Tag Archives: Montessori Short Hills

Language Development: The Montessori Method and the Absorbent Mind

by Fiorella Benson, Early Childhood Head Teacher
(edited by Tori Inkley)

“So, the child, it is clear, does not inherit a pre-established model for his language, but he inherits the power of constructing a language by an unconscious activity of absorption.”
~ Dr. Maria Montessori (The Absorbent Mind)

Maria Montessori explained that human beings are born with a special mechanism that allows them to learn a language by interacting with people around them and from experiences within their environment. She believed that this period spans from birth to the age of six; a period during which children have an “absorbent mind”. Montessori observed that during the first three years, children follow a pre-determined plan in a process that is primarily unconscious, allowing them to absorb the structure of language and express themselves in sentences with the right syntax. The results of this first phase become evident during the period of the conscious mind between the ages of three and six, when children develop a sense of awareness, explore their environment through independent purposeful movement, and continue their development of language in reading and writing.

The Montessori Method in the Language Area takes into consideration this “sensitive period” of language when a child has an absorbent mind and highlights the importance of creating an adequately prepared environment to help the child’s individual ability to construct his or her own knowledge through work. The Language Area in the Montessori classroom combines the progression of a series of steps with appropriate materials to help the child develop language.

Children work with the Sequencing Materials first, as this helps to develop self-expression, communication, and classification. Sandpaper Letters follow, as they help the child explore the physical construction of the sound, as well as its phonetic importance. Children are introduced to sounds using the Three Period Lesson: “This is…”, “Show me…”, and “What is…”. They use their first and middle fingers to trace the letters while repeating the sounds they make. This activity prepares the child to write when she or he can hold a pencil properly, and it also helps the child to visualize the similarities and differences between the letters and to memorize sounds, which is another crucial step in reading. Following a multi-sensory approach, the child will then trace the letters on a chalkboard before progressively writing between two lines on paper using a pencil.

“Touching the letters and looking at them at the same time, fixes the image more quickly through the co-operation of the senses. Later, the two facts separate; looking becomes reading; touching becomes writing.” ~ Maria Montessori (The Montessori Method)

During this time, writing is also introduced so that the child develops an association between words that are being read and words that are written. One of the first steps is to strengthen the hand muscles and to familiarize children with the precision of movement used in writing by working with the Metal Insets. The child traces a pink metal frame with a colored pencil, and later, traces parallel lines from left to right.

The materials and activities in the Practical Life area improve hand-eye coordination and require the children to work from left to right and top to bottom, as they will do when writing and reading. Materials in the Sensorial area, such as the Touch Boards, the Touch Tablets, and the Knobbed Cylinders, help the child when preparing to work with the Sandpaper Letters and indirectly with handwriting.

On the road to reading, Montessori students work with the Large Movable Alphabet. They first receive lessons on building three-letter phonetic words using objects and picture cards, followed by building four-letter (or more) words using objects and pictures. Once this is mastered, the child will continue through the phonetic series of reading materials. From there, children progressively move on to more complex, non-phonetic words using the Small Movable Alphabet. Here, they learn consonant blends and phonograms and make booklets using both.

Teaching grammar is also part of the Montessori Method. Grammar exercises in the Montessori classroom that focus on Parts of Speech use different symbols and colors to represent nouns, adjectives, articles, verbs, and adverbs. Through various materials and activities that utilize cards and objects, children learn the function of the Parts of Speech and the correct order in which to place them in a sentence.

***Montessori Phonetic Farm – Nouns and Adjectives***

As with writing, the Montessori Method not only utilizes Montessori materials to help children learn how to read, but also exposes them to other meaningful experiences where reading is involved, such as listening to stories being read aloud that range from fiction to nonfiction to poetry and so on. These experiences allow the children to discover that language is a way to communicate ideas, understand the world around them, and be part of a community. This directly corresponds with Maria Montessori’s concept of Cosmic Education and assists children in developing a sense of gratitude for the Universe and their role within it. Children, unsuspectingly, discover that language is simply a foundational step on their individual educational journeys.

