The Montessori Message

The Montessori Message

Tag Archives: preschool

Student Engagement

16 Thursday Nov 2017

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

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elementary, engaged learners, engagement, following the child, gallup poll, high school, learning, middle school, preschool

Photo - 9-12 Bridge.jpg

Recently, I came across a Gallup poll, polling students in grades 5 through 12 about their level of engagement in school. The poll measured hope, engagement and well-being of nearly 500,000 students from more than 1,700 public schools in 37 states. The poll found that nearly 8 out of 10 elementary students who participated in the poll are engaged in school. That number dramatically decreases the longer students are in school, with only 4 out of 10 high-school students stating they are engaged in school. The data suggests that the longer students stay in school, the less engaged they become.

Educators, both in and out of the classroom, are constantly striving to learn how to best serve the students they encounter each day. The best teachers and schools are continually wondering what they can do better, even when things are going well. They are lifelong learners as individuals and as institutions. School is never finished.

Interestingly, the high-school students who said they were engaged in their learning report that high school feels much like their elementary school. As a Montessori school, one of the things we pride ourselves in is student engagement. Students want to come to school. They can’t wait to see what the day holds for them. They engage not only with the teachers and students, they engage with the classroom materials, the environment, the ideas, lessons and the broader community. They yearn for more. And if a student doesn’t have this eagerness for learning, solutions are sought. What is the child excited about? What do they spend their time doing outside of school? How can we serve that student in ways that may be unique for him? What can we do to help them more and what can we do better?

Students come to us from a variety of situations. Schools are set up to help students gain knowledge, understanding and skills that will serve them throughout their lives. To think that simply imparting content will engage and interest them is a mistake. Students are just like adults in that they have interests, curiosities and are continually trying to make sense of their world. They enter school at a young age with hope and fascination as doors are unlocked for them. Our job – no matter the educational setting from preschool through college – is to help them find the keys.

Preschool Lessons

15 Thursday Dec 2016

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

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play, preschool, primary

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Reading this article about the lasting benefits of preschool once again affirms Maria Montessori’s approach to educating young children. A study in North Carolina followed nearly 1 million students from preschool through fifth grade. The results showed that when children attend a high-quality preschool program, the benefits last. High quality is defined as “small class sizes, student-directed learning, and lots of open-ended play.”

Sound familiar?

pinktowerandbrownstairsAt Wilmington Montessori School, we take pride in the quality of the education we offer at all levels. Following the Montessori Method allows us to establish classroom practices that support exploration and learning for all children. The prepared environment is set up for children to succeed. They are gradually introduced to each item on the shelves and how they are used. The social environment is safe and welcoming; children learn to care for each other through positive interactions as well as the predictable challenges that occur while building relationships and sharing spaces.

We encourage enrollment at young ages in order to help provide that strong start in school. Play is the work of children. They need to explore. Their success in the Elementary Program is built on the foundation of the Toddler and Primary classroom practices. Children know how school works. They know how to care for their classroom and each other. They learn how to solve problems and watch others as they learn. They are not confined to learning only the lessons they are ready for, but can also observe the learning of others, discovering what comes next, igniting the sense of wonder and expectation. As the NPR article states, preschool is worth it. Its foundation provides a lasting effect for learning well through elementary school and beyond.

Work is like preschool.

19 Thursday Nov 2015

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Montessori Education, Wilmington Montessori School

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21st-century skills, grace and courtesy, kinder, montessori, Montessori education, preschool, primary, social curriculum, social skills, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School, workplace skills

Room 13 - BeeBotOne of the best things about sending your child to a Montessori school is the social curriculum that is embedded in every aspect of the day. Whether children are playing together, sitting on circle to greet one another, working on an assignment or choosing what work to do, our classrooms are filled with what Maria Montessori called grace and courtesy  – teaching children to be kind, caring and work together. When my son entered his first Montessori classroom, I was struck by the courteous manner of not only each adult I encountered but also by the children. They greeted classroom visitors in a polite manner. They interacted with each other, noting differences but also embracing them. Yes, they may have also been a bit mischievous at times, but they also respected and cared for one another.

