Montessori-Inspired Bedtime Stories

During my time as Head of Wilmington Montessori School, I’ve been happy to see Montessori education grow throughout the state of Delaware and the United States. At WMS, we’ve established the Center for Montessori Advancement to support this growth in the state of Delaware and beyond.

Despite the increasing accessibility and visibility of Montessori education, there are many people who simply don’t understand what it is and how it transforms children into creative, kind, open-minded and confident adults. A simple description can’t do it justice – one has to see it in action.

Trevor Eissler, creator of the popular Montessori Madness YouTube video, brings the essence of Montessori education to life in his new children’s book, 4,962,571.

JuneBooks.com describes 4,962,571 as “the story of a boy suddenly captivated by the idea of counting to a very large number. He sets a goal for himself, and through self-discipline, creativity, insight, and hard work, he...well, you will have to see whether he reaches it or not.”

The story demonstrates the Montessori goal of nurturing children’s natural curiosity and encouraging them to find answers through their own exploration – rather than simply asking an adult for the answer. In 4,952,571, the boy’s creativity and curiosity, as well as his joy in exploring the world around him, demonstrate Montessori learning at its best.



I encourage you to share this video or a copy of the book with friends who haven’t been introduced to Montessori education, as well as the children in your life, who will be inspired by the boy’s imagination and mathematical mind.  Visit the June Books website to see other books by Eissler, all written with the goal to “delight and inspire children, while introducing families to Montessori education.”

The best way to learn about Montessori education is to visit a Montessori classroom, and I hope this book will encourage families to do so. Eissler envisions a world in which Montessori education is the norm, and I also look forward to a day when high-quality Montessori education is accessible to all.

“One day we won’t call it Montessori school,” Eissler said. “We’ll just call it school.”

Montessori Madness

Trevor Eissler, author of Montessori Madness, is a Montessori parent and child advocate. Eissler’s mission is obvious and straightforward. Through a variety of media, he introduces new families to the Montessori revolution in education.

Enjoy this 5 minute YouTube video on one parent's perspective of the core contrast between Montessori and conventional schools:

Also read Eissler’s Montessori Life interview at the following link:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4097/is_201007/ai_n54365035/?tag=mantle_skin;content

Sum Sum Summertime!

Summer is in full swing! Family vacations, summer camps, and Independence Day is just around the corner. This is a great opportunity to go through some excellent parenting tips to bring you and your children happily through the summer season.

Yvonne Nass is a certified parent educator and endeared member of our WMS community. Based upon establishing balance and respect in the household, Yvonne offers the following effective and encouraging guidance to parents:

Helpful tips on parenting:

* Creating a list of “house rules” with your children will help set boundaries.
* Get rid of the word “if”…it serves no purpose.
* Create a “boring jar” where kids can add little notes of things they like to do.
This will help fight boredom as the summer rolls on.

Yvonne also suggests that each family member share 5 things they enjoy doing in the summer and create a plan together (see Calendar of Events below).

Calendar of Events:

* Share the schedule of the day and problem solve what is needed.
* Ask for helpers to help in the preparation.
* Expect each child to be responsible for what they will need.
* Create a place for everything for easy pick-up in the morning and drop-off when they arrive home.
* Appreciate the contribution, no matter how small.
* Vocalize the rules and have them repeat the expectations.
* Share what will happen (i.e.: “When you forget…, I’ll know you’re not ready to…”)
* Follow the routine and be consistent with your follow through.
* Make mealtime a time for sharing good news & something to look forward to.
* Spend 10 – 20 minutes each day having fun with each child.
* Take time for yourself to re-energize.
* Relax and enjoy your summer!

A few parenting books Yvonne recommends for your summer reading:

Raising Self-Reliant Children in a Self Indulgent Worldby Jane Nelsen Ed.D
Parenting Young ChildrenRaising a Responsible ChildSystematic Training for Effective Parentingby Dr. Gary D. McKay and Dr. Don Dinkmeyer
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will TalkSiblings Without Rivalryby Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

Please feel free to email Yvonne Nass at contact@yvonnenass.com or visit her website for helpful suggestions on effective parenting.

