Interested in homeschooling with Montessori? Start with Homeschooling with Montessori and then check out the other posts in the Homeschooling category.
We hope you enjoy our Montessori blog!
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]]>Interested in homeschooling with Montessori? Start with Homeschooling with Montessori and then check out the other posts in the Homeschooling category.
We hope you enjoy our Montessori blog!
The post Welcome to Our Blog! first appeared on Montessori for Everyone Blog.
]]>The post Using Our Package Deals as Instant Downloads first appeared on Montessori for Everyone Blog.
]]>If you still have problems printing, please update your printer drivers (just Google the make and model of your printer + “driver”) and restart your computer. Also, Mac users will need to install the font “Century Gothic” (or Word for Macs) to view and print our items correctly.
Our Package Deals are in large PDFs or zipped files in order for you to download them easily online. Here’s how to use them.
Large PDF File (more than one set of materials combined together in one PDF):
When you download a Continent Kit, like the Asia Kit or Africa Kit, all of the PDFs are combined into one large file. To view the contents of each individual PDF, open the PDF and click the Bookmarks symbol (like a small ribbon) over on the left of the PDF. This will show you everything that the PDF contains.
Here is bookmark view of the Africa Kit (click picture for a larger view):
To view a thumbnail gallery of the individual PDFs along the side, open the PDF and click “Page Thumbnails” along the left hand side (looks like two stacked sheets of paper). This will give you a thumbnail of all of the individual PDFs.
Here is thumbnail view of the Africa Kit (click picture for a larger view):
Don’t hit “Print” unless you’re prepared to print 50-100 pages all at one time. To print one item (like Africa Animals from the Africa Kit), use the Bookmark view and slide your mouse down over the specific PDF you’d like to print, right click the item, and click “Print Page(s)”. A printer box will open up and you can confirm that it’s the correct section (and make any choices you’d like to for your specific printer), then click “Print”.
Zipped Files (many PDFs combined into the zipped format):
Three of our Package Deals are zipped folders; you will need a free zip program like WinZip to be able to open them:
Continent Kit Collection
Continent Kit Collection + US Kit
Pink, Blue, and Green Series Kit
Download these to your computer like you would any PDF file, and then double click to open. You will see the contents of each zipped file. You can double click to open any of the PDFs, then use them as directed above. If you are using an Apple product, you can download Download WinZip for iOS free from the App Store in order to open the zipped file(s).
Enjoy!
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]]>The post Using 3-Part Cards in the Montessori Classroom first appeared on Montessori for Everyone Blog.
]]>For Primary (3-6): 3-part cards consist of a picture, a label (the name of the picture), and a control card with the picture and the label together.
For Elementary (6-9): 3-part cards consist of a picture, a label, and a definition. The cards can be coded on the back as a control, or the child can be given control cards or a labeled chart to use for checking their work.
Using 3-part Cards in 3-6:
To use the cards, the child will need a large surface like a work rug on the floor, or a large table.
The child should put the picture cards across the top of the rug or table. Then they should match the labels to the picture. Last, they should use the control card to check each picture/label.
Using 3-part Cards in 6-9:
The child should put the picture cards across the top of the rug or table, starting with the “whole” picture (the one that has all the parts colored in). Then they should match the labels and definitions, reading each definition before setting it down.
When finished, the child should have access to control cards (you can store them in a separate spot or put them together in a booklet), a large picture on a chart or poster that shows the parts labeled correctly (wall chart), or stickers/dots on the backs of the cards so that when flipped over, they can see if they matched the three parts correctly.
For both age groups, when the child is finished matching the cards, they should draw a picture or write a fact from the cards on their paper, or both. For elementary age, the child can do additional research after finishing the cards, if desired, using library or online resources.
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]]>The post Grammar Symbol Boxes – A Delightful Addition to Your Classroom! first appeared on Montessori for Everyone Blog.
]]>The boxes I am showing you are ones I have made over several years. Yours do not have to match exactly. Contents will differ based on the objects you have available and the interests of the children you’re teaching. My boxes are based on objects I had on hand around my house and ones I found at craft stores. For the grammar symbols in each box, I started by cutting them out of felt, then I ended up using wooden symbols from a set I bought online. The labels were made here and there as I needed them, so they vary in size.
These boxes can used as the initial lesson for each part of speech, or they can be an extension if the child has already learned the parts of speech. For each box, the child should write or draw something on their paper after matching the symbols, objects, and/or labels appropriately. Control of use is usually a teacher or an older student.
To make a complete set of all 9 parts of speech, you will need (this list can be downloaded as a PDF at the end of this post):
Nine boxes—can be cardboard, wood, or other container. Check craft stores, teacher stores, or the Container Store for boxes. Each box needs to be big enough to hold labels, grammar symbols, and in most cases, small objects.
About 40 small objects—Many small objects can be found around your home or school; www.montessoriservices.com is a good source for objects, as well as craft and teacher stores. If the list below doesn’t make sense, keep reading! I explain each box in detail and how the objects are used in each box. Specifically, you will need:
1) Noun Box: 10 small objects (nouns)
2) Adjective Box: 5 pairs of different colored objects (buttons in two colors, marbles in two colors, etc.)
3) Article Box: identical doubles of two objects that start with a vowel sound (apple, eraser), as well as at least 4 sets of identical doubles
4) Verb Box: No objects
5) Adverb Box: No objects
6) Pronoun Box: If desired (optional), pictures of people and objects that can be referred to by various pronouns
7) Conjunction Box: Four crayons of different colors or 4 other identical objects in four different colors
8) Preposition Box: At least 4 very different objects, to be used in combination with each other
9) Interjection Box: No objects
Grammar Symbols — You will need quite a few of each symbol: at least 30 black triangles for nouns, 20 articles, 20 adjectives, 12 verbs, 6 adverbs, 4 conjunctions, and as many prepositions and interjections as you have labels. These numbers are approximate because it will depend on how many objects you put in the boxes.
