OFMS May Newsletter

Oak Farm Montessori

May 2023

Your thumb and forefinger pinch and expand the blue sphere of swirling white clouds and land masses of the earth. What originally looked fairly similar, zooms in to reveal various topography features, architecture, and ecology. Dr. Maria Montessori desired a world where the child would learn not only the physical and evolutionary aspects of the world, but its ecological functioning and the role that humans play in its continuation; she called it Cosmic Education.

But how do you present such weighty topics to preschool children? You take them outdoors! You introduce them to the flora and fauna, the lifecycle of the butterfly, or the strength it takes to pull a wagon full of dirt. These simple lessons show the connectivity we each have to the world around us; how caring and respecting the environment means it will be there for others to enjoy.

At the elementary level, The Great Lessons are revealed. Students hear stories of The Coming of the Universe, The Coming of Life, The Coming of Numbers and The Coming of Humans. But, unlike a mathematical equation to memorize, these lessons are to invoke a line of inquiry in each student. “What is my place in the universe? My role as a citizen? Or, Who am I as an individual?” Cosmic Education provides the foundation for discovering the interconnectedness between ourselves, other living organisms and the universe. Students may document phenology, trace their genealogy or research ancient Egyptian civilizations.

At the secondary level, the cosmic agents learned in elementary: land, air, water, energy, plants and animals, and humans converge in the Erdkinder program. At middle school, adolescents care for animals, tend to the land, grow plants, work with one another, and learn the basics of running a micro economy. Finding purpose in the present, understanding of the past and preparing for future endeavors; they are developing their own cosmic task. High school students are preparing for occupations, independence, leadership and valorization. The opportunity to try various pathways or internships to discover their passion is encouraged and expected. Intersession trips introduce students to new cultures, diverse ecological environments and lessons in emotional literacy.

Dr. Montessori said that, “The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.” I believe that she designed her pedagogy to free the child’s potential; inspiring them to think for themselves and see the beauty in the world around them. In its most basic terms, Cosmic Education is moving from the whole to the detail, seeing how one affects the other. So zoom in on that vacation destination, because it really is a small world after all…

Candice

Nature explorers

Danielle Norris, Toddler assistant & Nikole albright

Cosmic education is the cornerstone of Montessori philosophy; it tells a story of how all things connect in one way or another. Dr. Maria Montessori believed that to achieve comprehensive, holistic, and purposeful development of the whole person, they needed to discover and pursue their individual cosmic task.

Beginning with the foundation of the natural world around them, Montessori believed it was vital to early education for children to spend time in nature and to experience the sensorial aspects it provides. A walk through the woods reveals the identification of various bird species by their trills, splashing through the mud puddles on a rainy day provides an explosion of sights and sounds, while climbing on a fallen tree limb helps provide lessons in balance and proprioceptive skills. While this young child may not fully consider the interconnectedness of their place in nature, they can see the cause and effect of watering a flower, stepping on a bug or helping a friend who has fallen. In the first years, the child uses their senses to understand the world around them. This is also why you may see many infants and young toddlers placing objects in their mouth; how better to discern its use than to touch, feel and taste!

Independent, self-confident learners are the goal of Cosmic Education. Montessori believed that children should be encouraged to ask questions, be free to explore their individual interests and pursue opportunities to be leaders in their environments. When children are vested in the preparation of dinner, responsible for the care of a family pet, and made to feel like a contributing member of the family, they see purpose and meaning behind their actions. Allow your child’s full potential to develop by providing an environment where they can discover their own cosmic task through meaningful work.

Finding purpose through senses

Finding purpose through senses

Devon Diaz-crouse, primary 4 teacher

Devon Diaz-crouse, primary 4 teacher

We all have a specific purpose in this life and are connected in some way to everything that makes up our universe and beyond. When introducing cosmic education to children in the early childhood setting, we start with the simple and work towards the complex. We help them see the big picture and, as they connect with the concepts, we can work deeper into the smaller details of their interconnectedness with all things; for this is the cosmic task for all of humanity. As early childhood educators, we work to help children find their purpose and place in this world.