Practical Life for Life: How Montessori Students Learn to Care for Themselves and the World Around Them

by Jacqueline Pisciotto, Early Childhood Head Teacher
and Becky Weaver, Early Childhood Head Teacher

“It is interesting to notice that where life is simple and natural and where the children participate in the adult’s life, they are calm and happy.” ~ Maria Montessori

“So, my daughter said she has been cleaning a mirror?”
It is not uncommon for a Montessori Directress to hear a parent, especially one new to the Montessori philosophy, express surprise that their child is cleaning a mirror during the day, and wants to do it again and again! Maria Montessori recognized that children are naturally drawn to meaningful work that satisfies their needs during various sensitive periods of development. Practical Life activities are crafted to foster movement, concentration, coordination, independence, order, and the development of both gross and fine motor skills. The Directress (or Head Teacher) thoughtfully arranges these materials to captivate the children’s interest, aligning with their sensitive periods. Maria Montessori observed such a profound attraction to Practical Life activities among the children that this component remained unchanged across the evolution of her educational model. Maria Montessori said, “We begin the day with a series of exercises of practical life, and I must confess that these exercises were the only part of the program which proved thoroughly stationary. These exercises were such a success that they formed the beginning of the day in all of the ‘Children’s Houses’. First: Cleanliness. Order. Poise. Conversation.” (The Montessori Method, originally published in 1912.)

If you have ever wondered about the Practical Life area of the Montessori Classroom… Let’s take a look!

Control of Movement (sometimes referred to as Dexterity) work in the Montessori Practical Life area, is vital for the development of the child. It embodies Maria Montessori’s principle of “helping the child to help himself”. The Prepared Environment, which includes work that incorporates real, child-sized materials, has the child engaged in activities such as spooning, pouring, sorting, or tweezing, in order to sharpen fine motor skills and enhance hand-eye coordination. This work serves as a precursor for academic skills like writing and mathematical operations. This focused work also cultivates concentration, independence, and a sense of order.

The Care of Self component of the Practical Life area plays an important role in fostering independence and self-esteem in young learners. Maria Montessori emphasized education as an aid to life. Through engaging with materials such as the Dressing Frames to learn how to button, zip, snap, buckle, and lace, or learning how to put on a coat without assistance, children refine their gross and fine motor skills. This aspect of Practical Life connects the development of physical coordination with the cultivation of independence. Care of Self tasks are designed to foster not only dexterity, but also lay the foundation for lifelong self-care and independence.

The Care of Environment work in the Montessori classroom is central to a child growing a sense of responsibility, respect, and connection with the classroom, the community, and the world. This component encourages children to engage in activities such as cleaning, food preparation, plant growing, and taking care of animals. By participating in the care of their immediate surroundings, children develop a sense of belonging and an appreciation for the interconnectedness of all living things.

Grace and Courtesy work in the Montessori Practical Life area is a key component to the development of social harmony and respect within the classroom community, which then extends to the children’s lives outside of the classroom. These lessons, which include practices like greeting others, saying “please” and “thank you”, and learning how to interrupt politely, are fundamental in cultivating an environment of mutual respect and empathy. Such activities not only reinforce positive social behaviors but also help children develop emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills. Through Grace and Courtesy, Montessori students learn the importance of kindness, cooperation, and respect for others, laying the groundwork for becoming thoughtful and considerate members of society.

Children in a Montessori classroom are drawn to Practical Life work again and again!

The work is foundational for developing a child’s sense of independence, responsibility, and self-discipline. It helps children connect to their inner needs, as well as the greater classroom community and world around them. By engaging in tasks that range from self-care to care of the environment, children enhance their motor skills, concentration, and independence while laying a foundation for lifelong learning.