Smooth sailing and don't forget the sunscreen!

Montessori and STEM Education

‘Developing lifelong learners with 21st Century skills’ was the overarching theme of a recent professional development workshop hosted by WMS. Presented by WMS staff member, Melany Hoffman, the workshop was an interesting blend of STEM Education concepts with plenty of application and hands-on time to make it more meaningful for the participants.
Following are highlights and excerpts taken from Hoffman’s presentation…

What is STEM education?
A fully integrated curriculum designed to teach and enhance Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics disciplines.


What can STEM education mean to Montessori Educators?
An opportunity to support our students in becoming problem solvers, innovators, inventors and logical thinkers equipped to master STEM subjects now and in their future endeavors!


Why is STEM important for our students?
-According to Ed Gordon, author of Winning the Global Talent Showdown, “between today and 2020, it is expected that 74 percent of all jobs created in America will be high-paying jobs for high-skilled workers” with STEM degrees.

-The number of 18 to 24 year olds in the United States who receive scientific degrees has fallen from third to 17th in the world in the last three decades (Bureau of Labor and Statistics)

-Research shows that a negative interest in science begins in elementary schools where about 33% of girls and boys in fourth grade express negative attitudes (National Center for Educational Statistics)


National Educational Trends, Reform, and Initiatives…
-Major reports over the last few years have resulted in the need for comprehensive STEM education across the country

-Obama has championed the cause with the Educate to Innovate campaign to improve the participation and performance of America’s students in STEM areas.

Our STEM workshop concluded with a hands-on engineering project geared for third grade students. First, the participants were given a preliminary overview of the engineering design process. Next, the criteria for the engineering project were reviewed. Then, we separated into groups of 6-8 people and were given a factory scenario resulting in the following engineering challenge:

Each team will design an assembly line process that will make as many ‘color bricks’ in 10 minutes as possible and still meet all of the quality control constraints.

And finally, we ended our session with an evaluation phase. Each group evaluated their team’s results and presented their findings to the entire group. The engineering challenge certainly brought to light the endless possibilities of STEM Education. One of my favorite evaluation questions and responses was…………….

Question: What do you think are the benefits of the assembly-line method?
Response: “These types of assembly lines seem really obsolete- shouldn’t we be
inventing machines that will do these tasks?”


The thought processes, creativity, and collaboration exhibited during the engineering challenge are certainly desirable characteristics for 21st Century Learners and contributors to the global community!

Memorial Day Video

Monday, May 30,we will observe Memorial Day in the United States. We use Memorial Day to celebrate those who have served and remember those who have lost their lives fighting for our country and freedom.

As we spend Memorial Day Weekend kicking off the summer, please take a momment to share this child-friendly educational video with you children, friends, and families...



Wishing you a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend!

Investing in Early Childhood Education

Governor Markell’s advocacy for Delaware’s early childhood education programs has been an intense area of focus for the past several weeks. Our WMS staff, parents, and extended community have made sizeable efforts to voice their support for this unprecedented $22 million funding for early childhood in the state of Delaware.

This new funding will be an annually reoccurring allocation aimed at making quality early childhood programming available to more children in Delaware. The funds would support Delaware’s Purchase of Care (POC) program, a subsidy that supports early childhood and after-school education and care for children. Additionally, it would subsidize Delaware STARS, which establishes quality standards for early childhood programs-including Wilmington Montessori School.

Governor Markell held two events to unveil the third part of his jobs plan, one at Delaware State University’s optics lab in Dover and one at Kingswood Community Center in Wilmington. The following is the event excerpt from State of Delaware’s news page:

Early Childhood Education

Markell joined community leaders and early childhood educators at Kingswood Community Center to talk about the economic and social benefits of investing in early childhood education. More than 50 child/early education providers and advocates stood to applaud the plan.

