This four-part series include excerpts from an introductory letter written by a NAMC Lower Elementary diploma program student, Rachel, to her NAMC tutor. A mother of six boys, she was first introduced to Montessori in seeking alternative method of education for her first son. Her first four sons attended public school since kindergarten, with the oldest three beginning their education in Montessori preschool. Rachel’s two youngest boys, aged nine and ten, are autistic and she has chosen to complete her NAMC 6-9 diploma so that she may work with her sons using the Montessori method.Dear Ms. Irinyi,
Thank you for being my tutor. I look forward to working with you as I learn the Montessori method for teaching lower elementary. This is a long introduction, but it will help you understand why I enrolled.
Why did I choose Montessori for my children?
When my oldest son was 3 years old, he developed an interest in letters. He wanted me to sit with him for several hours and day and do flash cards. I could only stand going through the stack of cards twice before I was bored to tears. I was at my wits end and decided that when the next school year started he needed a preschool or I would go insane so I started asking around.None of the schools that my friends put their children in felt right. Finally one of my friends told me about a local Montessori school. From her explanation, it sounded like the school taught the way I felt children learned. After visiting the school and learning more, we enrolled our son. I loved the concept and I loved what it did for him, as well as for my second and third sons.
When we moved away I tried to find another Montessori program but in my new area the schools were too expensive. I regret that my third son could not continue and my fourth son was never able to participate in a Montessori preschool. The Montessori preschool learning really helped my older two boys excel in school and gave them a self confidence that my second two do not seem to have.
After enrolling my oldest in the Montessori school, I got to know the teacher. We became friends and I began volunteering at the school. Soon, I wanted to learn the method myself and started a course but could not complete it because my family continued to grow and I found I did not have the time required. Because I have worked in a Montessori school, and because I studied the philosophy and some of the method, I believe it is an excellent method of teaching children and have long since wondered why our education system keeps experimenting with new methods when such an effective method has been in existence since the early 1900s, and has been proven over the last century in hundreds if not thousands of schools across not only the US but the world.
Related NAMC Blogs:
- A NAMC Student’s Experience as a Montessori Parent: Follow the Child
- A NAMC Student’s Experience as a Montessori Parent: Choosing Teacher Training
- A NAMC Student’s Experience as a Montessori Parent: Autism
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 - originally posted in its entirety at Montessori Teacher Training on Tuesday, January 24, 2012.
© North American Montessori Center - originally posted in its entirety at Montessori Teacher Training on Tuesday, January 24, 2012.
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