Tomorrow's Child Magazine - April-May, 2023

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Montessori 101: What Every Parent Needs to Know

This 80-page full-color publication is a wonderful resource for anyone seeking to demystify Montessori. It addresses topics such as the history and philosophy of Montessori; offers a guided tour of the Montessori classroom; and serves as an illustrated guide to dozens of wonderful Montessori materials. This mini-encylopedia of Montessori is newly redesigned and contains new sections on Infant/Toddler and Montessori Secondary programs. It is a must-have resource for anyone interested in Montessori, and one that parents will surely refer to throughout their child’s Montessori experience.

Tomorrow’s Child (ISSN 10716246), published four times a year, is the official magazine of The Montessori Foundation, a non-profit organization. The opinions expressed in Tomorrow’s Child editorials, columns, and features are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the magazine or The Montessori Foundation. Acceptance of advertising does not represent the Foundation’s endorsement of any product or service.

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“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”

— ARISTOTLE

DIVERSITY: A Lesson from Nature

In crossing an immense stretch of desert in Arizona, if one was hunting and searching those very arid acres, attempting to quench a thirst for inspiration, answers, and enlightenment, the desert is not a place to find such an oasis, a fertile spot, or place to nourish your soul and bloom strong. At first glance, the desert might look hot, dry, and lifeless; nevertheless, on deeper inspection, one can see that within the seemingly endless desert there are numerous ecosystems and plant communities living and thriving together. Nature has a way of creating whole systems filled with abundance and diverse life. These systems are based on interdependent relationships, where resources are regularly exchanged because it is both more effective, and it allows them to contribute to the health of the whole system.

Nature is one of our greatest teachers. It teaches us that there is another way of living and working together, one that is not based on scarcity and fear but on abundance and generosity. It teaches us that we need each other to survive. As healthy ecosystems evolve in nature, they become more diverse. This diversity creates more resources, not less, in a community. So, what is it about differences that threatens us? Is it because being a part of a group identity meets our fundamental needs: safety (survival), as well as a sense of belonging? Nature finds ways to work together to help systems regenerate and create conditions for sustainable life. Nature counts on diversity and rewards cooperative, interdependent relationships, showing us that diverse systems are more resilient.

Conservationist Eleanor O’Hanlon has seen this theory in action repeatedly through her work. “The patterns of living relationships are always in motion as the animals test and are tested by the terrain, the weather, and each other,” she explains. “Through the generations, they refine their capac-

by Cassi Mackey, M.Ed.

ity to innovate, adapt, and thrive together as one community, interdependent, and whole. To be what they truly are, to live ardently and fully, each one requires the other. This is what’s required of us as well — a willingness to observe the patterns of relationship that give shape to the systems we inhabit and perpetuate, alongside the courage to adjust our behavior accordingly in ways that will benefit the whole.”

the teacher, who is to help life, is something far more than the learning of ideas. It includes the training of character; it is a preparation of the spirit.”

We might truly believe ourselves to be open minded and accepting, but the fact remains that we all have biases. Montessori describes how adults must systematically study themselves to be able to see a child in their purest form. It is our responsibility as

One does not, of course, need to go on a hike in the Arizona desert to see these systems in action. Just peek into Montessori classrooms. Children are encouraged to be their authentic selves and learn in ways that connect to their minds and hearts. The Montessori prepared environments are supportive learning communities that honor all, built on mutual trust and care for one another across a wide spectrum of human diversity, so they can all thrive. Montessori works from an abundance mindset, opening spaces for everyone, which makes those spaces stronger, richer, innovative, dynamic, more engaging, and more fulfilling. In turn, Montessori children tend to honor and embrace people who are different from themselves and find ways to create space for them to find their place within the group. Yet, our children can still grow to become influenced by the world around them, so that biases form and negatively affect how they treat others who may be different from them. Our part in that influence is determined by our willingness to do the work of change.

WHEREDOWEBEGIN?

We begin with ourselves. In The Absorbent Mind, Dr. Montessori extolled that “the real preparation for education is a study of oneself. The training of

adults to examine our biases and understand where they come from. The personal biases we carry significantly influence what we teach and what we don’t teach our children about valuing differences.

Recognizing our own bias is essential as we teach our children to love themselves and value diversity. Bias is often an unconscious belief that is developed in our own upbringing and experiences and reinforced by status quo systems. If we don’t recognize the biases that we hold ourselves, we may unintentionally pass them on to our children. We need to be vigilant about always asking ourselves why we have a bias. How might we create different learning experiences for our children if we open-heartedly and open-mindedly accept that we have biases and acknowledge our biases inherently embedded in how we parent? We are all called on to do this work, so we can be prepared to teach our children.

Biases are learned. Children begin to absorb both the attitudes and biases attached to aspects of identity by family members and other significant adults in their lives. Adults can convey negative biases through gestures, body language, and facial expression. Children pick up on these non-verbal cues to form their own biases. If we, as parents, guardians, and caregivers, want to pass on lessons

Recognizingourownbiasisessentialasweteachourchildren tolovethemselvesandvaluediversity.

that emphasize acceptance and inclusion, we must be willing to live those values, through our words and our actions. To do this, we must take on the critical work of examining and addressing our own personal biases: why we developed those biases; what contributed to us having those biases; and what we might do about that inevitability within the systems around us. This work never ends.

From Learning for Justice, explore your experiences with and attitudes about differences by considering these situations and questions:

• The first time I became aware of differences was when...

• As I was growing up, my parent(s) taught me that people who were different from us were...

• As I was growing up, my parent(s) taught me that people who were like us were...

• A time I was mistreated because of my own difference was when...

• A time I mistreated someone for being different was when...

• I feel most comfortable when I am around people who...

• I feel least comfortable when I am around people who...

• The memories I have of differences in people affect my parenting by...

• How do I create a space and teach in a way that invites and encourages difference?

• How do I reinforce acceptance and the value of difference in our home?

WHEREDOWEGOFROMHERE?

Giving children the opportunity to look for the value in difference helps them engage in their world with curiosity, confidence, and love. It helps them better understand themselves and those around them. They learn to empathize with people who are different from them. They gain a deeper understanding of subjects and issues when looked at from multiple perspectives.

Children are remarkably good at observing differences in the world. This ability is an important de-

velopmental learning strategy. Noticing differences between people helps children construct their own social identity. According to research, children begin to take note of differences in other people as early as age two. Early childhood provides children their first introduction to human characteristics, such as gender, ethnicity, race, physical ability, etc. They marvel both at the differences and at the similarities they share with others in their world. They begin to use their observations to determine how they should treat others and how others should treat them. This factoring includes how the adults around them respond to differences. It is the time when parents, guardians, and caregivers have the greatest influence on a child’s perception and attitude about differences. If we don’t help our child process their observations, they will create their own understanding of what those differences mean.

Elementary-aged children start moving past simply noticing similarities and differences among people. They begin to experience how these differences and similarities are used to either include or exclude people. Although it is uncomfortable to think about, during these years your child will likely be excluded themselves, as well as exclude someone else because of differences. While a parent’s influence still plays a critical role in how children view and respond to differences, outside sources (social media, friends, TV/internet, video games, etc.) start to compete for influence.

Once your child reaches adolescence, your opinion and advice may not be the first they seek, if they seek it at all, because they rely heavily on those outside influences. It is important that you continue to find ways to communicate with them and provide a safe space for them to share their views and opinions. The lessons, advice, opinions, and experiences you have provided about embracing differences begin to have real-world impact and consequences during these years. Open, honest conversations with adolescents is essential, to provide messages that promote a healthy self-esteem, which will encourage them to embrace differences in themselves and others. Your words are very important, but your actions are what an adolescent will remember more. They are quick to point out the incongruence between what you say and what you do.

Whether you are the parent of a 3-year-old who is curious about why a friend’s skin is brown; the parent of a 9-year-old who has been called a slur because of his religion; or the parent of a 15-yearold who snubs those outside of her social clique at school, it is helpful to have strategies to navigate these situations and conversations.

The following tips are in a resource guide from Learning for Justice called “Beyond the Golden Rule: A Parent’s Guide to Preventing and Responding to Prejudice.” The tips are designed to help you teach your children to honor the differences in themselves and in others — and to reject prejudice and intolerance.

Primary (3-6 years old)

Be honest. Don’t encourage children “not to see color” or tell children “We are all the same.” Rather, discuss differences openly and highlight diversity by choosing picture books, toys, games, and videos that feature diverse characters in positive, non-stereotypical roles.

Embrace curiosity. Be careful not to ignore or discourage your youngster’s questions about differences among people, even if the questions make you uncomfortable. Not being open to such questions sends the message that difference is negative.

Broaden choices. Be careful not to promote stereotypical gender roles, suggesting that there are certain games, sports, or activities that only girls or boys can do.

Explore family history. Talk to your child about your family heritage to encourage self-knowledge and a positive self-concept.

Lead by example. Widen your circle of friends and acquaintances to include people from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.

Elementary (6-12 years old)

Model it. Talking to your child about the importance of embracing difference and treating others with respect is essential, but it’s not enough. Your actions, both subtle and overt, are what they will emulate.

Acknowledge difference. Rather than teaching children that we are all the same, acknowledge the many ways people are different, and emphasize some of the positive aspects of our differences. Likewise, be honest about instances, historical and current, when people have been mistreated because of their differences. Celebrate victories of those people in overcoming this discrimination. Encourage your child to talk about what makes them different and discuss ways these differences may have helped or hurt them at times. After that, finding similarities becomes even more powerful, creating a sense of common ground.

Challenge intolerance. If your child says or does something indicating bias or prejudice, don’t meet the action with silence. Silence indicates acceptance, and a “don’t say that” is not enough. First, try to find the root of the action or comment. Then, explain why the action or comment was unacceptable.

Seize teachable moments. Look for everyday activities that can serve as springboards for discussions. Elementary children respond better to lessons that involve real-life examples than to artificially staged discussions about issues. For example, if you are watching TV together, talk about why certain groups are often portrayed in stereotypical roles and why this is a problem.

Emphasize the positive. Just as you should challenge your child’s actions if they indicate bias or prejudice, it is important to acknowledge them for behaviors that show respect and empathy for others. Catch your child treating people with kindness and dignity and let them know you noticed; also discuss why it is important.

Adolescent (12-18 years old)

Keep talking. Many believe that the last thing adolescents are interested in is having a conversation with parents, guardians, or caregivers; however, even if your adolescent doesn’t initiate conversation about issues of difference, find ways to bring those topics up with them. Use current issues from the news as an impetus for discussion. Ask your adolescent what they think about the issues.

Stay involved. Messages about differences exist all around your adolescent: the Internet; songs; music videos; reality shows; ads; commercials; social media; and social cliques at school. Know the social media in which your adolescent participates; take the time to listen to or watch the music and shows they enjoy; get to know their friends. Then, discuss the messages they send. Ask your adolescent about the group or groups they most identify with at school. Discuss the labels or stereotypes that are associated with such groups. When discussion is limited, some of this information can be garnered by careful observation and listening.

Live congruently. Discussing the importance of valuing difference is essential, but modeling this message is even more vital. Evaluate our own circle of friends or the beliefs you hold about certain groups of people. Do your actions match the values you discuss with your adolescent? Adolescents are more likely to be influenced by what you do rather than what you say, so it’s important that your words and actions be congruent, especially when

these actions take place at a time of great pressure or concern about the family’s well-being and the child’s future.

Broaden opportunities. It may be natural for adolescents to stick to groups they feel most comfortable with during the school day. These are often the people they identify as being most like themselves. Provide other opportunities for your teen to interact with peers from different backgrounds. Suggest volunteer, extracurricular, worship, and work opportunities that will broaden your adolescent’s social circle.

who is still creating [themselves] and therefore capable of affecting true change, perhaps even breaking out of our shared human heritage of strife and conflict, and building true peace,” she continued.

Dr. Maria Montessori believed that the path to peace, social change, and, ultimately, saving humanity is through children. The path, whether through a seemingly barren desert or any other of nature’s unexpectedly thriving biomes, can be found in the Montessori philosophy of how to educate children. The children move from respecting the materials (or resources) to respecting their classmates (or fellow denizens), from working as individuals to working with others, from voicing their opinions on peace and justice to taking action. They can become independent, self-actualized, empathetic, and compassionate members of the community (thriving elements of the natural abundance).

