The Montessori Method

The below has been borrowed with thanks from Montessori Mom. I think it is a great summary of the Montessori method. Feel free to comment!

The Montessori Method

"I have studied the child. I have taken what the child has given me and expressed it and that is what is called the Montessori method." Dr. Maria Montessori.

The Montessori Method is a way about thinking about who children are. It is a philosophy that respects the unique individuality of each child. Dr. Montessori believed in the worthiness, value and importance of children. Her method does not compare a child  to norms or standards that are measured by traditional educational systems. It is founded on the belief that children should be free to succeed and learn without restriction or criticism.

It is also an approach to education that takes to heart the needs, talents, gifts, and special individuality of each child. It is a process that helps children learn in their own way at their own pace. The main concept of Montessori is to promote the joy of learning. This joy of learning develops a well adjusted person who has a purpose and direction in his or her life. Children, who experience the joy of learning, are happy, confident, fulfilled children. In essence, Montessori helps bring forth the gift of each child.

Another important skill it teaches is self-reliance and independence. It helps a child to become independent by teaching him or her life skills, which is called practical life. Montessori children learn to dress themselves, help cook, put their toys and clothes away and take an active part of their household, neighborhood and school.

Montessori works in a methodical way. Each step in the process leads to the next level of learning. When a child plays, he or she is  learning concepts for abstract learning. Repetition of activities is an integral part of this learning process.

For young children Montessori is a hands on approach to learning. It encourages children to develop their observation skills by doing many types of activities. These activities include use of the five senses, kinetic movement, spatial refinement, small and large motor skill coordination, and concrete knowledge that leads to later abstraction.

For a grade school child, Montessori encourages a child to proceed at his or her own pace onto abstract thinking, writing, reading, science, mathematics and most importantly, to absorb his or her culture and environment. Culture includes interaction with nature, art, music, religion, societal organizations and customs.

A Montessori teacher or instructor observes each child like a scientist, providing every child with an individual program for learning. Phoebe Child (Head of the Montessori trust in London) said "we must be prepared to wait patiently like a servant, to watch carefully like a scientist, and to understand through love and wonder like a saint."

Most of all, Montessori wanted to help free a child's mind to be unfettered to learn without any negative input. It is success oriented in that almost everything is self-teaching and self-correcting. The children learn by doing and by experimentation. The environment is specifically prepared for the children to allow them to interact with it freely and unfettered, everything is child sized, and safe for children to touch and use. In fact, Dr. Montessori called her center "The Children's House".

The main goal of Montessori is to provide a stimulating, child oriented environment that children can explore, touch, and learn without fear. An understanding parent or teacher is a large part of this child's world. The end result is to encourage life long learning, the joy of learning, and happiness about one's path and purpose in life.

Lunch Ideas

Since Tristan has to bring his lunch to his new school (and therefore I have to pack it...), we are having to get pretty creative with lunch ideas. Tristan is not known for his willingness to try anything not shaped like a chicken nugget or filled with peanut butter.  And since I can't fill his lunchbox with cookies, doughnuts and candy,  here are some ideas that I have gathered from across the vast world wide web.

Yogurt / applesauce
Dried fruit (raisins or craisins) and cereal "granola"
Carrots and dip
Any kind of fruit
English muffin "pizza"
French toast sticks/mini waffles or pancakes
Goldfish
Turkey/ham roll ups (on a tortilla)
String cheese
Graham crackers/animals cookies
"Smores" (Graham crackers, marshmallow fluff and nutella)
Grilled chicken strips
Cubed cheese
Breakfast bars
Fruit snacks
Muffins
Cheese and crackers
Pasta and sauce
Cream cheese and jam sandwich (tried to give him blueberry cream cheese yesterday - no go.)
Meatballs (Tristan loves the little meatballs in his ABC's 123's)

**saw this great idea - to send milk, freeze the container of milk when it is half full. In the morning, fill it up with cold milk and it should be perfect by lunchtime!

