Preview Tomorrow's Child August 2014

SEPTEMBER 2014

Vol. 22 No. 4

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$8.00

In collaboration with

The International Montessori Council A Publication of the Montessori Foundation

It's Just a Stage... Right?

Montessori Moments

Living with Adolescents Learning Their Language

The Montessori Paradox

Exploring the Elephant in the Montessori Classroom TOMORROW'S CHILD Š w SEPTEMBER 2014 w WWW.MONTESSORI.ORG

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present

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The Montessori Foundation, The IMC, & The Peace Academy

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November 6 - 9, 2014

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The 18th Annual International Conference

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The Hyatt Regency Sarasota Bay • Sarasota, FL • USA

CEUs available from the University of WisconsinExtension.

Peaceful Children ... Peaceful Classrooms ... Peaceful Schools

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SPONSORS

Silver Level

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Bronze Level Co-Sponsors

Exhibitor Coffee Sponsor

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Dr. Joyce Pickering

Ms Sonnie McFarland

Dr. Paul Epstein

Dr. Laura Bakosh

... and more than 60 workshops!

S e e f u l l co n f e r e n ce br o ch ure on our website: www.montessori.org 2

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Send all correspondence to: The Montessori Foundation 19600 E State Road 64 . Bradenton, FL 34212-8921 Phone: 941-729-9565/1-800-655-5843 Fax:941-745-3111 WWW.MONTESSORI.ORG

7 Secrets About Montessori That Traditional Schools Don’t Want You to Know

by Joyce St. Giermaine

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Hands

by Beverley Blount

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Montessori Secondary Programs: Their Time Has Come

by Tim Seldin

Montessori Moments: It’s just a Stage... RIght?

by Chelsea Howe Psy.D

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EDITOR Joyce St. Giermaine PRESIDENT Tim Seldin PROGRAM DIRECTOR Lorna McGrath EVENTS & MEMBERSHIP Margot Garfield-Anderson ADVERTISING Chelsea Howe BOOKKEEPER Don Dinsmore FULFILLMENT Michael Anderson GRAPHIC DESIGN Katrina Costedio PRINTED BY InterPrint

The Lesson in Practical LIfe Skills

by Tim Seldin

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It is policy of The Montessori Foundation, a non-profit organization, to encourage support for the organization by discounting the sale of bulk order shipments of Tomorrow’s Child in order that schools may make the magazine available to their families. The Montessori Foundation does NOT grant permission to reprint material from Tomorrow’s Child in any other form (e.g., book, newsletter, journals). Copies of this issue or back issues are available for purchase through our online bookstore: www.montessori.org. For Standing Bulk Orders, call 800-655-5843 (toll free), use the order form on page 38, or place your order at www. montessori.org. The Montessori Foundation does not provide refunds for cancelled standing bulk orders.

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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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The Montessori Paradox

by Robin Howe

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Nutritionist Jan’s Brainy Breakfasts

by Jan Katzen-Luchenta

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Cooking Corner

by Margot Garfield-Anderson

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Conferences & Workshops IMC Margot Garfield-Anderson: Phone: 941-309-3961/Toll Free:800-632-4121 Fax: 941-359-8166 email: margot@montessori.org

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Past Issues, Books & CD Orders For immediate service, use our secure online bookstore at www.montessori.org.

For questions regarding an order, email: margot@ montessori.org or Phone 941-309-3961/Toll Free: 800-632-4121 Subscriptions & Bookkeeping Don Dinsmore Phone: 941-729-9565/1-800-655-5843 Fax: 941-745-3111 dondinsmore@motessori.org Classified & Display Advertising Chelsea Howe Phone: 941-729-9565/Fax: 941-745-3111 tcmag@montessori.org Parenting Center Lorna McGrath Phone: 941-922-4949/1-800-655-5843 Fax: 941-745-3111 lornamcgrath@montessori.org

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All Hands On! Science Inquiry with Young Todders

by Ann Epstein, Ph.D

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Treasure Baskets & Heuristic Play

by Georgina Hood

18 LIVING WITH ADOLESCENTS

23 KID’S TALK Two-Second Rule

Learning Their Language

24 DEAR CATHIE Concentration

21 WELL-BEING

30 CALENDAR

It’s Not Nothing

34 CLASSIFIEDS

22 BOOK REVIEWS

38 TC ORDER FORM

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A LETTER from the EDITOR

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SEPTEMBER 2014

comes. They are also (probably) going to look like and blend in with other people of their own age; however, underneath that façade of overachievement, there will be a strong pulse of something that can’t be measured with test scores—something that most graduates from traditional programs have long ago buried in order to fit in: the sparks of genius, humanity, and individuality with which they were born.

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have been editor of Tomorrow’s Child for more than twenty years, so I sometimes forget in which issue we published a certain article. If I really need to find it, I have to search for it.

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I really dislike the process of looking back. I always see mistakes I didn’t catch and ways I could have done something better. Even though I try not to, I also can’t help but look to see if I actually said anything of value in the letter from the editor. Sometimes I’m OK with what I’ve written; sometimes not. So, for the future ‘me’ who may need to find this particular issue years from now, I need to admit that this letter has been really hard for me to write.

Joyce St. Giermaine For the past three months, all of us have witnessed Editor incredible human atrocities in many areas of the

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world. Most of the victims were innocent people, including so many children. Add to that a deadly virus with no known cure. And then, when what the world needs most is hope and people who can help us heal our wounded souls through laughter and compassion, Robin Williams ended the personal pain he could no longer hide from the rest of us. There is trauma happening, and we can (and should) shield our young children from it, but it is almost impossible for the rest of us to ‘un-see’ or ‘unhear’ or ‘un-read’ what’s going on around us.

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What does any of this have to do with Montessori?

The answer is: everything.

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There is a reason you chose Montessori for yourself and your children. There is also a reason that Dr. Montessori was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize (1949, 1950, and 1951) because of her commitment to children in the face of the fascism of World War II. Here’s a woman who really knew what it meant to question authority! Let Dr. Montessori be one of the role models for our future leaders, who will need to think outside the rhetoric of their times in order to help the world reinvent the way we coexist with each other.

Maria Montessori changed the world for the better.

I hope and expect the same of our children.

Sincerely,

Joyce St. Giermaine Editor

If you are reading this, you have some connection with Montessori, which makes you different from the rest of the world. Not necessarily better but definitely different.

Truthfully, Montessori education is a bit subversive, and that’s a good thing. In order to satisfy everyone at the state and national levels of our vast educational bureaucracy, we can promise you (and them) that Montessori children will know everything they need to get into the college of their choice when the time TOMORROW'S CHILD © w SEPTEMBER 2014 w WWW.MONTESSORI.ORG

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“For all the money that we spend on tuition, why does my child spend his day washing tables?”

The Lesson In Practical Life Skills

by Tim Seldin, President of The Montessori Foundation

here is this wonderful photograph from the early years of this last century that captured a small child in a Montessori school carefully ladling soup into bowls for his fellow students’ lunch.

I’m sure that his parents wondered the same thing: “What has this got to do with helping children learn to read and write?”

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bles, pour liquids, polish silver, sweep and dust, they are developing an inner sense of order, concentration, coordination, and independence. It is through the process of caring for their environment, meeting their own needs and helping others, this process that we call the area of Practical Life, that Montessori children begin to learn how to learn.

The exercises in Practical Life are the very heart of the Montessori approach with young children. As they wash ta-

The following excerpt from a description of a child’s day in Montessori exemplifies what I mean.

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It's about 10 am now, and Nicholas is hungry. He wanders over to the snack table and prepares himself several pieces of celery stuffed with peanut butter.

He pours himself a cup of apple juice, using a little pitcher that is just right for his small hands. When he is finished, Nicholas wipes of his place mat.

Older students at Barrie did much more. We swept the sidewalks, watered the gardens, fed the farm animals day and night, gathered the eggs and sold them to our parents, raised orchids and cacti, tutored younger students, helped out in after-school supervision, served as Counselors in Training at Barrie’s Summer Camp, answered the phone, typed the bus rolls, delivered messages, painted barns, ran the ditto machine, produced the school newspaper, and escorted thousands of visitors around the grounds.

Within this safe and empowering community, young children learn to believe in themselves and their abilities. In an atmosphere of independence within community and personal empowerment, they never lose their sense of curiosity and innate ability to learn and discover.

Confident in themselves, they find that mistakes are not something to be feared but rather the opportunity to learn from experience.

We didn’t think of this as work. The kitchen, woodshop, bus garage, and stables, were simply fascinating places to be. As students, we became close friends with the bus drivers,

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Clearing up his snack has put Nicholas in the mood to really clean something, and he selects table washing. He gathers the bucket, little pitcher, sponge, scrub brush, towel, and soap needed and proceeds to slowly and methodically scrub down a small table. As he works, he is absorbed in the patterns that his brush and sponge made in the soap suds on the table’s surface. Nicholas returns everything to its storage place. When he is finished, the table is more or less clean and dry. A fouryear-old washes a table for the sheer pleasure of the process; that it leads to a cleaner surface is incidental.

What Nicholas is learning, above all else, is an inner sense of order, a greater sense of independence, and a higher ability to concentrate and follow a complex sequence of steps.

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The Montessori class for children between the ages of three and six is a community of children; a ‘children’s house’ or casa. What Maria Montessori established was more than an elaborate kindergarten in which children learn to read and write. Montessori offers a social and emotional environment where children are respected and empowered as individual human beings. It is an extended family, a community in which children truly belong and take care of one another.

Edith, the cook, and several of my classmates peeling potatoes and stirring the stew pots.

Each class ate family style in their classrooms, and not only the containers of food, but the heavy crockery and silverware had to be carried on trays throughout the campus. Afterwards, teams of students carried the empty dishes and bowls back to the kitchen and washed them by hand.

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A DAY IN THE LIFE of a MONTESSORI CHILD

to accept their own intelligence. This is an education of the heart and mind, as much as of the intellect.

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The real object of Montessori education is not to teach children basic skills and knowledge; it is to create the foundation on which the child will construct the men and women they will become. Our goal is to lead children to self-discovery, self-mastery, and to nurture the fragile flame of their curiosity, creativity, and imagination. Ultimately, this helps them master the very process of learning, which is based on patience, observation, and the willingness

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Noticing that the plants needs watering, Nicholas carries the watering can from plant to plant, barely spilling a drop. He moves freely around the class, selecting activities that capture his interest. In a very real sense, Nicholas and his classmates are responsible for the care of this child-sized environment. When they are hungry, they prepare their own snack and drink. They go to the bathroom without assistance. When something spills, they help each other carefully clean things up. We find children cutting raw fruit and vegetables, sweeping, dusting, washing windows. They set tables, tie their own shoes, polish silver, and steadily grow in their selfconfidence and independence.

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As a child, I attended the Barrie School, the school founded by my mother in 1932. Later I returned to teach and eventually served as Barrie’s Headmaster for 22 years. As a young child, I remember going to school so early on frosty mornings that it was still dark outside, stopping first by the school kitchen to pick up some toast and fruit as a morning snack. The school always kept food and drink on hand. We helped ourselves with a little assistance from the big kids, even when we were very small. As we grew bigger, so did our contribution to the life of the school. For example, in those days, Barrie had several hundred children to feed from age two through eighteen and no paper plates and cups to make the job easier. The food was prepared in our kitchen the old-fashioned way, and older kids actually volunteered to work in the kitchen.

I remember hundreds of mornings before school began spent with

maintenance crew, secretaries, school nurse, and stable hands, just as we did with our teachers. They were part of our family, and we learned countless lessons from each one.

Those men and women will always be with me. And to this day, I actually take pleasure in doing the dishes.

The Montessori classroom for three-, four-, and five-year-olds is designed to be a 'children’s house.' The children are encouraged and delighted to participate fully in the actual life of the little community. They help to prepare snacks and meals, clean the environment, and maintain things. In this way, they develop not only muscular control and simple competency

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Learning the Skills of Everyday Life in an Atmosphere of Kindness, Community, and Respect

In a very real sense, Montessori children are responsible for the care of this child-sized environment, which is why Dr. Montessori called it a ‘Children’s House/or Community.’ They sweep, dust, and wash mirrors and windows.

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Success in school is directly tied to the degree to which children believe that they are capable and independent human beings. If they knew the words, even very young children would ask: “Help me learn to do it myself!”

—Maria Montessori

When the children are hungry, they prepare their own snack. They pour themselves a drink from a little pitcher that is just right for their small hands. They set tables, polish silver, and steadily grow in their self-confidence and independence. When finished, they clean up and wash their dishes. When something spills, they help each other carefully clean things up. In Montessori classrooms, you’ll find small children cutting raw fruit and vegetables.

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As we allow students to develop a meaningful degree of independence and self-discipline, we also set a pattern for a lifetime of good work habits and a sense of responsibility. In Montessori, students are taught to take pride in their work.

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Independence does not come automatically as we grow older; it must be learned. In Montessori, even very small children learn to tie their own shoes and pour their own milk. To experience this kind of success so young leads children to grow up with an uncanny sense of self-confidence.

As they get older, Montessori students learn all sorts of everyday living skills, such as using computers on their own, household cleaning skills, cooking, sewing, first aid, and balancing a checkbook. They plan parties, learn how to decorate a room, arrange flowers, garden, and do simple household repairs. Montessori builds many opportunities into the curriculum for students to gain hands-on experience.

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over little tasks, but a deep sense of self-respect and independence. They give the child a sense of independence and empowerment.

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“The essence of independence is to be able to do something for one’s self.”

Young children work with the Dressing Frames to master the dressing skills that classically challenge them as they begin to take their first steps toward independence: buttoning their clothes, working a zipper, tying their shoe laces, and so on.

To wash a table or chair, the student methodically gathers the bucket, little pitcher, sponge, scrub brush, towel and soap needed and proceeds to slowly and methodically scrub down a small table. When he is finished, he will return everything to its storage place.

The lessons in Practical Life skills do much more than help children learn to wash tables.

The process helps them develop an inner

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The ability to control one’s body, and to move carefully and graceful around the room, often carrying things that must not be dropped, is an important aspect of the practical life lessons. The children walk along a line on the floor, heel to toe, carefully balancing while carrying small flags. They will do the same task while carrying things on trays or cups on saucers.

Learning how to work and play together with others in a peaceful and caring community is perhaps the most critical life skill that Montessori teaches. Montessori schools are intended to be close-knit communities of people living and learning together in an atmosphere of warmth, safety, kindness, and mutual respect.

Teachers become mentors and friends. Students learn to value the different backgrounds and interests of their classmates.

Everyday kindness and courtesy are vital practical-life skills. Montessori students come to understand and accept that we all have responsibilities to other people. They learn how to handle the new situations that they will face as they become increasingly independent.

Montessori students develop a clear sense of values and social conscience. Montessori consciously teaches students everyday ethics and interpersonal skills from the beginning.

Even the youngest child is treated with dignity and respect. ¢

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Secrets

About Montessori that Traditional Schools Don’t Want You to Know

by Joyce St. Giermaine

The Montessori Method’s ability to serve a diverse population may be the reason behind a common misperception that Montessori is either 1) just for the gifted and talented or 2) specifically designed for students with a wide scope of learning exceptionalities. Neither assumption is true.

