Posts Tagged ‘Montessori philosophy’
Maria Montessori: What You May Not Know
By Yelena Raskin Dr. Maria Montessori was born in the small town of Chiaravalle. Her father was a military man, and her mother was a lady of peace. Maria Montessori had a very close relationship with her mother. As a child, Maria didn’t have freedom to do what she wanted because her mother believed in discipline.…
Read MoreTools in the Practical Life Area
By Amber Evans An essential part of the Montessori method is practical life. These activities are an increasingly challenging series of motor tasks involving real life goals. In addition to helping children master everyday tasks, the aim of practical life activities is to develop a child’s independence, body control and coordination of movement, concentration and…
Read MoreThe Art of Observation: Why this is a teacher’s most important skill
By Francina Lelei “Wait while observing. That is the motto for the educator. Let us wait, and be always ready to share in both the joys and the difficulties which the child experiences. …Let us have endless patience with his slow progress, and show enthusiasm and gladness at his successes.” (Maria Montessori, Dr. Montessori’s Own…
Read MoreMusic in the Montessori Classroom: How We Integrate Music into Everyday Activities
By Erin Farney Picture a group of children singing together and it will most likely bring on a smile. Singing songs is typically a fun and joyful experience, but it offers much more value than only being for pleasure. Children in Montessori are trained to listen, hear, move, sing, and produce music. Hearing and listening,…
Read MoreWhy Cursive is Still Important in Education
By Erin McFarland In our highly technical age, handwriting as a whole seems to be an antiquated concept in our education systems. How often do we handwrite things in our daily lives? Moreover, cursive writing seems to be an old-fashioned way of communicating. Is cursive a necessary skill to teach young children? Or is it an…
Read MoreThe Absorbent Mind
By Nilanga Ericsson As a child, I spoke two languages, my mother tongue: Sinhala and English, which is considered the official language of Sri Lanka. I don’t recall anyone teaching me the vocabulary, the grammar or the syntax. Yet I spoke both languages fluently. It is a common occurrence that happens every day in every country…
Read MoreSensitive Periods in Child Development
By Yelena Raskin Sensitive periods are periods of psychological development in the child. This period is a time of limited duration. During the sensitive periods, the child has very powerful capacities. The child is able to do great things and make very important acquisitions, like language and movement. But after some time, these powers disappear.…
Read MoreMindfulness in a Montessori Environment
by Andrea Beier There is no doubt that almost everyone has heard of the term “mindfulness” in the last few years. It seems there has been quite an explosion of interest in the concept; complete with varying definitions of what mindfulness even is. I became interested in the term as a friend of mine was…
Read MoreHow the Montessori approach was developed
By Erin Farney Maria Montessori (1870-1952) developed a beautiful and thoughtful approach to the quality education of children, stressing the importance of following the child. Many people appreciated her during her time, and even more people now continue to respect and carry out her work by practicing the Montessori approach. Predecessors Maria Montessori shared ideas…
Read MoreHow Montessori Differs from Daycare
As you look at different childcare options for your child, you may notice that a Montessori preschool has some key differences that set it apart from your traditional daycare. Each classroom in a Montessori preschool is unique, even though they are all part of one educational system. Some core philosophies that set a Montessori preschool…
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