A child of 3-6 years is, according to Maria Montessori, experiencing a sensitive period where they are very tuned into their senses. Dr. Montessori stressed the importance of a child’s sensitive periods for learning and how, when nourished at the right moments, can intensify the child’s fascination for learning certain skills and ignite passions. “When Montessori talked about nourishing the child’s spirit, she was referring, I believe, to preserving this delicate inner core that holds the secret of the cosmic task that will make each child’s life meaningful and satisfying.” (Wolf, 1996, p.97)

What a perfect time to introduce and explore our place in the natural world through their five senses. Teachers can take children outside and guide them to appreciate all the beautiful sights, sounds, and feels right outside our classroom doors. Let them put their toes in the sand and grass and water, feel the textures of cold rocks and squishy mud, go for a nature walk in the forest then sit in silent meditation; bringing the children’s attention to the forest that is alive and speaking to them. Let the children process the information through their sense of smell and taste as you teach them about planting a garden and eating the fruits of their labors. Collect the rainwater and educate them on where it comes from and how we use it in so many aspects of our daily lives and to water our gardens. They planted it, cared for it, and they are an important part of its growth; and, when they eat it, the fruit or vegetable is giving back to their hard work and helps to nourish their own bodies. It is an interconnected circle of life.

Educators must inspire and create admiration and wonder in the natural world all around us, from even the smallest creatures under a magnifying glass, to the mountaintop views that take your breath away. Nature can inspire artists, scientists, writers, or mathematicians in our early childhood Montessori classrooms. We can introduce these children to the seasons and weather through music and dance and stories. There are so many possibilities to ignite that awe and wonder of our natural world when connecting to nature and the senses.

Humans are the only species in the universe that can be reflective of life and, therefore, we have a cosmic responsibility to preserve and protect all that is wondrous and beautiful, and vital, to our survival. Teach gratitude for life and all its glories. Teach conservation, recycling, composting. Maria Montessori calls this our cosmic task. This is our purpose and sense of belonging to something much larger than our school or family community. We must collaborate with others to preserve and protect our beautiful world.

As Montessorians in the elementary environment, we are given the opportunity to guide our students as they further discover their cosmic task. But what does that mean? What is Cosmic Education? Cosmic Education is one of the integral components of Montessori philosophy and helps the child discover the interconnectedness of things past, present, and future. It is the opportunity to reach the child as a whole person and to help that whole person learn who they are and how they are interconnected in the whole universe.

In the lower elementary environment we prepare opportunities, as well as guide the students through organic opportunities, to experience cosmic education and discover their own cosmic task. For example, students at this plane of development care deeply about finding connections with one another. As Montessori guides, we recognize their need to connect with other people as part of their cosmic task. We offer opportunities for students to connect with others during whole group connecting time, through “talking rug” breaks, through writing “Glow Cards” and “Compliment Cards,” through partner work opportunities, and through shared learning experiences. Students also use sign language hand signals to indicate they connect with someone in order to feel connected with one another throughout the day without having verbal

interruptions. As students practice opportunities to connect with one-another, they, as individuals, are able to more deeply discover who they are, what they like, and how they fit within the universe.

Additionally, in the lower elementary environment, we provide many experiences and guide students through organic opportunities in which students can connect with and learn from the natural world. Whether it’s through outdoor learning, playtime, adventure class, eco-literacy, or lessons outside of the classroom, students are able to deeply connect with nature to better discover how the natural world works and how they, as individuals, are connected to the universe through nature. For example, while studying trees, each student “adopted” a tree within the playwoods and identified the species of the tree based on the tree’s bark. Then, after creating a connection with the tree, students learned the parts of a tree, how a tree makes its own food, how a tree survives in a forest, and the symbiotic relationship between trees and people. Through these lessons and experiences with nature, students better understood their interconnectedness with nature and further developed their cosmic task.

Furthermore, students are given opportunities to learn about animals and how to care for animals. Most lower elementary classrooms have class

building connections

pets in which students are able to practice daily care of the animals. Through this meaningful work, students are able to better understand how animals and people are interconnected. Students are also able to practice cosmic education in the going out trips to care for the animals at the Steuben County Humane Shelter. While at the shelter, students care for the animals and the staff by cleaning and reading to the cats. In this outreach opportunity, students practice their own cosmic task by finding connections with animals and workers in the greater community. Many students expressed not only enjoyment with the experience, but also a new understanding for the world around them. For example, students learned a valuable lesson about how our choices impact others when the cleaning product the students were using on the windows left streaks. The students quickly recognized that our work was to leave the shelter cleaner than we came and went about solving the problem. These students understood how they were connected to the workers at the shelter. Additionally, many students connected so deeply with the cats and dogs at the shelter that they left feeling that animal care might be part of their cosmic task. Students shared that they might be interested in pursuing becoming zoo keepers or animal shelter workers in the future. And many students remarked that they wanted to continue caring for animals by having pets of their own. This experience truly

allowed the students to organically recognize a strong connection between themselves and the greater universe.