You will also need one grammar symbol to put on the top of each box. If you want these to be larger, you can cut them out of colored paper or cardstock and laminate, then glue or tape them to the top of the boxes.
For Grammar Symbols, there are a few different routes you can take. You can buy a Grammar Symbols PDF and print, laminate, and cut. This way you can print as many as you need for your boxes.
There are also paper and wood sets available from various Montessori companies. You can also cut them out of felt. I used a combination of felt and wood symbols in my boxes.
Labels — Some of the parts of speech (verb, adverb, interjection) use only labels and no objects. The noun box typically uses objects and no labels. The other boxes use a combination of objects and labels. It’s perfectly fine to hand-write labels for these boxes, or make them on the computer. I use Century Gothic font for mine. Many of the cards in our Grammar Cards Set can be used with these boxes, and have colored outlines to match the color of the symbol, but our Grammar Cards Set is definitely not an exact match for Grammar Symbol Boxes.
Pictures — My daughter is the one who had the idea to use pictures in the Pronoun Box. We found a variety of pictures of children (together or separately) and objects to use with the pronouns. Many times more than one pronoun will work with a picture. These are optional – you could use only labels and symbols in this box.
The Noun Box
Find a box that can hold small objects, and glue a black triangle to it. Triangles inside the box can be made of wood (from a wooden grammar symbol set), felt, cardstock, or cardboard. Objects can probably be found around your home or school. I like to use 10 objects/triangles in this set. You do not need labels for the objects. Click on all pictures to enlarge:
The Adjective Box
You will put a medium dark blue triangle on this box. You will need 5 objects, of two different colors each. You will need labels for articles (use “the” for each), adjectives (the colors of each object), and nouns (the name of each object). Some suggestions include:
2 different colored buttons
2 different colored marbles
2 different colored beads
2 different colored animals
2 different colored paper clips
The Article Box
You will need a small box with a small light blue article triangle on it, and small light blue article triangles and black noun triangles to put with the objects.
Funnily enough, there are fewer articles than any other part of speech (a, an, the) but this box is a very difficult one because of the difference between definite and indefinite articles. In order to use the “an” (used before a word that starts with a vowel sound), you will need at least one type of object that starts with a vowel sound (apple, eraser).
In order to show the difference between definite and indefinite articles, you will need multiples of some of the objects.
One suggestion is:
2 bells — a bell (you have to choose from between the two bells; Say to the child “Give me a bell”. Either bell will do.)
2 small blocks — a block (you have to choose from between the two, same as above)
2 small erasers— an eraser (you have to choose from between the two, same as above)
2 miniature apples — an apple (you have to choose between the two, same as above)
1 miniature book — the book (there is only one book)
1 small button — the button (there is only one button)
The Verb Box
This box needs to have a red circle on it. If you can find a circular box, that would be great.
This box deliberately does not have objects, as to reinforce to the child that a noun is a “thing” that you can touch, hold, or see, but a verb is an “action” that can be done. I recommend between 6-10 red circles and verb cards.
The Adverb Box
This box also deliberately does not have objects, as to reinforce to the child that a noun is a “thing” that you can touch, hold, or see, but that an adverb modifies a verb, which you can not touch or hold.
I recommend between 6-10 adverb and verb combinations, and their corresponding symbols.
The Pronoun Box
Originally I made this box with only symbols and labels; my daughter was the one who came up with the idea of including pictures to represent the various pronouns and I tried it and loved it. Of course you do not have to use the pictures if you don’t want to, you could use only symbols and labels. I recommend between 6-10 pronouns with labels or labels with pictures.
Conjunction Box
I have often seen conjunction work with small vases and colored flowers. Montessori Services sells a set like that. I love that idea, but I found that this was less expensive and took up less room, so I like the idea of crayons. Of course you can find 4 different objects if you don’t want to use crayons. You can see that I used wooden grammar symbols for this box.
For this box, I used crayons in 4 different colors (you can choose another simple, common object in 4 colors); you’ll need symbols for articles, adjectives, nouns, and conjunctions. Cards should match the object and color names.
The Preposition Box
I find it best to use complete sentences for this work. So, you will need two labels for each object — one with the first word capitalized, to be the beginning of the sentence, (“The house”, in the picture below), and one in lowercase with a period at the end, to be the end of the sentence (“the hedgehog.”). The label “is” can be used as the verb in each sentence, so make a few of those.
Children can mix and match the objects in various configurations (2 at a time), and start the sentence with either of the two objects as they desire. For this box, you will need at least 4 very different objects, symbols for article, noun, verb (use “is” for each sentence), and preposition. Labels for each object, several for “is”, and a variety of prepositions to choose from.
The Interjection Box
This box is very straightforward: interjections are their own sentences! They can also be used at the beginning of a sentence with a comma after for less effect. You do not need objects for this box.
For this box, you will need conjunction symbols and conjunction cards. You can have as many as you like; I think 8 of each is a good amount.
Helpful Resources:
PDF Download: Grammar_Symbol_Boxes_Instructions.pdf. This 2-page PDF has a list (taken from the top of the post) of everything you need to make all 9 boxes, plus a second page with pictures of the contents of each box. Easy to print and take with you to the store.
Blog Posts:
Grammar, What Is It Good For?
Introducing Grammar with Games and Activities – this post is basically a step-by-step guide to using the grammar boxes to introduce the parts of speech
Grammar Materials Bring Language to Life
Doubling Your Grammar Materials with Simple Extensions
PDFs available for purchase and instant download:
Grammar Charts and Symbols – the symbols in this set can be printed, laminated, and used on top of and in the grammar boxes.