In this article the author notes the similarities between the social curriculum in the Primary Program and what is demanded in the modern workplace, stating that the skills learned in preschool are essential in our changing world. The job sectors that are growing are those that demand social skills. Machines replace the non-human element; they can’t replace a friendly smile or a conversation. At Wilmington Montessori School we know that children cannot learn until they feel accepted and safe. Our social curriculum is central to all that we do; it is not an “add-on.” If there is a problem it is addressed. Sometimes that can be messy… especially with children involved as they learn to deliver and accept a well-placed apology. As humans we are all works in progress, learning and growing along the way. At WMS the opportunities to refine these skills are available all day every day.

“Making”

22 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Wilmington Montessori School

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arts, code, engineering, hands-on learning, kindergarten, maker movement, maker space, maker studio, makerspace, mathematics, montessori, Montessori education, preschool, primary, science, STEAM, STEAM studio, stem, teachers as guides, technology, toddler, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

3-6 Maker Faires17What does it mean to “make” something? The maker movement encourages us to invent, design and tinker with things. At Wilmington Montessori School, our Maker (STEAM) Studios are hubs of activity. Children are learning about their brains and how they work. Toddlers are working with new tools, learning to operate locks and lights, and creating ramps and tunnels for balls to move through. Primary students are creating music using a banana and electrodes. Others are writing code and giving directions to a robot, watching it move haltingly across the floor. They are hubs of activity. Ideas are being explored, mistakes are made, experiments occur (intentionally and not), and learning is happening.

As children participate in their learning, there must be time to think and follow their own ideas. They are encouraged to try new things or do familiar things in different ways. They are privy to others’ ideas, asking questions to build on their own. Our Maker Studios are extensions of our classrooms. The same Montessori principles that apply to the classroom apply here. Children are given the opportunity to design and create their own learning, guided by an adult who observes and offers just what is needed at the right time.  

21st-Century Skills (Part 6)

12 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by Lisa Lalama in community service, making a difference, Montessori Education, STEM, Wilmington Montessori School

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21st-century, 21st-century skills, biome, community service, conservation, ecosystems, education, elementary, environmental literacy, GCAP, Monarch Way Station, montessori, Montessori education, preschool, Save the Rain, teachers, toddlers, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

 

Environmental and Conservation Literacy/Ecosystems Understanding

Owl visitor - blogAs you wander through the classrooms at WMS on these winter days, it is interesting to observe how much of the curriculum is focused outside, beyond the school walls. Though Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow only a week ago, our students are keenly aware of our outdoor environment and how much it matters to all the species living within it. Birds are being fed, houses are prepared for returning birds, and gardens are being planned to provide food for us and for visiting butterflies, birds and other animals.

Through this work children are learning to care for those that live within our 25-acre campus and also those who drop by for a visit on their way to other places. WMS students are building the 21st-century skill of environmental literacy and gaining an understanding of ecosystems. They know that what we do matters to not only our immediate neighbors, but to the world at large. Continue reading →

21st-Century Skills (Part 1)

15 Thursday Jan 2015

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

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21st-century, 21st-century skills, early education, education, preschool, toddler, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

3-6 Maker Faires19Education is all abuzz around 21st-century skills. What are they? Will children have them in place when they graduate? Will they lead to gainful employment? What can I expect to see in my child’s classroom where 21st-century skills are part of the learning?

The next several blog entries will focus on Wilmington Montessori School and 21st-century learning. We hear that term bandied about and agree that we all want children to be well prepared to enter the workforce when they complete their education. We even agree on some language around what those skills may be. However, what we know is that many schools are waiting to prepare students until they are older, even as old as college age. That is much too late. In order to build on these multi-faceted skills, a strong foundation needs to be put into place as early as possible. And where is the best place to begin educating children at such an early age? Nowhere but a Montessori environment, and specifically WMS.

“A Magical Place”

18 Thursday Dec 2014

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

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3-6 classroom, education, hands-on learning, Justin Tarte, kindergarten, montessori, Montessori education, preschool, primary, Wilmington Montessori

september 13_2013 443As I read this blog, I came across an interesting view of kindergarten and how it should influence the school experience.

Heather Siple- space shuttleJustin Tarte presents the view that perhaps all of school should be like life in a kindergarten classroom. Now, he is speaking of a school with single grades, which is different from a multi-aged Montessori classroom. However, he captures the essence of what a Montessori experience is and what education should be like for everyone. School needs to provide the opportunity for children to collaborate, create and imagine. Teachers are there to ask guiding questions, observe and ensure the classroom has the materials needed to further the children’s work.

Dr. Tarte states that, “Kindergarten classrooms are indeed a magical place.” We know that all classrooms can be just as magical and provide experiences that last a lifetime.

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