The environment must be rich in motives which lend interest to activity and invite the child to conduct his own experiences. —Maria MontessoriThe Absorbent Mind, p. 84. On my first day as a Montessori teacher, I entered the classroom with a plan already made. I had the whole first day meticulously thought out, down to … Montessori Today, Chapter 5: The Classroom Environment
It should be realized that genuine interest cannot be forced. Therefore, all methods of education based on centers of interest which have been chosen by adults are wrong. —Maria MontessoriUniversity of Amsterdam Lecture, 1950. The purpose of Montessori’s Five Great Lessons is to awaken a sense of wonder within students and serve as a catalyst … Montessori Today, Chapter 4: The Key Lessons That Follow the Great Lessons
In the beginning, there was darkness. Doesn’t that sound like a great opening to a great story? It is almost as good as “Once upon a time.” When we tell a story like Cinderella to a child, we don’t begin by saying “This is a story about the triumph of good and evil.” Or “The … Montessori Today, Chapter 4: The Great Lessons
The next period goes from six to twelve. It is a period of growth unaccompanied by other change. The child is calm and happy. Mentally, he is in a state of health, strength and assured stability. — Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind, p. 18. During the second plane, children move from being egocentric to being … Montessori Today, Chapter 3: The Age of Reason
“It is at six years that one may note the beginning of an orientation toward moral questions toward the judgment of acts. The preoccupation belongs to an interior sensitivity, the conscience.” — Maria Montessori, From Childhood to Adolescence, p. 12. If the first plane of development can be called the “play-age” (Montessori, The Formation of … Montessori Today, Chapter 3: The Age of Morals and Ethical Thinking
“Instead of dividing schools into nursery, primary, secondary, and university, we should divide education in planes and each of these should correspond to the phase the developing individual goes through.” — Maria Montessori, The Four Planes of Education, p. 1. Dr. Montessori believed that growth, development, and learning happen in waves. She determined that children … Montessori Today, Chapter 3: Montessori’s Second Plane of Development
The teacher must not content herself with merely providing her school with an attractive environment; she must continuously think about this environment, because a large part of the result depends on it. —Maria MontessoriSome Words of Advice to Teachers, p. 4. The Montessori environment is specifically and intentionally prepared for the child. Everything that is … Montessori: An Intentional Environment for Intentional Learning
In a previous blog, we discussed the value of inclusion and how Montessori’s tenet of following the individual needs of the child makes it inherently inclusive. The Circle of Inclusion Project (University of Kansas) and Raintree Montessori (Lawrence, Kansas) listed 11 specific ways in which Montessori education addresses the needs of all children, including those … Circle of Inclusion: The Development of Organized Work Patterns in Children
In a previous blog, we discussed the value of inclusion and how Montessori’s tenet of following the individual needs of the child makes it inherently inclusive. The Circle of Inclusion Project (University of Kansas) and Raintree Montessori (Lawrence, Kansas) listed 11 specific ways in which Montessori education addresses the needs of all children, including those … Circle of Inclusion: An Emphasis on Repetition
In a previous blog, we discussed the value of inclusion and how Montessori’s tenet of following the individual needs of the child makes it inherently inclusive. The Circle of Inclusion Project (University of Kansas) and Raintree Montessori (Lawrence, Kansas) listed 11 specific ways in which Montessori education addresses the needs of all children, including those … Circle of Inclusion: Montessori Materials with a Built-In Control of Error