All in all, as Montessorian elementary guides, it is our task and pleasure to engage students in cosmic education. As Dr. Montessori said herself, “To have a vision of the cosmic plan, in which every form of life depends on directed movements which have effects beyond their conscious aim, is to understand the child’s work and be able to guide it better.”

michal miller, lower elementary 1 teacher

Children are the

Nancy Bradtmiller, Upper Elementary 2 Teacher

In Upper, we feel a great responsibility to our students knowing that “children are the future”. Dr. Montessori thought that education was the key for the development of citizens capable of coping with a changing world. Education is the result of interest and involvement in the world. Personal experiences during childhood determine the role a child will play as an adult. Cosmic Education cultivates good humans with gratitude and who participate in the improvement of humanity. Montessori said, “One of the normal traits of happy humans is the desire to use intelligence and endless curiosity to know, to explore, and to discover new things or new ways of using familiar objects”.

The elementary child yearns to understand “who am I?” and “why am I here?” Cosmic Education brings the world, in fact the universe, to our students and

helps them find answers to these important questions. Great Lessons tell a story in a deliberate and dramatic fashion; calling upon upper students’ sense of reason and imagination to help them understand. They spark students’ curiosity and birth questions that drive their study and understanding. This follows the Montessori pattern of “story then study”; these stories connect the past with the present. Students come to appreciate the early accomplishments of our ancestors, considering them “unsung heroes”. We reflect on all the challenges they overcame and the “firsts” we now take for granted. Students realize that with the aid of imagination and intelligence, humans have the power to create new possibilities. Montessori declared that, “Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand, and less to force him to memorize, but so to touch

his imagination as to enthuse him to his utmost core”.

Upper’s lessons extend beyond our classrooms’ walls. Lessons offered in the indoor environment are awakened as students gain a broader view of the world and for the order of things. Students have the chance to observe what the Chart of Interdependence illustrates, life’s dependence upon the sun, land, air, and water as well as the relationships that exist between organisms; including human’s reliance upon one another. Montessori pointed out that every organism has a Cosmic Task, the unconscious contribution made to an ecosystem by an organism in the mere act of survival. Each takes something from the environment, but gives much more than it takes.

Dr. Montessori’s son, Mario Montessori, said of Cosmic Tasks, “Realization of this makes one appreciate the

the future

marvelous way in which all is provided for no breath of wind goes lost, no beat of the butterfly’s wing is aimless and senseless. And with appreciation comes gratitude.”

The close relationship between living beings and their environment is observable and relevant for Upper students. Phenology offers students the opportunity to apply what they have learned during history, biology, and geography lessons. During outings around campus, students observe and record data on the effects nature’s cycles and conditions have upon the phenophases of organisms. Upper students participate in a nationwide collection and reporting of phenological data; researchers say it is important to study how changes in the timing of pollination, insect emergence, and animal migrations affect one another due to changes

in climate. A deeper appreciation is formed as the sounds of nature, emerging or falling leaves, forms and colors of life are now made more apparent. With this new awareness of how the world functions, gratitude and respect washes over students and adults. Montessori shared, “All things are part of the universe, and are connected with each other to form one whole unity. The idea helps the mind of the child to become focused, to stop wandering in an aimless quest for knowledge. He is satisfied having found the universal center of himself with all things.” Is it any wonder that no matter the age, one feels a sense of peace and connection when we spend time in nature?

Montessori claimed the Cosmic Task of adults is to be “Keepers of the Earth”. Upper is doing our best to prepare our students for the task ahead.

Upper students go out on a regular basis to check and record data on the phenophases of plants around our varied campus.

Once a timeline is brought out by a student it attracts others to join in.

Upper student learn about the challenges and accomplishment of our ancestors fostering an appreciation for those whose shoulders we stand.

Each of us has a role to play

Rachael McGuire, Secondary Spanish Teacher

Cosmic education, as developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, is the idea that children develop an understanding of the unity of the universe. In other words, that all things are interconnected and that each person and living thing has a role to play. At Oak Farm Montessori Middle School, we practice this concept each and every day as we guide our students through academic schedules, but also chores, farm care, and community responsibilities.

Part of the comic education at OFMS is teaching Spanish, beginning in the infant classroom. As they begin middle school, students have many things to juggle and sometimes it becomes challenging for them to maintain equilibrium. However, we continue to include Spanish in their education because as they seek their role to play in the world, knowing a second language will serve them well. They learn the language and also about different cultures and people who have changed the world. Students are able to expand their knowledge, understanding and see beyond the limits of their current situation.

