OFMS February 2023 Newsletter

Oak Farm Montessori

February 2023

“I have found that in his development, the child passes through certain phases, each of which has its own particular needs. The characteristics of each are so different that the passages from one phase to another have been described by certain psychologists as ‘rebirths’.” Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori observed thousands of children during the course of her work. What she discovered was that learning was not linear, but rather a series of phases with distinct peaks and valleys. She called these phases, Planes of Development. If parenting sometimes feels like a roller coaster ride, this visual of ‘rebirths’, as Montessori called them, is an apropos depiction.

Early physicians and philosophers believed that college bound students were the most capable of learning knowledge. Montessori turned those beliefs on their head when she declared that the age from birth to six was the most important. Consider all that is learned at this time: movement, language, discrimination and communication; just to name a few. As children near the end of this plane, they are firmly grounded in the concrete world around them and are ready to expand into the abstract.

Enter the world of childhood. While there are not many visible physical changes, internally they are examining everything around them. Why is this happening? How does it affect me? When will I get to do that? The internal questioning of justice and morality takes rise in this confident elementary student and their dive into culture and humanities through the Great Lessons is beneficial.

Much like the intense growth in the first plane, adolescence can feel like a toddler has replaced your teenager. Hormones, clumsiness, sexuality and physical changes can cause frustration for both the child and the adults in their life. The third plane of development, while tumultuous, prepares your child for maturity; the fourth plane of development.

While identifying a final stage, Montessori did not imply that the adult was done developing; rather, becoming who they were meant to be. No longer dependent on others, this mature being contributes to the world around them. Becoming more the teacher than the student.

Serving children six weeks through high school allows us to see all four planes of development at OFMS. While the first steps in the infant room lead to running around the gaga pit and then proudly walking across the stage at graduation, enjoy each moment of this journey with your child knowing that the roller coaster ride will culminate in independence.

Candice

I Did it Myself!

Sarah Bosworth, Toddler 2 Teacher

Stage 1: Infancy 0-6 years

• The Absorbent Mind

• Physical independence

Stage 2: Childhood 6-12 years

• Right vs. wrong

• Caring for others

Stage 3: Adolescence 12-18 years

• Socialization

Stage 4: Maturity 1824 years

• Contributor to society

• How can I make a difference?

“The child’s development follows a path of successive stages of independence, and our knowledge of this must guide us in our behaviour towards him. We have to help the child to act, will, and think for himself. This is the art of serving the spirit, an art which can be practised to perfection only when working among children.”

- Maria Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori spent a lot of time observing children to understand how they learn and develop. Through her observations, Montessori discovered four stages of development that range from birth to the age of twenty-four. Each stage has a time of development where the individual will acquire new skills and a time of consolidation where the individual will apply those skills with confidence. These stages are known as the Four Planes of Development.

Infancy, the first stage from birth to age six, is known as the stage of The Absorbent Mind. This refers to the child’s innate ability to absorb through their senses, like a sponge, everything from their environment needed to adapt to the culture they were born into, as well as to develop their own identity within that culture. In this plane of development, children have a strong sense of independence. You may hear, “I try!” often. As adults we tend to step in too soon to save time or because we think we can do better. As Montessorians, observation is one of our biggest jobs. We observe our students in everything they do. In doing so, we learn to wait instead of immediately stepping in. The next time you see your child struggling with a task, watch and wait. Say nothing. If your child is successful, celebrate by saying, “you did it!” or even better, “how do you feel?” These statements and questions put the success all on the child, instilling an even deeper sense of success and independence - “I did this by myself.” If you feel the need to step in, try saying, “I’m here if you need me,” instead of, “do you need help?” or “let me help you.” This lets the child know that you are available, while also encouraging them to try on their own. At this stage, there are many sensitive periods (periods of time in which learning a skill or concept will come most naturally) including, but not limited to, language, small objects, sense of order, toilet learning, movement, and music. This stage lays the foundation in which new skills are built upon.

Each plane has stages of development and consolidation. Individuals in each stage go through sensitive periods and have various needs. As parents and teachers, we can do our best to become familiar with each plane of development and provide an environment that will help our children become the best version of themselves.

The Absorbent

“I have found that in his development, the child passes through certain phases, each of which has its own particular needs. The characteristics of each are so different that the passages from one phase to another have been described by certain psychologists as ‘rebirths’.” (Dr. Maria Montessori) Maria Montessori called these phases the “four planes of development” in which children and adolescents develop through natural stages of developmental needs. The four planes of development include birth to age 6 (Early Childhood); ages 6 to 12 (Childhood); ages 12 to 18 (Adolescence); and ages 18 to 24 (Maturity).