A 2005 study of Delaware’s early child care and education programs concluded that factors contributing to poor quality included limited teacher education levels, inexperience and inadequate training for practitioners and low wages for all employees. The governor is proposing investing $22 million in Delaware early child care and education to build stronger staff and encourage stronger services at early childhood education centers. This includes $9 million for an across-the-board increase in Purchase of Care rates to 65 percent of the market rate for all providers and an additional $13 million in higher reimbursement rates, grants and technical assistance for providers that participate in the Delaware Stars for Early Success quality rating program and to support and reward teachers for pursuing and obtaining higher education degrees. Providers rated at 3,4 or 5 Stars will receive reimbursement rates of 80, 90 or 100 percent of the market rates, respectively. All participating centers will receive technical assistance and grants to assist in addressing the specific issues preventing them from getting a higher rating.

“Investing in early childhood education is investing in our public schools because children receiving quality early care and education are less likely to be disruptive and much more likely to be successful,” said Governor Jack Markell.

“Excellence will be encouraged and rewarded. Education does not stop when you graduate and it cannot and must not start the day a child arrives for kindergarten. Together, we’re going to keep fighting to build Delaware’s future in a way that creates jobs for these children’s parents now and creates real economic opportunity for them when they graduate.”


You can read the entire article at:
http://governor.delaware.gov/news/2011/1105may/20110506-DelawaresFuture3.shtml

See related article at: http://www.newarkpostonline.com/articles/2011/05/06/news/doc4dc4b5a1c8417619161846.txt

Motherhood- "Dancing through the Chaos"

I read the book, "The Naked Mother" by Brooke Burke who is the current hostess of Dancing with the Stars. She is close in age to many of our WMS mothers and is raising four children; two by a first marriage and two with her current husband. I don't usually go for these kinds of books. But, she seems amazingly true and balanced. She begins her book with the thought that we can all learn to "dance through the chaos"

Burke also writes, "As I mentioned earlier, interviewers are forever asking me how I manage to "'balance it all"' as a career woman and celebrity mom. Balance: Really? I consider myself lucky to just get through any given day without losing my mind (not to mention a child or two, my car keys, diaper bag, studio ID, and every lip gloss I've ever loved). The closest I get to balance is holding the bow position for two minutes in Yoga class. Balance is bull(....). End of story. Maybe you have fallen into the trap yourself chasing the elusive super mommy dream, assuming that the only reason you keep falling short of the ideal is because you're not doing something - everything - "right". You're convinced that other moms brilliantly manage to tend to their children, their marriages, and their careers, while preserving their own sense of identity, and that you could, too, if only you had more time, and more energy, and more help, and more discipline, and more money, and more fiber in your diet, and more highlights in your hair. Sorry, you know as well as I do that it doesn't work that way. Reality bites. It also pukes on your favorite blouse, flushes keys down the toilet, hits its sister, and turns you into a pariah on airplanes. And guess what, balance doesn't fix any one of those things...”

I’d like to recommend Brooke Burke’s book to our mothers for Mom's Day. It is one of the first books I have read in a long time that doesn't tell you "how" to do it, but acknowledges that being a mother is hard work, at times humorous, and that we all share the same concerns whether we are a WMS Mom or a Hollywood star.

Happy Mother's Day!



Related Links: http://www.modernmom.com/

Giving

We recently celebrated the WMS Annual Auction- Spring Time in Paris. And while this themed event has grown and changed over the years, one thing that remains constant is the desire of the volunteers, parents, sponsors, community supporters, faculty and staff to help and support Wilmington Montessori School in its effort to provide exceptional academic and social curricula in an innovative Montessori environment.

Independent schools like WMS are supported by various streams of giving and resources. We also utilize supplemental local, state or federal funding to support our programs. Just this year we benefited from a grant by the Delaware Division of the Arts and the Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education. Their gift helped to make possible our annual Artist-in-Residence program.

Our tuition and fees cover only a portion of the cost of operating the school, maintaining the facilities and providing scholarships to children in need of financial assistance. The proceeds from the Annual Auction will go toward all these things, as well as to other special projects that enhance our educational programs.

