If we wish to bring to the children knowledge of the real and material world, nothing can be more significant and accurate than the image of the tree that is human solidarity, rooted in a distant past and extending its branches towards eternity, while we live the infinitesimal second allotted to human life. Maria Montessori, … Continue reading “Our House is on Fire”*
Urie Bronfenbrenner and Abraham Maslow By Joanna Ainsworth Ecological Systems Theory, Bioecological Systems Theory and the Hierarchy of Needs I struggled for some time with this topic before starting to write, digging fretfully around the edges. I had hoped to unpack, unpick, and unravel, but, instead, I was met with an impenetrable wall. We know … Continue reading Child Development Meets Montessori
In our last webinar of this academic year, we will consider Marlene Barron’s article, ‘Maria Montessori and the Postmodern World’, from the Summer 2002 Summer issue of Montessori Life, in which she reflected on Montessori education for a post-modern world. At the time of its publication, I was so excited by its content and was … Continue reading Preparing the children of today…
By Annamaria Guild, Owner and Founder, The Under Threes For Montessorians, the word ‘real’ should not be a new aspect of our teaching as using ‘real’ experiences and ‘real’ objects to aid children’s learning is one of the main principles of the authentic Montessori pedagogy. However, during my travels and visits to early years settings, … Continue reading The ‘real’ needs of the Under Threes
Whilst Montessori declares normalisation to be one of the key goals of her pedagogy, many of us either avoid the use of the term because of its negative connotations, or use it as a tool for covert behaviour and learning assessment of the child’s progress in our settings. Neither one of these approaches seems comfortable … Continue reading What Do We Understand by Normalisation?
The last three chapters we have chosen to share for our Book Club this month, highlight Montessori’s deep commitment to her vision of reform to education. She advocates for a reform which requires a fresh view at the uniqueness of each child and articulates pedagogy which supports the young child’s capacity to learn spontaneously from … Continue reading The 1913 Rome Lectures
We have been receiving a lot of requests for information about level 3 and 4 training to become an Early Years Educator in Montessori Pedagogy recently. We spoke to Michelle Wisbey who offers this training through her consultancy, Westwood Training and Consultancy. Montessori Musings (MM): Michelle, thank you for taking the time to talk to … Continue reading Montessori Teacher Training
By Barbara Isaacs I felt really excited when reading the chapter devoted to Attention (p: 183) in The 1913 Rome Lectures. Montessori offers us deep insights into the importance of preparing an environment which presents a child with age-appropriate activities which draw children’s attention, stimulate repetition and support their unfolding of deep concentration. She also … Continue reading Pearls of Wisdom
By Barbara Isaacs Montessori recognised very early on, that connecting with parents, and helping them understand what the Montessori environment offers their children, was an essential element of her approach. This is evident in the several short pieces she has written specifically for parents, all of which are tied together like a bunch of flowers … Continue reading Working with Parents
By Tammy Oesting, ClassrooMechanics, 25 February 2022 An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking; it involves the spiritual development of humans, the enhancement of their value as individuals, and the preparation of young people to understand the times in which they live. (Montessori, 1949/1992, p. 30) Just about every Montessori teacher I … Continue reading Evolution of a Montessori Guide
Montessori Musings 