It will certainly be an exercise in creativity! Will make sure to let you know what works and what doesn't! I suposse if he gets hungry enough, he'll eat what I send!  I am open to any ideas you all might have too - feel free to leave a comment!

Walk Consent Form

How many shcools ask you to sign a consent form so your child can go with the class to explore the 2 acres of woods behind the school? I had to sign a Walk Consent Form for Tristan's new school because the school "likes to extend our classroom with these important experiences as we respect the spontaneity and flexibility the Montessori environment so wonderfully encourages".   The school has woods behind it that allow for nature walks and visits outdoors when the weather permits.

I personally think this is a great thing. Right now when Tristan goes outside to play, it is in a fenced in area with plastic and metal play things. Now he will have the opportunity to go outside into the woods where he can see bugs, animals, leaves, and dirt! They do encourage you to send the kids in "play" clothes as there is no telling what they will do any particular day - paint, do water experiments, or go for a walk in the woods.  The school did mention that it is very careful to watch what the kids touch so they can learn what is OK to touch and what is not okay to touch. I hope that lesson involves "Do not ouch the snake..."!

I know this is something that Tristan will love because he will watch a bug for a long time (well, until it turns and comes towards him- then he takes off running!).  He loves being outside and this flexibility to go outdoors will be a great addition to his day.

Do your kids love to be outside, regardless if it is 30 degrees or 70 degrees?!

Quick List of Differences Between Montessori and Traditional Education

Montessori

·         Emphasis on cognitive structures and social development

·         Teacher's role is unobtrusive; child actively participates in learning

·         Environment and method encourage internal self-discipline

·         Individual and group instruction adapts to each child's learning style

·         Mixed age grouping

·         Children are encouraged to teach, collaborate and help each other

·         Child chooses own work from interests and abilities

·         Child formulates concepts from self-teaching materials

·         Child works as long as he/she wants on chosen project

·         Child sets own learning pace to internalize information

·         Child spots own errors through feedback from the material

·         Learning is reinforced internally thru child's own repetition of the activity, internal feelings of success

·         Multi-sensory materials for physical exploration development

·         Organized program for learning care of self and self-care environment

·         Child can work where he/she is comfortable, moves and talks at will (yet doesn't disturb others); group work is voluntary and negotiable

·         Organized program for parents to understand the Montessori philosophy and participate in the learning process

Traditional

·         Emphasis on rote knowledge and social development

·         Teacher's role is dominant, active; child is a more passive participant

·         Teacher is primary enforcer of external discipline

·         Individual and group instruction conforms to the adults teaching style

·         Same age grouping

·         Most teaching is done by the teacher and collaboration is discouraged

·         Curriculum structured with little regard for child's interests

·         Child is guided to concepts by the teacher

·         Child is usually given specific time for work

·         Instruction pace set by group norm or teacher

·         Errors corrected by the teacher

·         Learning is reinforced externally by rewards, discouragements

·         Few materials for sensory or concrete manipulation

·         Little emphasis on classroom maintenance

·         Child sits in assigned seat; encouraged to sit still and listen during group sessions

·         Voluntary parental involvement, often only as fundraisers, not participants in       understanding the learning process


 I will take each one of these bullets and elaborate on why it matters and how it is implemented or how it works in the classroom.  This list was provided by Countryside Montessori School.

The Visit Part II (with Tristan)

I told Tristan that we were going to visit a new school to see if we liked it. He probably wasn't really listening to me, when I said it but we drove to the school on our appointed day. We were early because I really wasn't sure how long it would take to get there from our house at 8am. So I parked and we sat in the car for a while.

Eventually, he said "what are we doing?"
I said, "we're early, so we are just waiting to go in."
He said, "I want to go in now."

So we went in. The school was a hotbed of activity. It was prime drop off time! So we busied ourselves by reading some of the books at the front, walking up and down the halls looking at the art on the walls and the different projects the kids had done.  When the director found us, we went into one of the two classrooms that had space for a new student. 