Grammar Cards Set – the cards in this set (18 cards for each part of speech) can be used in the Grammar Symbol Boxes. They do not coordinate with what I show in this post – I made separate cards for my boxes – and you would not find every card you need in this set (especially to go with the objects you put in the boxes, although the noun cards do include common household objects) but you would be able to use many of the cards for the boxes, and they have a colored border to match the color of the grammar symbol.
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]]>The world needs Montessori!
The post Why Our World Needs Montessori first appeared on Montessori for Everyone Blog.
]]>Why Would You Choose Montessori For Your Child?
Every parent has the duty and the choice of determining which qualities they wish to instill in their child. Our habits and our methods of meeting life’s daily challenges inform our children of the ‘correct’ way to live, and they carry these teachings with them into adulthood. Maria Montessori, founder of the Montessori school of thought, firmly believed that young children have incredibly absorbent minds, assimilating all that they see, hear and experience. The child self, and subsequently the adult self, is created from this absorption of total surroundings. By thoughtfully planning the environment in which children live and learn, the Montessori method provides the positive experiences most parents want their children to have in order to grow up with healthy minds, healthy attitudes and healthy life strategies.
If you think it’s important for a child to…
* be vibrantly inquisitive about new things
* enjoy the process of learning
* acquire fine motor skills
* develop an analytical mind
* work independently
* work without disrupting others
* work well with others
* be able to focus his/her mind on the task at hand
* respect others
* respect his/her own mind and abilities
* feel purposeful and valuable
* derive satisfaction from achievements
* become an independent, confident adult
…then you might wish to choose Montessori for your child.
How does the Montessori method work?
There are two main principles governing the Montessori method. The first is that teachers (be they parents or Montessori directors) must respect children. The second is that children are born with an inherent, natural love of learning. With these two beliefs setting the tone, the Montessori method can be applied both in the homeschool and classroom environment. Over the past century, Montessori educators have developed an excellent set of tools and learning materials that enable children first to develop the basic skills they need to learn effectively, and then to use those skills to acquire knowledge in the areas of language, science, history, mathematics and all of the subjects considered essential to a modern education.
Youngest children develop focus, motor skills, methodical habits and a sense of achievement by mastering physical tasks such as sweeping, scrubbing, polishing, and scooping. Sequencing, sorting, and problem solving are made enjoyable with blocks, models and puzzles of all kinds. Math basics begin with beads and cards and counters, and language skills improve with movable alphabets and language cards. Music and art play an important role in daily activities, and children investigate the habits of plants and animals. Older children then progress to more complex math, history, science and language arts with age-appropriate tools and materials. Throughout all levels, the child is guided to be orderly and tidy, and to help keep the classroom a good place for all of his/her classmates to work.
How is Montessori different than a typical public school program?
Unlike a typical public school program:
* The child is the focus of the Montessori classroom, not the teacher.
* The child sets his/her own learning pace. Progress is not dictated by the average progress of the class or by school board timelines.
* Montessori learning materials are built around controls that signal to the child when he/she has mastered a subject or when more work is needed. This self-governing learning process removes any sense of failure or public shame a child might feel in a classroom where the teacher judges and ranks students against one another. There is no need to compete, only to achieve skills for one’s own sense of accomplishment.
* Direction from the teacher is only provided as needed. Beyond this the child is guided to work independently, thus developing the ability to learn effectively on his/her own.
* Montessori classrooms are not laid out with desks for student and teacher. The learning environment is carefully constructed of shelves with beautiful materials that the children can choose from throughout the day.
* The end goal of a Montessori education is to develop a well-rounded, excellently socialized human being with a rational, inquisitive, well-organized mind.
It is this worthy end goal that truly sets the Montessori method apart. Unlike typical public education goals of having a child obtain proficiency in basic subjects considered to be essential by the public school system in order to receive a graduation certificate, the Montessori method focuses on the whole person and his or her need to develop habits and life skills that will serve them well as adults far beyond the classroom setting. If you attended a public school, chances are, you’ve forgotten the majority of the dates, facts and figures that you committed to memory in order to pass your finals. These particles of trivia are unlikely to be playing a major part in your present day life. But the attitudes you developed toward learning, the habits of organization you learned, the very way in which your mind was forming during your formative years is absolutely affecting the way you handle life’s challenges and opportunities today. The Montessori method strives to produce adults who adapt to new situations, learn new skills, and interact with others in a positive, productive way throughout life.
Is the Montessori method superior to the average public school method?
In 2006, Dr. Angeline Lillard (UVA) and her colleagues conducted a study of Montessori and non-Montessori students in two age groups: five-year-olds and twelve-year-olds. The results of this study indicated that the kindergarten-aged Montessori children tested higher in both math and reading than the public school children, using the Woodcock-Johnson Test Battery. The Montessori students also displayed more advanced social cognition and executive control, and demonstrated a greater concern over concepts of fairness and justice. The older group of Montessori children evinced a stronger feeling of community in their school than their public school counterparts and tested higher in math and writing skills.
An earlier study, conducted in 1991 by Alcillia Clifford and Carol Takacs, reached much the same conclusion. In general, Montessori students were more proficient at language arts, mathematics and expressed more positive attitudes towards their schools. This study concluded that Montessori students were more likely than public school students to complete their education rather than dropping out.
The success of a Montessori school is largely dependent upon the qualities and gifts of the director and teachers. Some schools will be superior to others. Parents should actively interview and investigate any Montessori classroom to which they might be considering sending their child. Statistics like the above indicate that Montessori-educated children test higher and have better social skills than their public school peers, but it remains vital that the parent choose wisely for the individual child.
Why does our world need Montessori?
To answer this question, let’s go back to the beginning. Maria Montessori first began developing her methods in the early 20th century while she was training to become Italy’s first female physician. She was assigned to observe a ward of children who had been classified as mentally retarded by the government. These children were being raised without the benefit of outside stimuli or toys of any kind. Montessori saw that the little children were so desperate for activity that they picked up crumbs from the ground and rolled them about in their fingers, just to have something to do. Montessori spent the next few months of her life providing these children with her basic educational materials and at the end of that time, the children were able to pass national tests, and even to test higher than so-called ‘normal’ peers.