Encourage activism. Promote ways for your adolescent to get involved in causes they care about. No place for them to hang out with friends? Encourage them to get together with peers to lobby city officials for a teen social center or skate park. Upset about discriminatory treatment of teenagers by a storekeeper or business? Give your adolescent suggestions for writing a letter or planning a boycott. When young people know they have a voice in their community, they are empowered to help resolve issues of injustice.

IN CONCLUSION

Dr. Montessori was a humanitarian; her educational research and work with children are deeply rooted in serving and bettering humanity on individual, social, and global levels. She believed that the key to saving humanity lies within the child. She dreamed of a peaceful, harmonious world filled with kindness, respect, and dignity that is offered to each human being. She also knew that these beliefs and dreams mean little if the systems that hold all such ways of being are designed to actively work against providing those things for all, working for some but not others. She also knew that the only way to achieve her dream was through a new way of educating our children. “An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking; it involves the spiritual development of man, the enhancement of his value as an individual, and the preparation of young people to understand the times in which they live,” Dr. Montessori professed. “Our salvation is the child. For it is only the child

We are living in a time where there is a fundamental shift in how we must think about diversity. We need to let go of the notion that diversity is a threat, and we must shift to see the fundamental value and benefit of having difference, and thus abundance, in our system. Nature has proven that, to support a regenerative system, diversity is critical. It is time to learn from our 3.8-billion-year-old universe, to apply its lessons to our lives, and to model them for our children. For, only then will they be able to reap the rewards of diversity and to live in peace.

Learning for Justice

www.learningforjustice.org

Beyond the Golden Rule: A Parent’s Guide to Preventing and Responding to Prejudice

Cassi Mackey, M.Ed. is passionate about helping families create sacred spaces where love, joy, and honest connections are nurtured. Cassi has witnessed the transformational power when families engage in Montessori philosophy as an imputable practice. It is a promise of more meaningful relationships, greater depth of experience, and a broader, more compassionate view of oneself and the world. Cassi has lived, learned and taught the Montessori pedagogy for the last 30 years as a Montessori 9-12 teacher, a school principal, and consultant. She consults with and provides advice to Montessori communities and families that are intent on providing safe harbors for children. Contact Cassi via email at cassimackey11@gmail.com

Do I Just Say Yes to Everything?

by Montessori Family Life Webinars

Have you heard that you should use positive language with your child?

Positive language is often interpreted to mean just saying yes, yet really it means wording things in a way to offer specific guidance and tells children what to do. When we begin to consider it this way, we realize how often we tell what not to do, rather than what to do.

Positive language tells children why and how to do certain things. It is a communication strategy that avoids using the words no, don’t, and stop. When we implement this communication strategy with children, we offer specific guidance; reduce stress and fear; and boost confidence, understanding, and empowerment.

Positive language has some long-term positives:

• It respects the independence and the ability of children to manage themselves.

• It accepts the other person as an equal human being.

• It reduces triggering defiance or anxiety.

• It creates moments of collaboration, creativity, and stillness.

• It models the leadership principle that not one of us is as smart as all of us.

Consider “yes, and…” rather than simply yes or no. Find a connection with the issue: “You want the red ball your sister has. That is a fun toy.” Then help them understand your shared agreements: “In this family, we make choices from the toys that are available.” Offer a possible solution: “You could use the blue ball or play with another toy.”

Here are some “to do” phrases ready for when you need them:

Say This Instead of…

Take a deep breath. Calm down.

I can see this is frustrating you. Stop crying.

It’s okay to feel sad. Don’t get upset.

Are you okay? You’re okay.

Please use a soft voice. Be quiet.

I can see you want to talk. Stop interrupting.

I can understand you better if you… Stop whining.

This article was based on a webinar titled “What Do You Want Me to Do? Telling Your Child What to Do Rather than What Not to Do,” presented in October 2022.

The Montessori Family Life Webinar series, a part of the Montessori Family Alliance and directed by Lorna McGrath, produces webinars focused on Montessori parenting topics. To join our team of Montessori experts and guests for webinars, visit news and announcements on montessori.org.

ontessori, the Second lane, & Imagination

fruit of someone's imagination. In the study of history and geography, we are helpless without imagination, and when we propose to introduce the universe to the child, what but imagination can be of use to us? I consid er it a crime to present such subjects as may be noble and creative aids to the imaginative faculty in such a manner as to deny its use and, on the other hand, to require the child to memorize that which he has not been able to visualize. These subjects must be presented to touch the imagination of the child, make him enthusiastic, and then add fuel to the burning fire that has been lit." Maria Mon (p. 8)

Imagination becomes the driving force of learning. If we can spark an imaginative thought, Second-plane children can run with it. This isn't mere fantasy; it is imagin ing solutions to real problems, imagining the vastness of the universe, and imagining the past. We touch the imagination, and we open

sori, and it's the incredible power of imagination for elementary children, not younger ones. Imagination is something we often attribute to small children. During preschool years we might say, “Look at how much they pretend!” For the elementary years, society expects rote learning of concrete facts; however, as Montessori parents, we recognize that it’s quite the opposite. Young children live in a concrete world and elementary children have boundless imagination.

Montessori Elementary: The Power of Imagination

Maria Montessori observed that small children in the First Plane of development were created to learn and absorb everything around them. From language to their culture, the littlest children are naturally drawn to the basic realities around them. They learn about these realities through their senses. Children in the First Plane manipulate the world around them to learn.

"Touching for the younger child is what imagining is for the older one. On the former

level of the imagination." Maria Montessori, From Childhood to Adolescence (p. 20)

But, once the Second Plane of development hits, the world and its possibilities explode. No longer are children limited by the experiences that they can absorb. They move into abstraction because they can imagine. They can understand things that they cannot possibly hold. They crave big, new, and grand impressions. Maria Montessori goes so far as to call this a "sort of sensory period for the imagination." (From Childhood to Adolescence p. 22)

This is the age to give children more. It is the time to set their interests ablaze through supporting their imagination. It's not the time for just facts, just math problems, just history, or just rules. They are more than that. They are people capable of making connections, seeing the big picture, and the abstraction of all sorts of knowledge.

"Human consciousness comes into the world as a flaming ball of imagination. Everything invented by man, physical or mental, is the

for your elementary-aged child. We can't rely as much on modeling expectations we want to see; we can't hope they are going to observe us and want to follow along. No, we need to harness their imagination and use it to engage our child in their learning of both our family's expectations and academic subjects.

> Introduce more fantasy in media: The second plane of development is the time to introduce fables, myths, and other fantasybased works of fiction. They love it all: big stories, other worlds, and the unreal. It all opens with incredible interest. Find your child's love and go with it.

> Consider the Great Lessons: Even if your child isn't attending a Montessori school, opening the world to elementary-aged children through these incredible stories can help unlock a love of learning. The great lessons can spark the imagination and provide context for what they are learning in school.

> Use stories to teach: Even if you must make them up, there is incredible power

in helping your child make connections through a story. For the elementary-aged child, rules, morals, social manners, and values can be taught by engaging their imagination. When you’re able to do this, you spark a real interest and have a lasting impact on your child.

> Imagine with your child: Take time to imagine with your child. Things like, “What could the consequences be if XYZ happens?” or, “What could a solution to that problem look like?” Children can exercise their creative imaginative powers right alongside you.

> Ask for their help with issues: The imaginative power of elementary kids can lead to some very creative solutions and, some much happier participants, when they have a say in the solution to the problems that involve them.

> Give them time to play, imagine, and create: Playtime isn't just for small children. Don't rush your elementary kid away from open-ended toys, from creating, or from imagining. Don’t overschedule elementary children; make sure they still have time to play.

Montessori parenting is, at its core, about reaching, respecting, and responding to the developmental needs of our children and their unique paths. And, for children in the second plane of development, that is reaching them through the imagination. 

30 Gifts for 30 Years of Tomorrow’s Child

Nicole Kavanaugh is the writer, parent educator, and most importantly, mom behind the Montessori website The Kavanaugh Report. For 11 years, she has shared her family’s Montessori journey with thousands of parents around the world in practical and real ways. She is mother to five Montessori kids, ranging from preteen to infant. Nicole is also the host of the popular Montessori podcast Shelf Help, hosts parenting courses, created a Montessori membership community, and can be found sharing daily Montessori inspiration on Instagram. In addition to sharing Montessori, Nicole loves gardening, children’s books, and a good museum gift shop!

15. Play-Doh™

16. Hula hoop

17. Hugg A Plant Earth

18. Uno + Playing Cards Holder

19. Potholder Loom Kit

20. Kids’ Garden Hand Tools

21. Egg Shaker

22. Jump Rope

23. Classic Rainbow Skwish

24. Wooden Bird Shaker

25. Bolt Block

26. Dynamo Dominoes

27. Playing Cards + Card Games for Kids

28. Tangram Puzzle

29. The Klutz Book of Paper Airplanes

30. MontiKids

And an extra copy of Montessori For Every Family!

1. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

2. The Mitten by Jan Brett

3. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

4. Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton

5. Legos™

6. Wooden Blocks

7. If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff

8. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

9. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

10. Kitchen Science Lab for Kids books: Outdoor, Edible Kitchen, Garden, STEAM

11. Cooking Class: Global Feast

12. The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs

13. Window Washing Activity

14. Beeswax crayons

(and a long, hot summer …)

Movement sits at the very core of Montessori education. Throughout her writings, we find Dr. Montessori advocating for schools to allow and encourage children of every age to move freely indoors and outside, refining the balance, coordination, concentration, strength, and fine- and gross-motor control of their hands and body.

Why the emphasis on physical activity? Montessori believed movement was an essential factor not only in terms of a child’s physical growth and well-being but also for their cognitive development.

The pioneering idea that led Montessori to advocate for bringing movement into the spotlight in education was that children need to move to learn, because learning happens through movement. In her view, mind and body are closely interrelated, and movement plays a vital role in this dynamic relationship.

On the one hand, we gain information from the environment through movement. When discussing the nervous system, Montessori points to the fact that the whole apparatus of the brain, senses, and muscles are often called the ‘system of relationships’ in that it puts us in touch with the outside world. Hence, when children walk across the room carrying the materials for a lesson, they add to their spatial awareness, i.e., the organized perception of the objects and environment around them, as well as of their body and its parts’ positions and orientations in that same space.

Movement helps turn thoughts into action and abstract ideas into concrete experiences, allowing children to learn by doing. Montessori wrote that the hand is the instrument that forms intelligence. She explained that when a child can trace the letters of the alphabet with their hand, the sensory impression that comes

from that movement helps them fix the symbol in their mind faster than if they were only using their sight.

As we often discover, Dr. Montessori was correct and far ahead of her time. Today, neuroscience confirms that movement and cognition are closely connected, with several research studies concluding that physical activity impacts brain development. Science likewise shows that exercise is good for us because it contributes to our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Throughout life, physical activity is translated into many health benefits, such as a stronger heart, bones, and muscles, better posture, and coordination. Beyond physical health, exercise also boosts our emotional well-being, helping build confidence and positive self-esteem and reducing stress.

Staying active has likewise been argued to improve our mental health and even increase our immunity. How is this so? When we are physically active, our body releases what are known as ‘happiness neurochemicals.’ These include dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins. Dopamine is the reward hormone. It is released in the brain when we experience pleasurable moments, as well as when we anticipate or remember them. Music and spontaneous body movements, like dancing, increase our dopamine levels. Dopamine, in turn, helps with motivation and creativity. Oxytocin is the connection hormone released when we contact or bond with others, like when we play with a pet. Oxytocin promotes prosocial behaviors and helps maintain optimism. Serotonin, on its part, allows us to feel emotional happiness and calm.

Physical activity and exercise release serotonin. Serotonin, in turn, boosts our mood, helping prevent anxiety and depression, and it also

by Barbara Murphy, Ph.D.

helps us regulate our sleep-wake cycles, improving sleep. Finally, endorphins are the pain-relief hormones the nervous system produces to cope with discomfort. Like dopamine, endorphins are also responsible for our feelings of pleasure. They are released by exercise, as well as by other activities like meditation.

Movement, then, supports child development and well-being across mind and body. As a form of self-care, it constitutes a foundation for wellness. Still, humanity is more sedentary than ever before in history. When discussing conventional schools in her time, Dr. Montessori spoke against traditional desks because she saw them as restricting child mobility. We are facing a much more significant challenge in terms of movement: an increasing worldwide trend towards sedentarism. That is why, today, more than ever, it is critical for children to develop and maintain the healthy habit of exercising and discover satisfying ways to keep moving when they reach adulthood.