“These children reveal to us the most vital need of their development, saying:
‘Help me to do it alone!’” ~ Maria Montessori

The Montessori Legacy… and One Person’s Journey

by Camilla Nichols, Senior Director of Montessori Development
(edited by Tori Inkley)

As many know, the Montessori Method of education has been around for over 100 years. Maria Montessori was born and raised in Italy, which is also where she opened the very first Montessori School, Casa dei Bambini, in San Lorenzo in 1907. Given her own thirst for knowledge and desire to make a difference in the world, Dr. Montessori became one of the first female doctors in Italy, graduating from the University of Rome in 1896. After graduating, she became an assistant at the university hospital and continued to conduct research in the psychiatric clinic. It was in this clinic where she witnessed immense concentration in a young boy who, despite being understimulated and not properly cared for, picked up breadcrumbs from the floor, one by one, over a long period of time. Though maybe not particularly significant to anyone else, to that child, the work of picking up breadcrumbs lead to great focus.

While studying and observing children in various environments, Dr. Montessori discovered that if the children were provided with meaningful activities, they would develop both independence and self-confidence. From those initial discoveries, she went on to develop colorful and inviting materials that would stimulate a child’s senses and would allow the child to work independently and self-correct without needing the assistance of an adult. The environment that she prepared for the children contained child-sized shelves and furniture, and the children were able to choose their own work, as well as choose where to work (i.e., on a floor rug, at a table, or in the rose garden). The Montessori Directresses (Teachers) moved around the classroom as guides, observing the needs of the children and respectfully allowing them to complete their work… only interrupting when and if needed. At this school, the children learned Grace and Courtesy, in addition to building academic skills through work in the areas of Practical Life, Math, Language, Sensorial, and Culture. In this Prepared Environment, the child became the driving force, not the teacher. At Casa dei Bambini, the children thrived and were so stimulated through purposeful engagement, that they didn’t want to leave at the end of the day. Casa de Bambini, which means “Children’s House”, immediately drew worldwide attention. Visitors from across the globe came to witness the children performing “work”, which included engaging in daily life skills. The children were observed eating meals using porcelain plates and utensils and drinking from glasses. The school looked more like a home with fresh cut flowers in small vases and a beautiful garden. While creating this original school with its impressive materials and establishing the Montessori Method, Maria Montessori called upon the work of her greatest influencers: Friedrich Froebel, Jean Rousseau, Edouard Seguin, and Jean Marc Gaspard Itard.

In 1915, at the World Fair in San Francisco, a “Glass Classroom” was constructed and put on display. In the classroom were 30 children with no prior Montessori experience; something Dr. Montessori insisted on. The children were observed working on meaningful activities for three full months. Spectators at the fair soon referred to them as “miracle children”, as they witnessed the powerful sense of concentration that was taking place and the phenomenon of children joyously working independently. While this new educational model had quickly begun spreading around the world several years prior to the fair, with the first school in America opening in New York in 1911, due to world events and personal events in Dr. Montessori’s own life, it wasn’t until the 1960s that the Montessori Method was firmly established once and for all in the United States. Maria Montessori quickly became well respected by world leaders, such as Thomas Edison, Helen Keller, Ghandi, Alexander Graham Bell, and President Woodrow Wilson, who even established a Montessori classroom in the basement of the White House during his presidency.

In 1960, after being appointed the U.S. Representative of the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) by Mario Montessori, the son of Maria, Nancy McCormick Rambusch established the American Montessori Society (AMS) of which The Montessori Children’s Academy is a member. Mrs. Rambusch had also founded the first authentic Montessori School in the United States, Whitby School, which is located in Greenwich, CT, and she served as its first Headmistress from 1958 – 1962. The opening of Whitby is believed to be the beginning of the Montessori resurgence in America. Today, there are over 15,750 Montessori schools around the world, with some boasting famous alumni such as Jeff Bezos (Amazon Chairman), Sergey Brin (Google Co-Founder), George Clooney (Actor/Filmmaker), Sean Combs (aka P. Diddy; Rapper/Record Producer), Steph Curry (NBA Player), John Cusack (Actor/Producer), Anne Frank (German-born Jewish Diarist), Helen Hunt (Actor/Director), Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (Editor/Journalist/Former First Lady), Larry Page (Google Co-Founder), Taylor Swift (Singer/Songwriter), Prince George of Wales, and more.