Montessori learned that adults are prone to underestimate the intelligence of children in general. In today’s world, toys, games and educational materials are dumbed down for the child ‘consumer’ to a never-before-seen low level. We don’t simply give a child a set of wooden blocks or a book. We give him or her flashing cartoons and flickering video games with a deafening explosion per minute. As a result, we have youngsters who are unable to concentrate, focus, play on their own, understand the rights of peers, or pay attention to anything that isn’t being spoon-fed to them via the dubious medium of constant, unceasing entertainment.
Oftentimes, parents are shocked to discover that their children become ‘functional’ the moment they are given something interesting, useful and engrossing to do. Meaningless, adrenaline-filled boredom is replaced with purposeful activity and the child is suddenly focused and able to concentrate. Montessori materials provide that ‘something-to-do’ that children so yearn for in their quest to become helpful, recognized, active members of the human family.
Concerned adults are shaking their heads over the disorganization, inequality, violence and general chaos of our modern civilization. Psychology has long recognized that our experiences in our formative years dictate a great deal of our adult behavior. The antidote to the rude, selfish adult is the loved, respected child. A system of education that devotes itself to creating a safe, positive atmosphere in which children can learn, grow, achieve, succeed, and come to respect themselves and others gets my vote.
The Montessori method is currently celebrating its centennial anniversary. Its contributions to the world – including many thoughtful, responsible, useful citizens – are ones which we can all appreciate. Congratulations, Montessori! May our world continue to benefit from your respectful philosophy for another hundred years.
The post Why Our World Needs Montessori first appeared on Montessori for Everyone Blog.
]]>The post Happy Birthday, Maria Montessori! first appeared on Montessori for Everyone Blog.
]]>I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time, as the founders of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, are “Montessori kids” who frequently credit their creativity, innovation, and “out-of-the-box” thinking to their early years in Montessori.
It’s so beautiful! And by clicking on this special logo, people were taken from Google’s homepage to a search for “Maria Montessori” where they were able to find out more about her life and work. Such great publicity!
For a closer look at the Montessori/Google connection, you might enjoy this post: Google Makes Sense When You Think Montessori.
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]]>The post When Children and Culture Collide: An Interview with P. Donohue Shortridge first appeared on Montessori for Everyone Blog.
]]>She works with schools and families as a consultant, helping them implement Montessori ideals in their practice and in their lives. I thought it would be good to talk to her about the topic of children and culture, and she was kind enough to answer my questions. Let’s jump right in!
Lori: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. Before we get into cultural influences, let’s talk about the first plane of development. What are the tasks and needs of the 0-3 child?
Donohue: Infants and toddlers are busy acquiring basic independent functions, i.e. becoming upright and learning to walk, learning to talk, learning to get dressed, learning to eat and mastering the toileting process.
As Dr. Montessori said, children of this age learn best through movement; their intelligence grows through movement, so this is why we see the non-stop, hands-on direct engagement with their environment. They are joyous explorers of everything. What they need is a consistent routine and caregivers who understand, model and facilitate the work at this age: self-mastery for basic skills.
They also need freedom to move about and fascinating three-dimensional items with which to engage. And most importantly, they need to be honored for the age and developmental stage they are at right now. Very young children cannot be reasoned with, they cannot wait, they cannot stop moving, they do not grasp abstract concepts and if the input is too fast and furious, they are easily overwhelmed.
Lori: It’s interesting to hear you list those qualities, because so often we think of those as negative but really it’s just a characteristic of that age group. What about 3-6?
Donohue: Children in 3-6 are taking all that input from the first three years and learning to organize it so that it makes sense and becomes personally useful. Still in the period of the absorbent mind, they are increasing their gross and fine motor development; their language becomes more sophisticated; they now engage memory and can wait. They are excited to make their bodies come under the command of their minds and they are working on figuring out what is real. They need hands-on experiences offered at their pace.
This is the time to offer reasonable reality, that is, reality at their development plane, which is different than for older children. This age child is working on making the connection between the three-dimensional world and how it is represented in language and pictures. Their language development is crossing the semi-abstract bridge into reading, writing and thinking.
For example, do animals talk? If the input coming at the child is predominantly talking animals, then there is confusion as to what animals really do. As an alternative, we offer reasonable reality, which is exposure to real animals at the appropriate level of encounter. And then we offer that semi-abstract bridge: accurate representations of that animal that connect back to the child’s real world encounter with that animal. This includes accurate pictures and the word labels for that accurate picture.
Think about how many concepts there are to form. Children of this age need us to offer real world experiences at their level and then accurate representations of that real world. With all that to do, there’s not much time in the day for “entertainment”.
Lori: What about children in the second plane of development (6-12)? What are their tasks and needs?
Donohue: Children now have their foundation laid for self-efficacy and are ready and eager to engage in the larger world. They have moved out of the period of the absorbent mind and their intellectual capacity and thirst expands exponentially. They are physically strong and steady, so that they can focus on expanding social and intellectual engagement with others.
Imagination is now a tool for discovery. This child needs the larger picture of the human-made and natural world presented as a puzzle to be solved, e.g. how high, how old, how big, how long ago, etc. until all the questions they can think of are answered. The first plane of development, that grounding in reality, now is the basis for further exploration, elaboration, and imaginings.
The elementary child needs the world offered in fascinating stories of the big picture, then lots of time and opportunity to get into the myriad details that comprise the bigger picture. They need hands-on, three-dimensional tools to help create the bridge to abstraction and they need to solve problems, both intellectual and social as well as physical.
Lori: How can parents make the best choices for their children when it comes to entertainment (movies, TV, video games, music)?