The most important concept to acknowledge is that while Montessori is really different from other traditional approaches, the

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Everybody says that and, as parents, we know that to be true. All we have to do is take a close look at our own families. Our children and grandchildren are different even from their siblings. Unless you have identical twins, it’s pretty useless to expect the exact same growth, developmental markers, learning styles, or interests. Even twins are their own persons with differences in personality that make them unique.

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Dr. Maria Montessori saw this as an opportunity to try something different by creating what we now call a ‘casa’ for the children of underprivileged factory workers in Rome.

In 1907, she was able to open a classroom for these street urchins who were quite literally running amok while their parents were at work. The world was amazed at the success of her program, and Montessori schools began to take hold, showing that what worked with severely disadvantaged children would work even better with ‘normal’ children.

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Montessori Has A Very Well-Defined Curriculum.

A shocking number of college graduates with degrees in education know nothing about the Montessori Method. I don’t know exactly why that is, except that maybe the ongoing need for trained assembly-line teachers, who are willing to teach to the test, is so great that

The most important concept to acknowledge is that while Montessori is really different from other traditional approaches, the resulting content of a Montessori education is not so different from what is learned in traditional programs.

resulting content of a Montessori education is not so different from what is learned in traditional programs. The difference is in the delivery and the outcomes.

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Traditional education, on the other hand, is geared to serve the needs of the average child en masse. In the early 20th century, when schooling became available to a greater number of children, schools were actually designed to produce a much-needed supply of factory workers. Curriculum was designed to meet the needs of the ‘average’ American child, which required a curriculum that was achievable by the majority. With this goal in mind, how could schools have enough resources to individualize a common curriculum to meet the needs of students who did not conform, either by being too advanced for their years or by being challenged by disability or circumstance? It couldn’t and it didn’t.

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Your Child Is Unique.

environments, such as child-sized furniture, self-correcting manipulatives, and handson learning are not new to Montessorians.

Dr. Montessori developed these amazing advances more than one hundred years ago.

Neither is “learning at your own pace.” Traditional public and private schools for children of all ages openly use these terms as if they were just invented! Montessori children have had them all along.

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Sometimes when I read or hear an advertisement for a school, I just marvel at some of the terms that are used, implying that some particular school does something so worthwhile that you absolutely must enroll your children. Often, these traditional schools are promoting exactly what thousands of children have experienced in Montessori schools for the past hundred years. So, here are some secrets that traditional schools (public and private) don’t want you to know.

In Montessori classrooms, from Infancy through Secondary, each child is allowed to maintain the personal integrity and uniqueness with which they were born. While Montessori may not be the right fit for every student or every family, in general, it works very well for children and parents who, for whatever reason, want something different and who are comfortable with taking the path less chosen.

Today’s Cutting-Edge Curriculum Was Borrowed From Montessori (It Just Took Traditional Schools 100+ Years to Begin to Catch Up).

Some of the best advances in contemporary, cutting-edge curriculum and classroom

there is no room to include the pedagogical and developmental discussions that comprise so much of Montessori teacher training.

Montessori teachers come to Montessori from all walks of life. Some already have a degree in education and turn to Montessori to re-ignite the spark that has long been dimmed in traditional schools; others come from different professions (such as, doctors, lawyers, banking, opera singers, and more); many are parents. Regardless of what these future Montessori teachers bring to the table, training for Montessori certification at every level takes two to three years of study and internship, and that is on top of whatever college and post-graduate degrees they may have already earned.

Montessori’s curriculum is often referred to as the “Scope & Sequence.” It includes every Montessori material and every lesson from

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Instead of the garish primary colors often found in early learning environments, the colors of the walls, the curtains, and the flooring are neutral and soothing. There is plenty of color in the Montessori materials that have special places on wooden shelves or the vases of flowers. The materials are made from

heavy wood, polished or painted to perfection. There is substance and gravitas that entices and grounds young students. Posters of far-away lands and famous artwork adorn the walls. Children work where they are comfortable, which may be at a table or on the floor, alone or in small groups. They are given the opportunity of choice and the responsibility of caring for and about themselves, their environment, and their classmates. Often, music accompanies the children as they work.

It is a place of calm, where learning happens.

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Did you know that dogs can smell stress? Well, it’s true. This is a secret of working in stressful situations (such as competitive events) with dogs: disguise the scent of stress by popping a mint in your mouth, because if you, as the handler, are stressed, your dog will know it. We like to say, “It goes down the leash.”

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Instead of using testing as a weapon to control funding, employment, and allocation of resources, testing in Montessori is just one more way to make sure that learning is happening.

Montessori Classrooms Are Beautiful and Calm.

Montessori Schools Are Not Afraid to Test. While

Montessori schools may not endorse standardized or any other form of testing, it is not because they fear that students are too fragile for this particular ‘real-world’ experience. Montessori teachers, who have been with their students for three years, are well-tuned to their students’ needs. They observe and make notes.

Many schools are now using computer software, such as MontessoriCompass, to simplify the note-taking process for teachers and to allow parents to follow their child’s progress online. Montessorians are very dedicated to ensuring that students in their care learn all the tools that they will need for college and beyond; this includes testing. The difference for Montessori educators is that they feel no need to test in order to compare students against other students.

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Going back to children, what do you think happens when they are required to endure a stressful school environment day after day after day? Row after row after row. Most teachers know that their employment depends on their students' test scores. Do you remember the humiliation of a teacher walking down a row of desks to return a less-thanstellar test paper in full view of other class members? Unfortunately, I do.

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In younger classes, stress often takes the form of chaos, comprised of noise and un-focused activity. Often, the teacher needs to raise her voice to command attention, At the high school levels, the stress is palpable as teachers and students struggle to keep up with hormones and state-mandated curriculum— their futures seemingly at stake based on the outcome of their efforts.

If you can, visit different types of schools before deciding on Montessori. Then, visit a Montessori classroom. Although there will be a buzz of activity in Montessori classrooms, the energy is good. It is a learning environ-

of resources, testing in Montessori is just one more way to make sure that learning is happening. At NewGate (the Montessori Foundation’s Lab School in Sarasota, FL), we ran a pilot program using the Scantron Global Scholars Performance Series formative assessment program last year to help teachers understand what information and lessons students have already mastered. Students are invited to use the untimed, highly individualized online testing in class, one at a time, and it has proven to be a valuable and enjoyable classroom resource. In fact, most students enjoy it! Although nationally standardized and correlated to the Common Core State Standards, this is very different from the once-a-year week-long high stakes achievement tests used in many schools. It allows us to track students’ ongoing individual academic progress over the years. It also gives them excellent practice in test taking skills. Beginning this fall, we invited interested Montessori schools to join the Montessori formative assessment program. Contact Montessori Foundation President, Tim Seldin, for more information (timseldin@montessori.org).

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ment. No matter how ‘highly’ (code for ‘overly’) energized the child, when she enters her classroom, decorum prevails. It is not imposed on the classroom; it is the classroom.

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Infants to Upper Elementary (age 12), and, whenever possible, it is aligned to the Common Core Standards. Even a ‘simple’ lesson, such as washing a table, has more than 30 steps. At the higher, more abstract levels, older students transition from the Montessori manipulative materials to equally detailed lessons that correspond nicely to what is being taught in other, more traditional programs, with the exception that Montessori adds ‘real-life’ experiences to make the learning process relevant, memorable, and usually less painful.

Instead of using testing as a weapon to control funding, employment, and allocation

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Montessori High Schools DO Exist. Everything that

parents and students love about Early Childhood and Elementary Montessori experiences is becoming more available at the high school level. Some schools have adopted Dr. Montessori’s Erdkinder approach, which involves creation of a self-sustaining young adult community that lives and works together in an agriculture environment; more often, other schools have adapted Montessori curriculum to meet the needs of young adults in urban and suburban areas.

In more and more Montessori secondary programs, such as the NewGate School (Sarasota, FL), the Westwood School (Dallas, TX), the Montessori High School at University Circle (Cleveland, OH), and the Montessori School of the Virgin Islands, to name only four, the Montessori curriculum has been aligned and integrated with the International Baccalaureate’s Diploma Programme (IB).

While maintaining the kindness, humanity, and broad reaching depth of Montessori’s curriculum for its older students, IB accreditation helps provide an academic infrastructure that is recognized worldwide.

It is the goal of these high school programs to reduce the crushing stress to perform that

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Montessori Curriculum Tapestry

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Graphic courtesy of Dr. Riane Eisler, Center for Partnership Studies.

with scholarships. So do home-schooled kids, for that matter. College is not the holy grail of learning that deserves the stress that usually accompanies the American high school experience. While Montessori educators do not propose that its students should not do extra work at home or strive to achieve their dreams and better themselves, it is hard to believe that the key to success is directly linked to the number of hours of homework given and done.

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our society has imposed on our young adults.

This theme is explored in the evocative documentary, The Race to Nowhere, “featuring the heartbreaking stories of students across the country who have been pushed to the brink by over-scheduling, over-testing and the relentless pressure to achieve.” See more at www.racetonowhere.com.

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We believe that these re-designed high school programs are effective, viable, replicable, and very much needed!

Montessori Grads Get into College. Montessori graduates

have no problem getting into the colleges of their choice–usually

Even Montessori students have to learn how to spell and memorize math facts, but ‘homework’ in Montessori is usually just an extension of what is being done in the classroom.

It represents an opportunity for students of

all ages to explore and go deeper into subjects and interests than time permits in a normal school day. In Montessori, long projects are assigned to teach collaboration with peers, research, and time management. These are the real-life skills that will not only get Montessori grads into college but, most importantly, allow them to graduate.

Joyce St. Giermaine is the Editor of Tomorrow’s Child and Montessori Leadership. She is mother to two Montessori graduates, and two Montessori grandsons.

In her infinite spare time, she trains dogs … lots of dogs!

If your children are in a Montessori school, they are in good hands: yours and their teachers. If your school offers parent-ed workshops, show up and learn what your children are doing. The real secret about the Montessori Method is how much science, thought, and care for children went into the development of Dr. Montessori’s approach to preserving and working with the first ‘secret’ we listed above: Your child is unique!

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Beverley Blount

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the same as everyone else’s in the family, then no one needs to worry anymore; however, if their DH is different from everyone else’s then changes need to be made in some of the family techniques.

We talked for an hour, me giving her tips on how to help her little one.

Then she said, “Why isn’t there something that tells parents what you are telling me?” I promised her I would write one, and here it is, a helping hand pamphlet for families with cross-handed children.

First, establish where the child with the opposite DH is in the family structure. There can be many different positions (such as the oldest sibling, middle sibling, and smallest sibling), and the parents themselves may not have the same DH. Wherever our target child is, everyone in the family, especially the parents, needs to know that they must be careful to recognize what hand they are using whenever showing something to him or her.

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This was made clear to me one morning on a flight from Los Angeles to Mexico City. A young mother was sitting next to me with her two young sons (probably 4 – 5 ½) sitting across the aisle from us. They were constantly popping out of their seats to show her the coloring books they were working on, coloring the pages and writing their names on the pages. The youngest one was doing a fair job for his age on his work, but the oldest was having trouble staying within the lines and reversing his letters when writing his name. I couldn’t help watching, and finally the mother turned to me and said, “I don’t know what’s wrong with my oldest. He always gets everything mixed up and his little brother doesn’t.”

his letters correctly. She colored a bit on his booklet with her left hand and he caught on right away.

She turned to me, asking: “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

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often find that parents may need some kind of ‘manual’ to help them cope with a child whose dominant hand is the opposite of the rest of his/ her family, and especially to help protect their child in an environment of opposites.

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Tips for right-handed parents with left-handed children…and left-handed parents with righthanded children…and for all of our children and all of our teachers!

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Finding Out Before starting, it’s necessary to get rid of the words left-handed and right-handed.

The proper terms are dominant hand (DH) and sub-dominant hand (SubDH), and this usage will make understanding much easier. Of course, his or her subdominant hand is the one that is opposite the dominant one. The next thing is to find out which is the child’s DH if it is not yet known. Something that often works for small children is to roll a ball to them 25 times and ask them to kick it back; then, throw a ball to them 25 times and ask them to throw it back. By counting the times they kick or throw it back with each hand or foot, you may get a good idea of which is his/her DH. They may be very dexterous with both hands, but usually, they kick with their dominant foot. Now, when their DH is known for sure, some planning must be done. If their DH is

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That was all I needed. I advised her: “The solution is easy; he is left-handed, and you are teaching him with your right hand. His little brother is right-handed, so your instructions are correct for him. Here he comes now, use your left hand to show him how to write his name.”

She did exactly that and was amazed when he immediately did

An important rule when dealing with a child who uses the opposite hand from her parents or siblings is that people showing the child something must use their own hands, as if they have the same DH as the child. (Don’t worry that it looks and feels a bit awkward; children feel an immense sense of relief when they realize that we have the same problem trying to use our opposite hand as they do trying to copy our hand.)

Try using your child’s DH for a day or so, or make a game with the rest of the family to do things with their SubDH. It can be fun, and will show the other children what difficulties their brother or sister faces or classroom peers experience when trying to copy

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someone using the reverse hand.

It also will give a huge load of confidence to the ‘odd man out’ when they see their family struggling to do things in reverse.

One must also be very observant of the younger child who may adore his/her older sibling and want to copy everything he or she does. I especially remember a little righthanded girl who wanted to do everything her left-handed brother and father did. The first week of school, she dropped five small jugs of water, and I did not realize until much later that she was trying to do everything with her left hand.

Be sure that the children in the family sit where their knife-cutting hand is next to that edge of the table and sit on the side of the car where it is most comfortable to open doors and windows.

Remember that, when it comes to writing, allow plenty of space for their DH elbow and place their writing pad at a comfortable angle.

Spiral workbooks can be especially difficult for left-handed children, as their hand may be resting on the spiral. Try turning the book over and start from the back if they are having this problem.

When they begin to write, sometimes it is necessary to make a small dot on the beginning of each line to help the child find exactly where he or she should start writing. Remember that our left-to right and up to down system is not native to humanity; other cultures use op-

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The child will make this mistake repeatedly until:

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2. Somehow his/her brain sorts it out for itself, and he/she starts writing with inverse movements, and the letters come out correctly.

Often children have to work with the hand curved around over the top of the letter.

3. The teacher realizes what is wrong, sits down beside the child and gives the reading and writing lessons, matching her hand to the child’s DH.

4. Children become so confused that they have problems reading and writing for the rest of their lives.

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She looked at me in surprise, a strange expression on her face.

“Yes,” she faltered, amazed, “All my family are left-handed.”

“Sara, was your kindergarten teacher or your first grade teacher left-handed?” Now it was her turn to be surprised, as she thought back to her childhood: “How did you know? My first grade teacher was left handed!”

Her mother called me early the next morning. “What happened to Elizabeth? She came home

She is a college graduate in special needs therapy, but no one had ever taught her about the problems

I think that all of us who live and work with children realize that children, who are surrounded by parents and peers who use opposite hands, face enormous difficulties in a reverse-handed world.

The daughter of my Montessori kindergarten director is left-handed. Her mother followed all the tips I am recounting here, and she is now in high school and has never shown any problem with writing, inverting letters, or reading.

A young friend of mine (now a well-known radio broadcaster) recounted some of the difficulties he has had throughout his life. He says that one of his pet peeves is that in restaurants, he must invert all the tableware, and the worst is that every time they serve him coffee, the handle of the cup is always pointed to the right.