This will become the backbone of their wellness for life. In this sense, Dr. Montessori’s emphasis on the importance of movement seems more relevant than ever.

How can we help children set the basis for an active lifestyle the Montessori way? The best way to approach Montessori's Movement and Physical Education curriculum is from the perspective of building physical literacy.

The International Physical Literacy Association defines physical literacy as “the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life” (IPLA 2017). In Montessori, the goal is to help the child reach their full potential in all areas of life. Through the

concept of physical literacy, we are adopting a holistic perspective, approaching physical education as a preparation for life and building skills that are important for everyday activities. We are also rethinking exercise as a form of self-care, another critical component of Montessori education. By providing the child with opportunities to learn and master fundamental physical skills so they can move with competence and confidence, we are setting the foundation for healthy habits that will support them throughout life.

At the same time, we should ensure that we faithfully apply Montessori principles to support physical development. Hence, for example, in Montessori, we help the child learn independently by providing freedom of movement and choice within a carefully prepared environment, where materials are available for the child to use without us after the proper introduction. Also, to support self-directed learning, lessons need to offer control of error built into the activity whenever possible.

Likewise, in Montessori, we often say that the environment is the best teacher. This means that physical education or movement activities need a properly prepared environment,

organized around areas that offer a variety of engaging and purposeful movement experiences, such as working on balance and proprioception to walk on different surfaces

ibility, with different difficulty levels and possible progressions and variations, to adapt to each child’s unique situation. Along the same line, learning in Montessori takes place in a

without falling. This ‘gym’ environment, like the classroom, should also be balanced by beauty, with a prevalence of natural materials like wood, cork, and cotton, as these are more enticing for the child and enhance the sensory experience.

It is equally essential that the adult adopts a Montessori teaching approach and observation as the core method to identify a child’s needs and interests in different physical activities. Similarly, when preparing movement activities, we must always remember the sensitive periods in physical development to provide children with exercises that add the most value as they develop body awareness and control to master various physical skills. Montessori movement lessons must offer flex-

non-competitive atmosphere, where children develop at their own pace, and all children learn from collaboration and peer learning within a multi-age group. This fosters connection, social skills, and solidarity, which we should preserve and enhance by including, for instance, different community-building exercises.

As Dr. Montessori eagerly stressed, children need movement. They need movement for their cognitive development, to absorb the world around and learn by doing. They also need physical activity for their well-being, which is the backbone of a healthy lifestyle. The current trend towards sedentarism demands that we take a more proactive approach to movement, helping children build physical literacy as the basis for an active life. This means we need to intentionally bring movement back into the spotlight, just like Montessori intended. Physical activity is a cornerstone of learning, a must-have in education, and a form of self-care, a foundation for wellness. In essence, we are championing movement education the Montessori way.

Barbara Murphy is passionate about education. Barbara holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University and a Montessori certificate from CGMS. As the mother of two, she fell in love with Montessori pedagogy while living in Milan, Italy. After moving to Miami, Florida, Barbara founded what is now Montessori Wellness, with the vision of promoting a deeper understanding of the connections among Montessori education and wellness practices, so as to support the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of children and adults alike. As a speaker, Barbara has presented on movement and other wellness topics at several international, national, and regional Montessori conferences.

barbara@montessoriwellness.com

www.montessoriwellness.com

The best way to approach Montessori's Movement and Physical Education curriculum is from the perspective of building physical literacy.

Millie (four) has a satisfied, radiant glow. She is admiring her work after spending two hours in the woodwork area, where she has been engrossed in constructing a bed for a princess. She used the hammer, hand drill, screwdriver, and a small pull-saw. It was a complex process, first designing, then making, adapting, and resolving problems as she went.

She had to adapt, and problem solve, using creative and critical thinking skills throughout; for example, cutting sections of wood so they would be the right size to fit. She joined the four legs but was disappointed to discover that the bed was wobbling. On closer examination, she realized this was because one leg was too long. The next problem was how to remove it, and then how to make it the right length … woodwork certainly throws up lots of problems! Millie finished by elaborately decorating the bed with beads and buttons, ensuring it was a bed fit for a princess.

Millie made a wonderful bed, but what was really ‘made’ was within Millie. Seeing her sense of agency flourish as she put her ideas into action and seeing her confidence grow as she mastered the tools were both clearly visible. We also know that by using the multitude of creative and critical thinking skills involved in the making, new neural connections and pathways will have been established. This is the wonder of woodwork. It can be truly transformational.

If you’re new to woodwork with young children, you may well have some initial concerns. But once some very basic health and safe -

The Wonder of Woodwork

Exercising the Imagination - Big Bang! Small Hands … Big Ideas! Creative Woodwork in Early Childhood Education

by Pete Moorhouse

ty measures are put in place, you’ll see that woodwork is low risk and makes a wonderful addition to early childhood programs. In this article, I’ll give some insight into the value of woodwork and provide some safety pointers for working with young children.

The value of woodwork

There is something special about woodwork. It is so different from other activities. The smell and feel of wood, using real tools, working with a natural material, the sounds of hammering and sawing, hands and minds working together to express their imagination and to solve problems, the use of strength and coordination all go together to captivate young children’s interest.

‘We observe children working with their hands, tinkering, constructing models, and working on projects but, in fact, the real transformation is inside the child – personal development is at the heart of woodwork.’

These are exciting times. Currently, around the world, we are seeing a surge of interest in woodwork within early childhood education, with examples from all corners of the globe. In some schools, this will be starting from scratch; in others, it’s a case of dusting down the workbench and digging out the tools after many years of neglect.

This is very welcome, as the benefits of woodwork run deep. Teachers who provide woodwork regularly observe exceptional levels of sustained engagement, with deep focus, concentration, and perseverance with challenging tasks — especially with complex problem solving. It is not unusual for children to spend all morning at the woodwork bench. Woodwork really engages hands, minds, and hearts.

When we analyze a woodworking session it is extraordinary to see just how much learning is involved. It’s truly holistic, encompassing all areas of learning and development and

invites connections between different aspects of learning. In this sense, woodwork really can be central to the curriculum. It incorporates mathematical thinking, scientific investigation, knowledge of technology, a deepening understanding of the world, as well as physical development, coordination, communication, language, and personal and social development. This is evidenced by research from ‘The Big Bang Research Project’ for which the interim research findings are now available.

Children are particularly drawn in as they explore possibilities, rise to challenges, and find solutions. Woodwork is really unrivalled in terms of providing children with problem-solving opportunities and challenges. With woodwork, children can develop their learning at their own pace and find their own challenges. Once they have mastered basic skills, they move into open-ended exploration — initially tinkering, exploring possibilities, and then starting to make unique creations, drawing on previous experiences and their emerging knowledge of tools.

“The child who concentrates is immensely happy; he ignores his neighbors or the visitors circulating about him. For the time being, his spirit is like that of a hermit in the desert; a new consciousness has been born in him — that of his own individuality.” (Montessori, 1949, p. 273)

Sustainability

In terms of sustainability, woodwork helps counteract the current culture of ‘consume and dispose’ by introducing an understanding of the value of making and repairing. Children also discover how they can re-purpose materials by making models from a selection of recycled wood and other materials. In addition, the understanding of where wood comes from and seeing the beauty of wood can develop respect for the value of wood and inspire us to take responsibility for our shared environment.

Woodwork for all

To ensure equal opportunities, introduce the tools to all children so they all feel comfortable in the woodwork area. In that way, they can make an informed decision as to whether they want to choose to do woodwork. It’s important to acknowledge that there is often gender stereotyping around woodwork and sometimes an assumption that only boys will be interested. However, after an initial introduction, we notice no gender difference in who chooses woodwork. It’s hard to become what you don’t see, so support equality by having books with positive role models of girls and women using tools.

Woodwork captures children’s curiosity, and it has been particularly successful in significantly engaging children who may be less confident and have more difficulty focusing. Giving children a high level of trust and responsibility is empowering, and woodwork so often has been key to unlocking certain children’s learning and really building their self-esteem and confidence.

Establishing your own woodwork provision

Woodwork is perhaps one of the more difficult activities to offer. There is a fair bit of tools, wood, and other materials, such as: corks and bottle tops; nails and screws; sandpaper; safety glasses; and a workbench all need to be sourced. A sturdy workbench is essential as the wood being sawn must be clamped tight in a vice.

When it comes to your toolbox, only four tools are essential for children:

• Hammers

• Hand drills (manual, non-electric drills)

• Screwdrivers

• Pull saws

Having incremental progression is important in responding to each individual child’s stage of development and confidence. Avoid introducing too much challenge too soon.

Introduce the tools in small groups. For younger children, starting with a softer material such as balsa wood makes for a much

more positive initial experience. Gradually, increase the level of challenge; start with small nails, and thin wood to join to blocks before slowly introducing a wider selection of wood sizes and larger nails.

As children gain confidence, woodwork can become a continuous project or be made available to larger groups at specific times. Continuous access gives children more choice and autonomy, but it only works well if you have enough resources, and children can go through a lot of resources fast! What is important is that working with wood is a rich experience, with enough resources to allow complexity in thinking.

Risk

If you have not done woodwork before, it’s natural to feel a little apprehensive! It’s easy to conjure up images of accidents with children wielding saws around! But those who have embraced woodwork find that it’s surprisingly safe. Woodwork is low risk when introduced correctly and basic safety measures are put in place. I have been providing woodworking for young children for over 25 years with no significant incidents. I would advise introducing woodwork from three or four years old.

sponsibility as educators to ensure the physical and emotional care of our children. We need to put in measures to reduce risk, such as using the most appropriate tools and taking proper safety precautions.

Key Health and Safety

• Safety glasses must be worn at all times to eliminate the risk of eye injury. Children are more comfortable and are safer in safety glasses than chunky goggles.

• Ensure children are given instruction on the correct use of all tools. Take time to discuss safety together and draw attention to hazards. Children need to understand why health and safety measures are put in place.

• Monitor sawing with a 1:1 ratio. Ensure no children are watching from in front of the sawing area. The teacher should stand in this area to prevent other children from getting close to the saw. Pull saws (held with both hands) are easier and safer for young children. After use, the saw is to be put out of reach. Wood is always to be clamped in a vice when being sawn. An adult must check that the vice is clamped tight.

• Hammering follows gentle taps to get the nail standing up. Then hold the wood well away from the nail before hammering hard. Embed this practice right from day one.

• Be sure to check wood for splinters. We need to limit exposure to splinters. Avoid rough splintery wood. Sand the edge after sawing if rough.

We are now seeing a more balanced attitude to risk. Health and safety measures should enable children to experience new opportunities safely, not deny them. It is important that children get to experience risk within controlled experiences, as they need to learn to understand and manage risk. This way they learn to self-manage and make decisions and judgments to better protect themselves in the future. Giving children a high level of trust and responsibility is also empowering, and woodwork so often has been key to unlocking certain children’s learning and building their self-esteem and confidence.

Of course, health and safety does need to be taken seriously. After all, it is our prime re-

• Children should be monitored at all times, initially with close supervision. When children are confident using tools, ratios can be relaxed and they can work independently, with the exception of sawing which is always done with a 1:1 ratio. A staff member should always remain within line of vision of the woodworking area.

Final thoughts

Woodwork is a symbolic language of shape, form, and space. It encompasses a way of working that develops over time as children express their ideas with increasing fluency and complexity. As children tinker and experiment and then construct, create, and explore narratives, these experiences can combine to

build rich foundations for children’s healthy emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Woodwork can promote an experimental mindset, and, at the workbench, children ‘become’ innovators, makers, sculptors, tinkerers, engineers, and architects.

“As children make with wood, they will be learning skills that will empower them to shape their world.”

Woodwork is certainly a very popular activity and incorporates so much learning – a real win-win. It would be wonderful for all children to have this opportunity to flourish at the woodwork bench.

WOODWORK TRAINING & RESOURCES

Irresistible Learning

irresistible-learning.co.uk/woodwork

The Big Bang Project

www.youtu.be/OZkr5X-CqRE

Learning Through Woodwork

by Pete Moorhouse

Contact: studio@petemoorhouse.co.uk

10 Benefits of Montessori

by Montessori Foundation Staff

If no one has asked you how Montessori will benefit your child, or will Montessori benefit your child, they have probably thought of it. In fact, you may have asked yourself the very same question. Why choose an education that is an alternative to traditional education?

Let’s examine ten reasons we may choose Montessori for our family.

6. Free from predefined times for activities, Montessori children delve into subjects that inspire them and are able to feel the intrinsic reward of seeing a task through to completion, without being cut off because that class has ended.