Donohue: Based on what the child needs at each level of development, as stated earlier, here is what parents might ask themselves in making these decisions:
~ Why am I offering this entertainment to this age child?
~ How does it further meet his needs and honor his tasks?
Lori: Good questions! It can be very hard to know what is appropriate or not. Can you give a specific example of a movie or TV show that is marketed to kids but is extremely inappropriate for young children?
Donohue: Currently, there is the second coming of the Happy Feet franchise. It burst on the scene five years ago and made a gagillion dollars, scaring little children all across America. It’s back and who knows what horrors are in store for our children this time. I wrote a review of the original Happy Feet which you can find on my website. P. Donohue Shortridge. Click on the Articles & Essays page and then look under the “For Parents” section.
I recently sent out an email to a lot of parents and Montessorians about the Happy Feet Two movie because I am so concerned about young children being exposed to it.
My concerns with this movie relate to:
• Young children being exposed to the incredibly fast-paced clips
• The relentless sound track and the rapid-fire dialog
• The movie’s content
Modern animation is sped up even faster than in the past. It is designed to bypass the frontal lobes where critical thinking occurs and be directly absorbed into the mid-brain where our emotions reign. Animators admit learning lessons from advertisers. Young children do not have the mature cognitive ability to process what is coming at them at this frenzied, hyper pace; it’s called cognitive overload. Happy Feet Two will also be available in 3D, which only intensifies the overload.
And as to my content-concerns, parents and children will see the trailer for Happy Feet Two everywhere in the next few weeks as part of the sophisticated marketing campaign for this sequel. Cute penguins with anthropomorphic faces and Elijah Wood’s voice (Frodo, for goodness sake); who could resist? Marketers further lure parents by use of adult humor and big name stars.
For Happy Feet Two, they’ve ramped up the star power by adding Matt Damon and Brad Pitt to the cast. However, the trailers do not always show what is in the movie itself. This was true of the first movie. To investigate for yourself, I invite you to watch the trailer for Happy Feet (you can find it on YouTube); then go to my website and read my review of that movie. The trailer belies what is actually in the movie. The content in the original Happy Feet was not appropriate for young children.
Will the content in the sequel be as unsuitable for young children? The original grossed almost $400 million and both movies have same writer, director and production company, so what would be different? I’ve been carefully watching the various trailers for Happy Feet Two splashed all over the television and already noticed two concerning incidents: a large sea creature gobbles a small innocent one who is frantically trying to escape, and in another scene, a sexy adult female penguin says at one point, “I’m getting a stalking vibe.”
I suggest that if you are seriously thinking of taking your young child to see Happy Feet Two that you go see it yourself first and then decide.
Lori: I think that’s really eye-opening because of the contradiction between the marketing of the movie and the actual content. I think it happens a lot.
Donohue: Look, parents are trying to figure out something to do with their children. So they do with their children what they used to do on their own – go to the movies. But ask yourself, why are you doing this? Just because it is out there enticing you to come on in, is it a good idea that you do so?
A recent piece of research suggests that many parents don’t really know what to do with their children, so they take them to restaurants, to Starbucks, to the movies, and put them in organized sports. Little children cannot handle all this very well. Of course they will cope, but is that what we really want for them?
Lori: Based on what you’ve said so far, I have to ask you: Is there anything positive to be found for kids in popular culture?
Donohue: I’m still looking for it.
Lori: How can parents make good choices about what their kids hear, see, and do?
Donohue: Again, if parents can understand what their child needs at this developmental moment, this can be the foundation for answering any question that comes up. OK, so I have a 13-month-old, who is working on walking every waking moment of his life, is this a good time to take a road trip with my child? I have a four-year-old, for example, is this the time to go to Disneyland?
We often remember our own childhoods older than our child is now. We don’t remember much of our years younger than six years old. So don’t rush it, keep it simple when they are younger, and keep it real when they get older. The key is to be sure to pay attention to where your child is right now.
Lori: How can we counteract things we want to keep our child from but they hear about anyway (from school, neighbors, family, etc)?
Donohue: Well, we can pretty much be in charge of what our children under three-years-old are exposed to because the parents pretty much have dominion over how that age-child spends his every waking moment. Or should have.
Children age 3-6? Again, this age child should pretty much be moving from home to Montessori school and back home again. Once in awhile, this 4-year-old will see and hear something disturbing. The antidote is lots of time in free-play nature. Make that negative experience become a smaller and smaller percentage of the child’s life by offering reasonable reality at his level. Then make a note to self to avoid/minimize that encounter in the future.
That would include things such as using the DVR so that your five year old won’t see that stupid commercial for the sarcastic comedy show that is advertised during the baseball game dad and child are watching together.
It could also include a talk with babysitter, grandparents and older siblings about what is and is not permissible for your young child to see. I would also avoid loud restaurants that blare the television and so forth. Back in early times, parents had to figure out how to keep the children safe from scary creatures that wanted to come in the cave; today, parents have the same protective job to do.
The difference is, and thus the challenge is that it was easy to tell the scary things back then; a bear is a threat to both adult and child, but today, that which seems “harmless” to adults is still scary and inappropriate to children, thus parents need a keen understanding of that which is inappropriate for children of different ages.
Lori: Any advice for divorced parents whose ex-spouse does not share their values?
Donohue: There is no good answer to this question. Divorce is a disaster for children, period. With that being said, offer what is appropriate at your house. One would hope that divorcing parents would be grown up enough to talk through these issues. When talking to the other parent, state what you are seeing, “When Nathan came home last week, he had nightmares two nights in a row and talked about the show he saw with you.” State facts and ask for cooperation. Keep your cool and don’t make it personal. And of course, never talk about the child in front of him.
Lori: We’ve talked a lot about negative things to keep our kids from – what should we be steering them towards, value-wise?
Donohue: For children under six, as much time as possible in free-range nature beyond the playground. Simple routines, lots of sleep, and no screen time.