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1. He or she is pronounced dyslectic or with learning or reading problems, and sent to therapy.

ing with her right hand, although it was wrapped around her words the way some left-handed people do. I felt very surprised and a little ashamed, but then it hit me.

Another long silence followed her answer as we all looked at each other. Again, I ventured another question, “Is somebody in your family left-handed?”

yesterday afternoon and cried all evening. When we went to bed, she was still crying.”

When Elizabeth came to class the next day, she called me aside. “All my life, I thought there was something wrong with me, that I saw everything backwards. Now I know I wasn’t crazy; it was my world that was turned around, and I no longer have to reverse everything. It has been a wonderful relief for me.”

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It is an entirely different problem for his/her teacher who does not realize what is happening with a few children in her classroom. The teacher may be doing all her teaching by writing on the chalkboard with the opposite DH of some of her students. If you hold up your hand on a chalkboard and write the letter a with your right hand, the left-handed child will write it with exactly the same movement, and it will come out backward.Try it yourself. That will happen with all the letters (except a few, like 1 and l).

Examples My husband went to a strict European school many years ago, where left-handed children were not allowed to write with their left hand. He was amazed that our Montessori daughters learned to write painlessly and with beautiful styles all of their own. He still writes with his right hand and draws with his left.

“No,” she replied, evidently surprised by the question.

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A bit of logical thought and observation will make life easier for the child who does not use the hand that is used by the rest of the family. It’s a question of seeing everything in reverse. The problem is much more obvious for a left-handed child in a right-handed world, but the opposite is also true: those right-handed children brought up in a left-handed family face the same problems.

5. Or, left-handed children are taught with some of the many new writing instruments designed for left-handed children (and, if possible, by a left-handed teacher).

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posite systems such as down to up and right to left.

Years ago, when I was giving the Montessori Early Childhood teacher training, one of the young trainees (22 years old) sat back on her heels after she finished presenting the red rods, her first material in her sensorial exam.

Her finished efforts brought a complete silence from all of us.

She had done the entire exercise the reverse of the way it had been presented to the class.

Finally I broke the silence, “Elizabeth,” I said, amazed, “Are you left-handed?”

A similar thing happened last week. I was making some copies behind my elementary director’s chair when I noticed the writing of one of the two therapists of our special-needs children who, was reporting to our director.

“Sara,” I told her, “you must be very careful how you hold your pen and be sure to use your right hand when working with righthanded children.”

She looked at me in surprise, “But Beverley, I am right-handed, although my daughter is lefthanded!”

caused by left-hand and righthand cross teaching.

Today, after many, many years, that little right-handed girl who dropped so many little jugs so long ago because she was copying the movements of her left-handed family, is now a Montessori guide herself. When I told her mother (also a Montessori guide) about this article, the first thing she asked me was: “Why didn’t you tell me about her trying to use her brother’s hand? It would have helped my family so much.”

I had to admit that I did not know about the problems mentioned here, but I did know to teach with the dominant hand. This mother and Montessori guide had taken my original course 25 years ago, where using the dominant hand was stressed. She had even gone on to take the elementary Montessori course as well as many others.

She had taught all these years and had never experienced the simple techniques I am writing about in this article. ¢

I turned my hand around in my mind. Sure enough, she was writ-

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MONTESSORI SECONDARY PROGRAMS

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Their Time Has Come

by Tim Seldin,President The Montessori Foundation

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espite the fact that people often have the impression that Montessori is just for Early Childhood, today many Montessori schools offer an Elementary program. Montessori Middle School programs (for grades seven and eight) are becoming fairly common, and Montessori Secondary programs [high school] (for grades nine through twelve), are developing steadily from coast to coast, and have readily been accessible in Europe for many years. As you may recall, Anne Frank was enrolled in a Montessori Secondary program in Amsterdam before the German occupation.

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In the last thirty-some years, after seeing how well Montessori worked for their preschool children, a new generation of American parents began to push school administrators to add Montessori Elementary programs. In addition, by the time their children were old enough to enter Elementary, many families had added a new sibling to the family mix and were not only asking for Montessori Elementary but were also looking for a Montessori Infant/ Toddler program. Whereas most Montessori schools were defined by their Early Childhood program for three- to six-year-olds, schools began expanding in both directions to accommodate the growing demand for more Montessori.

Is it so surprising, then, that families who have relied on Montessori Early Childhood and Elementary are now pushing for the natural extension of Montessori into the Secondary level?

What is a Montessori administrator to do? In many ways, this seems a no-brainer, especially when we are all too aware of the pressures and stress experienced by adolescents, competing for, what they believe, are limited spaces in the best colleges that will ensure their future success.

Sadly, we all know or have read about high school students who have been crushed under the demand of many hours of nightly homework and the never-ending stress to learn more, learn faster, and out-perform their peers.

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After more than one hundred years, most educators acknowledge that the Montessori Method is a great way to give young learners a strong foundation for a lifetime of learning.

Just mention ‘Montessori’ and almost everyone you meet will say something like, “Oh, yes, my kids went to Montessori,” or they know somebody whose children are in Montessori. Today, very few parents have to defend their choice to enroll their preschoolers in Montessori.

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Editor’s Note:

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The stakes are high for our adolescents. In some cases, it is truly life-or-death concerns that are driving parents to want something better, healthier, and saner for their high-school-aged children (and for themselves). While we intuitively suspect that a Montessori Secondary program ought to be possible and preferable, Montessori educators and parents often feel that they are in somewhat uncharted territory; however, just as Montessori expanded into Elementary, Montessori Secondary programs are now a reality. If your children are in Montessori or if you are a Montessori teacher or educator, now is the time to consider Montessori Secondary, because the future is here!

Montessori Elementary is now almost as widely recognized as the Early Childhood program. Perhaps more so, because many parents whose young children grew up in a Montessori Children’s House are returning to their Montessori roots after dissatisfaction with what they have found after transferring their children to traditional elementary programs (public or private).

Joyce St. Giermaine Editor

Perhaps your Montessori school already has an Elementary program, and you are considering expanding to a Montessori Middle School.

I’ll let you in on a little secret: Montessori Middle and High School programs are not that difficult to develop!

I find that many Montessori educators, as well as parents, are surprised by this statement. They have the idea that a Middle or High School has to be large, expensive, equipped with facilities like those found in the local schools, and well beyond their schools' means. The simple fact is that, once you know how to do it, setting up a Montessori Middle School program is no more difficult than establishing an Elementary program. Obviously, schools can build enormous, very expensive facilities and plan for enrollment in the hundreds. But, in practice, Montessori Middle and High Schools can be best understood by envisioning another highly successful, innovative, and not very expensive comparable model: home-schooling for grade 7 to 12.

Montessori schools are not the same as home-school family settings, but there is often a fair amount of similarity among the more effective home-schooling families and small Montessori Middle and High schools. Again, everything depends upon the individual family. I’m not thinking of those families that are simply putting their children in front of the computer and enrolling them in some sort of online virtual school program.

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Montessori education first came to America in 1911 and spread rapidly. By 1920, there were more than one thousand Montessori schools in the United States.

Then, for various reasons, including the disruption of World War I and Great Depression, Montessori as a movement all but disappeared in North America, while continuing to expand elsewhere around the world.

tary Montessori teachers available. At the time, the only way to become an Elementary Montessori teacher was to spend a year at the Montessori Center in Bergamo, Italy.

Some schools were able to sponsor teachers through the course in Bergamo, and there is a strong network of Elementary Montessori teachers who brought back keen insights and skills; however, for most schools, the proposition of sending someone to Italy for a year was unrealistic. Initially, many schools simply asked experienced Early Childhood Montessori teachers to open new Elementary programs without any formal training.

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Instead, I’m describing programs where communities of young middle and high school students learn together collaboratively and extensively go out into the community. Montessori Secondary programs have many faces, but they all tend to have many things in common as well.

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As the parents of children attending Montessori schools, you’ve undoubtedly heard about the success of former Montessori students. You may have also heard how brain researchers have discovered the connection between Montessori and what neuroscience tells us about the way children learn. As leading neuroscientist, Dr. Steve Hughes, puts it, “Montessori came up with the whole package. Nobody else comes close to developing a replicable system that is as effective in meeting the full scope of children’s needs.”

Montessori was rediscovered In the US during the early 1960s by an influential community of bright, well-educated parents who demanded a much more vibrant education for their children. Within a few years, thousands of Montessori schools had been founded, and Montessori insights were introduced to the mainstream culture. Today, we estimate that there are more than 6,000 Montessori schools in the US and more than 22,000 schools in at least 110 countries.

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The development of Montessori Middle and High School programs is important to the entire Montessori community. In the eyes of many people, ‘real’ education begins with high school, despite overwhelming research that clearly shows that the most important years in the formation of a child’s development are from birth to age six, not high school and college. Secondary Montessori programs support this theory, and their students and graduates offer the proof that most clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of Montessori education as a whole.

How Montessori Evolved in North America

Let’s begin by briefly looking at how Montessori evolved in the US and Canada from its roots in Early Childhood education to today’s expanding community of Elementary, Middle, and High School programs.

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When Montessori returned to the US and Canada in the early 1960s, schools only offered programs for children age 3 to 6. By the early 1970s, parent demand led many schools to extend the Montessori program up into the Elementary grades, but there were only a handful of Elemen-

By 1980, Elementary Montessori teacher education centers were established in the US and Canada, and, today, while some Montessori schools end at age six, many more offer Elementary classes as well.

The evolution of Montessori at the Secondary level has followed a similar path. Although Secondary Montessori schools are not yet common, they are no longer rare. We estimate that there are approximately one thousand Montessori Middle School pro-

grams for students aged 12 to 14 (grades 7 & 8) in North America today. With the development of charter schools and public Montessori schools, this number is rapidly growing. Montessori High School programs for students aged 15 – 18 (grades 9 – 12) are evolving more slowly, but they are also beginning to develop across North America and around the world.

Most Montessori Secondary programs are small. Unlike most public middle and high schools with an enrollment of 1,000 to 3,000 students under one roof, most Montessori Secondary programs have an enrollment of fewer than 100. Some begin with an enrollment between 10 and 20 students.

For want of a better word, we often describe these small programs as being similar to a ‘boutique,’ a small shop that offers goods or services that are very specialized and difficult to find, along with a very high degree of personal service, care, and attention.

As one example, our Lab School, the NewGate School in Sarasota, Florida, has been graduating very successful students from the 12th grade since 2004. With an enrollment of about 40 students, NewGate is definitely a ‘boutique.’

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The Common Threads of Montessori Middle and High Schools Programs

The years of early adolescence are usually the most challenging time in almost any child’s life.

This is a time of transformation

It is also fair to say that, because of overlapping developmental influences, most teenagers are not particularly academic in their orientation. While they may excel in school, they often do so primarily to make their parents and teachers happy and, eventually, be accepted to a good college.

What they really want to do is spend time with their friends.

Knowing this, Montessori Middle and High Schools place tremendous emphasis on the rela-

from childhood into the man or woman that he or she will become. During these years, it’s as if a child has been born again, this time not into the physical world, but into the social world of the larger society.

One of the best-known Montessori Secondary programs is the Hershey Montessori Farm School, located outside of Cleveland, Ohio.

It is a residential Montessori farm school (what is known in Montessori as the Erdkinder model).

Erdkinder means the Children of the Land or Children of the Earth.

Dr. Montessori used the name Erdkinder in describing the secondary schools that she felt might best meet the needs of adolescents as they transition from childhood to adolescence, with an operating farm that provides the framework for a highly respected program for early adolescents.

Teenagers are, for the most part, not thought of or treated as part of the adult community. This is terribly unfortunate, because it is by daily interaction in the adult world that young people learn not only the grace and courtesy of everyday life, but also the practical life skills that are so essential.

tionships among the people of the school community. Montessori Secondary teachers are trained mentors and guides in addition to subject-matter specialists who deliver content.

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Others, like Compass Montessori Charter School in Boulder, Colorado have a Middle and High School campus located on enough acreage to allow a program that is oriented to working the land and experiencing nature.

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Teenagers in Montessori Schools Often Wish They Had More Friends

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Supporting a child’s social and emotional growth are essential goals in any Montessori Secondary program. While providing rigorous teaching of the academic subjects expected by the larger society, Montessori Secondary programs do so in a way that puts the emphasis on interpersonal relationships and inspiring a sense of wonder.

Yet other schools have chosen to blend Montessori with the International Baccalaureate Program.

Some of these schools include: the Montessori School of Rochester (Rochester, MN); the Montessori

much like all the other schools they’ve always known.

Supporting a child’s social and emotional growth are essential goals in any Montessori Secondary program. While providing rigorous teaching of the academic subjects expected by the larger society, Montessori Secondary programs do so in a way that puts the emphasis on interpersonal relationships and inspiring a sense of wonder. It is actually the perfect time to tap into the excitement, interest, and enthusiasm of the rapidly developing brain of the adolescent.

There are definitely trade-offs for those students who choose to stay in Montessori. But there are incredible benefits as well.

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Montessori Middle or High School programs come in all shapes and sizes. Some resemble the small high schools of an earlier era, such as the Clark Montessori High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.

With an enrollment of about 600 students from grades 7 through 12, it is a close-knit community and has a very strong sense of identity.

High School at University Circle (Cleveland, OH); the Westwood School (Dallas, TX); the Montessori School of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, USVI); and NewGate School in Sarasota, FL.

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There is no possibility that a student will be lost in the crowd.

Adolescence provides the opportunity for students to begin to grow into the adults they will soon become. This is the time for them to: develop a sense of who they are; articulate what they believe; and learn to get along with other people. It is truly an education for life.

Montessori schools that expand up into the Middle or High School years are so valuable, because parents and teachers can see the evidence of maturity and enthusiasm in these young adults.

And I say this, recognizing that there is tremendous social pressure among so many families (and in so many students) not to stand out. For many students, it is much more comfortable to fit in, to be like everyone else, and it’s very difficult for a family to resist the temptation to enroll their child in the local public school or an independent school that looks

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Those benefits are mostly in terms of mental health, self-confidence, social skills, and what increasingly is called executivefunctioning skills (maturity, self-control, the ability to take personal responsibility, and the ability to manage one’s time and resist temptation). You can see how those skills pay off. Because Montessori Secondary programs are small, there is a strong bond of trust among students, teachers, and parents, which often allows an active travel program. I remember overhearing a conversation between two girls, one a Montessori Middle School student and another from a traditional school. The non-Montessori student was excited about their class trip to King's Dominion amusement park outside Richmond, VA; the Montessori student was going to Japan!

The Need to Move

Montessori schools have always focused on learning by doing, and at no stage of life is this more important than in the years between 12 and 18.

During these years, their bodies are changing so rapidly, that they really love to move. They need to move at school; they fidget when confined to a desk or a classroom.

They get up and down, often taking their work outside. Some older students even find it enjoyable to tuck themselves away in a classroom of younger children to work or read, reminding them of where they’ve been. They also

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We take for granted that our students are bright, responsible, and motivated. With the rare exception, they are all college-bound, and very capable young people.