Pete Moorhouse is an Early Year’s creative consultant and artist educator. As an artist, Pete is a professional sculptor, and he has worked in education for over 30 years. His work in schools is centered around nurturing children's creativity. Pete is an associate trainer for Early Education and deliverers training both nationally and overseas.

Pete was awarded an honorary Research Fellow at the Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol, and is currently researching the impact of woodwork in ‘The Big Bang Research Project’. Pete is the UK's leading authority on woodwork in Early Years education and has written several books and journal articles, including Learning through Woodwork (Routledge). Pete won the national award (2019) from the Creative Learning Guild for his work promoting creativity in education. He was awarded a Churchill Fellowship Award (2022) for his international research and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

1. Learning is child-centered and individualized. A similar curriculum to traditional schools is taught, often in a different order, and children move through the curriculum at their own pace. Teachers observe and guide students as needed to develop mastery, rather than following a timeline for learning set by others.

2. With the freedom and support to question deeply, they learn to think critically and act boldly, developing the ability to lead with respect and consideration.

3. By giving students a choice of activities, they develop their executive function skills, making choices on their own, learning to wait and take turns, and developing self-discipline and motivation.

4. The guided independent approach to learning allows Montessori students to become confident, enthusiastic selflearners. Teachers observe, monitor, and guide children to make good choices to progress their learning.

5. There is limited standardized testing, and it is most often used as a way to observe as well as a practical life skill. Children are motivated by and measured against their own achievements, not those of others.

7. As students are active contributors to the classroom and the teacher their guide, there are more opportunities for cooperation and collaborative working among students of all ages.

8. Montessori focuses on the whole child, with social and emotional development equal to the academic curriculum. Learning to work with others, take turns, lead with respect, speak up, and consider needs outside their own prepares children to be global citizens.

9. The focus is on the key developmental stages of the child, with learning activities and materials designed to further develop key milestones. Neither introducing subjects or skills their brain and body are not prepared for, nor requiring them to stay with information and skills they have already mastered, allows children to reach their own full potential.

10. Montessori is hands-on learning with materials that enable self-correction and self-assessment. Auto-correcting materials (the largest cylinder does not fit in the smallest space) allow children to develop confidence in their own learning and become the developer of their own knowledge rather than go to an adult and drink from their fountain of knowledge. 

Advice from Montessori Family Alliance Friends

by Friends of the Montessori Family Alliance

Reaching out to a friend who has children

a bit older than yours can be a very comfortable way to get advice about your own parenting. When you are a part of the Montessori Family Alliance, the people to reach out to have very helpful pieces of advice.

Christine Lowry

Being a parent is both the most challenging and rewarding thing we can do. My advice is to respect your child's sense of dignity. Children (especially young children) have a remarkable sense of self-worth, self-direction for their own growth, a sense of their value as people, and being worthy of honor and respect.

I had a sense of its importance as a parent but didn't have the right language for it until I partnered with parents in my school. We often underestimate our children's rich emotional life; their natural attunement to us, to their environment, and to the world; their need to explore, do it themselves; and struggle until they get it without our help. Their ‘inner guide’ is the motivation for everything they do. Sometimes, they ‘push back,’ and we feel that they are challenging us. Perhaps, if we could take just a moment to reflect on our child's intense sense of dignity, we could more easily let go of our need now and see their need in a different light.

simple frozen pizza and evolved into family-made pizza as the children got older and could cook. The games could have started out very short and simple and grown into more challenging games as the children grew. Initially, we could have included just our nuclear family, embracing their friends and other family members when they were tweens or teens. Perhaps this prediction would have carried over into their own families.

Other traditions might have included special breakfasts that we all helped plan, cook, and enjoyed on holidays, days off from school, snow days, etc. Remember, it only takes doing something twice for it to become a beloved family tradition. This could also have been true for something special after school on the last day of the school year or the first morning the family wakes up on summer vacation. I had a friend who said that weeks, months, and years needed to have "punctuation in the book of life." Looking forward to doing things together helps a family want to spend time together, which is so important.

answers. We eventually found what worked best for our family and what felt right for us. In addition, I also felt a responsibility to help our children live as themselves as much as possible.

By trying to fabricate experiences, read books, and schedule playdates, I tried to force their development too much and redirect their personalities. It didn't happen at any moment in my parenting, but just gradually, over time, I realized that I had to trust what my wife and I were doing. Our children would be exactly who they were meant to be, and, to an extent, their personalities were hard-wired. I felt that I could breathe more and just trust my children's growth. It took about five or six years and a few children to learn that, but hey, who's counting?

Allowing children to make their own decisions and helping them to accept the natural consequences, positive or negative, of their decisions is my best parenting advice. As parents, we support our children by modeling decision making and helping them weigh the possible outcomes. Sometimes, allowing children to fail is what allows them to grow.

David Rotberg, Guide at Pines Montessori, Houston, TX

My wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and, instantly, we were parents. As a new parent, a new part of me seemed to come alive; a part of me that I didn't know even existed.

Lorna McGrath The Montessori Foundation

Cathie Perolman Montessori Teacher Educator

If I had the chance to enhance my family, I would have created more family traditions during our younger years. We would have started with a weekly family pizza dinner and game night. This could have started with very

As a young parent, I began to feel that I needed to ‘know’ how to raise a child ‘the right way.’ I read countless books about raising girls. We tried so many things, and yet none of it felt natural because it wasn't us. We were just doing exactly what the books told us to do.

We spoke with friends and mentors who had older children (or were empty nesters) and asked for their advice/wisdom. Well, fast forward three more children (all boys), and we discovered there was not that one book, that one class, or that one person with all the

When your child seems to be struggling with something, it can become an ongoing struggle, weighing them down or weakening their self-confidence. Talk to them. Help them with their self-talk and assure them that everyone struggles with something. Most things can be overcome with practice, time, support from others, and determination.

Be empathetic without trying to make it all better. They must do that. Don’t pity them; instead, be confident when they are not. Show them your strength, patience, and willingness to receive help from others. Let them know, “You/we got this!”

The Montessori Foundation

Margot Garfield-Anderson

The Montessori Foundation (retired)

My best advice to parents and grandparents is not to spoil anyone with things; instead, be invested and present when you have time with them. Bring them to places to show them there’s a world out there. Expose them to all the arts; take them on nature walks and teach them how to fix something when it’s broken or how to put something together. My favorite is to get them into the kitchen to cook— anything that helps them unplug from those devices. Help them learn to be of service in their communities.

I try to do this with my four granddaughters as well. We do art projects, listen to musicals, watch old movies, play board games, and do puzzles. We knit or crotchet, we paper mâché, we go to museums and science centers; we are going on a cave exploration this summer. I try to create times they will want to replicate and look back upon with the fondest of memories.

As we get the occasional texts from our college-aged kids that read, “Thanks for teaching me how to do my laundry and cook,” or “Thanks for teaching me how to do hard things,” we are grateful for the lessons learned as new parents. Letting go of perfection-oftask thinking to make way for independenthuman-in-development activities was the best decision we made as parents. And, once we understood that anything could be broken into smaller steps towards a larger goal, we created a home environment that allowed our children to become confident and selfsufficient. This worked for driving practice, talk practice, form-completion practice, and more. As James and I look towards retirement, we wonder what practical-life lessons lay in store for us, too. We are eager to learn and set practical-life goals for ourselves as well.

If I could go back to my children’s preschool years, I’d throw my expectations (and everyone else’s) out the window and watch my child show me their full potential. In schools, I hear many parents say, “He should be…” or “I wish she could…” or “When she does ….” My advice to parents is to eliminate should from your vocabulary and let your child blossom at their own unique pace.

Cheryl Allen

The Montessori Foundation

Family meetings, held regularly, give every person in the family a chance to be a part of decisions and solutions. Knowing that your topic of concern or interest will be addressed goes a long way in helping to develop confidence. Having a voice in the family can make connections stronger and allow the family to work together.

Dr. Nora Faris Montessori Guide, NewGate School

One of the most revelatory experiences for me as a mom and as a person new to Montessori was just how wonderful the notion of Practical Life could be. As a new mom coming to Montessori twenty years ago, I was amazed as I observed what the children in the Primary classrooms could do by themselves. Not only did James (my husband) and I enroll the children in a Montessori school as fast as they would let us, but we left determined to see what else they could do for themselves at home, which turns out to be a lot! Adopting the motto “If you can do it for yourself, you should” has truly helped our children develop into the confident, capable young adults they have become.

Through my time as a parent and a Montessori educator, I’ve learned many things I wish I could have put into practice when my children were young. As a child, I was a Montessori student, and as an adult, I became a Montessori educator. Therefore, I was very knowledgeable of the “Montessori Method” and did my best to parent along a similar path. Now that my kids are teenagers and I have life experience and more training, I’ve learned a few things I wish I’d done when my kids were young.

Many parents think we know what’s best for our children. Although my heart was in the right place, I often forgot to listen to my child, both through their words and through their actions. Most parents think a three-year-old still needs a nap and a four-year-old needs to eat at each meal. We think a seven-year-old should know how to read, and a ten-year-old should know how to speak kindly to a friend. We often spend a great amount of time trying to control our child’s behaviors. What I encourage others to do is to observe, model, follow, and guide.

Renee Duchainey-Farkes

The Montessori Foundation

I would advise parents to be focused on a partnership with the school and the teachers, because we are all working for a common purpose: the child. Parents should attend as many school events as possible, even those that are not focused specifically on their child; it helps build school community.

Share expectations and goals for your child with the teacher and get affirmation that these are the right ones for your child. Learn from your child's teacher.

Share your family's culture, values, and parenting practices with your child's teacher. Attend PTA meetings and get involved, if you can, to support the school to be the best place for children. Actively help teachers and the school to recruit volunteer parents to help. 

Tammy Willen Head of School, Bay Montessori School (Lexington Park, MD)

A Joyful Experience

by Thetu Kishoiyian

It was the Spring of 2007, and my husband, Bernard, and I were among the multitude of parents looking for a preschool for our eager learner, who was not quite three years yet.

I suspect that this was the year that the children in our city outnumbered the preschools. Lucky for me, I overheard a parent at the park recounting an amazing experience at a Montessori school in Sarasota, FL. I was determined to find this particular school and to explore what Montessori was.

On a beautiful morning in mid-May, our daughter Victoria, Bernard, and I had our first visit to the NewGate School. We met with its wonderful Director, Lorna McGrath. I believe at that time, they had two spots open in the Primary (age 3-6) classroom. We were chaperoned around the campus by one of the parents called an ambassador, who had raised all four of her children through the Montessori curriculum. The campus was small, but we felt it was the perfect size for our daughter.

Victoria and I spent the rest of the summer stopping by the school once a week to get a little preview in anticipation of our starting the new school year that fall.

August came around finally! Victoria’s assigned classroom teacher, affectionately known as Ms. Mini, came over to our home to visit and to get to know her before school commenced. I thought that was a nice process to break the ice, so to speak.

Then the first day arrived for Victoria to go to school! The students' assigned start dates were staggered to allow for a better, less stressful, more peaceful transition. Victoria couldn’t wait; she was (and still is) a keen learner.

After a few weeks had gone by, we knew that we had made the right choice. Victoria was having a great experience. She would come home bathed in sand from head to toe and with an orange rind in her fingernails from cutting oranges for snack time. It was awesome. We knew that she was fully immersed in exploring and learning.

Over the time that we spent at the NewGate School during our daughter's Elementary years, we saw her growth as an independent young lady; her ability to collaborate on projects as a team player; her insatiable curiosity to investigate and understand concepts; and her love of volunteering and contributing to her community.

While she left before middle school to attend a special program offered by the public schools, we were grateful for the Montessori formative learning that will continue to yield success throughout our daughter's life. 

Thetu Kishoiyian is the mother of a former Montessori student and a friend of NewGate Montessori School.

Editor’s note: For many years, Victoria was a student at the NewGate School (the Montessori Foundation’s Lab School in Sarasota, FL). She is currently studying at Harvard University and enjoying writing for their newspaper, The Crimson.

HAVE WE FORGOTTEN HOW TO PLAY?

by Maria Eva Chaffin

Iremember climbing the mango tree that grew behind my building as a child. I lived in a large metropolitan city and would beg my grandma to let me play behind the building with my friend. With the slightest nod of her head, I would squeal with excitement and fly down the stairs to the fourth floor where my best friend lived. I would ring and knock until I could, once again, beg whoever answered to let her play with me. Again, with the slightest nod, we both arrived at the ground floor, barely touching a step on the way down.

