Delving Deeper: Simplicity in the Montessori Environment

   As the education system works to better itself through new standards and learning objectives there is more and more pressure to cover a large amount of information each year. Montessori teachers find different ways to add to the curriculum and materials. In the article, Delving Deeper: Simplicity in the Montessori Environment, Michelle Irinyi discusses how she witnessed firsthand the overwhelming feel of crowded shelves in a coworker’s classroom and the negative impact it had on children.

            Irinyi’s coworker: “…believed it was her responsibility to present every lesson and material possible each year” (2013). The overabundance of supplemental lessons overshadowed the Montessori materials. The children, while busy, did not concentrate. Irinyi compares this bounty of materials to an overwhelming meal (2013). While everything looks good and is appealing, the amount becomes overwhelming and nothing is fully enjoyed.

Montessori created a uniquely beautiful and simple environment for students where each material was there for a reason. Maria Montessori began by offering the children dolls and toys to play with but soon observed that the children were not drawn to them in the way they were captivated by the didactic materials (1998). Irinyi’s article reminds us of this amazing fact. The original materials are enough.

In Irinyi’s opinion, teaching lessons in the Montessori classroom is not about going through a checklist but must be based on each individual child. The goal of Montessori education is to open up the whole universe to children: “…freeing them to explore, ask questions, conduct research, and create their own understanding” (2013). We must believe in the method and remember the depth of knowledge found in beauty and simplicity. 

 Irinyi, M. (2013). Delving deeper: simplicity in the montessori environment, North American Montessori Center, retrieved from http://montessoritraining.blogspot.ca/2013/10/delving-deeper-simplicity-in-montessori.html#.UlYeJhASfFJ 

ForLittleOnes- Readers Reviewed!

A great interview and review at http://ecoleeko.blogspot.com/2013/10/montessori-reading-for-little-ones.html
Thanks to Ecoleko!
Check out her store- http://www.ecoleeko.com/

Montessori and Catholicism

"It is possible to see a clear analogy between the mission of the Shepherd of the Church and that of the prudent and generous Montessori directress - who with tenderness and love knows how to discover and bring to light the most hidden virtues and capacities of the child."
-Pope John XXIII

Check out my wonderful friend's blog on her Montessori adventures!
http://ireneob55.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/what-is-the-montessori-method/

Stay at Home Moms

An interesting article about stay at home moms.
As a educator I find this to be an fascinating and beautiful perspective. I do not have children of my own so I can't speak from personal experience but I can speak about what I have seen through others. One of my sisters home-schools her 5 kids and rarely have I seen such well balanced, well mannered, and wonderful children. (Note- I might be a little biased as I am their aunt.)
Matt Walsh brings out many great points about the importance of motherhood while not saying that it is wrong for mothers to work. Some highlights:

- Motherhood used to be deified and now it is seen as a "disease"
- Mom- the most important role, you cannot be "replaced" the way you can be on a job
- For moms to spend as little time as possible with their kids should not be considered an "ideal"

But really, the article is much better written than my 2 cents and worth a read:

http://themattwalshblog.com/2013/10/09/youre-a-stay-at-home-mom-what-do-you-do-all-day/

Parents as first educators

Something has been on my mind lately. Are parents relying to much on others to raise their children for them?

I feel that throughout my readings for my Masters in Montessori education, the government is continually trying to decide what is best and that people are looking to schools (and the government) to raise their children for them. We seem to be so far away from parents wanting and being able to raise their own children. Too often it seems to me like people have children as a commodity (for status, social norms, because they have reached a certain age) and then look to others to raise them! While yes, it does take a village to raise a child, shouldn't the parents be the first and primary educators instead of the school, the nanny, or the government?
As the Cathecism of the Catholic Church beautifully says:

2223    Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. The home is well suited for education in the virtues. This requires an apprenticeship in self–denial, sound judgment, and self–mastery—the preconditions of all true freedom. Parents should teach their children to subordinate the “material and instinctual dimensions to interior and spiritual ones.”³¹ Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children. By knowing how to acknowledge their own failings to their children, parents will be better able to guide and correct them: (1804)

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/

I just heard of a family where the parents are in their fifties and just adopted a child from China. This is awesome but just a few month after adopting him he is in school from 8-4 while his parents work from home. He was in an orphanage for the first 3 years of his life and is most likely experiencing a huge culture shock with little support. I find this to be so sad! Shouldn't he be spending most of his time with his new family getting to know this new and foreign culture?

What do you think? Do parents rely to much on school to raise their children for them? How can we help remedy this?

Lakshmi A. Kripalani- The child’s choice is the clue

Lakshmi A. Kripalani is one of Montessori's own students and strong advocate for the method. She is often referred to as a Montessori sage. She was at the feet of Maria Montessori, the head of a school, a teacher trainer, an author, and has given many lectures on Montessori education.

In the article "The child's choice is the clue" she reminds us of the true meaning of the sequence of Montessori materials. She tells us clearly that: "The sequence is not for the children to follow mechanically. The sequence is for the teachers"(2010). This places an even greater emphasis on the importance of observing each child. Through observations we can see the specific needs of an individual child and thus the correct sequence for this individual.
Yet so many materials rely on each other. Should a child be able to do the number rods before having been introduced to the red rods? Of course this would depend on the teachers observations but does it not also illustrate a certain need for following the sequence of materials?

What are your thoughts? Do we too often rely on the "correct" sequence and place unnecessary barriers on a child's independence or is the sequence not just for the teacher as Lakshmi reminds us?

Kripalani, L. A. (2010) The child’s choice is the clue, Montessori Central, retrieved on September 21st 2013 from http://jola-montessori.com/article/lakshmi-a-kripalani-8/

Pinterest!

Check out my pinterest for many Montessori resources, educational articles, and a wide variety of activities to do with children!

http://www.pinterest.com/paulinemeert/boards/