Secondary teachers facilitate the learning process, serving as mentors, cheerleaders, and guides, challenging and enticing students to benefit from their middle and high school education. They coach students to think deeply, work diligently, and come away with lasting understanding.

the logical next step for a student who has come up through the Early Childhood and Elementary Montessori programs. One Montessori Secondary program may draw students from several different Elementary Montessori programs. It is also possible to accept a limited number of older students who are coming from other more traditional schools, but only after careful consideration for their potential success in the Montessori Secondary program.

The goal is to help students learn how to learn and trust their own ability to discover and think logically. We seek to foster their curiosity and self-motivation. While the academic expectations tend to be very high, we don’t believe that competition and stress are the best ways to motivate learning. Over and over again, our students hear us say that our primary goal is to challenge them to think for themselves, to think deeply, and to think about others.

Montessori Middle and High Schools today blend various aspects of the Erdkinder model with elements developed by exemplary secondary schools of all kinds. For example, in some programs, Middle School students spend one week out of every six working, and sometimes staying, at a land lab, where they study, build shelters, cultivate crops, and recycle. These kinds of ‘Practical Life’ activities are essential. They provide direct learning experiences that involve the young adolescent in meaningful learning activities.

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love to run and test themselves physically against each other and against external physical challenges, such as: hiking, running, swimming, sailing, or just about anything that involves movement.

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u Curriculum based on interdisciplinary, thematic instruction; multi-cultural perspectives; discovery-based learning; individual and small-group learning projects; authentic and performancebased assessment; small advisory groups; community service; internships; and landbased studies.

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The brain is formed by moving, not by simply sitting and listening; therefore, Secondary Montessori programs build in as many opportunities as possible to allow students to move around, work with their hands, and master practical life skills. From the experience of hundreds of interesting and practical hands-on projects and challenges, the undirected behavior of early adolescence gives way to a sense of personal satisfaction, high motivation, and the renewed ability to focus seriously on academic work.

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An Atmosphere of Respect

Like all levels of Montessori education, the hallmark of Secondary Montessori programs is an atmosphere of kindness, warmth, and mutual respect among students, teachers, and parents. They radiate a safe and supportive emotional climate and a deep sense of community.

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The Basic Elements of a Secondary Montessori Program

Secondary Montessori programs are primarily intended to serve as

Other basic elements of Montessori Secondary programs include:

v Curriculum that is developmentally based and appropriate to meet the growing intellectual, social, emotional, and physical needs of adolescents, giving students ample opportunities for selfexpression, as they construct personal meaning about their studies and themselves. w Evaluation of students on a logical, objective basis instead of emphasis on academic competition among students.

Students should not be graded on a curve; rather, they should be evaluated individually against clearly stated academic objectives, through a wide variety of authentic assessment techniques, including portfolios, long-term projects, and selfevaluation. x Use of a variety of teaching styles and modified assignments and assessment strategies to meet individual student’s learning styles and special interests. y Faculty who serve as mentors and facilitate the process as their students learn how to: observe; listen; read critically; gather information; and learn from hands-on experience. z Teachers who strive to help their students develop self-esteem; independence; responsibility; compassion; openness to new experiences and learning; and effective and satisfying social relationships.

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} Conscious promotion of students’ personal spiritual and ethical development. ~ Encouragement of innovative thinking and entrepreneurial skills.

How to Create a Montessori Secondary Program

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Ideally, each ‘house’ has its own suite of classrooms and meeting areas; however, most schools are forced, by budget or limited space, to adapt themselves to existing facilities. Each house is centered around a commons room designed for reading and quiet study. Each commons room also contains part of the school library. At one end of the commons, there might be a small stage used for debates, student

Many factors contribute to this, all of which are tied to our culture’s image of what a middle or senior high school should look like. For example, parents and

Not every student is the right fit for a Montessori Secondary program. Ideally, we look for students who have grown up in a strong Montessori program. We also consider students from a different background, who want to be part of this community of learners and are self-motivated, mature, and well educated.

We are a community of diverse talents and backgrounds, held together by our mutual respect, friendship, and appreciation for the opportunity to participate in a unique and enriched educational experience. The primary factors that we look for in admission are related to personality and character.

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Several smaller rooms are adjacent to the commons. These are designated for seminar groups; each has a large conference table and seats up to ten participants.

Another room is designed as a math lab, where students work alone or in small groups, and the room is equipped with a wide range of mathematical apparatus.

Another room serves as a science lab with a large attached greenhouse. The lab is equipped for the life and physical sciences, with corrosive-resistant work surfaces, sinks, Bunsen burners, aquaria, animal cages, and secure storage for chemicals and equipment. For safety, the labs have an emergency shower, eye wash, and a ventilated fume hood. Another room houses an art studio and craft workshop, encouraging students to engage in the arts as their interest, workload, and schedule allow. The craft workshop provides tools for building model structures from wood, paper, and other materials. Older students often construct dioramas, models of ancient buildings, little machines, or re-creations of historical artifacts.

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New Montessori Middle School programs typically begin with a small group of seventh graders and add on a year at a time. The enrollment gradually builds in size over the years, as more families and their students elect to continue with the school through the upper level(s). This presents a tremendous challenge for many schools, because parents and students are normally reluctant to be part of what they perceive as a ‘fragile’ new program.

Although mixed-age groups within a classroom are essential at the Montessori Primary and Elementary levels, there is no one model of organizing secondary programs.

Some middle schools combine grades seven through eight only, others group students in grades seven, eight, and nine. Schools that extend to grade twelve may offer three mixed-age levels: grades seven to eight; nine to ten; and eleven to twelve. Still other schools offer two levels: grades seven to nine and ten to twelve.

purchase the ingredients, prepare the day’s meal, serve and clean up, collect lunch fees, and keep the business books.

presentations, guest speakers, and performances.

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| Meaningful introduction to social issues of the community in which they live, both through the curriculum and through field experiences, volunteer efforts, and internship projects.

students alike tend to expect a fairly large enrollment of several hundred to more than a thousand students, allowing students to choose among a wide range of friends and extra-curricular activities. And yet, school-reform experts, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, call for the creation of much smaller learning communities (sometimes called ‘houses’ or ‘academies’)—a Montessori concept for sure!

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{ Membership in a community based on kindness, safety, trust, and mutual respect that supports young adults learning the skills of living in the adult world.

Finally, a small but complete kitchen is important, allowing students to prepare their own meals. Many Montessori Middle School programs operate a small lunch business. Students

The Montessori Foundation has advised many schools through the process of organizing new Montessori Middle and High Schools. We are currently working with the Center for Guided Montessori Studies to design and launch a new Montessori Secondary teacher education program soon.

By now, we hope that we have piqued your interest about Montessori Secondary programs. For more information, please feel free to contact us at 941-7299565 or email me at timseldin@ montessori.org. Our staff at The Montessori Foundation can help!

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Tim Seldin is the President of the Montessori Foundation and Chair of the International Montessori Council. His more than forty years of experience in Montessori education includes twenty-two years as Headmaster of the Barrie School in Silver Spring, Maryland, which was his own alma mater from age two through high school graduation. Tim was the co-founder and Director of the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies, the Center for Guided Montessori Studies, and currently also serves as the Head of the New Gate School in Sarasota, Florida.

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, The Montessori Way with Dr. Paul Epstein, Building a World-class Montessori School, Finding the Perfect Match - Recruit and Retain Your Ideal Enrollment, Master Teachers - Model Programs, Starting a New Montessori School, Celebrations of Life, and The World in the Palm of Her Hand.

Tim is the father and step-father to five former Montessori students and the grandfather of a new generation of Montessori students. He lives on a small vineyard north of Sarasota, Florida with his wife, Joyce St. Giermaine, and their many horses, dogs, and cats.

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Living Livingwith with Adolescents Adolescents a Montessori Approach

Learning Their Language

by Patricia de León

I thought that first night would never end. At times, I could not help myself, and cried right along with my baby girl. The next morning, at dawn, I called her pediatrician and asked him for help.

He gave me a very simple answer and it worked. Then I realized that all his experience and knowledge with babies is what made it easier for him to help me; He had experience and knowledge that I lacked at that point. From that day on, I was anxious to learn whatever was necessary to help and to understand my daughter.

will realize that, no matter what language you think he or she speaks (Spanish, English, French, etc.), your teenager is writing in a completely different language than yours, a language that is normally very difficult for adults to understand.

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Being a Montessori child, I learned how to carefully observe what is happening around me. In Montessori, we quietly observe what the students with whom we work are doing. We try to remain objective, avoid judgements, and not jump to conclusions. We simply try to be present in the moment, taking note of what is unfolding before our eyes.

mom could do or think of, but nothing stopped her from crying.

That night I could not fall asleep, and neither did she.

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rowing up as a Montessori child in Mexico shaped much of my life and gave me a great passion to teach. Learning with the beautiful and precise Montessori materials led me to become fascinated with the language of mathematics and geometry, and, as I watched older students discover them as I had, I discovered a passion for working with adolescents.

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Today, I would like to share with you one of the experiences that helped me to appreciate how practical Montessori insights can be when we use them in our homes. This one night has guided me over the last 26 years as I have worked with adolescents. It ultimately led me to a better understanding of the special language of teenagers.

My memories of that night, combined with my years of working with adolescents, lead me to think: if we strive hard to understand and help our babies, even though they cannot speak the same language as us, why don’t we try to do the same with teenagers, whether they are our own children, or students that we teach?

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This memory is of a night 17 years ago when I first brought my newborn daughter home from the hospital. That night my heart was full with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was filled with joy to have my baby at home with me, but, at the same time, it was a nightmare. Here I was, a brand new mom, and I knew almost nothing. My baby was crying, but I could not understand what she wanted. Trying to calm her, I spoke softly, I sang to her, I gave her milk, I did everything a new

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Let’s begin with a fact; adolescents have their own language, even though on the surface they seem to speak the same language that we do. The language of adolescents becomes more difficult to understand when, for example, you add the factor of technology.

First, let’s talk about this special language, the language of technology, since its differences are more noticeable. I invite you to sit for one minute next to one of your favorite teenagers and try to read what he or she is writing in the text that is being sent from a cell phone or on a social network. In less than a minute, you

To understand this ‘different’ language, perhaps, you will need to make inferences or generate your own code between the language that you speak and the language that your teenager is using. Or you could simply ask your son or daughter to decode any cryptic words that you don’t understand.

Through this language, teenagers are doing what they are most interested in: connecting and communicating with their friends.

For many parents, the way teenagers socialize may be very different from what we saw when our children were younger. It takes effort on our part to learn their spoken and written language, but only through understanding what our teenagers are saying and feeling, can we hopefully help them as they progress through this next stage of development.

In her book From Childhood to Adolescence, Dr. Maria Montessori reminds us that, just as a baby is born into this world, an adolescent is born into the world of social life. Adolescents are in the process of learning to communicate with their peers, and just as babies, adolescents have their own language during the first stage of their social birth as they begin to enter society. Teenagers need help to understand the society where they are about to play a role as adults. To help them in this understanding, we must offer different activities to give adolescents the feeling of living within the larger society; we need to give them more love and support than ever. (Montessori, From Childhood to Adolescence, Clio Edition, 1994) To reinforce this idea, let’s remember that in the Four Planes of Human Development identified by Dr. Maria Montessori*, she notes that adolescents tend to show characteristics and behavior that can be quite similar to when they were in the years of early childhood. Perhaps an analogy will help us to better un-

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Living with Adolescents a Montessori Approach

When your favorite adolescent is irritated, help him to clarify what he is feeling, by daring him to name this feeling properly. lacks social experience; she is a newborn social being who is just beginning to understand her new emotions and the turbulent waters of friendships and love.

Teenagers need our empathy, our observation, our inference, our silent support, our smile, our hands, our shoulders, our time, our understanding, and our love.

When your favorite adolescent is irritated, help him to clarify what he is feeling, or by daring him to name this feeling properly.

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Similarly, teenagers typically go through periods of embarrassment, anxiety, sadness, and/or loss over conflicts with friends or first loves. While each may display it in different ways, adolescents may experience real pain or confusion. Often they can’t explain what is wrong or know how to process it. Loss may come out as hostility, sarcasm, tears, or they may run to hide in their room or anyplace where they can be alone and where adults cannot find them. They do not yet have the strength to say, “My heart hurts,” They often don´t know how to express love.

In the first case, although the crying baby causes her parents

When you already have a communication channel, even a simple one, it helps adolescents to start defining what they are feeling. I have worked with many teens as an Adolescent Montessori Guide, which allowed me to help them to construct their social vocabulary.

Every time that I’ve managed to have such communication with the adolescent in my role as a Montessori Guide, I am proud and feel privileged to belong to a Montessori community where our goal is to be an aide to life.

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When this happens, try to give the adolescent in your life the

confidence that you’ll be there when he or she is ready to talk, saying something like, “I’ll be here when you are ready to talk,” or, “Please take a sheet of paper and pencil, and write or draw on it. When you’re done, if you want to share with me, I’ll be right here.” The first time you do this, it is more likely that he won’t come to find you, but just give him some space, and after a couple of hours, or maybe a couple of days, you can say: “Nice to see that you seem more calm. Do you want to talk about ... ? “

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When a one-year-old is in pain, he or she will normally whimper or cry. From the intensity or duration of the crying, or the baby’s body language, parents have to deduce what kind of pain the baby is experiencing, because the baby cannot yet tell them what is wrong.

The heartbroken adolescent who is equally distraught and unable to tell us what she wants should, ideally, generate in us the same feeling. An adolescent is, in his or her own way, just as helpless as the infant, because she also

What teenagers feel may be sadness, disappointment, frustration, fatigue, physical pain (headache, muscular pain, stomach ache, etc.) or emotional pain (love). The latter is commonly present during adolescence.

However, when I approach my teenage students, 90 percent of the time, their first response is: “I am angry,” instead of, “I don’t know what to do about love.”

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Similarly, adolescents tend to behave in ways, from the tone of their voice to their body language, at times when they are getting hungry. Of course, they can, and often do, just tell you that they want to eat. But not always. Watch! Listen! You will probably notice that as mealtime approaches, they may become irritable, silly, or boisterous, all of which may be outward symptoms that they are getting hungry.

anxiety at the beginning, their alarm is often accompanied by tenderness and love, even if we just wish that she would stop crying. Our instinct as human beings tells us that the baby is a defenseless being.

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derstand the similarity between the First and Third Planes of Human Development. Let’s suppose a six-month old baby begins to whimper and exhibits specific body language. Before long, the parents will begin to understand that what the baby wants is milk.

In most cases, both adults and adolescents call this state anger.

Saying, “I’m angry,” is the easiest way out for any human being, as it also automatically puts a barrier between us and the person(s) with whom we are upset. The interesting challenge is to try to put the correct name to what we are feeling. This can be quite difficult for us as adults. Try to imagine how it must be for young teenagers who are just beginning their journey toward adulthood.

Little by little, with patience and love, you are going to carefully start building lines of communication between you.

Teenagers need, and like, to know that there is an adult with whom they can communicate and trust; an adult who is willing to listen to him even though his social vocabulary is limited.

They need to find an adult who will not judge but will listen and gently guide.

A Montessori Guide accompanies the child at all times.

Accompaniment involves carefully observing, listening, and trying to understand.

Let’s analyze another example.