Thanks to all our supporters, volunteers and staff for making Spring Time in Paris such an outstanding success. Your support ensures that WMS can continue to provide our students an education that is strengthened by these Mission-guided features:
• A curriculum guided by the proven success of the Montessori philosophy
• Hands-on and diversified experiential learning
• A community dedicated to the full enrichment of children
• Two fully accredited teachers in each elementary classroom
• Low student-teacher ratios

Thank you, again, for making Wilmington Montessori School the beneficiary of your generous donations and the educational choice for your children!

SPRING BREAK- a time for 'PLAY'

Spring Break has arrived and is traditionally a cherished time for amusement, excursions, and family-bonding. Some of us may even take this opportunity to leave the early- spring weather behind and head for warmer climates to rest and ‘play’.
Intriguingly, the topic of children and ‘play’ has experienced a resurgent interest. Various researchers have shifted their focus toward the evaluation of ‘play’- its role and relevance in both child development and education.

A recent article featured in The News Journal suggests, “Play is an important part of growing, researchers say, particularly unrestricted or child-led play, the kind kids do on the playground at recess or when they're riding their bikes in the neighborhood. As simple as it sounds, this kind of play helps kids develop their creativity, imagination and social skills, not to mention physical strength.”

I truly hope you will take full advantage of the many joyful possibilities Spring Break offers. And in doing so, please consider the significance of incorporating unrestricted or child-led ‘play’ time for your children.

Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.
– Kay Redfield Jamison

Following the Child

Dr. Maria Montessori observed children throughout various continents and cultures to develop her educational philosophy and teachings- the Montessori Method. Perhaps one the most fascinating and progressive components of the Montessori Method is the principle of “Following the Child.”


Specific elements of the Montessori Method which support this Montessori principle include:

The Human Tendencies: The practical application of the Montessori method is based on human tendencies— to explore, move, share with a group, to be independent and make decisions, create order, develop self-control, abstract ideas from experience, use the creative imagination, work hard, repeat, concentrate, and perfect one's efforts.

Teaching Method: Seldom will two or more children be studying the same thing at the same time. Children learn directly from the environment, and from other children—rather than from the teacher. The teacher is facile in the basic lessons of math, language, the arts and sciences, and in guiding a child's research and exploration, capitalizing on interests and excitement about a subject. Children learn from what they are studying individually, but also from the amazing variety of work that is going on around them during the day.

Areas of Study Linked: All subjects are interwoven; history, art, music, math, astronomy, biology, geology, physics, and chemistry are not isolated from each other and a child studies them in any order he chooses, moving through all in a unique way for each child. At any one time in a day all subjects—math, language, science, history, geography, art, music, etc.—are being studied, at all levels.

Assessment: There are no grades, or other forms of reward or punishment, subtle or overt. The real test of whether or not the system is working lies in the accomplishment and behavior of the children, their happiness, maturity, kindness, and love of learning, concentration, and work. The child is scientifically observed, observations recorded and studied by the teacher. Teachers understand the developmental goals for children, both academic and social, in the age groups they work with. They use their observations to monitor children’s progress and adjust their individual lessons accordingly.

Learning Styles: All intelligences and styles of learning—musical, bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, intuitive, natural, and the traditional linguistic and logical-mathematical—are nurtured and respected.

Dr. Montessori understood that children posses an innate interest in learning and should be encouraged to become ‘active participants in their own learning and education.’ Montessori advocated that students be provided environments in which learning is highly individualized, inquiry-based, independent, non-graded, and collaborative.

Interestingly, a recent New York Times article discusses the outcomes of a public school project that also encouraged students’ active participation in their learning. Eight teens were given the opportunity to create a school within a school. In addition, the eight students were able to design and implement their own curriculum. The results of the project were transformative…"We have tried making the school day longer and blanketing students with standardized tests. But perhaps children don’t need another reform imposed on them. Instead, they need to be the authors of their own education.”