The first plane of development consists of ages birth to 6. We have all heard the phrase “children are like sponges”. Especially in their early years, children are referred to as “sponges” because they absorb all the information around them and then they actively make sense of it. Maria Montessori refers to this as “the absorbent mind”. Throughout the first plane of development, children will demonstrate an intense desire to make his/her own choices or to accomplish tasks independently. Maria Montessori referred to this as the “help me do it myself” stage. It is important for us to understand and find ways to help our children use their absorbent mind to learn and grow.

Although the first plane of development consists of ages birth to six years old, Maria separated the absorbent mind stage into two sub-stages. In the first substage (birth to 3), children go from unconsciously absorbing information, such as learning to sit, stand, walk, use hands, and speak, to consciously absorbing everything in their environment in the second substage (ages 3-6). She states, “Thus it happens that at the age of three, life seems to begin again; for now consciousness shines forth in all its fullness and glory.” (The Absorbent Mind, Maria Montessori)

Children from ages 3-6 continue to absorb information from their environment. However, they learn to do it consciously through the active

Absorbent Mind

exploration of their surroundings and the materials made available to them through touching, manipulating, and exploring. They begin to refine the skills they developed in the first three years such as control of movement and balance. Children are provided with many materials to explore such as: cutting with scissors (which will eventually be used for bigger works like flower arranging), wiping up a spill, zipping a coat or buttoning a sweater, polishing wood and metal, washing dishes, setting a table, window washing, and sink scrubbing, to name a few. Children are shown how to use these materials in a clear and consistent way. By choosing to practice these works, children will become masters of the movement; this leads to independence. They also consciously seek specific information like order, sequence, numbers, music, letter shapes/sounds. They are exposed to many math and language materials such as number rods (which associate quantities with written numbers), golden beads (which represents a unit, 10, 100, and 1000), the hundred board (which sequences numbers 1-100), sounds boxes, rhyming works, and the movable alphabet to build words and sentences. All of these materials are designed for the child to be able to touch, manipulate, and explore. These are all building blocks for the math, reading, and writing skills to come.

By April Coverstone, Primary 3 Teacher

We can observe, respect, accept, and try to understand the child the best that we can. However, we need to use these observations to adjust how we are with them as they pass through each plane. In order for teachers and parents to help support 3-6 year olds at school and at home, it is important to take the time to prepare an environment that allows for order, exploration of personal interests, allows them to work at their own pace, and leads them towards independence. An ordered environment means having a place for everything, so that children know where to find what they need and have a place to put it when they’re finished. It also means simplifying your home environment such as limiting toy choices and providing open shelves at eye level. Children also like to feel valued and helpful, so involve your child by letting them help prepare meals, organize shelves, wash tables, fold their own clothes, care for pets, etc. It is also our responsibility to model, model, model! We must model the behavior in which we wish our children to exhibit such as patience, kindness, openness, and staying positive. When providing opportunities and meeting each child at the developmental needs of each plane, it successfully allows for their natural patterns of development to be met academically, socially, and emotionally.

Imaginative Explorers

Tiffany Fennig, lower elementary 3 teacher

The second plane of development encompasses children ages 6-12 years old. In Lower Elementary, these children are transitioning from infancy to the beginning of childhood. This stage is referred to by Dr. Montessori as “the Age of Serenity and Rudeness” (Grazzini, 1988). Children in this plane display a sense of calm and tranquility due to a slower rate of development and growth. They are still growing and learning, but not at such a rapid rate as in infancy. The Sensitive Periods for the second plane of development are abstraction, morality and justice, culture, peer interaction, and imagination. Children are moving from the Absorbent Mind to the Reasoning Mind. They are beginning to think about the things they are learning and experiencing at a deeper level. Children develop an intense thirst for knowledge while experiential learning is still emphasized. These children are moving from Sensorial Explorers to Imaginative Explorers. They are interested in more than what their senses can provide for them.

Children are also more emotionally delicate and are developing self-esteem and confidence during this stage. The child is beginning to see relationships and connections with the world around him. He is shifting from the egocentric to altruistic attitude; beginning to focus on others and cultures outside of his own. It is important for this child to know what is right and acceptable by society. The child’s thinking is bridging from the concrete to abstract, with the ability to reason. He needs acceptance by his peer group, while he is moving outside the family based on the foundation of love and security that was established in the first plane of development. Children during this period are becoming aware of Social Justices and Injustices; they begin to ask moral questions of right versus wrong, and want to know more about moral and ethical reasons for everything. Montessori said, “Morals have at the same time a practical side, which governs social

relations, and a spiritual side, which presides over the awakening of conscience in the individual” (Montessori, 1976). The child is seeking to collaborate with peers, while moral justice continues to be at their forethought. This is one reason why we see children at this age begin to “tattle.” They are seeking justice and are searching for a moral reasoning of the “why” behind the action. Children moving into the second plane of development also begin to lose their teeth. This physical measure demonstrates a great satisfaction to the child along with signifying to the adults the movement to the next plane of development.