A young teenage girl asks a fellow student, who happens to be a boy, if they can work together on a newly assigned project, but he says, “No.” This situation could lead her to feel rejected. Moments later, she might verbalize her feelings as anger, but what she really feels is sadness, disappointment, or rejection. Possibly, the boy was just busy doing something else, or he may have been unsure of how to respond to the invitation.

An efficient way to help an adolescent to begin to understand his feelings is through the empathy of the teacher, or any caring adult.

One strategy is to help the teenager to discuss and describe what he is feeling.

However you establish a channel of communication with your

*The First Plane of Development [Infancy and Early Childhood] runs from birth to age 6; The Second Plane of Development [The Elementary Years] runs from age 6 to 12; The Third Plane of Development [Adolescence] extends from age 12 to 18; and The Fourth Plane of Development [Transition to Young Adulthood] extends from age 18 to 24).

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Living with Adolescents a Montessori Approach Gradually, you will use this first and basic information to help you promote deeper dialogues where feelings may be involved.

Try to start a conversation with questions that do not involve feelings. What teenagers need to know is that you are genuinely interested. You really have to show (and have) a genuine interest in the conversation, because, as you can notice, for teenagers, these are very personal questions. On the other side of the coin, since you love your favorite teenager, spending valuable time with him will be easy for you.

Æ Remember to listen at least twice as long as you speak; we have two ears and one mouth. Æ Do not judge; be empathetic at all times with the adolescent’s emotions, and be aware of their age.

Æ Keep in mind when the time is right to speak, and when the time calls for you to just be silent and listen. The goal here is to learn their language.

In future articles, we will explore the process of being in love, the physical changes, academic performance, and other issues that adolescents confront in their lives. The purpose of these articles is to be able to nourish the land where our teenagers are beginning to form into the men and women they will soon become. ¢

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To start a dialogue, try not to make close-ended questions— questions that are answered by a good, bad, yes, or no. For example, a close-ended question could be: “How was school today?” While some open-ended questions might be: “What is your opinion on what you talked about today in the conference?” “Why did you choose these colors for your drawing; do

they mean something?” “What did you play during recess time; what were the teams?” “How’s the school team doing?” etc.

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teenager; it sometimes involves a little more effort and strategy to begin a dialogue. Establishing a channel of communication with adolescents often requires a little more time and effort.

Æ When you want to give your opinion, be very sensitive and observant to reactions.

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Patricia (Patty) de León is an Adolescent Montessori Guide and International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program Director at NewGate School, The Montessori Foundation’s Lab School in Sarasota, Florida. Patty grew up in Monterrey, Mexico, and attended Montessori as a child. She grew up to work with elementary, middle school, and high school students, as well as serving as the Director of a Montessori Middle School in Leon, Mexico, and as the Coordinator of a large International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program in Monterrey. Like most Montessori educators, Patty is adept in many areas of the curriculum, including Mathematics and Science. She is a member of The Montessori Foundation’s team of Montessori School Consultants, specializing in Secondary Montessori program development and the establishment of new Montessori-IB programs.

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Well-Being

It’s Not Nothing

A counterintuitive approach to well-being and inner peace

by Laura Bakosh, PhD. & Janice Houlihan, M.Ed. Co-Founders, Inner Explorer, Inc.

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There is a growing body of evidence that mindful awareness skills foster healthy development in children and can be strengthened with practice.

ings, and to the community. Maria Montessori innately knew what scientists are now discovering.

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Many of us have embraced the culture of doing. We keep our children busy with academics, athletics, and various after-school and community activities, all valuable pursuits in their development. Yet, in our technologydriven culture, downtime has shifted to become “gadget gaze.”

Our children seem to be relaxing in front of their gadgets; however, neuroscientists demonstrate that the constant buzzing and beeping of games and instant messages causes a chronic stress response in the brain and body. Beyond the damaging effects on cognitive development, this busyness leaves no time for ‘non-doing.’

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oes it surprise you to know that sitting with eyes closed, focusing on inner experiences does more to promote wellbeing and inner peace than nearly any other activity? It surprises most parents and non-parents alike, yet study after study shows these outcomes.

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It’s important to note that nondoing is different than doing nothing. Non-doing is purposeful, albeit counter intuitive. It is sometimes called ‘mindfulness,’ and it involves the cultivation of moment-to-moment awareness.

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Often, our focus is on the past (what has happened) or on the future (what will happen). While it is useful to learn from the past and plan for the future, paying close attention to this moment now is the most direct and full experience of life.

Bringing awareness to all that is happening, as it is happening, allows us to become intimately familiar with our inner world. By simply paying attention, without

judgment to our thoughts, senses, feelings, and emotions, we begin to come into direct contact with our deepest values, essence, and purpose. The practice does not rush at us or hijack us like ‘gaming’ does. It nudges us from our core. It amplifies the whisper of our soul. This is not an external pursuit of doing; it is an internal pursuit of being.

Montessori children are exposed to many awareness practices as part of their normal school day.

The works, activities, and interactions with each other are all designed to require purposeful attention to a task, to the surround-

There is a growing body of evidence that mindful awareness skills foster healthy development in children and can be strengthened with practice. Awareness practices have been shown to reduce the negative effects of stress, anxiety, and depression, while enhancing cognitive performance, self-control, resilience and a sense of wellbeing. They also have been shown to increase academic performance and reduce behavior problems in the classroom (Bakosh, et al., 2014 in review).

As a result of these findings, both public and private schools around the country and around the world are beginning to offer mindfulness programs to their students. These programs provide formal practices, like sitting with eyes closed, to help students develop and strengthen the skills of awareness and inner peace.

These practices, often for only 5-10 minutes per day, prepare students to bring a sense of

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awareness and peace to more moments throughout the day. The cultivation of awareness also offers a space between stimulus and response. Children learn to become more responsive and less reactive, leading to better decisionmaking and less conflict. Parents and educators often tell us they wish they had learned these skills as children!

Non-doing can inspire a generation of children to bring forth this sense of well-being and inner peace into the world. Imagine the impact!

Laura Bakosh, Ph.D. will be a keynote presenter at this year’s Annual International Conference, in Sarasota, FL (see page 2). To learn more about bringing mindful awareness practices to your school or your child’s school, visit www.

InnerExplorer.org Attendees to The Montessori Foundation’s Annual International Conference, November 6-8, 2014 are eligible to receive a 20% discount.

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BOOK REVIEWS

By Lorna McGrath answering questions to expressing his own thoughts.”

This is a fascinating account of how it feels to be trapped inside a body that has so many challenges to overcome.

It was not simply that Ido couldn’t speak. He had much more to overcome – stim [self-stimuilating behavior], impulsivity, making his body work with his mind instead of against it.

Ido in Autismland Climbing Out of Autism’s Silent Person

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This is a different kind of alphabet Miss You Like Crazy* book written by Montessorians with Written by Pamela Hall gorgeous illustrations and a preface Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell on how to use Sandpaper Letters. On the left-hand page is a textured letThis is another nicely illustrated, fan- ter of the alphabet in cursive. On the ciful story. The main characters are right-hand page is an illustration desquirrels–a mother and child. They picting an action that has that letter are dressed in human clothes, they as the beginning sound. On that same speak as humans, and they do human page, there is a photo of one hemithings like going to work and going sphere from the planisphere map, and to school. on it is indicated the place of the action. Below that is a written descripThe idea of the story is that the young tion of the action and its importance. child misses his mom when she goes to work and wishes he could be with It is very cleverly done in many ways. her. They fantasize together about One clever thing is that if you look at what they would do if he hid away in the bottom right corner of the righther briefcase. They would have great hand page, you will see a hint of adventures together. what’s on the next page. It shows you what foot gear one would wear doThe child asks, at a certain point, ing the next action. For ex:ample: On why she has to go to work and there the page before dancing is a tiny little is a well-put, simple explanation picture of ballet slippers. It’s like a little about how she needs to provide for mystery or a guessing game! him. At the end, the mom says that he is always with her – on her screen It is a board book, so the pages are saver, on the cover of a binder in her very durable. Did I say that the illustrabriefcase, photos on her desk, and tions are quite unique and beautiful? in her locket.

They are! This is a book that young children will enjoy reading over and Read the book, and find out how over and will love the way that they the mom gives her child a piece of can feel the letters as they trace them. her to have with him while he is It would be a good addition to your away at school. home or school library.

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by Christine Cheung & Han Tran Illutrated by Tong Wu

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Around the World from a to z

Written by Ido Kedar

Ido’s essays have had a profound effect on me–as an educator, a parent, a friend of parents who have mute children with Autism, deafness, or Down Syndrome, and a daughter of a mute stroke victim. So many times, we make assumptions about people because of their outward presence whether, it be behaviors and/or the inabilities to communicate through speech that are different from the ‘norm.’

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Have a book for us to review? Content of books should be relevant to Montessori. Please include either the website or publisher's information indicating where this title can be purchased. Send it to: Lorna McGrath c/o The Montessori Foundation 19600 East SR 64, Bradenton, Florida 34212 (books cannnot be returned) or email lornamcgrath@montessori.org

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Ido’s intention for writing this book is to help other mute people with autism to be seen as capable, caring individuals, who have a lot to say and contribute, if only the speaking world can think outside of the box and help others to communicate with us. I recommend that you take some time and read this amazing story of one amazing, tenacious young man!

Ido began writing the essays for his book when he was twelve years old, after years of being imprisoned in his body because he could not speak. The ‘experts’ would not accept that Ido was not only capable of communicating his basic needs, but that he had taught himself to read, had a huge vocabulary, and could express his feelings, ideas, and experiences more clearly and articulately than many children his age.

Fortunately for Ido, his parents never gave up on him and never settled for what the ‘experts’ believed. Ido and his parents had the good fortune to find Soma Mukhopadhyay, who discovered a teaching method that she called Rapid Prompting (RPM).

Ido and Soma worked together for six months. During that time, “Ido progressed from multiple choice to

A Kissing Hand for Chester Raccoon*

by Audrey Penn illustrated by Barbara L. Gibson

This is a little board book with a whimsical story about a young raccoon who doesn’t want to leave his mommy and go to school. Mom kisses Chester’s palm and tells him that he’ll always have her with him.

He can hold his palm to his cheek and feel her loving presence.

*For at-home reading, these two books have good life lessons for children.

We tend to stay away from stories for children that give animals human behaviors and speech.

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Kid’s Talk

The Two-Second Rule

by Maren Schmidt

Now Scotty was trying to ‘help,’ or so Margie surmised in the split second of disbelief and dismay as she took in the situation. Scotty had never marked on anything but his paper. Margie confidently took control of the situation.

“Scotty! Stop!” she said firmly, yet kindly, as she walked towards Scotty. Scotty turned toward her and made eye contact.

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1. Active working memory; 2. Short-term memory; and 3. Long-term memory.

Active working memory in a young child will hold two seconds worth of information. We have two seconds to get our message across!

(sit down and color) help lengthen short-term memory and active working memory, while clarifying desired behavior for long-term memory. Also, beginning with the word, please, can help a child anticipate an instruction.

To be successful, we must be quick and direct. We also need to communicate in a way that aids short- and long-term memory.

Let’s look at Scotty’s predicament again.

When you need to redirect your child’s behavior quickly, remember the two-second rule.

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“Put the marker down,” she continued as she knelt down to Scotty’s level.

Humans have three basic kinds of memory:

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Three-year-old Scotty opened a blue marker and scribbled on the wall as his mom, Margie, cut vegetables for dinner. Scotty had watched his dad paint the kitchen over the weekend.

to know how a child’s memory works.

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“Look, mommy! I’m daddy!”

“We only use markers on paper.

Remember? Please, sit down and color on your paper.”

Scotty. Stop. Two seconds of information. Margie quit what she was doing and started toward Scotty. When Margie had compliance to her request, she proceeded to the next step. If Scotty hadn’t stopped on his own, Margie could have gently stopped him by holding his wrists.

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Margie got cleaning supplies and had the marks off the wall in a few minutes, while Scotty resumed his coloring.

When Margie saw Scotty drawing on the wall, she said his name and then “stop.”

When Frank, Scotty’s dad, arrived through the kitchen door, Scotty volunteered, “Daddy, I painted the walls with my marker.

But mommy told me ‘only paper’.”

Put the marker down. Another two seconds.

We only use markers on paper.

Two seconds.

“It’s okay,” Margie smiled. “I used the two-second rule.”

Remember? Two seconds as a call for long-term memory retrieval.

Using the word remember also indicates that the request is important to remember.

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Frank’s eyes widened as he looked at Margie.

As we guide young children to learn acceptable behavior (i.e., markers only on paper, not on the walls – even if you think they are the same color), it’s helpful

Please, sit down and color on your paper. These two requests

• Give short two-second com• • • •

mands, beginning with your child’s name and stop.

State desired behavior.

Use the key word, Remember?

Request appropriate behavior with a please to aid longterm memory and lengthen active working memory.

Go to the next step after you have compliance, which may require calm repetition of the request or a simple physical intervention such as holding wrists.

Your child can’t stop? If your child has difficulty following the command stop, play this simple game.

Say something like, “Let’s hop.”

Hop for a few seconds; then say "Stop." Freeze in place for a few seconds. Do a variety of actions, such as walk, jump, twirl, twist, turn, squirm, sommersault, wink, wiggle, kick, smile, laugh, etc.

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After each say, "Stop and freeze."

Lengthen the activity by doing a variety of tasks and lengthen the time of each. Laugh and have a good time.

We can play to learn! That’s one of the beautiful things about three to six-year-olds. Remember, research shows we learn better and faster when we’re laughing and happy!

To redirect behavior, use the twosecond rule and stay happy.

Steps for the Two-Second Rule 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Say name and stop!

Child stops or adult intervenes.

State desired behavior Remember?

Kindly request appropriate behavior.

Maren Schmidt founded a Montessori school and holds a Masters of Education from Loyola College.

She has over thirty years experience and holds teaching credentials from the Association Montessori Internationale. She currently writes the weekly syndicated column and blog, Kids Talk, as well as conducts online workshops. Visit MarenSchmidt.com to sign up for her complimentary live monthly parent support workshop at SeeItInYourChild.com. ¢

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DEAR CATHIE

Allowing Children to Concentrate

Dear Cathie,

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fully functioning Montessori classroom is indeed a quiet and calm place. Parents who observe the classroom for the first time are often amazed and impressed by the serene focus they observe.

However, although the classroom is tranquil, it is not silent; nor is this quiet and calm unusual for young children. It is simply the result of children joyously concentrating.

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to her or, allow others to interrupt her if at all possible. They actively protect her concentration and allow it to develop naturally. Over time, the length and depth of a child’s concentration increases, and her satisfaction in task completion increases, as well. Through this, the child develops a strong work ethic, as well as a sense of internal motivation and a joy in learning.

In her book, The Absorbent Mind, Maria Montessori said, “An In a Montessori classroom, children interesting piece of work, freely have the freedom to choose any chosen, which has the virtue of

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I like lots of parts of the Montessori system. But I am confused about why children are supposed to be quiet and calm all the time. When I watch my children at home, they seem to need to scream, run, and jump almost constantly. It seems that the Montessori schools go against what is natural for children. But I wonder… Is it really possible to teach my children to be calmer?

— A CONFUSED MOM

This consistency between home and school is enormously helpful in helping your child develop concentration as well as organizational and decision making skills. inducing concentration rather than fatigue, adds to the child’s energies and mental capacities and leads him to self mastery.”