The parallels between the public school trial and the specific elements of Montessori methodology are quite evident. The principle of “Following the Child” facilitates both the development of intrinsic motivation and the pursuit of intellectual interests. Montessori students flourish because there are no educational or curriculum limits imposed. A Montessori student is first, and foremost, the ‘author of their own education.’

The Five I's of Innovation- Part I

In President Obama’s State of the Union address this past January, he called for a nationwide education emphasis on innovation. The requirements for emphasizing innovation indicate a curriculum which highlights the Five I’s: Imagination, Inquiry, Invention, Implementation, and Initiative- the latter being the supporting trait that facilitates the other four.

In past blogs, I have noted that the Montessori Method is recognized as an educational method that supports the development of innovative thinking (November 12, 2009 posting). Through a series of reflections, I would like to discuss the multitude of ways in which the Wilmington Montessori Community develops each student’s human potential through emphasizing the
Five I’s of innovation.

Part I –Imagination

The Montessori Method calls attention to the significance of the development of imagination. The formation of the imagination is embedded in the sensorial experiences provided in our early childhood environments. The opportunities for creative expression and exploration in our elementary programs further enhance and encourage the power of imagination.

During the early years of a Montessori education the child sees, hears, smells, tastes, and touches specifically designed apparatus. These early, concrete interactions are the rudimentary foundation from which the child’s imagination will grow. As the child advances through Montessori’s first plane of development (birth to 6), their ascent toward abstract thinking is actualized in their ability to picture these concrete objects or experiences in their absence. In other words, the child begins to make ‘pictures’ in their mind.

During the second plane of development (ages 6-12) children posses an immense capacity for imagination. This imagination plays a key role in the learning process by providing both meaning to experience and understanding to knowledge. This second plane also brings a keen interest in making sense of the world, as well as storytelling. A basic training for the imagination is listening to the vast stories inherent in Montessori’s Cosmic Curriculum.

With older students, creative expression of the imagination can be stimulated through many sources of writing experiences such as creative writing, poetry, research, editorials, and myths. In addition, our special’s classes such music, art, technology, and French provide yet another avenue for the continued exploration and development of imagination.

To awaken each child’s spirit and imagination is a principle goal of our community at Wilmington Montessori School.

"Human consciousness comes into the world as a flaming ball of imagination. Everything invented by human beings, physical or mental, is the fruit of someone's imagination.”
-Maria Montessori

A Connected Childhood

"A 'connected childhood' is the most reliable key to success and happiness," observes Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., in Work & Family Life (January 2011). Hallowell was a recent speaker at the American Montessori Society’s Heads of School Retreat.

The parental or familial practice of balancing unconditional love with realistic expectations is instrumental in developing connectedness in childhood. The following is a list of particularly relevant excerpts from Hallowell’s recent article.



Unconditional Love
The starting point in creating a connected childhood is unconditional love from parents or another important adult who is active in a child's life. But loving children unconditionally doesn't mean you don't have expectations for them. High expectations are fine — just not unrealistically high. When parents' love always has to be earned (when they imply "I'd love you even more if you got all A's"), children feel that they can never please their parents, no matter what.

Realistic Expectations
Have high but realistic expectations. It's easy to get caught up in the great riptide that sucks kids out of childhood and into an achievement fast-lane as early as nursery school. Be assured that by providing connectedness, above all, you're giving your child the best "leg up" on the competition. The connected child will achieve at the level he or she is supposed to and will enjoy doing so.

Balance
As with everything else, balance is key. Being a loving, connected parent doesn't mean giving kids too much, too soon and always coming to their rescue. We should remind ourselves that children don't need a lot of fancy toys or clothes. What they do need is your time, interest, love, guidance, and ability to say no.

For more insight on this topic, I highly recommend Edward Hallowell’s book,
The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness.

WHO AM I?

The Montessori materials are integral and central to developing cognitive structure - from the concrete learner to the abstract learner. Children’s cognitive abilities are improved when they form questions and seek answers by themselves or with others. Understanding and initiating this process of questioning, discovery, reflection, evaluation and problem-solving encourages children to become life-long learners.