Over her lifetime, Maria Montessori trained thousands of Montessori teachers, published over 15 books, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times, and held lectures while traveling all over Europe, the United States, and India. One of the last training centers Dr. Montessori helped establish before she settled in the Netherlands was the Montessori Centre in London, which later became St. Nicholas Training Centre. She held her last training course in Austria at the age of 81, and died shortly thereafter in Noordwijk, Netherlands with her son Mario by her side.

I can honestly say I owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Maria Montessori for the gifts she shared with the world. My own personal Montessori journey began some 28 years ago at St. Nicholas Training Center in London, and that path has provided me with an amazing opportunity to travel around the world as a Montessorian. While working as a teacher in Jakarta, Indonesia, with mainly non-English speaking students, I witnessed firsthand that regardless of religion, race, or language, the Montessori Method applies to all children. During my time as an educator at Whitby School in Connecticut, I observed Middle School students presenting graduation speeches on how the Montessori Method had influenced and changed their lives. And in 2006, I had the good fortune to become a part of The Montessori Children’s Academy family. In addition to being a former Head Teacher at MCA, I am also the proud mother of two MCA alumni who are now both successful college students; one in NC in the field of nursing and one in CO in the field of education. To this day, my children still tell me that MCA is where they learned to think outside the box and that those years were when it was fun to come to school.

After my time as an MCA Head Teacher, I became the Director of Montessori Development and had the immense privilege to be part of the team who founded Montessori Center for Teacher Development (MCTD), MCA’s very own Montessori Teacher Education Program. MCTD is now in its 10^th year of educating Early Childhood Montessori teachers throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. When I found The Montessori Children’s Academy, I knew that I had found my second home here in the states. During my almost 17 years with MCA, I have been able to guide and support hundreds of children and their families, instruct numerous Adult Learners enrolled in MCTD, host some very influential speakers during Parent Nights, present at AMS Conferences, hold inspirational in-services for our staff, and much more. MCA is also where I had the honor of meeting former Chief Executive Officer of AMS, Tim Purnell, who after visiting our school with his wife, chose to enroll their daughter at MCA, stating that they were looking for an environment that was not only high-fidelity, but a place where their daughter would flourish – as it’s not just the pedagogy that makes Montessori, but the entire look and feel of a program. (The interview with Dr. Purnell is at https://themontessorichildrensacademy.com/blog/2019/10/01/spotlight-on-dr-timothy-purnell/ )

In addition to my time with MCA, I have also been a consultant to other Montessori schools in the United States and abroad; most recently, I have been consulting with Bladins, a school located in Malmö, Sweden, near where I grew up. I recall that in 1972, I was placed on a student waiting list for the only Montessori school that existed in my hometown at that time. My mother was very carefully planting the seeds for what I now consider to be my life’s quest… sharing my Montessori passion with others around the world. Fast forward to the fall of 2022 when I was visiting Italy. My eyes welled with tears as the Director of Casa dei Bambini opened the school door and welcomed me into the very first classroom that Dr. Maria Montessori had created. Everything was still the same… from the Pink Tower to the children eating on porcelain dishes in the dining room to the still thriving rose bush Maria planted in the garden. Her legacy lives on and continues to touch thousands of children every day, all around the world. With that, I would like to say that I am so glad you have chosen The Montessori Children’s Academy, an authentic Montessori school that I am very proud to be a part of, for your children and your families. It is my sincere hope that you too feel that this is your second home; a home filled with love for the Montessori Method, and most importantly, filled with love for your children.

