You might be asking yourself, where do I begin? Have you heard of or seen Montessori and wondered what it's all about? Me too! My Aunt, who is a Montessori teacher, has a classroom set up in her house, and whenever I go to visit her, my kids are drawn to and fascinated by all the strange and wondrous materials in that room! I always think to myself- great, they're going to go in there and screw everything up! Aunt Donna is so particular about everything and takes pride in her set up. She is passionate about the way she uses and teaches the kids to behave and use the materials in her Mustard Seed Resource Center. When she teaches, she tells me to be quiet and stay out of the way! One could take this the wrong way you know.. That is why it is a good idea to educate yourself by first reading the book "The Absorbent Mind," by Maria Montessori. Another helpful book is "Basic Montessori, Learning Activities for Under- Fives," by David Gettman. The first 20 pages are the most important. I've been told it can be used as a reference or a guide, and some of it may not apply to you and some language is from a medical standpoint that might be a little overwhelming. That's okay! The main thing is understanding the foundation and the reason behind the theology.
When introducing materials to your child, we use a mat or a tray for everything. The materials are laid out neatly on the shelves and meant to look appealing, not cluttered or out of order. The idea is to make it look beautiful. We teach the children to take things out and put them away in the correct order and handle them carefully. They learn to take pride and treat their materials and surroundings respectfully. Things we do in the real world right? I want my child to learn these fundamentals inside the classroom so they may learn to carry themselves and treat all things and people this way. Not to have unrealistic expectations or anything- hey, we all have those moments when they make us want to pull our hair out. Kids will be kids! The world is our classroom, you will begin to see that Montessori techniques can be used to teach and learn anywhere and everywhere. Let's begin our fascinating journey of development and grow
together!
"So, Montessori absolutely does follow the child--go outside on those rainy days and splash in the puddles! Go swimming, go fishing, introduce the world to your child. You want to encourage that the world is a beautiful place with so much to learn about and experience. Parents are always the first and best to do this with their children. The very first Montessori teachers were dressmakers, and regular people--they were extremely successful with their children. You do not need a degree, you need common sense!
You can use the Montessori materials at home successfully. I train parents to do that through my Mustard Seed Resource Center here at my home. Since you follow the child's lead, you do not have a set "curriculum" of what page to teach from a book. You have the materials that you show them how to use and leave the child alone to work with them. That is what you see Camille doing in my Mustard Seed space. We could always set up training times here and I could introduce the material to Camille and show you how to use it, although the website I sent you has videos on how to do it too.
The most difficult aspect for most adults with Montessori is how to talk to the children. We do not over-talk too much. We ask questions and give hints to help them discover answers to their questions and direct them. We use short, direct communication speaking softly face-to-face with respect. We give the children distance to find their own peace in working and develop independence, observing them all the time so we are available when they need us.
After trying both public school methods and Montessori, I have totally given up my three public school teaching licenses and focus fully and only on Montessori. I wish I had never contaminated by Montessori with any public school training, but there it is. I have returned to the beauty of serving the children and seeing them bloom because God has created them all in perfection; we adults are the major obstacle, we usually have to get out of their way!
I can always help and guide you and there are so many resources to help too.
Hope this helps.
Love,
Aunt Donna"
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