Tristan is a shy boy at first. He likes to get used to place first before he lets go! So he was quiet for a while. This particular classroom had quite a few older kids in it and was a little bit loud when we first got there. Several children came over to us and said Hello and introduced themselves.  We walked around the classroom and looked at the different materials. The first thing he picked up were thin metal shapes that could be traced. He spent some time tracing several different shapes and was very proud of the results.  He walked around some more and looked at things and then he noticed that the kids were in a circle listening to the teacher.  So he asked if he could join. He sat for a while listening and looking around.  We then moved on to another classroom.

I could tell right away that this one was more Tristan's speed. It was quiet and there were more kids his age in this classroom.  He walked into this classroom more confidently.  He looked at their class pet - a gerbil. He watched some kids eating a snack, a girl washing dished in the sink and another little girl was painting at an easel. He saw one boy playing with dinosaurs - he really wanted to get those dinosaurs! But he patiently waited and moved on to another activity. He found a magnet fishing game that he enjoyed.  Then saw there was a station where he could pour water from one cup to another with a little sponge to clean up any spills. He had a great time with that activity. The dinosaurs became available and he matched each little dinosaur to it's shape on the card. Then he moved on to stacking colored arcs. He seemed to be very engaged and interested in things around the room. 

We decided this was the class he would join when he started school and I think we have made a good decision. The teaching team in this room have been teaching together for over 16 years so I have no doubt they have the experience!  When it was time to go, Tristan wanted to stay. I explained that we could not stay and finally got him to the car.  When we got to his current school, he pitched a fit! He said he didn't want to go and cried and cried! He got over it when presented with some stickers. 

I am not sure he understands that soon he will be going to a new school every day. I think we will surely have some transition issues but I hope that he will adapt quickly and I have confidence that he will love his new environment. 

The Visit

The first visit to the school was without Tristan.  When we went in, the kids were already in their classrooms or playing outside. My very first impression was that it looked a little shabby.  There were tables and bulletin boards with information on them and a little couch to sit on. The table beside the couch had some books in it for the kids to read.  There was carpet on the floor, not tile or vinyl or whatever that wipe-able floor surface is in most schools.  The director came and took us to a room that did not have any kids in it but was set up with Montessori materials.  The lights were off.  Perhaps a little bit odd I thought, but open minded as I was, I let it go.  The first thing I noticed was the kids I could see playing outside through the window.  There was a big play set - slide, swings, things to climb into and out of- but none of the kids were on it. They were all playing in a big empty grassy "yard". They were playing with trucks in the dirt, they were chasing each other around, they were having fun with each other and looked like they couldn't care less about the big play set behind them. 

The director talked to us about different areas of the classroom, some of the materials and the school set up. Since we are still dealing with preschool, there are different programs - some kid's stay all day, others are just half day, etc.  As much as I wish it were not this way- Tristan is a full time student! So we discussed various things about the day such as snacks and lunches. We have to pack a lunch for him - that will be new since his current school provides lunch.  Tristan is a picky eater - if it is in the shape of a chicken nugget or is a peanut butter sandwich, he is good. Otherwise, it better be loaded in sugar or he won't eat it! Needless to say, peanut butter is out and they specifically note that the packed lunches should be healthy. I will keep you updated on how that goes! Looks like we will be trying some new foods along with a new school!

Then we visited a working classroom. First thing I noticed - the lights were out in here too. There were lamps all around. First impression was warmth, calm and lots of "stuff". The room was warm and inviting. The kids were calm. They were all doing different things all over the room but no one was screaming or yelling or trying to steal some item from someone else. There was stuff everywhere - activities, cards, paint, kitchen stuff, easels and drawing material and books. Each room had a huge window so there was lots of natural light. I could stand it no longer so I finally asked about the lights. I was told that it was up to each teacher's discretion whether they turned out the lights and used lamps or not. Some felt it kept the kids calmer. Some turned the lights out just to get the kids attention or to tell them there was some type of transition upcoming. 

So first new experience: no bright overhead fluorescent lights.

Next new experience: no desks.