Just this week, I had the pleasure of observing a small group of Wilmington Montessori elementary children interacting with the "Who Am I?" material. "Who am I?" stories seem to be one of the most popular activities in Montessori elementary classrooms. One child reads the description/definition of the animal or plant and the classmates try to find the corresponding picture or label. The primary developmental and cognitive aims of this Montessori material are to guide the child toward the personal examination of who he/she is. Where is their place in the universe? What is their purpose? How can they make a difference?

Please take a moment and enjoy the following “Who Am I?” activity and video.


Who Am I?

Early Years

She was always a little ahead of my time. At age 13, against the wishes of her father but with the support of her mother, she began to attend a boys' technical school. After seven years of engineering she began enrolled in a pre-med program and, in 1896, became a physician. During her work at the University of Rome psychiatric clinic she developed an interest in the treatment of special needs children and, for several years, she worked, wrote, and spoke on their behalf.

In 1907, she was given the opportunity to study "normal" children, taking charge of 50 poor children of the dirty, desolate streets of the San Lorenzo slum on the outskirts of Rome. The news of the unprecedented success of her work in this Casa dei Bambini "House of Children" soon spread around the world, people coming from far and wide to see the children for themselves. She was as astonished as anyone at the realized potential of these children:

From Europe to the United States

Invited to the U.S. by Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, and others, she spoke at Carnegie Hall in 1915. She was invited to set up a classroom at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, where spectators watched 21 children, all new to this method, behind a glass wall for four months. The only two gold medals awarded for education went to this class, and the education of young children was altered forever.

India and the Nobel Peace Prize

During World War II she was forced into exile from Italy because of her antifascist views and lived and worked in India. It was here that she developed her work Education for Peace, and developed many of the ideas taught in her training courses today. She was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

WHO AM I?

(Montessori Timeline Adapted from http://www.michaelolaf.net/maria.html)

Developmental Milestones

At Wilmington Montessori School, the support we offer our families and community is central to our educational vision. This support takes a variety of shapes and avenues including articles of interest or relevance to child health and safety. With that in mind, I recently came across Mayo Clinic’s child development chart for preschool milestones. The following chart is a quick-glance overview of the language, social, cognitive, and physical skills for 2-5 year old children. As you observe in your child’s classroom, take a moment to observe the many ways WMS teachers support your child’s development in each of these areas.

Child development chart: Preschool milestones by Mayo Clinic staff
Every child grows and develops at his or her own pace. Still, child development tends to follow a fairly predictable path. Check out this child development chart for milestones from ages 2 to 5. If your child's development seems to be lagging behind in certain areas, share your concerns with your child's doctor.

View the chart

Montessori Education- 21st Century Solution

At Wilmington Montessori School, we strive to change the face of education! We are bold enough to imagine a world in which schools value the development of creativity, thinking skills, innovation, leadership, flexibility, and social responsibility. Even with continual changes in our cultural and global needs, many traditional program models continue to uphold their standard practices. In contrast, Montessori Education stands at the forefront of educational reform with its paradigm of integrated, developmentally appropriate, individualized, and global education for the 21st Century. Sir Ken Robinson (a featured speaker at the upcoming American Montessori Society conference) challenges us to explore new educational paradigms. I encourage you to take a moment and view the RSA animation of Sir Ken Robinson’s lecture below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

The Mathematics of Santa

The basic premise of the Montessori Method is that children possess an innate desire to learn. Given the appropriate environment, children are able learn with no more effort than their natural curiosity.

In her book, The Absorbent Mind, Dr. Maria Montessori stated, “education is not something that the teacher does, it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being.” She also noted her observations of children as they "absorbed" culture through a large variety of classroom experiences. Montessori education intentionally designs environments that create new areas of interest for children while simultaneously capitalizing on their existing interests. Simply put, Montessori children learn because they are interested -- because they are curious! Just recently, a friend shared the following holiday narrative regarding the precious gift of curious Montessori children. Enjoy the story, and happy holidays!


The Mathematics of Santa
________________________________________

“Daddy, how does Santa get presents to all the children of the world?”