For children over six, anything that engages their mind and body working together: this includes making things, chores, pick-up games freely chosen, pet care, gardening or other out-of doors activities. Some families value service to others; offer this at age-level appropriateness.
I would limit screen time to one hour a day and that includes everything added up: TV, DVDs, computers, smart phones, iPad, etc. And all of it supervised and chaperoned. Make a movie-watching experience on the weekend a big deal family affair. Think of it as a special event rather than the consistent background hum.
Lori: I think you have excellent suggestions and I really hope parents are listening to what you are saying. It’s easy to get defensive about the choices we make for our children but really, it’s not about us: it’s about them and what is important for their development. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me!
Donohue: Thank you, Lori!
For more information on the services that Donohue provides for Montessori homes and schools, and to read her essays about Montessori and parenting, please visit P. Donohue Shortridge.
The post When Children and Culture Collide: An Interview with P. Donohue Shortridge first appeared on Montessori for Everyone Blog.
]]>The post Dealing with Dyslexia first appeared on Montessori for Everyone Blog.
]]>Recently I found out that several of my family members are dyslexic. Some are children, one is an adult. Seeing their struggles – at various stages of life – has triggered an interest in me to find out more about dyslexia.
One of the first statistics I came across is that dyslexia affects many children (as many as 1 in 5), so if my research can be helpful, I want to share.
What Is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a recent word but not a new concept. For centuries, people have described children who are bright and developmentally normal in every way but can’t learn to read. An older term for dyslexia was “word blindness” which is a pretty good way to sum it up.
A more modern way of describing dyslexia is “lack of phonemic awareness”, which basically means that the dyslexic child is unable to effectively connect letters (symbols) with their sounds.
Dyslexia as a whole is actually a complex set of issues that can include:
~ Difficulty recognizing letters and their sounds
~ Difficulty holding a pencil and forming letters (dysgraphia)
~ Difficulty with reading comprehension, i.e. determining the meaning of a sentence
~ Difficulty with spelling
~ Vision or eye tracking issues
~ Irlen Syndrome – sensitivity to black text on a white background
The World Federation of Neurology defines dyslexia as “a disorder manifested by difficulty in learning to read despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence and sociocultural opportunity.” In other words, if a child has every opportunity to learn to read, and is smart enough to learn to read, and can’t, they are probably dyslexic.
Checklist of Dyslexia Symptoms
While one in five children are dyslexic, the severity of dyslexia can vary. Symptoms can be mild enough to be barely noticeable; in other cases, children may be profoundly dyslexic. Some children may have every symptom on this list, while others only a few. Frequent indicators include but are not limited to:
~ Can read a word on one page, but not on the next page
~ Frequent guessing of unknown words based on context or pictures
~ Knows the phonetic sound of individual letters, but can’t sound out an unknown word
~ Slow, inaccurate reading of words in isolation (when there is no story line or pictures)
~ When reading aloud, reads in a slow, choppy cadence and often ignores punctuation
~ Becomes visibly tired after reading for only a short time
~ Reading comprehension is low due to spending so much energy trying to figure out words
~ Listening comprehension is usually significantly higher than reading comprehension
~ Directionality confusion shows up when reading and when writing (confusing b,d,p,q)
~ Misreads, omits, or adds small function words such as an, a, from, the, to, were, are, of
~ Omits or changes suffixes, saying need for needed, talks for talking, or late for lately
~ When reading a story or a sentence, substitutes a word that means the same thing but doesn’t look at all similar, such as trip for journey, fast for speed, or cry for weep
~ Substitutes similar-looking words, even if it changes the meaning of the sentence, such as sunrise for surprise or house for horse
The Neurological Component
Studies have shown that the human brain is not actually wired to read. The brain is wired to learn to speak and understand spoken language. When we learn to read, we borrow those language areas and use them for reading. This is why speaking comes so naturally, without instruction, whereas reading is much more difficult.
The dyslexic child is using the visual cortex to try and read. They are primarily recognizing words based on the shape of the letters and the shape of the word, rather than the phonemic sounds the words represent. This approach works for beginning readers – and we enable this type of reading by giving children books with lots of repetition, rhyming, and pictures that provide visual clues to the text. They are often guessing the words they are “reading” but when they guess correctly, we don’t know that they are guessing and we think they are reading.
This is why dyslexia is not often detected until 3rd grade or higher. Until that point, visual reading has worked and the child seems to be “reading”. If there are struggles, it is blamed on the child’s immaturity or lack of focus. As the child gets older, words and books become longer and more complex, and often do not include pictures or other clues as to the content. Now the child is really struggling, and everyone is puzzled as to why.
One of the most confusing things about dyslexia is that the child may often know the phonetic sounds of individual letters, but still not be sounding words out phonetically when reading. This is one reason why dyslexia often goes undiagnosed for so long. The key to understanding and diagnosing dyslexia is to realize that it’s all about what area of the brain the child is using to read, not whether they know all of their phonetic sounds.
Can this be corrected? Can the child learn to read using the auditory cortex rather than the visual cortex? There is research to show that with early intervention and specific instruction, the dyslexic child’s brain can be re-wired to process written language correctly. The child can begin to read using the auditory cortex, sounding out words phonetically. (See bottom of the post for resources).
Famous Dyslexics
There are many famous scientists, composers, and artists who were dyslexic.
A short list of famous dyslexics includes: Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison, Pablo Picasso, Beethoven, and Albert Einstein. That’s pretty good company.
These people weren’t brilliant in spite of being dyslexic; they were brilliant because they were dyslexic.
How could Leonardo da Vinci draw sketches for a submarine centuries before it was possible to build one? How was Albert Einstein able to develop his theory of relativity based on a vivid dream, while today’s scientists still struggle to understand it? How was Beethoven able to compose sublime melodies after becoming almost completely deaf?