What? Sorry, no desks? Nope not a one.  There were small kid sized tables with two chairs placed around the room and then there were little rugs in a basket that the kids could roll out to "claim their space" on the floor. 

And next new experience: the work.

Each child can choose what he/she wants to work on.  There are table activities and there are floor activities.  They could work alone or together.  Each child has quite a bit of freedom to choose what they will do and how they will do it.  There was no one telling them they had to sit down or had to color instead of work with Sandpaper Letters.  I will detail in a later post, what the 3-6 year old curriculum entails. 

I realize now that the "shabbiness" I felt, was simply the fact that they were not trying to impress me with the furniture. There was no need. I was impressed by the vastly different feeling I got from the environment and the kids. They were happy to be there. Interested and engaged. Working without whining and without fighting although I am sure they all have their moments.  It seemed much more a place of learning than a day care center and although I can't put it into the proper words, the difference between the Montessori school and Tristan's current school was evident.  And now when I go into the school to drop off enrollment papers or stop by to ask a question, I no longer look to the furniture to make me feel good, I look to the children and the teachers.

An Open Mind

Before I get to the visit, let me begin by saying that we are a normal everyday family. We drive a mini-van, we go to Walmart, Target and eat McDonald's.  We recycle as much as we can and try to not leave the lights on and the water running.  We have computers, cell phones and a flat screen TV with more channels than we could ever watch.  Tristan watches TV and play with plastic toys. My point is that typically I wouldn't consider a family like ours one to put their kids in a non-traditional school. 

And I realize that it is all very fine and good to read about different types of education. And the books make it all sound great and a make it seem that a child would certainly flourish in that type of environment. But even while I was reading all I could get my hands on about the Montessori Method, every so often I would have to stifle little "public school" voices in my head that said "of course that would work in a Utopian society where your kids don't have to go on to college and live in the real world" or "Will he turn into that weird kid down the street who has no friends and participates in no organized sports?". 

Trying to keep an open mind about new concepts is difficult in any situation. Trying to keep an open mind about something that is completely different than what you have grown up with your whole life is extremely difficult. We have a lot of "ideas" of education and the mould it should fit in to.  These ideas have been ingrained in our heads since we started school.  But in the search for something better for our children, for a life that gives them self worth, independence, love and acceptance, sometimes we have to take all that we know and put it on a shelf and open our minds to a new world. (No matter how uncomfortable it may be!)

The Search

The search started with "non-traditional" schools. I have some idea of these types of schools - one of my aunts works for an Emerson-Waldorf school and another aunt and uncle who started a small school in their area. But that is about the extent of what I knew. I came across Maria Montessori and her ideas and started reading. As I learned more about the way she taught and how she saw kids learning, I knew I had found it. Every description she gave of the kids and how they learned was exactly what I saw in Tristan everyday. Here is a quick paragraph about the differences in traditional and Montessori schools from a great web site, www.michaelolaf.net. It is from the FAQ's about Montessori education:

At the under age six level, Montessori emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching, or reading. Children in Montessori classes learn at their own, individual pace and according to their own choice of activities from hundreds of possibilities. The are not required to sit and listen to a teacher talk to them as a group, but are engaged in individual or group activities of their own, with materials that have been introduced to them 1:1 by the teacher who knows what each child is ready to do. Learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning.

Above age 6 children learn to do independent research, arrange field trips to gather information, interview specialists, create group presentation, dramas, art exhibits, musical productions, science projects, and so forth. There is no limit to what they created in this kind of intelligently guided freedom. There no text books or adult-directed group lessons and daily schedule. There is great respect for the choices of the children, but they easily keep up with or surpass what they would be doing in a more traditional setting. There is no wasted time and children enjoy their work and study. The children ask each other for lessons and much of the learning comes from sharing and inspiring each other instead of competing with each other.

Montessori classes place children in three-year-or-more age groups (3-6, 2.5-6, 6-12, and so on), forming communities in which the older children spontaneously share their knowledge with the younger ones. Montessori represents an entirely different approach to education.