“Shaping Peace Together” at MCA

Peace before me; Peace behind me
Peace at my left; Peace at my right
Peace above me; Peace below me
Peace unto me; Peace in my surroundings
Peace to all; Peace to the Universe

Most of us think of September as the end of summer and start of a new school year, celebrating Labor Day as the month’s main holiday. However, around the globe, September is known for something different – it is the month in which the International Day of Peace is celebrated. Established in 1981, September 21^st has been designated as the date when “the United Nations invites all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities during the Day, and to otherwise commemorate the Day through education and public awareness on issues related to peace.” Each year, the United Nations adopts a theme for their peace celebration, and this year’s theme is “Shaping Peace Together”. At MCA, this very idea has long been the foundation of our peace curriculum, following in the footsteps of Dr. Maria Montessori who dedicated herself to peace efforts. The work continues today, as we all strive for peace in our homes, peace in our communities, and peace in our world.

As the school year begins, Montessori classrooms work very hard to establish a peaceful community by focusing on respect for self, others, and the environment. Teachers know that one key to external peace is having internal peace and that one method of instilling inner peace in children is by showing them respect. At its core, Montessori education focuses on respecting children, as we ‘follow the child.’ In the classroom, teachers observe their students, looking at and attending to the interests and needs of each individual. Children’s work is valued and their needs are considered. Students in Montessori classrooms learn that what they do matters, what they feel matters, and what they say matters. The primary lessons shared in class relate to those three factors and move children towards doing good work, acknowledging their feelings and the feelings of others, and expressing themselves kindly, clearly, and respectfully. This in turn helps promote feelings of being centered, confident, and capable. Children show respect for themselves in the work choices they make at school, in the self-care activities they practice and learn, and in they way they come to understand their feelings. These small but important steps help children feel at peace within themselves.

As children gather this sense of self, they then can begin to extend respect beyond themselves. They learn simple Grace and Courtesy lessons in sharing greetings, asking for help, contributing to circle time discussions, and making their needs known. As they grow in their communication and social skills, they form friendships, manage disagreements, and acknowledge differences. Inner peace and respect for self moves outward as children begin showing respect for others and creating a peaceful environment for all. Moving forward on this path, the classroom community very quickly begins to collectively take ownership of the beautiful materials they share, the space they inhabit, and the kind of feelings they want to sustain while working together. The classroom becomes a place where a peaceful community works together.

At each level, from toddlers up through Upper Elementary students, these basic lessons about respect and peace are built upon year after year, further cementing this important foundation. The beginning of every school year at MCA is all about “Shaping Peace Together”, by planting the seeds of peace and respect inside of each individual child and growing these values so they can be shared with peers, teachers, and the classroom environment. Ultimately, the goal is that peace and respect spread and bloom beyond classroom walls and into our homes, communities, and the world. We see the promise of peace each September when we welcome our students. And we strive to continue Dr. Montessori’s peace efforts as we celebrate the International Day of Peace and promote peace in our world not only on September 21^st, but each and every day.

You may enjoy reading some of the following books centered on the theme of peace with your families at home:

A Handful of Quiet – Happiness in Four Pebbles by Thich Nhat Hanh

Can You Say Peace? by Karen Katz

Maybe – The Story about the endless Potential in All of Us by Kobi Yamada

Peace is an Offering by Annette LeBox

Somewhere Today – A Book of Peace by Shelley Thomas

The Peace Rose by Alicia Olson

And for parents of older children, you might like to explore the United Nations site at https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-day-peace, which presents various ways to engage in the International Day of Peace and includes information about its virtual event for students on September 17^th, a summary of which follows as taken from the website:

Online Student Observance
This year’s International Day of Peace Observance will be a virtual event under the theme “Shaping Peace Together”, to be held on 17 September 2020 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EDT. The online Student Observance will begin with a dialogue between United Nations Messengers of Peace and young people around the world on the United Nations Secretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire and the importance of coming together peacefully to turn the COVID-19 crises into an opportunity for peace and inclusivity. The Peace Bell Ceremony will follow, featuring the participation of the United Nations Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly and the Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations. There will also be a performance by the Universal Hip Hop Museum.

