The Montessori Message

The Montessori Message

Tag Archives: practical life

It’s All Academic

20 Friday Dec 2019

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Learning, Montessori Education

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Tags

baking, creativity, holidays, learning, Maria Montessori, performance, practical life, sewing

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Heather Siple-winter concert-15 (1)
Heather Siple-winter concert-19

In schools at this time of year, children are often found doing things out of their typical routine – preparing for a show, baking or cooking, sewing, creating an art or craft project, wrapping gifts to be shared with others, or sending a note to a special friend, to name a few. They eagerly approach many of these tasks, enjoying the variety from typical school-day assignments and lessons.

As we continue to learn more about how we learn and how the brain engages when learning and performing novel tasks, we are reminded about how important it is to go beyond books, lectures and typical school assignments. As students prepare sets for the stage, learn how to run the lights, or cue the songs, they are learning so much about how to integrate technology to support the performers, how to juggle multiple responsibilities and how to work to support others. When baking, cooking and sewing, measurement and fractions reign supreme. You can’t do these things without math. The creativity involved in these tasks is crucial for the brain’s involvement in consolidating information learned in other domains.

Maria Montessori somehow knew, long before fMRI, through her education as a doctor and her observation of children, that children need to experience learning in many ways. Montessori classrooms are equipped with opportunities to go beyond what is contained in a typical school environment. From toddlers through high school, Montessori students are offered opportunities to go beyond the typical educational experience. Learning is an opportunity that exists in all forms and lasts a lifetime.

How to Raise an Adult

22 Sunday Apr 2018

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Montessori Education, Parenting

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Tags

helicopter parenting, how to raise an adult, independence, practical life

practical life - web68538.pngWhen most of us embark on the journey of parenthood, we don’t typically consider the end game, adulthood. We imagine a precious baby, a wobbly toddler and perhaps even a cute elementary student learning to read and write. Rarely do parents envision the adult their child will become, yet everything parents do ultimately prepares children for life as adults.

This brief video shares information from Julie Lythcott-Haims’ work with undergraduate students at Stanford University and in her book How To Raise an Adult. You may be put off by the title of her video or the subtitle of her book, but don’t let it dissuade you from the importance of her message. It is one almost every parent will agree with; parents work to put themselves out of a job. We want to raise healthy educated productive adults.

She states her message quickly and succinctly. She breaks parenting into four steps:

  1. We do things for children.
  2. We do things with children.
  3. We watch them do it.
  4. They do it independently.

Lythcott-Haims’ analysis aligns with Maria Montessori’s philosophy of education. Teachers show them by presenting a lesson, observe them using the materials, and finally, they do the work independently. They are building the skills needed to recover from mistakes and have the confidence that they can pick themselves up, learn from the mistake and keep going.

Raising children is difficult work and one of the hardest things about it is watching our children make mistakes that might be avoided. We need to let them attempt to do things for themselves, letting them know we are there for them and have confidence in their ability to manage without our interference. Allowing independence in childhood creates adults who can make mistakes and be accountable for the outcomes of their actions. Dr. Montessori has shared this in her proven method of educating children and Lythcott-Haims restates it to help parents incorporate it in their everyday lives with their children. How have you promoted independence in your children?

Traditions

18 Friday Dec 2015

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Learning, Montessori Education, Wilmington Montessori School

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

holiday, Maria Montessori, montessori, Montessori education, observation, practical life, sensorial, tradition, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

Room 5- MenorahIt’s the time of year when we fall to traditions and all they hold. Most of us follow traditions within our families. We know the sources of some of those traditions, while others’ origins remain a mystery. Once we introduce a tradition to our children, they count on it; that’s why it’s a tradition. Children relish the comfort and predictability of knowing what to expect and what comes next.

As I think about the traditions that are tied to school, it can be a bit less comforting. Most schools today are very similar to the schools of 50 or 100 years ago. They operate on the same schedule, test for the same knowledge base, have teachers as the “knowers” and students as the “learners,” and have the same definition of success. At Wilmington Montessori School, we adhere to the traditions that could be described as Montessori: using Montessori materials, having dedicated spaces in our classrooms for Sensorial, Practical Life and academic materials, furnishing with appropriately sized furniture, focusing on peace education, and learning about the world and its people.

We also adhere to the tradition of observation. We are responsive not only to the children in our classrooms, but also to their needs in an ever-changing world. The world today is not the same as when Maria Montessori observed children in Italy and developed the Montessori Method. However, what is the same is the adherence to the method of noticing what children need as they move through school and life. Though we are a Montessori school and all that implies, we are constantly watching, learning and noticing children’s needs. Our lessons, materials and experiences reflect those requirements; therefore, they change and adapt to the times in which we live.

In some ways a Montessori education may appear to be the same as a traditional education. The difference is that we are not stuck in a system built on traditions that are being held onto no matter what. We are not looking for the next best educational theory or practice. The Montessori method is built to embrace necessary changes. We learn, shift and grow; we embrace the world today and we learn from the past. Our traditions are molded from past experiences to shape the future for our students.  

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