I have the greatest memories of my childhood climbing that mango tree with just a salt shaker and my friend. We would sit and talk, play, and eat fresh mangos straight from the tree. Now, 30 years later, I can still recall and feel the pleasure of that time in the tree. I can still smell the sweet ripe fruit and recall unexplainable and seemingly unimportant details from those cherished experiences.

I know each of you has your own unique and special memories of playing as a child. You can recall an amazing time when you rode your bike on the street, rolled down a grassy hill, jumped into a pile of leaves, or built a sandcastle at the beach. I grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, and I spent countless hours and days playing with my friends in the street, climbing trees, and even walking every afternoon to the bakery with my grandma to buy bread for dinner. These memories are so precious to me, just as your unique childhood play experiences and memories are precious to you.

But we weren’t just playing, we were learning, and we were learning a lot! There is something amazing about play. When you expe-

rience pleasure, you become more driven to repeat that activity. And the more we repeat it, the more opportunities we must master it. With mastery of anything, from the most basic skill to the most complex, we experience self-accomplishment and the pride and individual confidence that result from it.

Playing is a critical part of our learning process. But play has to be fun. If something is not fun, it’s not play.

such as creativity, abstract thought, prosocial behavior, and expressive language”.

Let’s dive just a bit deeper and investigate what is really happening in the brain when a child is playing. Bruce Perry is a psychiatrist and Founder of the Child Trauma Academy, and through his research, he explains how kids develop through play.

Human brains are super organized, so let’s imagine a staircase in your brain. Our brains start developing on the bottom stair and systematically progress up the staircase. The bottom stair is the BRAINSTEM, which is the basic building block of the brain.

According to Perry, the Brainstem establishes (body) state regulation and is responsible for controlling body temperature, blood pressure, heart rates, sleep, and fear.

To develop the Brainstem and this critical first stair, Perry recommends playing games, such as peekaboo and frequently introducing new and different tactile and taste sensations.

Let’s look at why play is so critical to learning and cognitive development. Play serves as a crucial mechanism that enables the brain to develop neurological systems that play a key role in cognitive awareness, improved learning, and physical, social, and emotional well-being. Gaskill and Perry (2014), in their article “The Neurobiological Power of Play,” said that “Developmental theorists generally have viewed play as an essential experiential element of social, emotional, physical, intellectual, and psychological development. The ‘somatosensory’ experiences in some play activities have been viewed as the neurological foundations for later advanced mental skills,

The second stair is the MIDBRAIN, this part of the brain is responsible for the regulation of movement (motor skills) and the sensory integration of our brain. Play that involves gross- and fine-motor skills and music is well suited to help develop the Midbrain.

The third step in the brain staircase is the LIMBIC. The Limbic area is all about our emotions. I know many of you are thinking, “Yes, EMOTIONS, tell me more!” It is the Limbic portion of the brain that processes emotions, such as tolerance, belonging, and empathy, as well as how we react to a situa-

PLAYING IS A CRITICAL PART OF OUR LEARNING PROCESS. BUT PLAY HAS TO BE FUN. IF SOMETHING IS NOT FUN, IT’S NOT PLAY.

tion and regulate our feelings. It’s at this level of development that our brains start understanding and comprehending the complex dynamics of relationships and all those social-emotional skills that we need to live and function in society.

Once again, play is a critical component in the development of the brain’s Limbic system. Play that involves taking turns, sharing, winning, and losing will all work together to promote the development of this step in the brain staircase.

Our final level in the staircase is the CORTICAL area of the brain. As you might imagine, this is the most complex stage of development, where we see the child engaging in abstract thoughts, creativity, language, and morality. It’s at this stage that Perry notes that Cortical development is supported by playing complex games, humor, art, books, word games, etc.

So now we’ve reached the top of the brain staircase, and through play, our children have developed the ability to control their emotions and think in the abstract.

But what about executive functioning skills, and where do they come from?

Executive functioning is responsible for several skills that involve working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. Basically, these skills act like our own internal ‘boss’ and tell us what to do. The ‘boss’ should be able to help us pay attention, keep and recall information, organize, regulate our emotions and internal clock, and keep track of what we are doing.

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University says, “These skills are crucial for learning and development. They also enable positive behavior and allow us to make healthy choices for ourselves and our families.”

The important thing to remember is that we were not born with the ‘boss’; we must learn, practice, and develop these executive functioning skills throughout childhood.

These (executive function) boss’ skills live in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, and studies show that they begin to develop as early as age 3 and will normally continue to develop through the age of 21.

Perry and Baylor said in their research, "Curiosity, Pleasure, and Play: A Neurodevelopmental Perspective," that “while enjoying their play, children can acquire a wide range of interpersonal/social skills, ranging from communication to cooperation. When children argue about who stepped ‘out of bounds’ and agree upon a ‘do-over,’ they are learning how to negotiate, compromise, and work together.”

If play is so closely related to brain growth and development, and our prefrontal cortex (executive function) ‘boss’ skills are a result of all that playing, then we need to make sure our tiny humans are doing a lot more playing! It’s just that simple. Both in our education system and our own home, we need to implement and promote more playtime.

As Maria Montessori said, “Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment.” Let’s come together as parents and teachers and go out into the world to explore, be curious, and play more!

REFERENCE

All the play that we engage in as children, even as a toddler, contributes to the development of strong executive functioning skills— or a really good ‘boss.’

With play being so important for our children, what are we waiting for? Why are we so laser-focused on rigid academic regimes and structured activities? Have we forgotten how to play?

More play time could better serve the academic and social development of our precious tiny humans. Since we now know the importance of play, let’s ask ourselves, as parents and teachers: How can we use play to better promote and foster childhood development? How can we make things more fun? How can we add more play time to our schedule? How can we remember how to play?

As Montessori educators and parents, we know and recognize the importance of playing, but sometimes we forget that play is such a critical part of the learning process and developing effective executive functioning skills.

Maria Montessori said that “play is the work of the child,” and by giving the child the opportunity to play and explore, we help the brain to grow. “Only through freedom and environmental experience is it practically possible for human development to occur” (Montessori, 1967).

So, what have we learned, and what is our takeaway?

Center on the Developing Child (2012). Executive Function (InBrief). Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu.

Montessori, M. (2016, originally 1949). The absorbent mind. Amsterdam: Montessori-Pierson Publishing.

Perry, B., & Baylor, S. (200-). “Curiosity, Pleasure, and Play: a Neurodevelopmental Perspective.” HAAEYC Advocate, 9-12.

Maria Eva Chaffin is the founder, owner, and director of Seeds of Life Montessori Academy, an inclusive school serving children from 18 months to 12 years old. Originally from Venezuela, she currently holds two master’s degrees in education and is currently completing her doctoral research on special needs and Montessori as well as a AMS Montessori Teacher Certification in early childhood. Her extensive teaching experience includes over 23 years working with neurodiverse children. She is a published co-author on the subject and has been invited to present at Montessori events around the country and host regular teacher education web sessions to help teachers and administrators around the world deliver the best Montessori experience possible. First and foremost, she loves being a Montessori educator and her passion for all children is endless. After years of experience teaching children, adults, and those with special needs, she remains convinced that the Montessori Method is the best way for children to learn.

Cooking Grammie’s Chicken Soup

by Margot Garfield-Anderson

It’s hard to believe that I began writing for Tomorrow’s Child thirteen years ago! While running a conference for the Montessori Foundation/IMC in California, my daughter went into labor ten days early up in Rochester, New York. Devastated that I was not in place and on time, the new parents Skyped me and (unknown to the joyous couple), several dozen conference attendees and exhibitors into the delivery room as the baby was swaddled and held up to the camera. There she was, my first grandchild, eyes wide open, looking at all these people crying and clapping and sharing in the miracle of her arrival.

Over the years, three more granddaughters arrived, and I always had a great deal of material to share with the grandparents of Montessori families. My goals have always been to create memories and traditions while enticing the children to join me in cooking projects, reading, art projects, learning trips, and adventures.

I’ve since retired, but the Montessori Family Alliance has asked that I continue to write and share helpful and fun-filled ideas with our subscribers. Now here I am, back on the computer, deciding what should come first in what I hope will be a series of articles and podcasts.

I’ll start by making a few declarations:

• I’m a grandparent first and a pseudo-writer second.

• I’m passionate about healthy eating, but I’m not a certified dietician or nutrition specialist. However, my daughter Nicole is both a board-certified Dietician and Sports Nutritionist and a classically trained chef. She’s agreed to work with me on that component of any information I share.

• I think children who receive a Montessori education are the most fortunate group of children possible.

So, let’s get started with an anecdote about my two New Jersey granddaughters and Nicole. In January, Nicole and her husband were off on a trip, and I flew from my home in Florida to stay with the girls. While there, I was planning on making my homemade Jewish Chicken Soup for a sick friend who lived not far from their home. (My recipe and directions are shared with you in a sidebar.)

Years ago, I realized how messy and unpleasant deboning the chicken was to me, and no matter how careful I was, chicken skin always ended up in the broth, and NO ONE liked that! I purchased unbleached cheesecloth, seasoned my

chicken with the cloth underneath, and then tied the four corners together. When the soup was ready, I simply lifted the cheesecloth and put it into a bowl, untied the knots, deboned the chicken, and tied up all the bones, skin, and other parts I wasn't using up and discarded them. Voila! No mess and so much easier to clean up.

My granddaughters were having a friend over for dinner and asked if they could taste the soup. They all really liked it (disclosure here, they all had been eating non-homemade soup, and I try not to judge too hard on that one) and asked if they could have more. Each ended up having three bowls that night and more the next day. WOW. That doesn’t happen too often, so I’ll take the win.

Several days after I had come back home, my daughter called me super early in the morning to ask, “How did you make the soup? The girls want Grammie’s Jewish Chicken Soup.” I’ll admit it, I took a moment to revel in it and then shared my recipe that included the use of cheesecloth. Throughout her prepping and making the soup, there were questions about how long to cook, the temperature, and covered or not covered. (I’ve tried to update my recipe instructions to include all this information.)

She shared a picture with me of her finished product and she was officially declared a maker of soup.

A few days after that, Aubrey (age 10) and I were visiting by FaceTime, and I asked her, “How did mommy’s soup taste? In her deep raspy voice, she came in real close to the camera and said, “Not as good as yours, Grammie.” I asked her why because I was quite surprised that the results would be that much different. “Too many noodles.” That was quite a shocker, as well, because this is a child who loves her pasta. Thinking about this, I have made one other adjustment in the directions to caution you not to put the noodles in the soup while it’s cooking. Instead, prepare the noodles separately, without overcooking them, and put a small portion of noodles in each bowl and then top it off with the soup. Lessons learned all the way around.

Not all parents or grandparents have the time or desire to make homemade soup. I get it, we are all busy, or our interests don’t happen to take us

into the kitchen. I’ve made my own soup for over 40 years, and over the years, I’ve had to take a few shortcuts myself. For instance, I buy low-sodium, organic chicken bone broth. In the past, I spent two days just making chicken stock and then making soup. The bone broth adds more flavor than regular stock and has way more protein. Because I use low-sodium broth, I can add a small amount of salt if it’s needed, but most won’t even notice the reduction, and that’s a win in the health column as well.

By not putting the noodles in the soup, you can control the portion of the carbohydrates. Most of us eat a lot of carbs during the day that come from highly processed, salt and sugar-laden foods, so cutting down on pasta is another win for the health column.

These are small adjustments, because totally changing eating habits all at once is guaranteed to not be a winner in your family. Slowly make the changes by introducing them into all areas of meals and snacks. The benefits to children are

Grammie’s Chicken Soup Recipe

1 whole chicken

1-2 lbs peeled carrots

1 large head of celery (I prefer the hearts; they aren't as bitter)

1 large bunch of fresh dill

1/2 med sweet onion

3 containers low-sodium chicken bone broth

1 large square of unbleached cheesecloth garlic powder, paprika, and pepper to taste

Cut your cheesecloth so it's big enough to cradle the chicken and set it flat in your clean sink. Remove the gizzards, heart, and liver from the wrapping and put them back in the chicken. Season both sides of the chicken with all dry ingredients. If you don't want the dill in the stock, add it as well with the stems on. If you like in the stock, remove the stems, and put it in the stock.

Tie the 4 corners of the cheesecloth together, so you've formed a sling for the chicken.

significant. They help our children feel better; have better body image; have healthier eating habits, focus, and concentration; and have fewer mood swings.