Montessori by the Sea

It’s fun to put on a ‘Montessori hat’ and observe families at the shore. Vacation sometimes brings out a different dynamic for family members, but it’s inspirational to see those who seem to embrace a Montessori-style approach as a way of life whether at home or at the beach.

Recently, a family of six made their way down the hot sand looking for their socially distant and safe place to set up for the day. The children immediately dropped their beach bags and toys and ran for the ocean’s edge. The parents paused just a moment, almost as if they were preparing to shout for the children to come back and help set up ‘camp’. Instead, they, too, set down their day’s supplies, and followed their children to the water. Letting their toes get tickled by a few waves that rolled to shore, they clearly were delighted by the sand and surf. After a few minutes they all turned around and walked back up to their beach area. There was not one murmur of dissent spoken by any of the children. All four skipped back to their belongings and helped organize their beach spot by spreading out their blankets, putting their flip flops in a pile under one chair, and placing their toys beside another. In this small moment, these parents followed their children’s lead in a lovely way. The joy the children exhibited for being at the beach was obvious, and their excitement to just get a feel of the water right away was met with understanding. Once that urge was satisfied, the children seemed happy to comply with the direction to help set up and organize their beach area before continuing with their fun.

Throughout the day, the family displayed many examples of a Montessori-type of approach to their entire beach experience. While they enjoyed activities together like swimming and playing paddle ball, they also had time where they each ‘did their own thing’. At one point, both parents and an older child were reading, one child napped under the umbrella, one was drawing with a stick on the sand, and one played a solo card game. All were completely content. No one’s ‘solitary work’ was interrupted by another. And when a couple of children were hungry, they simply went to the family’s cooler and helped themselves, remembering on their own to throw away their trash in the can at the top of the beach when they were done. The children seemed secure in knowing that they would have time when their parents played with them and gave them their full attention as well as time to make personal choices in what they could do alone or with one another. And the things they needed, like snacks and drinks or certain toys and supplies, were available to them to access on their own. It was like a modified Montessori classroom moved to the beach in all its simplicity and flexible ‘freedom within limits’ structure on the sand.

In the afternoon, when the children wanted to build a sandcastle, the parents joined in the initial efforts by providing their children with buckets of water but let the children take the lead in deciding what methods they would use to build it and how it would look. Like many Montessori materials, the sandcastle was a self correcting ‘work’. When it collapsed, the children accepted the challenge to see what they could do differently to prevent that from happening the next time. They spent hours on this endeavor, long after the parents retreated to their beach chairs close by just looking on from the distance. In the end, the sandcastle was quite the topsy turvy architectural wonder, decorated with seaweed and broken shells. It withstood the waves that crept closer due to the clever ‘moat’ the children dug all around it. This was a beautiful, child-created masterpiece. When the castle finally succumbed to the high tides that gradually came in, the children laughed as they watched it sink into the wet sand. It appeared that the process of building was what they enjoyed even more than the final product, and so they didn’t seem upset when their castle washed away.

Much later, as many families were packing up to leave, this one, too, faced the end of their perfect beach day. Not surprising, there were a few protests from the children requesting to ‘stay a little longer’. But again acknowledging their children’s feelings, the response was so Montessori-like in nature. “We’ve had such a great day and it’s hard to leave. But aren’t we lucky we get to come back again tomorrow?” Such simple, respectful words made an impact. The children, who very likely would have stayed hours longer if allowed, accepted that response since there was nothing to argue against it. These parents seemed to possess a toolkit of kindness, respect, understanding of their children’s needs, and gentle language, as well as the foresight of simple preparation of mind and materials, which created a simply beautiful Montessori by the sea kind of day for the whole family.