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The teachers in the room support her activity and the development of her concentration by ensuring that no interruptions occur to distract her while she is working. They do not ask for anything from her, speak

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Indoors, create a space where you can provide interesting things on which your child can concentrate.

Create activities and display them in a place where they are easily visible and readily available to your child.

Low bookshelves work well for this purpose. Place all the parts of each activity together in a box or basket so it is clear that they go together.

Between activities, children chat with each other, make plans to do a partner activity or have snack with another child, comment on something in the room, or simply socialize. Thus, the class has a calm, happy, natural buzz during most of The existence of external order the work time. creates the internal order in the brain. Encourage your child to Parents can indeed encourage choose an activity conscientiously children to be calm and focused and to interact with it on a deep at home. The best way to reinforce level. Protect your child from this is to be purposeful about your distractions during this time. home environment. Create areas Encourage your child to complete where it is OK to jump and run. the entire activity before putting it For most families these activities away. Be certain that you or other are done outside. But in some adults are not a distraction to your climates, a basement or garage may child’s concentration. Once the be an acceptable place as well. child is finished with that activity, teach him to replace it before

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activity that calls to them. They learn how to use it, and then they use that material, calling it a “work,” until they have completed it. During this time of interaction there is usually a calm spirit around the child. She removes the work from the shelf, gets it set up, organizes her materials, and begins. As she works, her concentration deepens, and she is often not really aware of anyone else or anything else that is happening around her. She is merely focused on the task at hand.

Once the activity is completed, she cleans up, puts everything away, and then replaces the activity on the shelf where she found it.

getting another. You may need to help as your child is learning this skill. This consistency between home and school is enormously helpful in helping your child develop concentration as well as organizational and decision making skills. These skills will not develop overnight. Your child will need you to: show him how to choose, complete, and replace an activity before selecting another; how to clean up; and how to organize materials. With time and repetition, this will become habit, and your child will be calmer and happier.

Stay Calm,

Cathie

Cathie Perolman is an experienced Montessori guide at the 3-6 level. She is a Montessori teacher educator and publisher of educational materials. Cathie lives in Columbia, Maryland. She can be contacted through Tomorrow’s Child at: tcmag@montessori.org. ¢

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by Chelsea J. Howe, Psy.D.

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“It was wonderful, Mommy! I pushed somebody, and then I hit somebody. And, then I went to time-out. And, I was angry and sad. Do you want to play trains?”

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brought home and little reminders that more clothes are needed (since my younger one changes clothes at least three times per day, given that he eats approximately a third of his food and spills the rest). But, more frequently than not within the past month, I get little behavior and code-of-conduct notes about my just-turned-three number-one son.

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lthough I am a licensed psychologist, that does not mean that I know everything about children. Other people’s children – possibly (at least I can be somewhat objective). My own children – not a chance.

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While there are certainly more “learned” articles for me to write, I figured why not write one for my own therapeutic reasons, as well?

My husband and I have a recently-turned three-year-old and an almost-two-year-old.

Both boys.

Every day, when I walk into my children’s lovely Montessori school, I brace myself. I don’t know how their day has been or exactly what they have done. I get cute little art projects

My lips are smiling as I greet my little ones, collect their backpacks, and herd them to the car.

In a calm voice, I ask, “How was your day?” Although my younger son understands language, he continues to enjoy practicing caveman speak, substituting a series of grunting noises for language. It is safe, therefore, to assume that the perpetrator is generally the three-year-old, who has recently exploded into language.

In response to my question, I received the following response: “It was wonderful, Mommy!

I pushed somebody, and then I hit somebody.

And, then I went to time-out. And, I was angry and sad. Do you want to play trains?” All in one breath. Really? Do I want to play trains?

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So, psychologist mom decides to talk to him about his less-than-stellar behavior. And, he pretty much repeats after me. It goes something like this: Me: “You made mommy very sad that you pushed someone. That is not nice. You hurt his feelings.”

Him: “No, mommy. You make me very sad.

You’re not nice. You hurt my feelings.”

Epic fail. Or is it? He’s learning to use words, but he clearly hasn’t mastered their use yet. His teachers have told me that he gets so frustrated that he just loses it. He just can’t get the words out fast enough and resorts to more primitive responses.

So, the next day I braced myself for the daily report. Today, his teachers told me, he is now telling people (inappropriately, at times, but better than nothing) about his feelings and his thoughts. As a psychologist, I think this is wonderful! I really want to show him the emoticons so that he can start labeling his emotions, appropriately. But, secretly, I’m wondering how thrilled my husband will be by my “psychologizing” our son.

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The Montessori Way

by Tim Seldin & Paul Epstein, Ph.D. The book is what we refer to as the encyclopedia of Montessori. It’s so well read that it’s used in training centers around the globe and always a favorite gift for new parents.

Case in point. I was driving in heavy rain with a tornado warning and hail bouncing around on my car. Other motorists had their flashers on, and my hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly that I had white knuckles. Apparently, this was the opportune time to throw Thomas the Trains (you know the $13 creepy-looking metal thing) right at my head. Not one, but several! I almost lost it. I screamed out of fear and anger, which apparently meant, “Throw more!” I wish I could have ignored him, but I just couldn’t.

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The World in the Palm of Her Hand by Tim Seldin This oldie but goodie was updated a few years ago. It's a fabulous curriculum resource book for brand new teachers to seasoned guides. It’s a History and Geography curriculum for ages 2.5-7. Also mandatory reading for most training center students.

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How To Raise An Amazing Child

by Tim Seldin This book makes the perfect babyshower gift to new parents. Written from the heart, Tim recounts Montessori lessons he learned along the way as a parent himself.

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The Observer’s Notebook

by Paul Epstein, Ph.D. For any classroom guide, regardless of years in the classroom, this book is a must. It’s being used by training centers around the globe and is being translated into other languages.

To purchase any of these books, just go to www.montessori.org home page and enter the bookstore or contact: margot@montessori. org. Training centers get a discount on bulk orders and need to contact Margot.

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This is why being a psychologist with friends who are also psychologists is wonderful. I don’t pay for these little pearls of wisdom, because we offer them to each other in our moments of desperation. But, she was right. I am so stressed with everything else that I can’t even just appreciate the little things, fixating on what’s wrong rather than what’s right.

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Here are our 4 top sellers:

It is a phase, as I have been told countless times. But wasn’t that supposed to be part of the Terrible Twos? Nobody warned me about three-year-olds! If this is a phase, when will it end and will I be able to make it through? What other lovely stages do I have to enjoy that were not written in my personal book about how to raise a child?

And, how do I keep loving my child when there are times that I literally need to walk away because he angers me so?

five minutes here and there rather than really good quality time. She reminded me to try to really be present in the immediate moments rather than rushing through life.

I have a beautiful son. He is mischievous.

And a handful. And fun, bright, loving, caring, quirky, warm, friendly, outgoing, and so much more. I am working on trying to increase my frustration tolerance, while also decreasing my stress and focusing on being more present, aware, and appreciative. Trying, being the operative word.

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The Montessori Foundation Bookshelf offers a wide collection of hard-to-find publications, videos, and software about Montessori education and are of special interest to Montessori school administrators, board members, teachers, and parents.

I continue to confirm with the teachers (yes, this is my neuroticism) that this is normal behavior. Now, if it were me talking to a fellow parent (which I have), of course I would tell them that it’s normal and it’s a stage in development. But, my kid? My kid who is provided unconditional positive regard, love, positive reinforcement, and praise? Where does he learn this behavior?

So, I called my psychologist friend (who I know will understand, since my husband minimizes it and says, “Yup, dealt with that last night”— not what I want to hear). She was so calm and reminded us that we are human and that raising children can be so rewarding and so fun, while so challenging and painful at the same time. She reminded me how stressed I am, whether it’s balancing work and family life, regular stressors, and so on. She asked me if we’ve had any “us” time lately, where I just enjoy reading to my little “Jacksonman,” as he refers to himself. And, while I do, it’s only

So, I sat outside with Jacksonman last night, reading a book in the beautiful summer weather … and I heard my husband screaming inside as he came to the door.

“Jackson, what did you do?!?!”

We stopped reading, and both turned our attention to my hubby (aka Mr. It’s-notthat-big-of-a-deal). He said, “Jackson, you put your trains and your cars in my subwoofer, and I can’t get them out. Why did you do that? That’s not acceptable.

Not acceptable!”

Jacksonman looked at him in the face and said, “Daddy, chill out. You’re making Jacksonman very sad and very angry. You hurt Jacksonman’s feelings.”

He must have learned those beautiful words from a wise psychologist.

“It’s just a stage,” I reminded him. ¢

Chelsea Howe, Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist and a mother to two rowdy boys.

She works with a variety of patients and has experience working with both children and adults, providing therapy and assessment. She works full time at an inpatient hospital, is a professor for undergraduate and graduate students, and works part time in private practice. Her children attend a Montessori school in Maryland. In her notso-free time, she enjoys exercising, yoga, reading a great book, drinking coffee, and spending quality

time with her family.

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The Montessori Paradox Exploring the Elephant in the Montessori Classroom Regardless of the reason(s), the number of parents choosing Montessori is growing. It is also important to note that it’s not just parents who make this choice.

Montessori administrators and teachers also choose this unconventional path, often sacrificing substantial financial benefits they would receive in more traditional educational settings.

While our actions demonstrate our conscious desire for what we believe is best for our children and our careers, a question that is not usually addressed is whether or not we are actually troubled by the desire for conflicting outcomes. For example, if parents choose to send their children to a

lege, or might they even have a competitive disadvantage both in admissions and throughout their course of studies?

And even if you acknowledge this internal conflict, can your unconscious worries align and coexist with what you intuitively

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arents who choose Montessori education for their children have essentially demonstrated that they consciously (or subconsciously) want something different for their children.

The desire for their children to be in this very exceptional educational environment is so strong, in fact, that many parents willingly spend money for a service for which they have already paid through their contribution as taxpayers.

by Robin Howe

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Parents choose Montessori schools for many reasons. Most value the sense of independence that Montessori develops in children. They trust that this independence will serve their children well for the rest of their lives as they grow and venture out into the world beyond the reach and protection of their parents’ grasps. Others choose Montessori because of the intellectual opportunities that are provided through Montessori’s rich curriculum, individualized attention, and meaningful hands-on learning. Some parents may even choose to enroll their children not because they like or even understand Montessori, but rather they find it to be the least bad of all of the programs out there, essentially the best of the options.

One of the reasons that many of us have chosen Montessori for our children or for our careers (many times even both) is because we value an educational model that puts the children’s healthy social, physical, and emotional development ahead of the statistics that tells us how our children compare to other children. One of the trademarks of Montessori education (and often one of the most criticized components) is that we do not test our students. While that is not exactly true, we as Montessorians certainly view testing very differently than our colleagues in traditional education. Essentially, by forgoing many of the battery of tests that most children endure throughout their academic careers, we are demonstrating our trust in our powers of observation and other more reliable methods of measurement, knowing that children and their intelligence cannot be adequately measured by direct comparison to other children.

Do we want our children to have educational experiences that develop the skills they will need to be happy, successful, contributing members of society without the pressure of comparing them to a model that they may or may not fit?

Montessori school with the hope of protecting them from the pressures commonly associated with education, especially at the upper levels, can they really resist the need to also worry that their children will not be prepared for their lives in the ‘real’ world? As a parent, can you not worry about whether or not your child will be able to get into college, make it through college, and then survive on their own? More specifically, if school-age children are not being held to the same standards through direct comparison to other students their age, will they be equally prepared for col-

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know is best for your child? If it is proven that parents cannot avoid such worries, is it naïve to believe that these worries do not impact behaviors and decisions directly related to their children and towards the Montessori schools their children attend?

Do we want our children to have educational experiences that develop the skills they will need to be happy, successful, contributing members of society without the pressure of comparing them to a model that they may or may not fit? Or does that all sound great, but really, if we want our children

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Southwestern Montessori Training Center, Incorporated A Non-Profit Educational Organization Est. 1974 Post Office Box 310947, N.T. Station, Denton, TX 76203 Phone/Fax: 940-566-1640 swest4smtc@aol.com MACTE Accredited

Throughout the course of this year I will explore this paradox in a series of articles, with a particular emphasis on how Montessori schools can continue to change the way we think about these dual ‘wants,’ which may or may not be mutually exclusive.

By acknowledging the elephant in the room, perhaps we can find a better way to feed it, care for it, and harness its power. ¢

Robin Howe was a Montessori student from the age of two through eighth grade. He is a certified Montessori teacher in Primary, Elementary, and Adolescent levels. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Educational Administration, a Montessori teacher trainer, a consultant with The Montessori Foundation, and lead Upper Elementary teacher and Co-associate Head of the NewGate School in Sarasota, FL. In his spare time, he runs marathons.

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Noble Prize recipient and economist Daniel Kahneman describes in his most recent book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, the way in which we are not in touch with what we really think and how our decisions are based on biases that we are not aware that we have.

Relating to Montessori schools, can we really want for our children what Montessori education offers, without paradoxically wanting what Montessori does not promote? Can we bypass the demands of traditional education in our current society while still wanting happy, successful graduates who will become contributing members of our world community? If we can admit that we do, in fact, want it all, can we figure out how to embrace and support both the opportunities inherent in a Montessori environment and the challenges that are natural byproducts of the social pressures that we experience everyday.

Mobile - Montessori We’re On Your Site

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and students to do well in life and have all of those things that society defines as ‘sucess,’ would it not be better if they were on a fast track for admittance to an Ivy League school? If these dual ‘wants’ exist, how are we addressing them? How is this paradox preventing Montessori from taking the next step to have a greater impact on educational reform?

As a product of a Montessori education, a Montessori educator, and now an uncle of two very young Montessori students, I recognize my own invested interest in making sure that my students, as well as my family, experience educational environments where their independence and happiness are valued as much as their academic development.

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Can we bypass the demands of traditional education in our current society while still wanting happy, successful graduates who will become contributing members of our world community?

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Nutritionist Jan's Brainy Breakfast for Kids

by Jan Katzen-Luchenta

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1. Complete proteins, such as beef, eggs, fish, chicken, and cheese contain all of the essential brain-boosting nutrients needed for learning.

Peanut butter is low in the much-needed amino acid, tryptophan, which is responsible for building the calming brain chemical, serotonin. Save nut butters for a mid-morning mini-meal on sprouted whole grain bread. (There is no such thing as a snack for a child’s busy brain and body.)

2. Complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains with the bran and germ intact (steel-cut oats, stone-ground corn chips and tortillas, brown rice, quinoa, and beans) provide slow-burning, sustained fuel for the ‘think tank.’ Simple carbohydrates, such as sugary boxed cereal, muffins, pancakes, waffles, and protein bars provide fast-burning fuel that soon drains the brain and alerts the body’s fight-or-flight system, which is counter-productive to learning.

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Attention, learning, memory, sense of well-being, calmness, and impulse control are by-products of essential nutrients eaten daily. Essential nutrients must come from diet every day because the body cannot manufacture them from other nutrients. Protein contains 9 essential amino acids that build muscle, body tissue, and chemical messengers in the brain that influence how we focus, feel, and behave. Essential amino and fatty acids from animal, fish, and plant sources are also required in a child’s daily menu. They regulate the brain’s chemical messengers so that there is a good balance between arousal and calm for a balanced child ready to learn and able to face life’s challenges with a bit more emotional equilibrium.