I hope all grandparents will take the time to share traditions and recipes with their grandchildren and revel in the time they get to spend together. It goes by way too quickly. There will come a point in their lives when they may not want to do these kinds of things, so be present when with them and get cooking! 

Margot Garfield-Anderson has been with the Montessori Foundation for 16 years working in many capacities within the organization. She is a regular contributor to the publication Tomorrow's Child with her column entitled, "The Grandparent's Corner." Her role as grandmother to four adorable granddaughters, using the Montessori way of life, has been her greatest joy.

Cut the carrots, onions, and celery and put them in a large soup pot. Add the bone broth, then season the pot with the same ingredients as the chicken. Cover and bring to a boil.Once it’s boiling, place the chicken in the cheesecloth into the pot. Reduce heat to a simmer keeping it covered. Simmer for 2-3 hours.

Remove from heat and uncover. Allow the soup to cool for a bit before deboning the chicken. Pick the chicken bundled in cheesecloth up by the knots and put it into a shallow bowl. When you undo the cheesecloth, you can debone it, separating the chicken from the skin bone and large pieces of fat, which keeps them from making their way into the broth. Then wrap up the bones and discard them. I often take the legs and wings and broil them off so as not to waste them, since we usually don't put those into the broth.

Serve over cooked pasta so that each person can have their own “right” amount.

Embracing the Future

by Jennie Caskey, NewGate School

It is vital that educators prepare students not for the world we grew up in, nor even the world as it appears today; rather, we need to prepare for a world that does not yet exist and which we cannot possibly predict.

With that in mind, I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been thinking deeply about the long-term impacts of the emergence of several machine-learning platforms over the past few months. Especially recently, as news of one of the latest, ChatGPT, has gone “viral.”

At home, my software engineer (and digital native) husband has been exploring various machine learning platforms for several months as word has spread in his field about these latest developments. I observed as he used DALL-E, another digital platform, to generate uncanny, beautiful, and oddly specific images from written prompts. I listened as he shared his interactions with the conversational, entirely text based ChatGPT.

I admit, at first, I brushed off his conviction that these were the first signs of a pivotal moment in the history of humanity; but he’d planted the seed, and quickly, it grew.

Despite my open-minded stance and commitment as an educator, I was reticent. This kind of stuff is pretty far outside my knowledge base. To people like my husband, I’m considered a bit of a Luddite (aka technophobe), and I was sure that these things were too much for me to understand—too complicated for me to interact with meaningfully. Now, I don’t know about you, but the moment I could acknowl-

edge that fear, I had to press pause and take a step back. I don’t want to fall into the trap of allowing unfamiliarity or uncertainty to create a barrier to entry when it comes to innovation.

It sounds like you're trying to describe the digital divide that can occur between generations or groups that have varying levels of exposure and comfort with technology. Essentially, if one generation or group is slower to adapt to new technologies, they can become increasingly left behind as the world around them becomes more reliant on those technologies. This can lead to feelings of disconnection, confusion, and even frustration or anxiety for those who struggle to keep up with the pace of change. As technology continues to evolve and become more integrated into our daily lives, this divide can become even wider, making it even more challenging for those who are slow to adapt to catch up.

Well, that settles it. Now more than ever, it is vital for us, as Montessori parents and educators, to renew our commitment to lifelong learning and embracing innovation. For me, that means diving headfirst into a topic that scares me and trying to make sense of it all.

What even is ChatGPT?

To answer that question, I decided to go straight to the source and ask! Here’s what ChatGPT had to say about itself:

I am a computer program designed to understand natural language and generate responses that are relevant and helpful to people who ask me questions. Think of me as

a digital assistant that you can ask anything, and I will try my best to provide you with the most accurate and informative answer based on my training and knowledge.

The question of how it works is a pretty big one, and somewhat mysterious even to the most informed, but after chatting with it (as well as doing my own research and listening to others more informed than myself), what I found helpful for my own understanding is this:

I was trained using a deep learning algorithm, specifically the transformer architecture. My training data consists of a large corpus of text from various sources, including books, articles, and websites. During training, I was presented with sequences of text and learned to predict the next word in the sequence based on the context provided by the previous words. This process was repeated millions of times over a period of several weeks, during which my neural network gradually became better at generating text that sounded natural and coherent. After training, I was fine-tuned on specific tasks and domains to improve my performance on those tasks.

Not sure where to begin?

Here’s a few ideas:

– Copy a document or article and ask ChatGPT to summarize the main idea for you (Want to get really fancy? Ask it to format the summary in bullet points.)

– Ask ChatGPT to rewrite a passage at a specific reading level.

– Share an assignment and learning goal with ChatGPT, and ask it to write.

It’s important to note that ChatGPT, the program that assisted me with this article, is not connected to the internet. The platform is accessible through OpenAI.com, the research organization responsible for its invention. It has access to the data it was trained on (which is vast) but otherwise is mainly limited to the context within each individual conversation it has. This makes it a different kind of tool

Photo created with AI

than you may anticipate, and it should not be confused with its new cousin, the ChatGPTbased AI recently added to Microsoft’s search engine, Bing.com.

If you want to take a deeper look at ChatGPT’s language model, or any language model, I recommend What is ChatGPT Doing and Why Does it Work? by

Stephen Wolfram.

ChatGPT as an Assistive Tool

So… what can it do? Plenty. Since its release in late November 2022, people have found countless applications for its assistive technologies. In the week that I’ve played with it, I’ve used it mostly as a sounding board for my ideas, to help me brainstorm solutions to problems, and even to outline this article (along with a few other topics of interest). It has helped me process information from complex texts, reformat notes, and adapt content for different age groups and targeted skills.

Of course, the nature of a tool like this is that there is some trial and error for each user to discover its strengths and weaknesses (and it does have weaknesses). ChatGPT can make mistakes! In its own words:

As an AI language model, I can make mistakes in understanding the context of the question, interpreting the intent of the question, and generating an accurate response. This can be due to limitations in my training data or biases in the language used in the question. For example, if a question contains a reference to a cultural event or phenomenon that I am not familiar with, I may not be able to provide a relevant response. Additionally, I may generate responses that are factually incorrect or inappropriate based on the context of the question.

I find myself thinking of the tool as an incredibly supportive friend—one who hears your ideas and will do what it can to help you further them. By letting it reduce my mental load (as one of my own supportive friends would put it), I have found new depths to my ideas that might otherwise never have had the chance to reach the surface. Let’s be honest: Doesn’t every teacher and parent wish there was just a little bit less on their plate? Maybe ChatGPT can help.

Playful Learning

Look, machine learning platforms like ChatGPT are only going to advance further. There’s no telling exactly how machine learning platforms like ChatGPT will influence our future, but we can rest assured that they will be deeply entwined in our children’s and student’s lives. Let’s not work against this, and let’s not fear working for this. Instead, let us work with these developments. To best support our students as the next generation of digital natives, we need to familiarize ourselves with each exciting innovation as it rolls out.

I urge you to consider this as part of your own spiritual preparation. If we agree that we must cultivate our commitment to ongoing personal growth and development, we must also model our commitment to lifelong learning and a willingness to embrace innovation. By showing our students that we are willing to explore new technologies and learn alongside them, we can inspire them to become lifelong learners and innovators themselves. We must be willing to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from our failures. This is how we can create a culture of innovation in our classrooms (and homes) and prepare our students for a future that is constantly evolving.

Maybe you’ll find use for ChatGPT as a planning tool, as a helpful processing partner, or as a tool for differentiated instruction. Maybe, like me, you’ll find a creative outlet. Maybe you’ll discover something entirely different! I’m not here to tell you exactly how to use ChatGPT, nor any other platform like it. I’m not suggesting you should use it in your classroom or home, have your child use it, or even that you must use it for prep work. If you are truly committed to lifelong learning, though, and want to embrace the innovation that Montessori is so renowned for inspiring, I recommend you take some time to just … play.

To check out ChatGPT for yourself, visit OpenAI.com/blog/ChatGPT

Want to hear a traditional English teacher’s take? Check out the New York Time’s Hard Fork podcast episode, ChatGPT Transforms a Classroom and is ‘M3GAN’ Real? 

Our experience with ChatGPT

We gave ChatGPT a query,“Tell me about Montessori education,” and this is the answer we got:

Montessori education is an educational approach developed by Italian physician and educator Dr. Maria Montessori. It is based on the philosophy that children learn best when they are allowed to explore and discover things on their own in a carefully prepared environment. Montessori education emphasizes the development of the whole child, including their cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development.

In a Montessori classroom, children are encouraged to work independently and at their own pace, using specially designed materials and activities that are hands-on and interactive. The classroom is arranged into different areas, such as Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Mathematics, and Cultural Studies. Each area is designed to help children develop specific skills and knowledge.

The role of the teacher in a Montessori classroom is to observe and guide children, rather than instructing or directing them. Teachers help children develop their own interests and strengths and encourage them to pursue their own learning goals. Montessori education is based on the belief that children are naturally curious and eager to learn, and that they learn best when they are given the freedom to explore and discover things on their own. It is designed to help children develop a lifelong love of learning and to prepare them for success in all areas of their lives.

Jennie Caskey supports the Elementary program at NewGate, the Montessori Foundation’s lab school, offering co-curricular classes in physical education, art, cooking, music, and teaching and supporting the eLearning classes. Jennie earned her B.A. in Liberal Arts at New College of Florida, with a concentration in Comparative Psychology. She holds IMC Elementary (ages 6 to 12) Montessori Teaching Certification under MACTE accreditation.

*Although Luddite is not exactly an insult, it is sometimes used in a derogatory sense to mean someone who is an anti-technology; someone who opposes technology. For example, if someone today, speaks against the usage of the internet, he/she might be called out as a “Luddite.”

Have you ever found yourself trying to schedule a doctor’s appointment and wondering when that field trip is scheduled so you don’t schedule them on the same day? Or trying to respond to a friend of a friend who wants to know, “What is Montessori anyway? Is it worth it?” You know that you can access both the school calendar, and an article you can share, but do you have time to gather all that information? What if there was one app for that?

Montessori.org—home of the Montessori Foundation, the International Montessori Council, and the Montessori Family Alliance—officially released The Montessori App on the iOS and Android app stores. This new app organizes all Montessori.org resources into one central spot. In addition to Montessori.org resources, this partnership also allows any Montessori school to have its own school-specific app within The Montessori App, making it a true one-stop-shop for any Montessori school’s community. Anyone can install this new app for free by searching for montessori.org on the app store.

The Foundation’s new mobile app allows anyone in the Montessori community to easily access all of Montessori.org’s information in a user-friendly, personalized way. This new home for everything Montessori is helpful for parents, teachers, school administrators, and anyone else interested in learning more about

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT

The home of everything Montessori is now only one click away.

by Sean Cann

what Montessori has to offer. Now anyone can join the app to discover upcoming events and webcasts, receive personalized messages about things happening in the Montessori community, and much more.

“It will be a very easy way for interested parents to put Montessori resources on their phone,” said Tim Seldin, founder and President of the Montessori Foundation and Chair of the IMC. “For no cost, they can get information about Montessori, they can check out Montessori schools, they can get many of their questions answered.” He emphasized that “amid the cacophony of noise about Montessori that’s out there,” one of the Montessori Foundation’s goals was to create a way to bring Montessori resources to parents through “something that they can use on a smartphone in those few minutes that the average parent has to sit still, without their child tugging on their shirt.”

The Montessori Foundation has been creating resources, starting with Tomorrow’s Child, the Montessori parenting magazine, for 30 years. In the last seven years, weekly webinars have been added and all are available on the website and on the app. If you have a question about cooking with your child, the lessons, or materials in the classroom, traveling with your child, or anything else pertaining to Montessori, you should be able to find an article or a webinar with ideas on the topic.

Building a mobile app wasn’t a new idea for Montessori.org. Seldin said that they had been very intrigued by the idea of having their own custom mobile app for montessori.org resources for some time. “The reason why we didn't do it before — and we've really thought about this for a few years now — is the cost has been astronomical,” said Seldin. “I mean, we actually bought a do-it-yourself app maker, and it frankly never worked correctly. It was a giant pain in the neck.”

Seldin then met the founders of Onespot, a startup that empowers any school to have a custom, school-specific mobile app without needing to write a single line of code. Seldin said that when he started working with the Onespot founders, “We were able to get something up and running very quickly for the Montessori Foundation, the International Montessori Council, our Montessori Family Alliance, and our Montessori marketplace. That's really complicated.” The Onespot platform was able to take that complicated system and make it simple.