Through the Great Lessons, directresses inspire the children to think about what came before them, and challenge them to think about what is to come, while discovering who they are in the present moment. Cosmic Education is the soul of the Lower Elementary curriculum. There is a copious amount of work that is ensured outside of the ‘official lessons’ helping each child to discover their cosmic tasks, along with how they fit into the classroom community, school community, and the world around them. It is during this period that the children began to ask and investigate these questions and ‘this’ big work that surrounds them.

To support the second plane of development at home, support your child by answering their questions. Continue to inspire their curiosity. It is essential to remember that each time a child moves from one plane of development to the next, it is a rebirth. They are experiencing the world around them as a ‘whole’ different child. Children moving through this plane also lose a sense of organization. This does not mean to let them get by without organizing, but to be mindful; they may walk into a room and not be able to find something that is right there. They have a tendency to overlook things. Offer grace and guidance to the child in this plane and help them to learn to reorganize and search for lost items.

A warm and welcoming environment

The prepared environment is fundamental in Montessori and the key to understanding how to correctly prepare environments lies within the planes of development. Each plane has its own set of distinct strengths and needs, and a child’s learning environment must reflect those. The libraries of Oak Farm Montessori are structured to align with this. There is a library located in each of the buildings and it is designed specifically for the children who use it. The spaces are welcoming, comfortable, and encourage book reading/ looking. There is age appropriate furniture that encourages children to linger after they have made a book selection. The books themselves are curated using a variety of reputable literary magazines and resources, including the American Library Association, Kirkus, Hornbook, and the School Library Journal.

Library use begins at the Primary level, as soon as a child is able to recognize their name, and continues through the remainder of their academic journey. Library lessons become a part of that journey in Lower Elementary where students begin to learn more about how the library is organized and how they can utilize all the materials available to them. The library also subscribes to the online database, Gale in Context. This valuable resource becomes available to students when they enter Upper Elementary and allows them to access more specialized and current information for research. Gale has quickly become one of the go to resources, especially for the Middle and High School students. The addition of library lessons and resources as the students progress reflects their varying needs through the planes of development.

“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.”

Margaret Fuller

Alex Balle, Librarian

Intellectual Independence

Elizabeth Danielson, Upper Elementary 3 Teacher

Are you noticing changes in your upper elementary child? Are they becoming more independent? More curious? Asking questions about how and why? The wheels are turning for them as they become abstract thinkers and start to develop the ability to reason. The second plane of development, childhood (ages 6-12), is often known for intellectual independence. As teachers, we carefully prepare our environments and curriculum with all of these developmental characteristics in mind.

During the second plane of development, students really start to notice the world around them and question their role. An important part of the upper elementary curriculum is phenology. This may not be a term that you are familiar with, but I am certain that an upper elementary student could fill you in on the definition. Phenology is the study of recurring plant and animal life cycle stages and their timing and relationships with climate and other abiotic factors. This amazing process is happening right before our eyes every day! Our students get to experience it first hand through weekly observations on our beautiful campus.

Upper elementary students have studied phenology for years, but we have recently partnered with a program called Indiana Schoolyard Phenology. Students are assigned a specific Indiana plant species that they observe over the course of many months. Working with a small group, they record observations and then enter their data into a database called, Nature’s Notebook. The students’ observations then become part of the National Phenology Database and their data is studied by scientists all over the world! Wow! This experience helps them develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the world around them. As teachers, we strive to provide opportunities to engage their natural curiosity. That is when some of the best learning happens!

Maria Montessori had a goal for education to be a complete development of the human being; while learning to be oriented to the environment, and adapted to the time, place, and culture. This is work that is being done throughout all the planes of development. When creating the planes of development, Montessori purposely pointed out that human development is not linear. Thus, she created the planes of development and geared Montessori education around the many peaks and valleys of human development. It is important for us, as educators, to understand that there are periods of rebirth in each plane. Especially, during the third plane of development, the adolescent years. Maria Montessori stated, “The adolescent must never be treated as a child, for that is a stage of life that he has surpassed. It is better to treat an adolescent as if he had greater

value than he actually shows than as if he had less and let him feel that his merits and self-respect are disregarded. ”

The third plane of development is a time of rapid growth and change. At Oak Farm Montessori Middle School, we encounter students as they are entering the third plane of development; which Maria Montessori described as early adolescence. Early adolescence is between 12 and 14 years of age. During this time, adolescents experience sensitive periods such as social justice, personal dignity, and belonging. Students are learning how to respect differences, encourage inclusion, and dive deeper into their cosmic tasks. Early on in their adolescent years, these young adults begin striving for economic independence. At OFMMS, students run their own micro-economy. Through their micro-economy, students

“We must also be aware of their fragile emotional state and many physical changes that they are experiencing.”