Maria Montessori’s hope was that by teaching children cosmic education, they would learn to be generous towards humanity and influence the restoration of harmony on earth. Learning a new language is another way to influence this harmony. When people are able to communicate, it opens doors and allows for friendship and camaraderie. Making the effort to speak someone else’s language shows a concern and desire for successful relationships. Barriers are overcome and true friendships can be forged.

While it would be superficial to believe that Montessori’s theory is the answer to all our human crises, it is purposeful and deep to continue to strive to provide a cosmic education. Students are given the opportunity to think deeply, to learn global skills, such as a second language, and to reach out into the community and to the world beyond them. As Montessori stated, ‘’The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.’’ Cosmic education both enhances and promotes the success of moving toward this outcome.

Exceptions to the rule

(like ‘i’ before ‘e’ except after c.... weird, huh?)

Lisa Bockelman, Reading Specialist

Most people agree that English is one of the most challenging languages. I often hear people comment about all the exceptions in this language. While there are nuances, 98% of English words follow what most people refer to as the “rules.” Reading and spelling become less cumbersome when these rules are explicitly and methodically taught. This means that teachers will take the word as a whole and break it down into manageable and meaningful parts.

The 26-letter Latin alphabet can be deceiving because it is inadequate to spell all 44 sounds of English. So, to accommodate for this discrepancy, multi-letter combinations were made to represent the sounds called a phonogram. Also, the English language is derived from many different languages, which allows English to have a variety and choice of spelling of sounds. The 44 sounds can be spelled 75 different ways, some of which make more than one sound. This is when knowing the word’s origin is essential. For example, four ways to spell the /f/ sound exist (f, ff, ph, gh). If you know the word’s origin is Ancient Greek, it will most likely be spelled with a ‘ph’ but pronounced /f/.

Even though English has a complex phonetic system, students can become effective readers and spellers if taught with a systemic approach. The first skill that needs to be developed is phonological awareness, which is the ability to hear and manipulate sounds. After acquiring this skill, letter(s) and sound correspondences are introduced over the years until the sounds and basic phonograms, the symbol representing the sound, are mastered. As phonograms are taught, spelling patterns will become part of the lessons. The 31 patterns or rules will allow students to choose how to read and spell words correctly.

After reading this, you may not be convinced that English is a logical language. Learning all the sounds and ways to spell them may also appear overwhelming. However, when these lessons are introduced at the Primary level (3-6 years of age) and carried through the Upper Elementary grades (9-12 years of age), English becomes logical to students. Then, once in secondary levels (middle and high school), students will be able to read and spell the most challenging words. If you would like to learn more about the English language, I recommend the book, Uncovering the Logic of English: A Common-Sense Approach to Reading, Spelling, and Literacy by Denise Eide.

Where do I fit in?

Rikki Colon, High School Teacher & College and Careers Advisor

What comes to mind when one hears the word cosmic? Is it vast in size? Or, maybe something related to the universe? Looking back to the origin, the word cosmic is derived from the Greek word kosmikos, meaning proper order of the world. In Montessori philosophy, Cosmic Education reveals the ordered and global interconnectedness of all things. Cosmic Education creates context. It allows students to understand themselves, their lives, and how they relate to everything around them. It is the vehicle in which the child finds orientation and guidance in life. It seeks to provide answers to the existential questions that occupy our minds: Who am I? Where do I come from? And Why am I here?

The Montessori approach to Cosmic Education cultivates children’s fascination with the universe. It instills a vested interest in observing nature, humanity, and discovering more about the world that surrounds them. Most importantly, it allows the child to feel the interconnectedness of all things and ultimately guides him into his place in the world and his cosmic task.

Having a cosmic task gives children a real sense of purpose. It gives them a constant reminder of why they matter and it provides meaning to the activities they pursue every day. Whether our students are engaged in rigorous academics or real world pathways, serving their local community or the one here on campus, exploring Barcelona or navigating white water rapids in West Virginia- they are finding purpose. Here at Oak Farm Montessori High School, our end in mind is seeing our students transition into their cosmic tasks. We strive to help them understand the valuable role they play in the universe, provide them opportunities to improve their local communities, and empower them with the tools necessary to reach their full potential.

“Wonder is what sets us apart from other life forms. No other species wonders about the meaning of existence or the complexity of the universe or themselves.”

Herbert Boyer