The platform is like website builders, like Squarespace or Wix, but for mobile apps. Complex organizations (such as schools, businesses, non-profits, or even montessori. org) can use Onespot to make custom, easyto-use mobile apps. And because the platform was developed with scalable technology, the founders can keep the pricing incredibly af-

fordable, while still providing top-notch customer service. “It was just obvious to me that they were on to something,” said Seldin.

As this is the first iOS and Android mobile app of its kind, The Montessori App is exciting for the whole Montessori community worldwide.

Montessori schools tend to use many online tools these days for communicating with parents about student progress or sharing other communications.

This new app brings everything together in one place, so parents don’t need to remember five or more different websites and download five or more different apps. This is the first app that deeply solves the community side of Montessori.

“It’s like a Montessori super app,” said Samuel Buchanan, one of Onespot’s founders. “It’s a new home for all Montessori resources, and Montessori schools around the world are starting to move in.”

One of those first schools to get their own custom app created within The Montessori App is the Montessori Children’s School in Key West, Florida. “I like it because it kind of ties us into a bigger picture, so people see it’s not just our little school down here; there’s a bigger entity out there,” said Amy O’Connor, the Executive Director of the school. She added that if parents “want to grow more with Montessori, there are all sorts of resources on montessori.org. I just think it gives more of a lift to substantiate what we’re doing here.”

Jessica Losardo, Director of Operations at the Montessori Children’s School, is also excited about the new app, saying that “should a parent consider Montessori, they can go to the Montessori Foundation’s website and actually research all the different schools to see how they compare to each other—what they’re doing similarly, what they’re doing differently—so that they get a very well-rounded idea of Montessori.”

Having their own app for their school within The Montessori App allows the Children’s School—as well as a growing number of other Montessori schools—to consolidate all their existing platforms and websites into one central spot on the device their community members use most: their phones.

According to a recent TechCrunch article, people around the world now spend an average of four to five hours per day using mobile apps…

According to a recent TechCrunch article, people around the world now spend an average of four to five hours per day using mobile apps, and that number continues to rise, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Centralizing all their school-specific platforms has been tremendously helpful for the Children’s School. “I was starting to feel like we had a lot of places that we were asking parents to visit,” said O’Connor. “We use Montessori Compass, SchoolCues, and a program called Clockify for parents to document their volunteer hours. And it just seems like a lot of apps.”

And they’re not the only ones feeling overwhelmed by the growing number of different apps and platforms that a school community needs to keep track of. Seldin, who has worked with hundreds of Montessori schools over the years, echoed the same sentiment, saying that “parents find it very frustrating to remember how to access their child’s records or the school calendar, or you name it. Even though most schools provide answers on their websites, it’s not always easy to navigate on a smartphone.” He added, “As we end up with more and more online tools and more and more online ways of communicating, there’s really something to having one central place to collect it all.”

The Montessori Foundation launched The Montessori App to be exactly that—one spot for everything Montessori. And as Montessori schools around the world are continuing to join in with their own app inside The Montessori App, this unifying solution is spreading quickly to the whole Montessori community.

“All our work-related stuff is there. Or, for a parent, all their school-related stuff is right there”, said O’Connor. “I think it just makes life easier. And when it’s easier for the parents, or the staff, or whomever, then the school experiences more engagement.”

You can learn more about this collaboration between the Montessori Foundation & Onespot by downloading The Montessori App. See how your school can join the platform by visiting www.MontessoriMobileApps.com (www.seabirdapps.com/montessori-school) 

Sean Cann grew up in Northeast Ohio as a Montessori child and homeschooler. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Sean is now the CEO of Onespot, the software company he co-founded with two of his close friends, Samuel Buchanan and Tyler Fisher. Onespot empowers any school to have a custom, school-specific mobile app that centralizes all the school’s information in one spot. Onespot’s simple drag-and-drop platform is designed to be intuitive enough for anyone with no technical experience to be able to easily manage their school’s app. Administrators can update anything about their app in seconds and can send out community-wide alerts as easily as they send text messages. Through Onespot’s partnership with the Montessori Foundation, IMC, and MFA, Sean is now honored to be empowering the same Montessori community that helped raise him decades ago. Learn more at MontessoriMobileApps.com.

Why Montessori Middle School?

More and more Montessori schools are building their programs by adding a middle school. Why consider a Montessori school for the early adolescent years?

Age twelve begins a new plane of development, and those years of middle school encompass big physical changes, independence from the family, and figuring out their social influence. Dr. Montessori recommended a movement away from academics at this time with a focus on activity involving the land, called an Erdkinder. There are few Erdkinder programs now, yet all adolescent Montessori programs will encourage physical labor, work for the group, the development of community, and the ability to participate in learning skills of care for the community and further development of their own interests.

We asked students at the NewGate School what they felt were the benefits of having chosen a Montessori adolescent program. Two recurring themes from the students were freedom and kindness, opportunities we all want for our own children. Here are some responses.

by Students at the NewGate School, Sarasota, FL

It teaches you a lot more and gives freedom to students that I think they deserve. It is a kinder community. Also, it is really fun. — Luis

We get a good amount of work done, but we also have the freedom to make our own choices. —

Viktoria

We aren’t forced to sit in a classroom all day; we have activities like pickleball. — Thomas

There is a better sense of community. We learn to get along with the people next to us. — Luca

We get a lot of freedom. — Griffin

Having more freedom allows me to put my own twist on my learning. — Jacob

The teachers are nice and give us a lot of time to work. We can enjoy our school life. — Eli

It is nice to be able to choose where and how you work and the pace you work. We have freedom of work. — Finn

We get to move from chairs freely. — Nathan

This is a sensitive community. I have plenty of friends here. You can find your community and fit in at this school. We work together on projects and can guide each other. My friend helps keep me on time track in our group and is very kind. We are starting some home ec, today (we are making pillows). The teachers are great here. — Katherine

Going Out: A Japanese Tea Ceremony

by Casey Gramaglia

For Montessori elementary and adolescent students, the opportunity for learning outside the classroom is an important part of the curriculum. Students may plan a “going out” for a small group of students related to a project, such as going to the grocery store for ingredients for a cooking project. Or a larger trip for the whole group may be planned, usually related to work going on in the classroom.

These opportunities to learn outside the classroom allow students to have hands-on opportunities with the world and their community. In the first plane of development (ages 0-6), we try to bring the world to the classroom, but in the second plane of development, we want to bring the student to the world. Although we cannot take the students around the world, we can take advantage of local opportunities that introduce students to places and activities from around the world.

The tea ceremony and tea appreciation are part of our curriculum at NewGate School. Students are given the opportunity to partake in tea ceremonies at school, and students were able to go to The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art to experience an afternoon of a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, hosted by Dr. Rebecca Corbett, author of Cultivating Femininity: Women and Tea Culture in Edo & Meiji Japan.

The Japanese tea ceremony (Sado) is rooted in a tradition of mindfulness, naturalist intrigue, and political stability; all of which served to unify, strengthen, and pacify an ancient culture. Tea brokered the deal. Tea welcomed the guest. Tea served as a reminder to pause and appreciate the ephemeral nature of impermanence in an increasingly complex and turbulent world. When we arrived, our host explained how the natural surroundings play an important role in setting the mood; the sounds of the wind blowing through the bamboo grove and cedar branches, the bird song, all contributed to the experience of calm and tranquility presented during the ceremony. As the audience sat with straight spines,

attentive to the moment of peace, receptive to the myriad gifts of nature, we were quickly interrupted by the sounds of gasoline-powered golf carts, transporting people to and fro, and prop planes flying above the Gulf of Mexico. Our host joked and suggested that, today, we would have to replace the more traditional sounds of nature with those of mechanized equipment and vehicles, to which the crowd laughed and relaxed further into their seats awaiting the ancient spectacle to unfold.

The designated guest was invited to partake, the sweet was offered, and the tea was prepared. Each gesture of the tea master was carried out with profound precision, meaning, and purpose. As this quiet dance unfolded, the noise of human interference quickly dissipated into an inner abyss of luminous silence that was noticeably felt by all; the experience became palpable. For this brief moment, that felt like an eternity, we were all interconnected: students, teachers, guests, masters, all one. Before we knew it, the ceremony had come to a close, and our host opened up the floor for questions. NewGate students quickly raised their hands in unison! Though I am biased, naturally in a way a teacher would be toward their students, their questions were thoughtful, mature, and insightful. The audience was captivated by the interaction between young people and our host. The students asked questions such as, “What was the food item presented at the beginning of the ritual? What is the significance of the design on the belt (obi) of your kimono?” Our host was visibly pleased with the genuine sincerity and enthusiasm of our students. Eventually, their questions had to be capped off as another group prepared to receive the presentation; otherwise, their dialogue could have continued indefinitely.

This kind of interaction, unexpected by many adults, is typical of students who are expanding their knowledge and building on what they have already experienced. The opportunity to interact with specialists, whether a traditional host for a tea ceremony, or the stocker at the local grocery store, provides a

living, hands-on opportunity to ask questions and fulfill curiosity.

The Ringling Museum (Sarasota, FL) also provided a tour of the traditional, yet modern, Japanese Tea House that was recently constructed on the grounds. The tea house is regularly available to view from the outside; there are large glass windows showing the craftsmanship of the interior and the equipment inside. However, today was different. We could actually walk inside, feel the tatami mats below our feet and smell the scent of grass, cedar, and pine. The students delighted in asking more questions and exploring the tea house. We learned that the tea house was designed by a student from the Ringling College of Art + Design. The design combines elements of a traditional tea house, fused with classical, modern Sarasota architecture.

Being able to go out and explore, whether exploring nature, the visual arts, or experiences such as a tea ceremony or live theater, provides a deeper understanding of lessons learned in the classroom. By becoming a part of the larger community, with family, a small group, the whole class, or even the whole school, bonds are strengthened, lessons are learned, and new interests are kindled. Taking the time to let students help plan and attend opportunities, especially those that are out of their regular experiences, both with school and with the family, is time well spent. Those memories of experiences will remain with them and be building blocks for continued learning. 

Casey Gramaglia has a BA in Liberal Arts from Eugene Lang College in New York City and a post-graduate certificate & MA in international education from Keele University in Staffordshire, England. Casey is passionate about the Montessori Method and alumnus from one of the oldest Montessori schools in the country, Whitby School. Casey is an Elementary Associate Montessori Guide at NewGate School in Sarasota, FL.

Those Mysterious Montessori Materials: The Great Lessons

Manyparents and schools

focus on basic skills: reading, writing, and math. But the basics are truly keys that allow learners to get access to the real curriculum, which should be thought of as an interwoven tapestry of the sciences, technology, literature, society, and all of the things human beings have done throughout history.

If children are exposed to a rich curriculum in a way that feels inviting (and not stressful) they tend to become excited about learning how the world works. This is what makes children want to read and do research. It's what helps them to understand how and why we use mathematics.

Whether it's business economics, anthropology, archeology, the story of famous lives, architecture, engineering, invention, the true curriculum is endless.

Our goal is to sow seeds of wonder and to ignite children’s curiosity, interest, and imagination.

In Montessori, a key part of how we approach this is by helping children to see that we are all members of the human family. Our roots lie in the distant past, and history is the story of our common heritage.

Without a strong sense of history, we cannot begin to know who we are as individuals today. Our goal is to develop a global perspective, and the study of history and world cultures forms a key cornerstone of the Montessori curriculum.

We use many learning strategies to begin this journey, beginning with stories, but also using timelines, illustrations, and hands-on experiences to help children begin

to imagine how the world as we know it came to be.

Montessori described this as a “Cosmic Curriculum,” which may sound odd at first, but is meant to imply a child coming away with a broad sense of the birth of the universe, earth science, the formation of life, and how human beings met their needs and developed societies and the cultures of the world.

These studies begin simply but weave together everything from astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, anthropology, archeology, linguistics, mathematics, geometry, architecture, industry, trade, and civic life.

Montessori’s Cosmic Curriculum helps children to see the how everything is interconnected in the universe. It is a steppingstone to lifelong learning.

One of the key components of the Montessori cosmic curriculum is the use of what Montessori calls the "Great Lessons". The Great Lessons are a classic element in the Montessori curriculum, especially during the elementary years, although we can introduce them even earlier and expand on them in the adolescent years.

