(800) 655-5843 / 1 (941) 729-9565 | Fax 1-941-745-3111 info@montessori.org
To access this page, you will need to log in or become a member.
The Benefits of Your Toddler Moving into the Primary Level

The Benefits of Your Toddler Moving into the Primary Level

by | Family Resources, Infant-Toddler (0 to 3), MFA, Montessori Curriculum, Montessori Education, Montessori Family Life, Montessori Parenting, Planes of Development, Primary (3-6), Toddler (18 months-3 years), Video, Webinars / MFA

So now your baby is old enough to go to almost any early childhood program. Join Tracey Hall, an experienced Montessori toddler guide and teacher educator, to learn how toddlers can smoothly transition into a Montessori three to six year old program and the benefits to continuing in a program that is based on the same philosophy.

Montessori’s Cosmic Curriculum

Montessori’s Cosmic Curriculum

by | MFA, Montessori Curriculum, TC December 2023

Nurturing Curiosity, Creativity, and Imagination

“Mommy, why are there no more dinosaurs in the world today?” “Where do potatoes come from?” “Why is the sky blue?” If you’re a parent, such questions are a daily dose of wonder, but have you ever really considered how these everyday questions are connected to an expansive concept of the world?

Montessori education prompts children to connect the dots. You might have heard of ‘Cosmic Education’ during parent-teacher meetings or casual Montessori chitchats. Sounds a bit odd, doesn’t it?

At its heart, cosmic education is all about emphasizing the interconnectedness of everything. Dr. Montessori saw science and history as two lenses to view the captivating tale of our universe’s continuous unfolding.

It’s not just a fancy term or a subject in the Montessori curriculum. It’s a holistic approach that blends subjects like astronomy, chemistry, and biology. The aim? To stoke the embers of curiosity in our children and show them the magnificent web of life, where everything has its unique place.

From Potatoes to the Universe: It’s All Connected!

Mario Montessori wrote about his grandmother (Maria Montessori) and the concept of Cosmic Education in his book, Education for Human Development. He reflected on how his grandmother could effortlessly tie present moments to distant past events. Picture this: She’s peeling potatoes and, out of the blue, starts pondering about humankind’s journey of discovering the potato. A simple veggie makes her wonder about ancient civilizations and their agricultural practices!

Her unique gift was to make such connections, laying the groundwork for Cosmic Education. This allowed for merging the past with the present, making everyday activities feel like epic tales.

Think about how peeling potatoes could lead to tales of the potato’s journey from the New World to European dining tables. That’s the Montessori magic!

Swimming with the Salmon: Every Story Has a Lesson

Maria Montessori prompts us to ponder the salmon’s life cycle. These fish are born in freshwater, venture into the vast ocean, and, against all odds, find their way back home. It’s a biology lesson and a narrative of nature’s balance and magic.

Cosmic Education gives such stories context, teaching children the beauty and complexity of our world. Everything has a story and purpose, whether a humble potato or a migrating salmon.

Humans: The Cosmic Contributors

While salmon follow nature’s script, we humans can write our own. We can reach for the stars or recklessly consume our planet’s resources. Montessori’s Cosmic Education emphasizes our unique cosmic task: to cherish and protect our home.

More than Just School Lessons

Montessori’s Cosmic Education is more than just school lessons; it’s a philosophy. It’s about seeing the bigger picture, understanding our role in the universe, and acting responsibly. Children are not passive vessels to be filled with knowledge; they are young explorers hungry to understand their place in the cosmos.

Traditional education often starts with details, moving from basic concepts to the big picture. But Montessori flips this. Why? Because children are naturally curious about the universe, the stars, and the history of the world.

Once they see the grand tapestry, they’re eager to explore each thread.

For instance, instead of merely teaching kids about plants, Montessori education might start with the story of how the world began. Rather than giving them the right answers, a Montessori teacher will ask students to think about how they imagine our universe might have come to be. Some children may know the story from Genesis. Others may express a simple version of the concept of the Big Bang. Other ideas may include the concept of an oscillating universe that contracts and expands.

Montessori teachers tend to inspire a sense of wonder and nurture children’s curiosity and imagination.

For example, many years ago, we visited Wilmington Montessori School in Delaware to take photos for Tomorrow’s Child magazine. While there, we came across a wonderful lesson presented by one of their Elementary teachers. In a dark room, lit by the repeating flash of a strobe light, he popped a large black weather balloon filled with confetti and glitter, as he told the story of what scientists believe happened with the Big Bang at the beginning of the universe. The expression on the children’s faces, eyes wide and mouths open in surprise, they got a lesson that I am sure they remember to this day.

They were fascinated as their teacher described the concepts of all the atoms rapidly expanding away from the initial point of the Big Bang and swirling out into the distance, gradually forming stars, galaxies, planets, and the universe we know today.

My husband, Tim, is a Montessori educator. He often says that Montessori teachers ask children the right questions rather than give them the right answers.

I know that my children’s teachers offered them lots of information. But I also remember that the teachers didn’t tell them that there was one right answer. Their teachers encouraged them to question and look for alternative possible explanations but to always go to the best sources.

Montessori teachers tend to inspire a sense of wonder and nurture children’s curiosity and imagination.

So, in addition to learning how to read and write, clean a table, fold a napkin, sweep, and use a mop, they come away with some sense of the earth, the dance of the sun and the rain, and how it nurtures life. Once kids see this grand narrative, they’re naturally curious about the details: photosynthesis, the role of roots, and more.

Why Should You Care?

We often lose sight of the bigger picture in today’s fast-paced world, but our children need to grow up with a broader vision, understanding how things work and why they matter. They need to realize that every action, no matter how small, has consequences in this interconnected world.

