Minds on Montessori

Parents want the best for their children, whether the highest rated car seat or the most organic , most   heirloom , most   free-range egg.  Hey, no shame, I do, too!  Why should the level of research, attention, and care be any different in choosing the type of environment that helps form children during one of the most developmentally impactful times in their lives?  In keeping with the organic, heirloom, and free-range theme, would it help to add that Montessori materials are often made of natural resources like wood, wool, cotton, and metal over customary preschool plastic, the philosophy hails from the elegant (cough, heirloom) Italian city of Rome where it was developed by one of Italy's first female medical doctors, and that children are offered freedom in Montessori environments to move around the room and use the Montessori materials when their interest and motivation directs them - all towards the development of the whole child?  Are we getting somewhere now?  ☺ Bea

Imagine spending your most formative years learning to live and work successfully in a community by means of a time-tested, research-supported, and globally practiced educational method, which has produced some of the 20 th century’s most visionary creators and leaders across fields.  In your learning community, there are people of different ages, varied experience levels, and diverse personalities.  People use their words to express themselves; sometimes they have to wait for what they want; and everyone takes care of shared resources.  People practice managing available time, following interests, and deeply concentrating.  Does this sound like your adult workplace, or what you wish your workplace could be?  This is what children experience every day in Montessori communities for children ages three to six years old.  What better preparation could there be for curious, engaged, and well-adjusted adult life? Leadership, Empathy: In the first year in a Montessori community, child

Scrubbing slowly circles round till the middle when she goes to town Suds on table, suds on nails Some get soap suds in the hair Three years old and dampening her sponge, this ol' table's getting washed again Once, twice, a bundle of times, now she's following her inner guide Sing to her, call to her, now I dare So deep in work, she won't know you're there Damp, sudsy, damp, dry a montage plays before my eyes What's this? A break?  She hangs her towel. Refreshed, relaxed, just look at this child!

To create a Montessori classroom, you need a prepared environment with specially designed materials tailored to the sensitive periods and characteristics of children in the particular plane of development.   You need a prepared directress to connect the children to the prepared environment.   And you need the children.   Many adults who study Montessori feel strongly that it is the best way to educate children.   Some of these adults go on to become Montessori directresses. These directresses-in-training learn the history of Montessori education and the facets of its theory.   They learn precise purposes and extensions of materials and the ways to present them.   They study details such as how to walk across a classroom, how to position one’s body when talking to a child, how to use encouragement instead of praise, and the list goes on.   Through observation, these directresses learn to follow the child. Some directress training happens in lecture halls and model classrooms, in

Dear Mr. Geoffrey Canada, Thank you for pushing tirelessly to help children succeed. I think your approach of working with the child, family, and community more fully addresses the challenges that low-income students face.  I'm writing because I feel strongly that the Harlem Children's Zone would benefit from the institution of a Montessori program.  Montessori is a comprehensive, time-tested philosophy of education that is all but entirely backed up by modern psychological research (see Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius by Angeline Lillard).  Montessori is becoming popular in some urban areas as we speak and has been popular in others for many years .  The last chapter of Montessori: Modern Approach by Paula Polk Lillard focuses on why Montessori is important today, particularly in low-income communities.  I believe that Montessori is the education that all children deserve.  As a recognized education leader, you are uniquely equipped to advocate

April 22, 2013 Dr. William F. Tate Department of Education Washington University in St. Louis One Brookings Drive St. Louis, MO 63130-4899 Good morning, Dr. Tate: I'm writing to recommend that the Washington University's Department of Education create a dual degree program with the Montessori Training Center of St. Louis.  The program could allow students to earn their Master's of Arts in Education with a specialization in Montessori Education while completing their AMI Primary training with Montessori Training Center of St. Louis.  Similar partnerships already exist between the University of San Diego and The Montessori Institute of San Diego , the University of Hartford and the Montessori Training Institute of New England , and Loyola University Maryland and the Washington Montessori Institute . Montessori is a comprehensive, time-tested philosophy of education that is all but entirely backed up by modern psychological research (see Montessori: The