Montessori Readings
As adults playing a crucial part in the lives of children, reading Montessori’s work is essential to continue in our conscious path of supporting children.
Maria Montessori: A Biographical Note
Dr. Maria Montessori was an Italian scientist (1870-1952) whose name has now come to be inextricably linked to preschool education. Her experiments and observation of young children at the beginning of the twentieth century has radically changed the way we look at the child today.
Montessori Stamp
We hardly write or receive letters any more. Life has moved on and we now have new and instant ways of communicating with one another. A little trip down memory lane takes us to a time when to hear from a loved one you waited for a postman who brought a letter with the familiar handwriting and a colourful postage stamp.
The Powerful Child
A famous philosopher of the 17th century, John Locke, stated that a new-born baby is like a tabula rasa or clean slate, which takes on the imprint of everything the environment provides it. It is therefore the responsibility of the society to ensure that a naïve child grows into an informed adult.
The Hypothetical World of the Elementary Child – Suppose?
“Suppose you were an animal, what would you like to be?” she asked her friend. The reply came as quick as a flash without a moment’s thought, “O, I would like to be a blue whale, I will be a largest sea mammal”.
Lost in Another World – The Power of the Imagination
They were two children, an 8 year old and a 10 year old, conversing about the information gathered from their research and reading. They were totally lost in their ‘space’.
Children at Lunch Time
It was lunch time in the environment for 3 to 6 year olds that I was working in. The younger children were going home while the older ones were preparing the classroom by reorganising the furniture so that all the children could sit in small groups to have lunch.
Answering the Question ‘What’
Keeping up with a moving toddler, walking around unsteadily helps us to look at our world with new eyes. The tin filled with lentils hardly noticed except in the flurry of cooking suddenly becomes the treasure which calls forth heart warming coos of wonder and delighted chuckles.
A Grandfather’s Experience of The Child in the Family
I often present Montessori books to young parents, even to grandparents. Rather than me making suggestions, reading Dr. Montessori’s books will create a greater awareness about children and help us realise our unfamiliarity with the needs of children.