My son Rylan, a 4th grader, is very inquisitive. He asks a lot of questions and this year, because he’s learning multiplication and long division, he’s particularly curious about the mathematics of Santa.

“Daddy, how many presents does Santa have to make so all the kids around the world can have one?”

It’s one of those questions that you know you’re going to get asked, but never really formulate a great answer for.

“Daddy, how does Santa eat all those cookies and drink all that milk and not get full?”

Oh boy, another tough question.

“Daddy, is Santa magic?”

This is by far the best of the three questions. It’s also a question that poses an easy way out for me. I could say that Santa gets around the world, with all those presents, and eats all those cookies…simply because he’s magic. And it could be true and right and fit nicely into his schemata of Christmas.

But I know that because he will always be a Montessori kid, his curiosity will not be quenched. “By Magic” is simply too easy an answer and I don’t want him to be a kid who grows up to be focused on easy answers.

“I don’t know Rylan,” I hear myself say. “What do you think?”

And we’re off- like the starting bell at a race-track, the words “What do you think?” are the real magic.

“I think he has a very fast sleigh. Hang on, I’ll be right back.” Rylan scurries off. I can hear him rustling around in his bedroom, obviously trying to find something. He comes racing back, beaming and holding his prize -- a globe of the world.

“Daddy, I think he starts at the North Pole. I need something to measure with.” I go and get him a measuring tape out of the kitchen drawer.

He begins twisting the tape this way and that, muttering to himself about how many inches it is from the North Pole to California. I quietly slip away and grab him a piece of paper and something to write with.
“Daddy, do you think Santa only leaves the North Pole once, or comes back for more presents?” I’m quietly marveling at his brilliance. I can tell how far he’s come in solving the problem by the questions he’s asking. I love this kid.

“Daddy, how many kids are there in the world?” I don’t know the answer to this. I don’t even think there is an answer to this. Just then, my 9th grader Lucas walks in. Of course, Lucas knows better, but has fun entertaining his little brother. Quickly he is roped into the Mathematics of Santa as Rylan repeats to him many of the same questions; growing visibly more excited.

Lucas is completely computer literate and is discharged by our tiny Christmas General to go find out how many kids there are in the world. Soquel, my six-year old daughter, sits nearby watching and listening with a marvelous smile on her face. Her tough questions will come one day soon, but for now, as long as Santa can get her dollhouse down the chimney, none of these things matter beyond just the story itself.

For an hour, my boys work together talking, debating, measuring, calculating, and most importantly questioning. Who knows if the answers they got were remotely close to being correct. It doesn’t actually matter. We all know that Santa is magic anyway. But on this day, I realized that Montessori is magic too.
It would have been so easy to dismiss his questioning mind with something vague and ephemeral like “Santa is just magic”. But his background in Montessori has ensured that his curiosity will overcome any ignorant justifications from adults. He learned the word “Why” at 2, and I’m so glad he hasn’t forgotten it.

Over dinner, Rylan recounts to us his mental adventure into the Mathematics of Santa. We hang his pages of calculations on the fridge and the globe takes center stage on our kitchen table. I’ll tuck those things away in a few weeks for him to discover and remember one day. But for now, Christmas has come early this year and Montessori has given me the best gift of all: curious children.

Montessori Kids

“Montessori kids are good at doing things,” states Dr. Steve Hughes, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Recently, I had the opportunity to view Dr. Hughes’ screencast describing Dr. Maria Montessori’s brain-based approach to education. Dr. Hugh’s screencast smartly illustrates the parallels between Montessori education and current research on brain development. Throughout his talk, he highlights the methods by which Montessori Education cultivates advanced cognitive functions, social cognition, and higher-order competencies. These particular aptitudes are often used to describe the essence of a successful 21st Century learner, collaborator, and leader.

Speaking of ‘good at doing things’, I would like to share one of my favorite Montessori success stories captured in this video clip from a Barbara Walter’s interview:



You can also view Dr. Hughes’ entire screencast at http://goodatdoingthings.com/