Dyslexia enabled these men to think primarily in pictures, not words; to make lightning fast connections between seemingly unrelated ideas; and to think outside the box – really, for dyslexics, there is no box.
Many very successful people in today’s world have dyslexia, including Tom Cruise, Jay Leno, the actor Henry Winkler, and the playwright Wendy Wasserstein. If you read interviews with them, they will all report that they became successful because of their dyslexia – it motivated them to work harder than other people because they were told so many times that they would never amount to anything. They worked to prove their detractors wrong.
It is very helpful to talk to a child with dyslexia about famous, successful dyslexics. It helps them to feel that they are not alone, and that they can still achieve great things in spite of the challenge of dyslexia.
The Gender and Age Myth
Many people believe that only boys (or men) are dyslexic, but that is proving to not be the case. In centuries past, many women were never taught to read, so dyslexia never arose as a problem.
In today’s world, girls are often well-behaved in class, and as long as they do not call attention to themselves, it’s easier for them to slip by undiagnosed. Both boys and girls with dyslexia are good at coming up with coping mechanisms to get around their reading difficulties. Teachers and parents have to be vigilant in observing both boys and girls for signs of dyslexia.
Another myth is that dyslexia cannot be diagnosed until 2nd or 3rd grade, since frequently, it is not diagnosed until those grades.
However, ultra-observant teachers and parents can find signs of it sooner, as young as age 5, which include:
~ Family history of dyslexia (this is the strongest predictor of dyslexia)
~ The inability to rhyme words or to hear rhyming sounds
~ A mild delay in learning to talk
~ Pauses when talking, such as “um” (more frequent than normal)
~ Difficulty breaking words into syllables
Early Intervention
Commonly, children with dyslexia do not receive intervention quickly enough. Because the inability to read is frustrating, resulting in a reluctance to read, teachers and parents may conclude that the child just “isn’t interested in reading”, “isn’t mature enough”, “isn’t focused enough”, etc. These excuses result in a “wait and see” approach which is devastating for the struggling child.
In order to make the dyslexia diagnosis as early as possible, it’s important for educators to know that lack of interest and lack of focus are generally symptoms of reading problems, not causes of reading problems.
As soon as dyslexia is suspected, intervention is necessary. The sooner intervention begins, the better. It’s better to take action and find out it’s not necessary than to take no action at all. The dyslexic child can sense that they are struggling and they need an advocate, someone to stand with them and help them through the tricky maze of sounds and letters.
Dyslexic children do not benefit from a “wait and see” approach. Time is of the essence. Dyslexia does not go away or get better with age. The younger children are when intervention begins, the greater the chance of success due to the pliability of the brain. When intervention is delayed, the child’s brain becomes less pliable and reading success becomes more difficult.
The dyslexic child knows there is a problem. There is no way to hide it from them or pretend it doesn’t exist. Usually, when they are told that they are dyslexic, they feel a huge sense of relief that their problem has a name. Their reluctance to read turns into a willingness to work once they know that there is help to be found.
What Can Be Done?
There are many resources available for children with dyslexia. In the public school system, parents or teachers can request testing to verify the dyslexia diagnosis, at which point the child will receive special services. Many schools have reading specialists who provide additional tutoring (beyond regular classroom work) for dyslexic children.
As well, most schools provide accommodations to child with reading difficulty, including having the teacher read test questions aloud, rather than the child reading them, extra time for tests and other work completed in class, and books and textbooks on CD or MP3 so the child can listen rather than read.
Many states have specific legislation covering the testing and treatment of dyslexia. Please Google “dyslexia legislation _______”, filling in the blank with your state or country to see what services are provided and/or mandated.
Parents can and should educate themselves, even if their child is receiving specific help in school. There are numerous books, websites, training programs, and clinics where helpful information and programs can be found.
Helpful Resources:
Easyread – This online program consists of over 200 lessons for the child to complete over a year or so. Using their unique “trainer text” (pictures that represent sounds, shown with the accompanying letters), children with reading issues are able to sound out words right away and see a dramatic improvement after 3-4 months.
My personal experience is that Easyread is the best method of activating the visual cortex and making progress in reading that is available today. It actually re-wires a child’s brain to read correctly.
Checklist of 37 Symptoms of Dyslexia – Helpful checklist to use when diagnosing dyslexia
The Logic of English – this is an Orton-Gillingham (multi-sensory) based reading and spelling curriculum by Denise Eide that can be done at home by a parent or at school by a teacher. It does not require training in order to use it. I attended a workshop by Denise Eide at a homeschooling conference and was very impressed by her curriculum as well as her insight into the English language.
Bright Solutions for Dyslexia – World-renowned dyslexia expert Susan Barton has her own version of the Orton-Gillingham Method (called the Barton Reading System) and her website is full of information, including videos, about dyslexia. The Barton Reading Method can be purchased to use at home or at school.
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]]>The post A Closer Look at Our International Versions first appeared on Montessori for Everyone Blog.
]]>The terms which are different include: “colour” instead of “color”, “grey” instead of “gray”, “mollusc” instead of “mollusk”, “autumn” instead of “fall”, “boot” instead of “trunk” and “bonnet” instead of “hood”, and Five Kingdom classification instead of Six Kingdom. Other than changing the words or terms, the materials are the same as our US versions.
For our Collections, there is no need to specify for the UK Versions. All of the appropriate alternate versions are already in each Collection.
All of the items below are listed separately at our store, so please make sure you choose the correct item when buying. Do not buy the American version unless that’s the version you’d like.