Two important facts about nutritional components for breakfast:

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hen I began my career as a Montessori educator decades ago, I had no idea that what a child ate (or didn’t eat) for breakfast could dictate the difference between inattention, chaos, grumpiness, status quo, and excellence in classroom achievement. Nor did I know that my students would inspire me to change careers.

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4 Brain-Boosting Breakfasts for Learning Breakfast #4 English Breakfast

My favorite because it contains brain-boosting nutrients in ½ cup servings. You can prepare this in a crock pot over the weekend and serve it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or in-between every day of the week!

Scrambled eggs and low-sugar baked beans; drain out syrup and replace with olive oil (brain fat), sliced tomatoes, ½ cup pineapple.

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Breakfast #1 “Brainiest” Omelette

Breakfast #2 Chili

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1 or 2 cage-free scrambled eggs with 1 to 2 oz of wild fatty fish (lox, baked salmon, trout, cod), organic spinach leaves, 1 tsp olive oil poured onto eggs right before serving (helps more of the omega 3s from the fish incorporate into brain cells). ½ cup steel-cut oatmeal with ½ cup low-sugar almond milk.

Chili – Beans, ground meat or mild cod, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, sautéed onions, chili powder to taste, finely chopped baby arugula or spinach, cilantro, drizzle of olive oil before serving.

Breakfasts #3 Breakfast Burrito

If you’re in a hurry, make these ahead and send half to school for a midmorning mini-meal.

This recipe involves a soft, stoneground corn tortilla, scrambled egg and/or 2 oz fresh meat, ¼ cup beans, a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese, chopped baby arugula or spinach leaves, low-sugar ketchup or mango salsa with 1 tsp. olive oil.

Please note: Greens for breakfast contain an abundance of trace minerals and B-vitamins, including folate (Latin: folium-foliage). The need for daily folate continues after it builds the brain (neural tube).

Folate lowers the risk of depression and increases memory and mental agility. It also supports vascular health throughout life and reduces the risk of developing cancer. ¢

Download the complete Brainy Breakfasts for Kids APP in the iTunes store: goo.gl/fE1xdc This APP contains 33 brain balancing and boosting recipes and meals to nourish developing bodies and brains. It also offers a wealth of nutrition education!

Nutritionist Jan (Katzen-Luchenta) works for a developmental pediatrician and maintains a private practice in Phoenix, Arizona. She is a certified nutritional educator and provides individualized nutritional evaluations and resolution plans for all family members—even couples planning for pregnancy! Skype friendly.

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November 13-16, 2014 NAMTA Fostering Montessori Preparedness for Global Citizenship Seattle, WA http://www.montessori-namta.org January 15-18, 2015 NAMTA Montessori Frontiers for Social Change and Community Enhancement Dallas, TX www.montessori-namta.org

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January 16 – 19, 2015 AMS School Administrators' Retreat Panama City, Panama www.amshq.org/Events

March 12 – 15, 2015 AMS Life. Liberty. Montessori!

AMS 2015 Annual Conference Philadelphia, PA www.amshq.org/Events

The LAB SCHOOL of THE MONTESSORI FOUNDATION 18 Months to 12th Grade

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October 10 & 11, 2014 Montessori Foundation & IMC Inaugural Hong Kong Montessori Foundation Conference Hong Kong, China www.montessori.org

January 15-18, 2015 NAMTA Montessori Whole-School Management: A Professional Development Course for Administrators, Tier I: First Principles Dallas, TX www.montessori-namta.org

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October 9-12, 2014 NAMTA Grace and Courtesy: Civility for Life Baltimore, MD www.montessori-namta.org

November 6-9, 2014 Montessori Foundation & IMC Peaceful Children, Peaceful Classrooms, Peaceful Schools Montessori Foundation Annual Conference Sarasota, FL www.montessori.org

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October 2 – 5, 2014 AMS Living Harmoniously with Nature Fall Creek Falls State Park Pikeville, TN www.amshq.org/Events

5237 Ashton Road, Sarasota, FL 34232 (941) 922-4949 | www.newgate.edu

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Ella’s Kitchen: The Big Baking Book

COOKING CORNER

Published by Hamlyn Reviewed by Margot Jayne Garfield-Anderson & Blakely Jayne Thornton

with Margot & Blakely

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Cheerful Chickpea Cakes

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Chickpeas are super healthy for healthy bodies.

These handy, snack-size, savory cakes team up all that goodness with a cheesiness that makes them irresistible.

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¡ ²/³ cup fava beans ¡ 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed ¡ ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese ¡ ½ cup shredded Gruyere cheese ¡ 1 small red onion, finely chopped ¡ 2 tablespoons chopped mint ¡ 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

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Cook fava beans in a saucepan of boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain; then coarsely chop.

and she said she had an idea. She came back wearing her snorkel goggles and said she was now not worried about her eyes! What a clever kitchen trick that is! We made a lot of extra patties and then froze what we didn’t eat.

These are a great on-the-run breakfast food, as well as an easy dinner recipe the entire family can enjoy.

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lakely and I have been cooking in the kitchen together since she was just a toddler. I started by taking her to the market to pick out fruits and vegetables and using the process to engage her in food selection, thus expanding her palette. Children will be more likely to eat a diverse diet when they have invested time and energy into the preparation. So when we found this book we thought it the perfect opportunity to try some of the fun and healthier-style recipes.

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We actually made homemade butter! In all my years of cooking I’ve never done that before, and it was easy and a lot of fun. We used our butter on our grilled cheese sandwiches and our corn on the cob. The whole family enjoyed this special treat. We talked about where cream came from and how we get buttermilk from the process before it turns to butter. Just enough information to keep a four-year-old interested.

Next we made the chickpea patties. I was explaining how onions made your eyes water

Interspersed with the recipes are some projects related to cooking you can do with children, such as making a volcano (with baking powder and dishwashing liquid), a chef ’s hat, a cake plate, and even some homemade modeling dough.

The book’s photographs show the absolute joy children get out of shaking and baking and rolling and patting. Even the youngest can squish through their fingers to just experience the textures of different foods. My son-in-law tried to capture the joy and pleasure we took in our cooking time as well. Blakely and I had a fun time and know you and your favorite child will as well.

First published in Great Britain in 2014 by Hamlyn, a division of Octopus Publishing Group Ltd Endeavour House. www.octopusbooks.co.uk

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Place the chickpeas in a bowl. Crush with a fork.

Alternatively, process the chickpeas briefly in a food processor. Mix together the crushed chickpeas, chopped beans, cheeses, onion, mint, egg, and egg yolk until well combined and the mixture easily sticks together when pressed with a spoon.

Place a 2 ½ inch round cutter on the prepared sheet, and pile some of the mixture into it. Pack down firmly with the back of a spoon and carefully twist and lift away the cutter. Repeat with the remaining mixture to make 10 cakes, rinsing and drying the cutter if the mixture starts to stick to it.

Bake the cakes in the oven for 20 minutes until firm and just beginning to turn pale golden around the edges. Let cool. The cakes are best eaten on the day you make them, but you could store them overnight in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

NOTE: We chose this particular recipe because it is gluten-free, one of several in the book. We substituted Vidalla onion for red onion and decided to eliminate the mint. We also decided to make this a scooping exercise, as well, using a muffin pan and scooper for more careful portion control.

One of the great outcomes of cooking with children is the ability to modify recipes to their particular tastes or nutritional restrictions.

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All Hands On!!!

Dr. Montessori advised teachers and families to design learning environments that foster concentration, order and independence as well as fine motor coordination (Montessori, 1967a). Of these four developmental aims, concentration typically captures the attention of classroom visitors. Both professional educators and prospective parents often express surprise at the degree of concentration displayed by children as young as 20 months. Lillard (2005) points out a possible connection between concentration and self-regulation.

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hearing, touching, feeling tasting and smelling” (Exline & Costas, 2004). Inquiry based learning is the guiding premise for toddler exploration and learning.

approach for young children in the following statement.

extend curiosity and purposeful approaches to science learning.

Scientific inquiry reflects how scientists come to understand the natural world, and it is at the heart of how students learn. From a very early age, children interact with their environment, ask questions, and seek ways to answer those questions. (NSTA Position Statement, 2004).

Amazing Developmental Competencies of Toddlers

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cience may not be a topic that families emphasize with their toddlers. Instead, families may focus on sharing story books, building structures with blocks, exploring crayons and paint, and simply playing with toddlers’ favorite toys.

These are all excellent choices, but the world of inquiry-based science offers surprising opportunities for toddlers too. The following article describes how Montessori principles contribute to inquiry-based learning for young children. Examples of engaging, developmentally appropriate activities come from Rochester Montessori School’s toddler learning environment as well as a traditional toddler classroom. The latter is consistent with fundamental Montessori principles and is located on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse, WI (UW-L). Activities can easily be adapted for exploration at home, with adult supervision. Both classrooms serve children between 24 and 36 months.

Dawn Hayes teaches at Campus Child Care and Sarah Dennis is an assistant teacher at Rochester Montessori. Dawn’s toddler class includes teaching assistants and student teachers from UW-L.

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SCIENCE INQUIRY WITH YOUNG TODDLERS

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by Ann Epstein, Ph.D.

“…concentration might be an engine of self-regulation, which is associated with many positive personality variables. Dr. Montessori saw concentration as the moment of self-development” (pp. 265 – 266).

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Science activities, if designed appropriately, offer opportunities for toddlers to develop concentration. For example, a toddler may explore what is magnetic and what is not magnetic through repeated trials for as long as 15 minutes. He/she may explore pushing a tractor through a bin of dried beans, pausing to attach a wagon and load it with beans, and then resume investigating how to pull the tractor with the loaded wagon. Careful and amazingly patient concentration accompanies these scientific investigations.

Inquiry Based Learning Applied to Young Science Learners

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The Educational Broadcasting System, Thirteen Ed Online, and the Disney Learning Partnership collaborated ten years ago to create a series of research-based online professional development workshops that remain timely.

Their Inquiry-based Learning workshop states that “the process of inquiring begins with gathering information and data through applying the human senses: seeing,

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The National Science Teachers Association emphasizes the importance of an inquiry-based

Posing open-ended questions that ask why and how something happens is an essential aspect of inquiry-based learning. While toddlers are not quite ready to fully answer such questions, they listen attentively to follow-up responses. For example, a parent might encourage his or her toddler to make a prediction with the following question.

“Will the piece of paper sink or float?” Once the toddler responds, provide a short explanation. “The paper gets heavy as it absorbs water.

Then it sinks.” Developmentally appropriate statements and succinct questions nurture toddler inquiry as they explore their environment.

The ultimate goal is to promote and

Toddlers ages 24 to 36 months are naturally curious. They wonder, “What will happen if...” as they explore their surroundings with keen focus and high energy (Honig, 2002). Will this car fit inside this box? Can I push this wagon over this hill? What’s going on in that room around the corner? Toddlers are driven to explore their surroundings (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009; Montessori, 1967b).

Skills within each developmental domain contribute to the success of these ongoing explorations.

Most young toddlers are sturdy walkers, and many are competent runners. This mobility helps as they move from one object of interest to the next. Even more helpful, they are typically able to move from standing to kneeling, to squatting, to sitting, and then back to standing with ease.

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Life Science

Your child might be hesitant to touch the gooey pulp inside pumpkins. If so, gently squish and squeeze the strands yourself. Point out the slippery texture as well as the earthy aroma. You might separate out the seeds with your child so they could be baked for a snack. Touching, smelling, and eventually eating pumpkin seeds provides your toddler with a rich sensory experience.

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The quality of interactions between adults and young toddlers is the heart of true learning. Dawn and Sarah model respectful, reciprocal, responsive interactions (GonzalezMena & Eyer, 2009). They facilitate learning by following toddlers’ cues.

For example, they recognize that some children prefer to watch from a distance while other enthusiastic young scientists prefer to jump into activities with zest. Similarly, parents learn to match their interactions with their child’s temperament and personality.

Your young explorer can dispense the solution onto the ice, observe it melt and then see the formation of new colors.

Standing in the shadow of a towering sunflower can spark a sense of wonder among young toddlers.

Families can plant sunflower seeds, help them grow, harvest the amazingly big flowers, remove the seeds (eyebrow tweezers work well), and then feed the seeds to friendly birds visiting your family bird feeder.

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An example of following a child’s lead can be found in Sarah’s decision to allow toddler “Tim” to turn a sewing project into a fish-

The quality of interactions between adults and young toddlers is the heart of true learning. ing activity. Rather than redirecting Tim to “stitch” in and out of holes punched around a cardboard rabbit, Sarah simply watched as he dangled the yarn over the edge of his table and murmured quietly, “Come on, fishes! Here (you) go, fishes.” She noted Tim’s ability to maneuver his fishing pole successfully as he judged the amount of “line” needed to attract his catch.

Physical Science

Science Activities for Young Toddlers

Midwestern winters bring frozen sidewalks. Rock salt is used to melt icy walkways in order to make them safe for young children. Toddlers are fascinated with this chemical reaction. Parents can create a safe and meaningful way to explore this phenomena by placing ice in a clear plastic tub, making colored salt water solutions in small containers, and then helping your toddler fill an eye dropper with this solution.

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They are able to pick up and explore small items and generally can resist mouthing them. Young toddlers understand simple requests and are learning new words at an amazing rate. Eighteen month olds have a vocabulary of approximately 5 to 20 words. At 24 months they have increased their vocabulary to a range of 150 to 300 words (Child Development Institute, 2012). They can express their own feelings and are beginning to recognize how others feel as well.

Young toddlers work at making sense of their world by comparing and contrasting. As they explore similarities and differences, they are building perceptual foundations that eventually form the basis for understanding such abstract questions as, “What is the same?” and “What is different?” All

The following descriptions offer examples of engaging inquiry-based learning activities for toddlers. Some were carried out at Rochester Montessori School and some at the Child Care Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse.

All required an in-depth appreciation of how toddlers learn, an

Toddlers love balls. Set up a simple inclined plane experiment with a plastic dish tub, one or two boards rested against a low table or stool, and several balls of differing sizes.

Engage your toddler in figuring out how to roll balls down as well as up the planes. Explore whether two balls can fit down a narrow plane together and if it’s possible to bounce a ball down an inclined plane. The trial and error of problem solving is intriguing and fun with simple physical science investigations.

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The Importance of Your Interactions

understanding of inquiry-based learning, and respectful adultchild interactions. Descriptions are modified to provide families with ideas for carrying out these activities at home.

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of these skills contribute to young toddlers’ inner drive to explore and interact with their immediate environment (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009; Montessori, 1967).

Investigating a variety of items is an inviting aspect of sink/float activities. Dependent variables include weight (heavy and light) as well as texture (absorbent and repellent).

While young toddlers are not yet able to process these abstractions, they readily embrace guessing (a precursor to predicting) whether items will sink or float.

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Cross-Curricular Investigations

Combine art and science by offering your toddler cupcake-sized blocks of frozen paint. These are easily made with tempera paint, cupcake paper wrappers and pipe cleaners (for handy holders).

