flynn088

“… the first thing his education demands is the provision of an environment in which he can develop the powers given him by nature. This does not mean just to amuse him and let him do what he likes. But it does mean that we have to adjust our minds to doing a work of collaboration with nature, to being obedient to one of her laws, the law which decrees that development comes from environmental experience. —Maria Montessori The Advanced Montessori Method, p. 89. Children in the second plane of development (ages 6–12) are in a period when they are fascinated by knowledge understanding, and moral understanding, or what Montessori referred to as “culture.” (Grazzini) Their independence matures from “I can do it myself,” which predominates the first plane, to “I can think for myself.” Being able to think for oneself is the very basis of developing one’s own personal moral code of conduct. As the elementary-age child learns to think for himself, he seeks to understand the natural world aro...

It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put in giving. — Mother Teresa I met a fifth grade boy recently who was happy to share his feelings about the upcoming holidays. “I’ve given up on Christmas,” he said. “I’ve come to realize that, no matter what I ask for, what I really want I just won’t get. I asked for an Xbox last year and got a book. Whenever I ask for video games, my mom tells me to go outside and play. Why doesn’t she understand I just want to be like the other kids?” I have to admit, his cynicism tugged at my heart strings. I know his mother, and I know and respect the reasoning behind her parenting decisions and their family values. I know, too, that she feels guilty at times over values, wants, and needs. Gift Giving as a Montessori Parent In her article “Anger, guilt and spending on kids: 8 questions to ask before buying anything,” psychotherapist and parenting coach Debbie Pincus states that “Guilt and anger are both uncomfortable emotions; and as different as t...

Lately I have been hearing about parents worried about “summer brain drain.” Their worry seems compounded by the plethora of advertising on the web, marketing ploys aimed at keeping children constantly learning. I have also seen signs on telephone poles for all sorts of learning camps, and even the local library’s summer reading series is focusing on retention. From the media, it appears that as soon as students walk out of school on the last day, their brains instantly turn off and the flow of information stops and even regresses. Summer learning loss is a real phenomenon, more often effecting children who are from lower income families. On average, however, the regression is not significant and equals about a month of learning. (Raulerson, 2013) Without formal instruction, mathematics tends to suffer more than reading. (Raulerson, 2013) This makes sense as it is easier for most parents and students to pick up a book than specfically work on math skills. Incorporating Montessori Learn...

" When you hold an infant, hold him not just with your body, but with your mind and heart. " – Magda Gerber In our continuing blog series studying the works of Montessori, we have looked at the first nine chapters of The Absorbent Mind . All over the world, educators and caregivers find common ground in many of Montessori’s ideas– especially so when it comes to the care of infants. Psychologist Laura Berk, like Montessori, states that “knowledge of the world is first gathered through the senses.” Berk notes the physical changes in heart rate and respiration in infants when there is a change in their environment – someone new arrives, there are new pictures on the wall, or mother starts wearing new cologne. (Berk, 2006) Montessori Values Around the World – Supporting an Infant's Development with Conscious Interaction Modern child philosophers also discuss the importance of respectful awareness of children, beginning at birth. Magda Gerber’s RIE philosophy calls for “res...