I will admit that the resources out there on Montessori are many but wading through it all is daunting. I was (and still am!) completely new the concept. Sometimes it was difficult to find the information I needed. There was lots of information on homeschooling and becoming a teacher and where to get supplies. But a harder time finding general information - in nice bulleted formats that were easy to read! There was always information on all the sites about the principles and ideas, they just had to be found and sifted through. I just felt I couldn't get a great handle on exactly what the day consisted of. But I kept working and gathering information. I ordered a couple books and read them. I was getting more used to the ideas and concepts and more and more convinced that this was the way to go for Tristan. I hated the thought of uprooting him again and sending him to a new school but I also knew I had to do what was best for him.

We had a few choices of different Montessori schools in our area. There are even a couple that are a part of the public school system. Some were preschools only, most went through 6th grade or sometimes 8th grade. Some though seemed to be using the Montessori name and using some of the principles but not all and some seemed to just be using the name. But then I came across one that was preschool through 12th grade and seemed all in all, like a great place. I could tell from the website, there was significant parental involvement, which is something I definitely wanted. And could tell that they seemed very committed to the principles that were basic to a true Montessori education. I made an appointment and went to visit.

The Decision

The decision to send Tristan to a Montessori school has been about a year in the making. Since my sweet boy was 8 weeks old until he was about 2 1/2, we were lucky enough to have my sister in law watch Tristan while my husband and I both worked. He was able to start his life growing up with his cousins, one who is 6 weeks older than him and the other who is 2 years older. We could not have asked for a better situation. My sister in law worked with them, taught them colors and shapes. And he loved every day.

But the time came when his older cousin was going to kindergarten and my sister in law, was ready to go back to work. This is when we had to start thinking about what was best for Tristan and what shape his future would take. Because we had to make a decision quickly, we moved Tristan to a, if you will, "chain" preschool. They talked a lot about what the kids would learn and their curriculum, etc and it seemed OK. We had a hard transition to the new school but then Tristan got attached to one of his teachers and things got better. And the teachers in that class were great. Tristan did very well. But then he moved to the 3 year old class and things went downhill fast. It seemed like he wasn't learning much but when I asked about his progress and how he was doing, his teachers said he was doing great.  They commented that he was very smart and picked things up quickly but that there was only so much they could give him to do.  A big red flag for me - because he was ahead of where maybe the other kids were or ahead of the school's schedule, he just had to sit there and wait because they couldn't get him anything else to challenge or keep his attention. Nope - not going to work for us.  This is what really pushed me to look into other ways to educate, other ways for Tristan to learn.  Nothing like a Google search to start you off!

A Little Background

My name is Tricia and this my attempt to chronicle the experience of sending our son, Tristan who is 3, to a Montessori school. let me start by saying we know how lucky we are to be able to have this choice. To be able to have the money each month to pay for tuition to send our son to a private school is not easy and we are making some big sacrifices to make it happen. But neither of us would have thought for a second that our kids would go any where other than public schools. But there are families who do not have this choice no matter what sacrifices they make and we are thankful for the ability to have and be able to make choice.

Both my husband, Daren, and I went to public school. We turned out alright! I was a good student overall but school was just something I had to do not really something I enjoyed. My husband, was bored out of his mind at school. He hated having to stick to "their" schedule. He would learn a concept in a day and then have to sit through a week of the same concept over and over again. And being bored, he would do other things to occupy his time - which his teachers didn't always appreciate. Neither of us were challenged in school.

So when it came time to think about our son's school career, we knew we had to take an active role to make sure he wasn't just going to school because we made him go. When we looked at the schools in our district, one thing was very clear. The public schools in our area were struggling. The same can be said of public schools everywhere I am sure. But the major headlines currently are about the 10 or so schools that the county is looking to shut down. So, we knew that we didn't want our son to become an innocent victim of a struggling system. And the more I looked into the subject of "education" and how the schools worked these days, I just couldn't see my boy flourishing in that kind of environment. He would do just fine but would he just be getting through it? Knowing his personality and knowing the way he learns and assimilates information, I felt he needed a different system.