Oakleigh Butler Middle SchoolTeacher

are able to increase their financial literacy skills by learning how to budget their money, create spreadsheets, give philanthropically, use resources from our farm and run a business. These are skills they will continue to grow as they move through the third and fourth planes of development.

As a teacher of students who are entering into early adolescence, we must be mindful of the rapid change and growth these young adults are experiencing. They are becoming abstract thinkers and wrestling with big ideas and questions. They are also becoming more abstract thinkers with academic integration, especially in Math, as they are moving from hands-on materials to abstract concepts. Through this, we notice advancement in their reasoning skills, especially during socratic seminars and Humanities debates. We must also be aware of their fragile emotional state and many physical changes that they are experiencing. We recognize the importance for social interaction as well as their desire to fit in with their peers. We also recognize the importance of silence and solitude. Throughout our school day we provide opportunities for students to interact with peers; through Erdkinder, group work, free time, and lunch, while also providing opportunities for silence and solitude through individual work time, flow time and solo time. Throughout our school year we provide social interactions through our trips, outreach, and events. Making memories while also discovering our role in society, and how we can contribute to the environment, is part of our big work at the middle school.

When our young adults leave middle school and soar to Oak Farm Montessori High School, they have experienced their rebirth and are on the way to achieve great things and live up to Maria Montessori’s goal of being prepared for all aspects of their life.

Maria Montessori said, ”The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.” The third plane is a time when adolescents experience tremendous growth–both physically and neurologically. It is a time for career exploration, social awareness, and expanded creativity. This is the time when we get to witness both the roots and the wings in action beyond the walls of the classroom. It could be argued that being a teacher of Montessori students in the third plane is actually a gift to the teacher as well.

Pathways

Foundational to the curriculum at Oak Farm Montessori High School is our work in Pathways–which is the entrepreneurial part of the high school student’s curriculum. Students have the choice of doing land management work, farm work, graphic design work in the InnoLab, bicycle building and repair work, or coffee shop work. The high school faculty works hard to offer thoughtful learning environments attuned to the needs of the adolescent, rigorous curriculum which fosters inquiry and autonomy, and opportunities where the adolescent can be creative and think critically about the world around them as they engage in the Pathways work.

Practical Life

Practical life looks a bit different at the third plane than it did in the first and second planes. By definition, practical life is a

The gifts of Roots & Wings

Amy

Norton, High School Teacher

Trips provide an opportuity for students to bond, build relationships and learn to depend upon one another outside the normal classroom experiences.

“purposeful activity that develops motor control and coordination and develops independence, concentration, and a sense of responsibility”. In response to the maturing needs of the third plane, students are offered even more elective choices for personal and creative expression, they are engaged in year-long projects where they explore their passions through an interdisciplinary approach, they travel both in-state and out-of the country during InterSessions, and they are involved in off-campus service learning and internships. Last year, we camped and hiked at the Red River Gorge, upperclassmen planned a trip

to Ireland, a senior organized a food train for foster families in DeKalb County as part of her Capstone project, a student interned with our school librarian, and students did invasive species removal work at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center. All of these experiences nourished the needs of that third plane of development and led students toward valorization.

Independence

Independence in the third plane is also different because for the adolescent it turns outward to social and economic independence. Some of the ways OFMHS provides opportunities for this

Students are given four Pathways to choose from: Bike Shop, InnoLab, Coffee Shop and Land Mangement. Events throughout the year provide opportunities for students to offer these services to customers.

independence is through the meaningful work of the Pathways program, apprenticeships for our upperclassmen, finance committee work, and Capstone projects. Students realize their place as part of the economic, social, and ecological grandeur surroundings of the community and this leads toward further exploration of their place within the world.

Teaching in a program that provides so many opportunities for self discovery, so many opportunities to explore and deepen academic interests, and so many different means for students to express themselves creatively and socially is, indeed, a gift. The roots and wings of our Oak Farm Montessori High School graduates are sure to take them to some amazing places because they come to realize themselves as valuable participants in a larger community; which will be a gift to the world they will move into as young adults.