children even enter the space. The anticipatory and intelligent choices required to prepare the Montessori environment are challenging yet so thought provoking that being a Montessori teacher is the perfect way to utilize the creative mind.

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.

Related NAMC blogs

• The Peaceful Montessori Classroom: Environmental Design
• Montessori Perspectives: Environmental Design

The NAMC Classroom Guides provide helpful instruction for setting up and managing the Montessori environment.

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

NAMC thanks Maureen Northacker for this blog contribution.

Montessori Perspectives – Elementary Standardized Testing

I recently spoke with a NAMC student who, during the course of our conversations, told me that she did not give tests and quizzes in her Montessori classroom nor was she a fan of standardized testing, as there is no ”standard child.” But she went on to ask me which standardized test she should administer to her Montessori students. I was immediately curious. Why she would want to give a standardized test if she didn’t believe in them? If she did not give tests and quizzes (and rightly so!), then I need to question her on the need for a standardized test. Was it an administrative decision? Was it to appease parental concern?

In the private Montessori schools in which I have taught, we only started standardized testing in the fourth grade. It was felt across the board that testing children before fourth grade is developmentally inappropriate.

One Montessori school in which I worked used the test for internal purposes only; the administration wanted to see how our Montessori curriculum was lining up with the public schools. The information was never given to parents, as it was only to be used as a diagnostic tool for teachers.

At another private Montessori school, the scores were given to the parents who were asked by the school administration not to share the results with their children. That approach did not work at all. It seems the test scores were the topic of many dinner conversations that same evening. Children came to school the next day bragging about how well they did, according to their parents. Consequently, those who learned that they did not do as well felt terrible. Those who did not hear about their test scores from their parents were understandably confused. For a philosophy of equality and non-competitiveness such as Montessori is, the sharing of standardized test scores was extremely counterproductive. For weeks I had to reassure students that they were not poor students and should not compare themselves to the test scores of others.

When I taught at a public Montessori school, we were mandated by the state to administer standardized tests according to No Child Left Behind legislation (NCLB). It was devastating. Scores were posted for the whole community to see. It was humiliating and demoralizing for all.

If a Montessori school is testing to appease parents, I would suggest reminding parents of the Montessori philosophy and principles. I have explained to parents that standardized tests measure what a student is capable of doing on a given day, at a given time, under laboratory conditions. It is not a true measure of individual student ability. It is not holistic; it provides a brief snapshot of what the child is capable of doing on that day. What if the child is ill? Or tired? Or upset? What if they do not want to take the test? These factors may reflect poorly on test scores, upsetting parents and children alike.

I strongly suggest that Montessori educators examine the school policy, philosophy, and your own philosophy before you decide on administering standardized tests to your students. As far as which test to give, I know of no test which is holistic enough, where it is not a grade-level test. Simply stated, there is no standardized test which aligns itself with the three-year cyclical curriculum of the Montessori method. What fourth graders in the public school are learning is not necessarily what Montessori fourth graders are learning at the same time. If you are truly following the child, a test will not measure that.

Other NAMC blogs that may be of interest:

• Montessori Educators: Professional Assessment and Goal Setting
• NAMC Mastery Checklists for the Montessori Elementary Classroom
• Progress Reports
• Testing in a Montessori Classroom

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.

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

Homework Revisited – Montessori Upper Elementary Perspectives

A few years ago I stopped assigning homework in both my lower and upper elementary Montessori classrooms. (You can read about my experience here: Homework. You see, I had spent two years photocopying worksheets for both follow up work and homework. It was so time consuming and frustrating because no matter how hard I tried, nothing really aligned with the Montessori curriculum and materials. I also made the decision early on that I would not assign work that requires abstract thought while students are still using concrete materials to learn concepts in the Montessori curriculum. Consequently, that ruled out almost every math book around.

Recently, a NAMC upper elementary graduate called to discuss school culture that requires assigning math homework. There are different views and philosophies about assigning homework, and this can vary among individuals and schools. Math is certainly one of the elementary-level subjects that comes into question time and time again with respect to assigning homework.

I explained how, in my experience with assisting students in the math curriculum, I had discovered the “Keys to …” series (Keys to Fractions, Keys to Decimals, Keys to Percents, Keys to Algebra, Keys to Measurement, Keys to Geometry) from Key Curriculum Press. They are ideal! It is as if a Montessorian had written workbooks for the Montessori curriculum. These workbooks use Montessori principles and correspond directly with the presentations in Montessori teaching albums. On top of that, they are very inexpensive; much cheaper than buying math texts and workbooks. They even include short pre tests that can be used to assess what concepts and skills students need to practice and learn, and post tests that can be used to check for mastery.

However, the best thing is, my Montessori students LOVE them! After giving a Montessori upper elementary math lesson, I assign pages for follow up work and inevitably students ask for more or just do more spontaneously. Students who tell me in the beginning of the year how much they hate math start asking for more math lessons once I introduce these books to them. This phenomenon has happened with my Montessori elementary students at three different schools.

I have also used this series for private tutoring. Montessori parents have been impressed by the change in attitude and aptitude of their children. When my son was 12, we used the Keys to Algebra series over the summer. At first, he thought I was crazy and told me he was not going to do any math over the summer (his preference is reading and writing). But when he began to review the books he soon came to me, excited. He thought he was going to like algebra after all and asked when we could start!

In my opinion, children need time to be children and time spent outside playing after a long day at school is more important than sitting doing more work. I personally do not advocate assigning homework until 7th grade, but realize that sometimes circumstances dictate otherwise. I have had to assign homework at some schools. But at the schools where I have not assigned homework, I have not noticed a difference in retention of skills or information. In fact, I have noticed that the children are less stressed when the pressure of completing homework is absent. Homework also can create stress at home. For example, if a child needs help with math homework, parents may show “shortcuts” that they have learned which can undermine the work achieved in the classroom. Students can become confused and frustrated by this, and parents may wonder why their children aren’t being taught “the right way”. The last thing I want for my Montessori students, or any student, is to be frustrated and start to dread math. In my experience, encouraging students to come to me with their questions rather than assigning homework has been very effective.

Not assigning homework may also translate into less stress for the Montessori teacher. I thoroughly disliked having to “get after” children who had not completed their homework. Often their after-school schedules were so busy that they didn’t have time to do the assignments. Having their teacher upset as a result only made the situation worse for the student. Homework came to be viewed as a punishment, which I happily gave up when I was no longer required to assign it.

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.

The NAMC Upper Elementary manuals provide the full three-year curriculum for teaching students aged 9-12 years.

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