Here are all of our UK Versions:
Animal Kingdom Charts UK
Animal Kingdom Nomenclature UK
Colour Sorting
Colour Wheel Chart & Masters
Colour Nomenclature Cards & Chart
Colour and Number Sight Words
Colour and Number Words – Spanish
Five Kingdom Charts
Five Kingdom Nomenclature
Invertebrates Card Set UK – only “Mollusc” is different from the US Invertebrates Set
Parts of a Car UK
Parts of a Mollusc
Pre-Reading Set UK – only “Colour Sorting” is different from the US Pre-Reading Set
Seasons Matching UK
Transportation Set UK – only “Parts of a Car” is different from the US Transportation Set
Types of Invertebrates UK
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]]>The post The Ultimate Post About Montessori Albums first appeared on Montessori for Everyone Blog.
]]>Disclosure: I have purchased some albums from each of the companies mentioned below, but I am not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned, and receive no compensation from anyone if any of you decide to buy their albums.
Frequently Asked Questions About Albums
1. What are albums?
Albums are basically instruction manuals for using Montessori materials. They may be called “manuals” or “guides”. They are traditionally given to students who take the Montessori training at a training center. They also include background about Maria Montessori’s teachings, the purpose behind many of the materials, and information about child development.
2. Do you sell albums?
We do have two albums at our store: Natural Science 6-9 Album – Botany & Zoology and Geometry Album 6-9. They are in PDF file format. We have received rave reviews for both of them. We would love to make more albums but it is a very time-consuming process so we don’t have another coming out soon. We prefer to not receive questions about which album(s) might be next and when it would come out. Instead, please make sure you are signed up for our email newsletter as we announce any and all new materials, including albums, there. We do not sell anyone else’s albums.
3. Are there free albums available online?
These days, you can usually Google the name of a Montessori material (“instructions for division bead board”) and find sites and blogs with instructions and pictures pretty easily. We have found Info Montessori to be the best online album; it’s mostly for 3-6 but there is some overlap with elementary materials, especially in math:
Info Montessori (infomontessori.com)
There are also 3-6 albums available for purchase as e-books from Montessori Book that are reasonably priced and fairly well done.
4. Can I buy an album with a schedule of presentations to do day by day?
Generally, Montessori teachers do not use a pre-made day-to-day schedule, since the presentations are supposed to follow each individual child’s progress and interests. You can, however, certainly plan a week or month at a time, basing your schedule on the children you work with.
5. What albums are available, and which do you recommend?
I can’t endorse any specific albums, but if you read on, I will give a review of the various albums that are available. Situations vary, so some people might prefer certain albums over others. I’ll give as much info as I can, but in the end the decision is up to you.
Album Reviews:
Montessori Matters from Heutink (Nienhuis)
First, there are Montessori Matters Albums from Heutink, formerly Nienhuis. I can’t link to individual albums because they change their product links frequently, but if you visit their main site and search for “Montessori Matters”, you will find the albums I mention.
The Montessori Matters albums were written by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. They were all written in the 1960’s, although they’ve been updated many times since then. They are similar to the albums I used in my own training, since one of the authors, Sister Mary Motz, was my elementary trainer. They are spiral-bound with soft covers and reasonably priced ($20-30 per album).
A. There is one album entitled simply “Montessori Matters”; it does not list an age range in the description, but it is for ages 3-6. Covering all the curricular areas, it contains many drawings and black and white photographs, and is written in a clear, easy-to-understand style. The one drawback is that it does show its age, in terms of writing style and photos. Still, most of the information in it hasn’t changed in the past 40 years. I would consider it a “classic” album that could be used by anyone at home or school.
B. Heutink/Nienhuis also carries three other Montessori Matters albums: Language, History, and Mathematics. All three were written by my trainer, Sister Mary Motz (one of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur), and are for ages 3-9 (primary and lower elementary). They are similar to the first Montessori Matters album in terms of writing style and content, but contain more in-depth information about each of the curricular areas they cover.
Albums from North American Montessori Center
Second, there are North American Montessori Center (NAMC) albums.
A. First, they offer Classroom Guides specifically for each age group; each classroom guide talks about children’s physical, social, emotional, and academic stages and gives information on setting up a classroom, arranging the materials, and working with the children for that age group. The Classroom Guides do not contain presentations for the materials.
B. They also have albums for each curricular area and each age group (toddler through 9-12). These albums are fairly expensive ($150 each), although they can be purchased in sets (all the Toddler albums, all the 3-6 albums, etc.) at a discount. They come in sturdy 3-ring binders and the album pages are laminated. They also include color pictures of each material and presentation. If you can afford them, they are excellent; the clear writing and pictures make the lessons very easy to follow.
C. There are also materials on CD-ROM, including blackline masters and support materials like self-testing worksheets and nomenclature materials. They are designed to coordinate with the NAMC albums.
Teacher Manuals from Montessori Research & Development
Montessori Research and Development offers teacher manuals for Infant/Toddler, 3-6, and Elementary. The elementary albums are not specified for 6-9 or 9-12, but they do let you view each album’s table of contents as a PDF, and it appears that the albums are appropriate for the full span of 6-12. The albums range in price from $8 – $40, depending on the number of pages in the album. You can choose between spiral or smooth binding.
The Montessori R & D manuals are extremely detailed and well-written. They include quite a bit of information on how the presentations aid in brain development. However, they do not include pictures of any of the materials or presentations, although you can often Google to find those.
Teaching Manuals from My Montessori House
My Montessori House, creator of Montessori DVDs that teach phonics, has recently branched out into making Montessori Teaching Albums. They can be used by parents or teachers. They are based on the albums and notes of an AMI teacher and are quite thorough and well-written. They do include pictures of almost every material; the pictures could be bigger, but they are helpful. The price is quite reasonable.
In Conclusion
In a perfect world, we could buy all the albums from each of the above companies – each set of albums has something to offer the Montessori classroom. Most of us can’t do that, though, so hopefully this post will help you decide which album(s) work best for you. You may want to buy a one from each, so that you can better decide which ones would work in your situation.
The post The Ultimate Post About Montessori Albums first appeared on Montessori for Everyone Blog.
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