Among other things, the Great Lessons are powerful and inspiring stories that are used to introduce children to the interconnectedness of all things in the universe. They are typically presented in a dramatic and engaging way, using storytelling, props, and hands-on science experiments and activities.

They are a set of five stories or lessons that are designed to ignite a child's imagination and deeper

interest in learning about the world around them. These lessons are an integral part of the Montessori curriculum and are typically introduced to children between the ages of six and twelve.

The five Great Lessons are:

1. The Story of the Universe: This lesson introduces children to the formation of the universe, the formation of the Earth and our solar system. This lesson and the follow up activities take a first look at the question of how the world began, different stories that people have told, and what scientists believe, in simple terms, about the Big Bang, formation of the stars, gallaxies, and solar systems, and how the Earth changed over the geologic eras setting the stage for life to emerge.

2. The Story of Life: This lesson explores the origins and evolution of life on earth, including the characteristics of living organisms, the classification of living things, and the interdependence of all living things. Most children tend to be fascinated by dinosaurs. During

by Tim Seldin

the the Second Great lesson, we helped them to understand how life evolved from simple organisms to the plants and animals that we see today. Learning about the fossil records, and the way animals changed over time and adapted to their environment is all part of this element of the overall curriculum. While the lesson is just the introduction, the ongoing study of biology continues throughout the curriculum in Montessori all the way through high school.

3. The Story of Human Beings: This lesson delves into the evolution of humans, including the development of language, culture, and civilization. Beginning with a broad overview of the evolution of modern people from our Neolithic ancestors, and how archaeologists have found evidence of the way people lived many years ago. Children are introduced to the fundamental needs that all human beings share, how we have met those needs in different parts of the world, early tools, and how civilization developed.

NewGate School photo taken by Wes Roberts

4. The Story of Writing: This lesson explores the history of writing, including the development of different writing systems and the role of writing in human communication.

5. The Story of Numbers: This lesson introduces children to the concept of numbers and their importance in human society, including the development of different number systems and the use of numbers in science, mathematics, and technology.

The Great Lessons are not simply stories that are told to children but are opportunities for children to engage in hands-on learning activities and explore their own interests and curiosity.

These lessons from the center of the elementary curriculum, with all areas of the classroom spiraling out from the Great Lessons. The Story of the Universe leads to science and geography. The Story of Life leads to the study of biology and zoology. The Story of Human Beings leads to cultures of the world. The Story of Writing leads to the language

area. The Story of Numbers leads to mathematics and geometry. These five lessons lead to all the other materials and lessons throughout the six years of elementary and beyond.

By presenting these lessons in a way that is engaging and accessible to children, Montessori educators aim to inspire children to become lifelong learners who are passionate about exploring the world around them.

REFERENCES

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari, Harper; Illustrated edition, 2015

The Deep Well of Time by Michael Dorer, Parent Child Press, 2016

Tomorrow's Children: A Blueprint For Partnership Education In The 21st Century by Riane Eisler, Basic Books, 2001

Children of the Universe (An introduction to the Great Lessons), by Michael & D'Neil Duffy, Parent Child Press, 2016

Tim Seldin is President of the Montessori Foundation and Chair of the International Montessori Council. His more than 40 years of experience in Montessori education includes 22 years as Headmaster of the Barrie School in Silver Spring, Maryland, his alma mater from toddler through high school graduation. Tim was Co-Founder and Director of the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies and the Center for Guided Montessori Studies. He earned a B.A. in History and Philosophy from Georgetown University, an M.Ed. in Educational Administration and Supervision from The American University, and his Montessori certification from the American Montessori Society. Tim Seldin is the author of several books on Montessori Education, including How to Raise An Amazing Child and The World in the Palm of Her Hand. Look for his new book, Montessori for Everyone, co-authored with Lorna McGrath, soon to be released.

This updated edition of the popular course, The Parenting Puzzle, led by Lorna McGrath, shares the secrets of Family Leadership—the Montessori way. Over the course of five weeks, Lorna provides strategies and practical examples that you can use right away to bring peace and ease into your home, creating a haven for the whole family, where power struggles fall away and give rise to joy.

Discount for MFA members. Now offering a monthly payment plan.

a more detailed recipe for the sauce, the dough, and the “putting it together.” Think of all that this child has experienced — intellectually, emotionally, and sensorily — during the process of creating and sharing family time together at home.

Pizza Day

Written by Melissa Iwai

This is a wonderful hardcover book with sturdy, somewhat water-proof pages. The illustrations are richly colored and very realistic. The story is all about a boy and his dad spending time together while preparing for their delicious dinner. The author takes us back to planting the seeds for vegetables and herbs. Later, the boy harvests some of the fruits of the plants that are ripe and counts how many of each type they will need. The illustrations are there for your child to count as you read. Then the washing of the plants, the measuring, mixing, kneading, and rising of the dough. Meanwhile, the chopping takes place as the boy uses his senses to enjoy the smells of the fresh food. While the sauce is cooking and the dough is rising, dad, son, and family dog play outside and enjoy each other’s company.

It’s time for the dough to wake up. They punch it down and roll it out. The sauce is then awakened and blended. They are ready to put it all together and bake it in the oven. Wonderful, simple directions, and illustrations! As they wait for the pizza to bake, they play together some more, and mom makes a salad. When the pizza is done, the family enjoys the meal together! At the end of the book, there is

On Earth

Written by G. Brian Karas

Springtime always makes me think about new beginnings and new hope for our lives and our planet. That reminds me of a song by a greatly loved Montessorian, Sanford Jones… at the beginning is a good place to be. what will each day bring for you and me? New life, new hope, new things to see, at the beginning is a good place to be!

I digress. On Earth is a beautiful beginning to understanding about the Earth’s constant motion; how we measure it with calendars and candles; how we experience it with changes in the weather, and the amount of light in a day; how we made up points on the Earth like the equator and the north and south poles; what helps us stick to the Earth and not fall off. It’s filled with wonderful illustrations of all these things and begs us to do more with globes, flashlights, and imagination!

I Am Thinking My Life

Written by Allysun Atwater

Illustrated

by Stevie Lewis

What powerful minds we have! We can create our lives as we want to with the power of thought. The ideas presented by the author are expressed lavishly through colorful, thoughtful, and full illustrations. Page after page excites the imagination and allows us to reflect on and absorb what it can mean to be able to make changes in our lives by the things we are thinking. Thought becomes action and reality, if we are aware of it and let it (for bad or for good). This is a book that shows us how hope and affirmations can guide us through storms as well as calms.

Yay, You! Moving Up and Moving On

Written by

I got this book last year (just a little bit too late for the traditional

graduation season and kept hanging on to it until the season came again. Although, I suppose I could have written a review at any time of the year, as there’s no limit on when we can move up and move on.

I love this book because you can get it for a person at age six or twelve or eighteen or even fifty-six! Good, you finished something. What’s next? Yay, You! points out that there are lots of choices and plenty more to do. It’s filled with fun illustrations to let you know there’s plenty more to come. No pressure though. Just as there are all kinds of choices, there are all kinds of people, too. It asks the readers to explore who they are, what they want to do, how, and where they want to go as they continue their life’s journey.

My City Speaks

Written by Darren Lebeuf

Illustrated by Ashley Barron

All of us use multiple senses as we go through our everyday lives. Many rarely think of how different, interesting, and beautiful life would be if one of those senses were impaired.

This is the story of a girl who experiences daily life more intensely through her sense of hearing than through her other senses. As she travels through the city to her violin recital, she offers us a glimpse into her

world. The city is a place of many sights, sounds, and smells. But what if you had limited sight? Travel with her as she hears the city speak to her.

This richly illustrated book provides the reader with a moment to reflect on how we and others learn about and navigate the world we live in. It offers a refreshingly different perspective.

Grammar Tells a Story: Transforming Literacy with Montessori Storytelling

Written by Michael J. Dorer

Montessori grammar lessons formally begin in the 3-6 program. As they move through Elementary Montessori education, grammar lessons usually have at least one complete shelf. Sometimes that shelf stays

dustier than it should. For many Montessori guides and parents, formal grammar instruction was not a part of our own education. In his book, Michael Dorer describes that it was presented to him as a threat. It is no wonder many adults have the desire to avoid grammar and are amazed at how excited children are to work with grammar.

In Grammar Tells a Story Michael Dorer has helped many parents and teachers by presenting the organization of the grammar work with explanations in the first section of the book and following this up with more details before each story. If you are teaching at home or want to understand the work your child demonstrates to you, this material is very helpful. For those who feel grammar could be used as a threat, or just don’t understand why we need to learn about it, he has explained it so kindly and with humor.

The stories themselves are entertaining. They are not meant to be read directly from the book, but to be made your own. Change the names and gender as it works for your group. Practice a few times and suddenly you can share stories that further develop grammar skills and often get a laugh. Stories are a fun and memorable way to strengthen learning and connection. When you add grammar information to the stories, you are developing all sorts of areas of literacy.

Calling all teachers, parents, & children!

We would love to publish reviews of your favorite books. Send book reviews to Lorna at: lornamcgrath@montessori.org

This book is great for any classroom and for those at home who feel grammar is a bit scary. The book is available through Montessori Services and other booksellers.

Neuromyths: Debunking False Ideas About the Brain

Written by Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa

Reviewed by Cheryl Allen

Have you ever explained behavior using information you have known for so long that it must be true? As parents and teachers, we may aim to learn about brain development and what is happening as our child grows, and we may share some information that is not correct. In this book, Tracey TakuhamaEspinosa leads us through some of the myths we may have learned about the brain and

brain development and gives us updated information we can use on the same topics.

This book is easy to read. For each myth, she explains the myth, where the myth comes from, and what we know now. We are not all neuroscientists, and she explains what is known now with that in mind. At the end of each section is ‘Why This is Good News for Teaching.’ In most cases, the information contained in these short sections can be applied to a class or a home.

Although we do not all have time to become a neuroscientist, reading this book can help us apply updated neuroscience information in our interactions with the brains we come in contact with regularly, including our own! Did you know that you have not missed your window for learning another language? Or that the idea of multitasking is more than one myth?

The last chapter gives us steps to recognize neuromyths (you will start to hear them everywhere) and avoid applying misinformation to the brains nearest and dearest to us. The short reminders are ways for us to practice applying the growing neuroscience information to our own lives and our family or students.

I recommend this book for all adults that have a brain and interact with others with brains.

For a complete list of opportunities (updated daily), go to www.montessori.org/classified-ads.

Ads can be placed year-round. IMC members get one free advertisment. For non-members, a classified ad costs $2 per word ($50 minimum). Visit www.montessori.org/the-international-montessori-council-imc/ to find out about IMC membership.

To place a classified ad in this publication contact, Don Dinsmore at dondinsmore@montessori.org.

LOWER ELEMENTARY MONTESSORI GUIDE (NORTH CHARLESTON, SC)

Casa dei Girasoli Montessori School (www.casagirasoli.org) is a newly established Montessori school located in North Charleston, South Carolina. We are seeking a highly motivated, independent, self-starting Montessori guide willing to partner with the founders to open and pilot our Lower Elementary classroom.

Qualifications:

• Montessori Certification from a Montessori Accreditation Com-

mittee for Teacher Education (MACTE) approved program

• Special consideration for candidates already certified in Lower Elementary yet will consider alternate Montessori level certification with willingness to become certified in Lower Elementary while employed

• Bachelor’s Degree

• Teaching experience in a variety of instructional settings

• Special consideration for candidates with background/experience with special needs children

• Special consideration to candidates with training in Positive Discipline, Conscious Discipline, TESOL certifications and/or Special Education Certification/ Training

For a complete job description or questions please email Aliza MacClellan, Director ataliza@casagirasoli.org.

LOWER & UPPER ELEMENTARY GUIDES (GRAND CAYMAN)

Village Montessori nestled in the heart of Camana Bay on the beautiful island of Grand Cayman in the Caribbean is seeking new staff to

join our growing school. We are recruiting English speaking Lower and Upper Elementary Guides that are warm, cheerful, dedicated, and flexible, and who want to be a part of a team and are passionate about Montessori.

Applicants must have a Montessori Certification from a recognized Montessori Institute, e.g., AMI, AMS, CGMS or MACTE and a BA in Education or similar is helpful as well as completion of a full three-year cycle in a Montessori classroom. We are looking for team players willing to make a long-term commitment to our school.

All applicants must be professional, be well versed in the Montessori philosophy, have excellent communication skills (both written and verbal), excellent record keeping skills and lesson planning skills. Please contact: info@villagemontessori.ky