Watch to see if your toddler is interested in how the paint melts onto paper, the cold temperature of the paint and/or how colors combine. Follow his or lead. Once you identify your child’s interest, encourage more investigating with simple suggestions and questions.

“I wonder what will happen if we use some blue and yellow together.”

“Do you think your warm hand is helping the icy paint melt?”

Ask and They Will Learn: The Role of Questions in Inquiry-Based Learning

A key to the success of learning activities for toddlers is the use of specific, developmentally appropriate questions. Opportunities to engage children through questions occur naturally as children investigate the world around them.

Appropriate science activities provide a structure for closer investigations. Six inquiry processes provide a helpful framework for investigative questions (Martin, Jean-Sigur, & Schmidt, 2005; Padilla, 1990). Investigations be-

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Have fun as you engage your toddler in the fascinating world of inquiry-based science. Your young explorer is certainly ready to embrace this rich learning opportunity!

We discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in

Ann holds a BS in Communicative Disorders from Northwestern University, a Masters in Early Childhood Education from Xavier University, and a Doctorate in Early Childhood Special Education from the University of Maryland. Ann was a Montessori teacher with 3 through 6 year-olds before completing her doctoral studies in Early Childhood Special Education. After thirty years as an early childhood professional, she still truly believes the best way to make the world a better place is to provide ALL young children and their families with the highest quality early learning experiences possible. ¢

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The six components of the inquiry cycle are typically applied to science. However, they apply to the wider realm of the learning process. Toddlers learn about the world around them through each of these six processes. They observe, predict, infer and communicate as they explore picture books or make muffins or count ants on the playground. Montessori recognized this natural process as the heart of education.

Professional Development School field experience and supervises student teachers.

the human being. It is not acquired by (only) listening to words, but by virtue of experiences in which the child acts on his environment.

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nomena. While most young toddlers are not able to process this level of thinking, exposing them to meaningful inferences lays the foundation for later abstractions.

Ann Epstein, Ph.D. is currently an assistant professor and program director at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse in the Department of Educational Studies. She teaches courses addressing Early Childhood, Early Literacy, and Kindergarten curriculum and assessment. She also coordinates a

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gin with observation, for example looking carefully at how the tempera ice melts on paper. Simple questions help young children focus their observations (What color is the paint now?). Classification occurs as children form groups of objects (Is the pumpkin a flower or a vegetable?). Young toddlers communicate new concepts as they respond to questions about their discoveries (Tell me how the pulp feels, how can you make the balls roll up the plane?). Investigations may involve measurement (How many droppers will it take to begin melting the ice? Will more beans fit in the tractor wagon?) or predictions (Will this ping-pong ball sink or float?). As young toddlers mature, they begin to make inferences (Does this tall sunflower remind you of your Dad?) as they draw on previous experiences with similar scientific phe-

Scholastic Early Childhood Today, 16(7), 22-25.

Journal of Elementary Science Education, 17(2), 13-26.

Copple, C. & Bredekamp, S., eds. (2009). Developmentally ap-

Language Development in Children. (n.d.). In Child develop-

Montessori, M. (1967a). The absorbent mind. (C. A. Claremont,

propriate practice in early childhood programs: Serving children

ment: How parents can promote healthy development in children

Trans.). New York: Henry Holt.

from birth through age 8. Washington DC: NAEYC.

and teens. Child Development Institute. Retrieved from: http://

Montessori, M. (1967b). The discovery of the child. New York

Exline, J. & Costas, A. (2004). Inquiry-based learning. Retrieved

childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-development/language_de-

City, NY: Ballantine Books.

from http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/in-

velopment.shtml.

National Science Teachers Association. (2004). Scientific In-

quiry/index.html

Lillard, A. S. (2005). Montessori: The science behind the genius.

quiry Position Statement. Arlington, VA: NSTA.

Gonzalez-Mena, J. & Eyer, D. W. (2009). Infants, toddlers, and

New York: Oxford University Press.

Padilla, M. (1990). The science process skills. Research Matters

caregivers: A curriculum of respectful, responsive, relationship-based

Martin, D. J., Jean-Sigur, R., & Schmidt, E. (2005). Process-

– to the Science Teacher, 9004. Reston, VA: National Association

care and education (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

oriented inquiry – A constructivist approach to early child

for Research in Science Teaching. Retrieved from http://www.

Honig, A. (May 2002). How babies learn through discovery.

hood science education: Teaching teachers to do science.

narst.org/publications/research/skill.cfm

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References

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CLASSIFIEDS

Upper Elementary Lead

age three through eighth grade. More

a salary supplement is also available to

The ideal candidate should have the

Teacher/Curriculum

information can be found on our web-

serve in the school leadership position

confidence and poise to work closely

Coordinator - FL

site at www.lakelandmontessori.com.

of Elementary Curriculum Coordinator.

with parents and manage a classroom

Please email resume and cover letter to

independently. Past experience with lan-

hmanrow@lakelandmontessori.com.

guage immersion is very valuable.

Want to be part of something special?

We are accepting applications for a

year as a well-established, Montessori

Lead Teacher in our Upper Elementary

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Lakeland Montessori is in its eleventh charter school in beautiful Lakeland,

classroom (ages 9-12, grades 4-6). Sal-

TODDLER GUIDES - CA

To apply, please email resume, cover

FL. Lakeland Montessori is an advocate

ary is based on the School Board of

LePort Montessori is looking for several

letter, and salary history to hr@lep-

of authentic Montessori education and

Polk County Teacher Salary Schedule.

AMI-trained toddler guides to work at

ortschools.com, ATTN: Jillian Phelan.

adheres to the Montessori curriculum

Benefits include paid holidays and sick

either our new San Francisco school or

For

without watering it down for public

time, medical insurance, retirement,

one of our Orange County campuses.

visit www.leportschools.com.

education requirements.

and enrollment preference for children

Our San Francisco school has 3 openings

of employees. We will arrange for

(Spanish Immersion Toddler Teacher;

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Montessori training through a MACTE

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and Orlando, Lakeland is home to

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er). Our Orange County schools have

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variety of arts and cultural opportuni-

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more

information

on

LePort,

To place a classified ad online, send your ad to tcmag@montessori.org or call (941) 729-9565. $2 per word / $50 minimum.

Mandarin Immersion Toddler Teacher).

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In recent years, extensive neuroscience research of this age range has proven the importance of providing stimulating resources, opportunities, time, and space for play.

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should play with the objects in the basket.

Through choosing, sucking, waving, handling, and banging these objects, infants will concentrate their attention for considerable periods of time, often up to one hour.

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Treasure Baskets & Heuristic Play Treasure Baskets were developed by Elinor Goldschmied in the 1940s and were traditionally designed, in their purest form, for the infant who is sitting but then moves to walking (6 – 12 months).

by Georgina Hood

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texture, color, shape, weight, sensory interest and play value, with safety paramount at all times. The objects include natural items (such as: sponges, chestnuts, feathers, and pebbles, as well as objects made from metal, wood, wicker/bamboo, and pottery.) The items are not ‘bought’ toys or plastic; they should be washable, and most are common in everyday use by adults. The adult should feel confident about the items in the Treasure Basket, ensuring that anything they deem unsuitable is not included.

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hrough many years of research, it has been proven that providing sensory play for children is an essential part of their development. This type of stimulation makes connections in the brain, develops memory, and assists learning through multi-sensory emphasis. It also encourages discovery, problem solving, health and well-being.

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The Sensory Stages are divided into three areas:

Treasure Baskets What is it?

Heuristic play What can I do with it?

Further development What else can this be?

Treasure Baskets were developed by Elinor Goldschmied in the 1940s and were traditionally designed, in their purest form, for the infant who is sitting but then moves to walking (6 – 12 months). This round basket includes 40 – 80 natural objects and offers the child

When introducing a Treasure Basket to the seated infant, it should be placed to the side or in front of him/her. This type of play is entirely child led; they will initiate their explorations by themselves and for themselves.

During this named time, the adult sits supporting them, observing at all times; however, the adult should resist the temptation to constantly offer comments, questions, or lead with their own ideas about how the baby

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In recent years, extensive neuroscience research of this age range has proven the importance of providing stimulating resources, opportunities, time, and space for play. Babies are now commonly portrayed as sensory beings with incredible capabilities.

There are endless benefits of introducing Treasure Baskets to babies. They develop concentration, independence, confidence, fine- and gross-motor skills, hand/eye co-ordination, and logical reasoning. They also encourage language development, communication, social skills, creativity, and imagination.

The purpose of the collection of items in the basket is to offer maximum interest through: Touch texture, shape weight Smell variety of scents Taste limited scope but possible Sound ringing, tinkling, banging Sight color, form, length, shine By 12 – 18 months, most babies are on the move and are developmentally ready for a further challenge. Heuristic play offers children of 12 months – 3 years the opportunity to play with lots of similar objects, including collections of bangles, bowls, balls, chains, or poms poms. The extensive range of materials offers the child open opportunities to investigate and are laid out in the form of a market

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Heuristic play enhances the child’s social interaction, and they experiment, share, take turns, and consider the needs of others.

The classes are a gentle introduction to parents as they embark on their Montessori journey. I get great enjoyment from working with mothers and babies, and during these unique classes, they are introduced to Treasure Baskets, Heuristic Play and music, with guitar and voice. It is an amazing privilege to see so many families, who initially started attending my baby class and have progressed into one of our schools at Paint Pots.

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stall. They explore the ‘cause and effect,’ (i.e: What can I do with it?) and through simple object categorisation, the child’s sensorial experiences are increased. Heuristic play enhances the child’s social interaction, and they experiment, share, take turns, and consider the needs of others.

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In some nursery settings, the treasure basket idea has been expanded into interest baskets, which are usually a collection of similar objects, for example: collections of balls, bangles, or chains. Alongside the interest baskets, the adult may also provide activity cards for the children, if suitable.

In 1988, I founded Paint Pots Montessori Schools and Creative Classes, and my interest in Treasure Baskets grew when I had my first child 17 years ago. The first Paint Pots Treasure Baskets class was introduced a few years later and, to this day, is a cornerstone of what we do. We continue to offer infant classes, creative workshops, and Montessori education for children from birth – 6 years.

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When introducing music to the babies, they are each given a basket, similar to the Treasure Basket. Each basket initially contains one small egg shaker and builds up with a variety of instruments and props, introduced as the session progresses. The music session finishes with the child having a full basket of props and instruments and everyone singing the goodbye song.

Alongside the creative classes and the Montessori schools, I also offer parenting classes, where the focus is on using creative development to empower parents and enhance their

understanding, knowledge, health and wellbeing. In recent years I founded Heart Montessori and this International consultancy grew out of the experience and knowledge that I gained over two decades of research and practice in Montessori settings. I regularly speak at workshops and training sessions in locations, including Jordan and China. I am very excited to be leading a workshop at the Montessori Foundation’s Annual Conference "Peaceful Classrooms, Peaceful Children, Peaceful Schools” in Florida this November.

For over 17 years, I have introduced Treasure Baskets and Heuristic Play to many families and I believe that my approach achieves an ideal balance between the academic, social, and psychological development of the child and the adult. Whether it’s working in the class with children, parents, or teachers, my aim is to leave an imprint of care and creativity.

Georgina is a presenter at The Montessori Foundation’s / IMC’s 18th Annual International Conference in Sarasota, FL (Nov. 6 – 9). ¢

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The Montessori Foundation always strives to help schools and parent organizations provide the most cost effective ways to get Tomorrow’s Child magazine into the hands of parents. At the same time, in our effort to conserve natural resources and save trees, we’d like to introduce Tomorrow’s Child, the electronic version.

Tomorrow’s Child magazine is the best way for schools to help parents stay connected on key issues in Montessori. Articles on parenting, research, how Montessori is done internationally, schools showcasing their uniqueness, graduate achievements and valuable calendar of events make this one of the most widely read Montessori resources worldwide.

Those with current print subscriptions will continue to receive the publication mailed to their addresses.

3 Individual Orders (Electronic)

When you subscribe to the electronic version you will be emailed a link to Tomorrow’s Child OnLine’s parent resource center along with a user name and password.

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Administrators who put the cost of the magazine into their tuition understand that the benefits far exceed the minimal cost. When parents are informed and embrace the time tested & proven results that a Montessori education can bring to their families they will thank you!

You may purchase our regular print version, same as always or you may sign up for the electronic version by using this form or by going through our publication center’s online bookstore at www.montessori.org .

Remember, the electronic version is not for our current standing bulk order subscribers, but for those who wish to have an individual subscription sent electronically.

Each time we publish an issue, you will receive an email notifying you that the electronic version is ready for you to access through TCOL.

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We greatly discount the print version to our schools. In the US a standing bulk order costs just $16.00 per family per year. 50 minimum in a standing bulk order. That’s just $800 annually! (Should your school have fewer than 50 families call our main office at 800-6555843 to get approval for a smaller quantity.)

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Standing Bulk Order subscribers will also have access to Tomorrow’s Child OnLine (see inset).*

Tomorrow’s Child OnLine

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2014/15 School Year Same prices as last year!

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1 Standing Bulk Orders for the 2 Individual Orders (Print)

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Now There Are Three Ways to Purchase Tomorrow’s Child: The Magazine with Benefits!

Log on, go to the TCOL page and you’re ready to read. Just turn the pages using the arrow. It’s that easy and sounds just like you are flipping pages in a print magazine. Electronic subscribers will also have access to Tomorrow’s Child OnLine (see inset)*.

*Free Benefit for Standing Bulk Order & Electronic Subscribers

Tomorrow’s Child OnLine, the parent resource center provides you with many other free articles and video presentations on effective parenting and how to incorporate a Montessori way of life into your daily family routines. Hosted by the Foundation’s Parent Education Director, Lorna McGrath, there are many short video clips on critical issues of parenting. This added benefit is available to bulk subscribers and electronic subscribers.

Contact Information: Make checks payable to: The Montessori Foundation.

Mail to: 19600 E. State Road 64, Bradenton, FL 34212.

Fax: 941 745 3111.

Schools needing invoices, please contact: dondinsmore@montessori.org

The Foundation always strives to keep printing costs under control as well as conserve resources and, therefore, we no longer keep an inventory of back issues nor large quantities of the most current issue. We will always try and fulfill new standing bulk orders with the most currently released issue. If that isn’t possible, we’ll start your order with the next one in the cycle and pro-rate your order.

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Order Form Standing Bulk Orders (SBO) for the 2014/15 school year

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❒ For USA Orders_____subscriptions x $16.00 US funds TOTAL DUE______ Your SBO will start with the September 2014 issue( subject to availability). SBO’s are for schools with 50 or more families. Schools with fewer than 50 families need to call our main office at 800-655-5843 for approval. Schools requesting a PO or located outside of the USA please call 800-655-5843 or email dondinsmore@montessori.org for pricing information.

Individual Subscriptions: Print Version

is published four times per year: September, November, January, and April.

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Online Montessori Record Keeping Software

Classroom Management | School Administration | Parent Communication *Includes Comprehensive Scope & Sequence with Common Core Alignment!

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Record daily classroom activity & observations in mere seconds from ANY web-enabled device! No cumbersome steps, no needlessly long learning curve. MC is a great solution for busy Montessori Educators who are seeking a record keeping solution that just works. All record keeping data is saved and tagged to student profiles in real-time. Progress reports can be generated instantly and parent communication has never been easier.

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