I’ll never forget the day my four-year-old daughter announced that she had figured out where hamburger came from and refused to ever eat it again. For many years, she was a strict vegetarian, and, forty years later, she still won’t eat meat. A few years later, she was writing the president of the United States and the government of Japan, pleading with them to work together to stop fishing boats from hunting whales. She knew whales were beautiful, intelligent creatures and couldn’t understand how anyone could deliberately kill them. She was an activist then and still is today in her career as a forensic psychologist.

As parents, we aim to prepare our children for tests, careers, and life. We want them to be responsible adults, aware of their impact, and driven by purpose. Montessori’s Cosmic Education lays the foundation for this holistic growth.

So, dive into the story the next time your child asks about potatoes, stars, or the buzzing bee. Connect the dots. The universe is a grand, beautiful tapestry, and every thread, including your child, has a role to play. Montessori’s Cosmic Education is the compass that can guide them through it. 

Joyce St. Giermaine is the Executive Director of the Montessori Foundation. Her background includes a lifetime of work in association management, law, Banking, and institutional advancement. A lifelong learner, she is an accomplished photographer, editor, and graphic designer. Joyce is a former Montessori parent and grandparent.

Return to Table of Contents

A Position Statement on Critical Race Theory in American Education

by | Montessori Curriculum, Social Justice, The International Montessori Council

The undersigned Montessori organizations challenge the national, state, and local legislative policies and laws that serve to regulate, limit, and intentionally omit what is taught about an honest history of the United States of America, the roles that all citizens played in its development, and exploration and discussion of racism and bias and its impact in our society. Beyond this, schools are implementing book bans and librarians and administrators are removing books from libraries (Natanson, 2022). Far too often, instead of an honest historical account, many educators offer an “inaccurate account of American history… [where non-European] …. [p]eople of other races are either pushed outside of the historical narrative, completely left out of the accounts, or their contributions are minimized because they are deemed inferior or different” (Takaki and Stefoff, 2012).

Over the last year, our nation has been immersed in discussions and legislative actions surrounding Critical Race Theory (CRT) or as some call it, “antiracist training and divisive concepts” (Stout and Wilburn, 2022). CRT is an advanced graduate school legal academic framework based on the notion that racism is not simply about individual prejudice, but it is prejudice embedded in our country’s laws, institutions, and policies (Levin, 2022). As a Montessori collective, we recognize that our independent and public schools operate within different legal contexts. We implore school leaders, teachers, and caregivers to educate themselves on the issues, understand local dynamics, and dig deep to help children develop an honest historical perspective and a moral compass that supports good judgement for the cultivation of more harmonious relationships in our society.

This statement serves as an urgent call to action for all educators to, as Maria Montessori did, advocate for the rights of children in all communities. This includes employing effective teaching approaches that emphasize the contributions of diverse cultures which exist in classrooms, schools, and communities, staying vigilant about policies state legislatures and local boards of education are doing, and making our voices heard if anti-CRT policies are proposed. This action affirms guides who are courageous enough to “teach with historical integrity” (Acker, 2021). With the knowledge of multiple perspectives, children may be able to think critically, ask questions, “cultivate positive identity formation, confront racial and ethnic injustice, and be more prepared to live and work together in a diverse world” (Learning for Justice, 2021). “When this transformation occurs, …we then become witnesses to the development of the human soul; the emergence of the New [Human], who will no longer be the victim of events but, thanks to his clarity of vision, will become able to direct and to [mold] the future of [humankind]” (Montessori, 1949/2019).

Click Here to access additional background information and resources about CRT and legislative restrictions on the freedom to read, learn, and teach.

 

Co-Signers 

 

American Montessori Society (AMS)

Munir Shivji, Executive Director

 

Association Montessori International/USA (AMI/USA)

Ayize Sabater, Ed.D, Executive Director

 

International Montessori Council (IMC)

Kathy Leitch, Executive Director

Tim Seldin, Chair

Montessori Educational Programs International (MEPI)

John Moncure, President

Montessori Foundation

Tim Seldin, President

 

Montessori for Social Justice (MSJ)

Lindsey Pollack, Ed.D, Board of Directors/Finance Officer

 

Montessori Public Policy Initiative (MPPI)

Wendy Shenk-Evans, Executive Director

 

National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS)

Sara Suchman, Executive Director 

 

Citations

 Acker, C. (2021, August 19). Critical Race Theory. Retrieved from WPFW Radio Archives (August 19, 2021).

Lesson Plans. Learning for Justice Magazine. Retrieved from: https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-resources/learning-plans on 12/21/2021.

Montessori, M. (1949/2019). The Absorbent Mind (The Montessori Series). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company.

 Natanson, H. Schools nationwide are quietly removing books from their libraries (March 22, 2022).

 The Washington Post. Retrieved from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/03/22/school-librarian-book-bans-challenges/ on March 29, 2022

Takaki, R. and Stefoff, R. (2012) A Different Mirror for Young People: A History of Multicultural America (For Young People Series). New York, NY: Seven Stories Press

 

What Is The Montessori Method?

What Is The Montessori Method?

by | Executive Functioning, Grace and Courtesy, MFA, Mixed Ages, Montessori Curriculum, Montessori Education, Montessori Parenting, TC Feb 2022, The Montessori Way, Tomorrow's Child

We, as parents, love to see our children become independent and self-sufficient as they grow and age. But sometimes, we may need help to get them to that point. We can do so by implementing the Montessori Method into their lives. Montessori emphasizes teaching children to be self-regulating and to be able to learn the concepts of independence. It is a great tool to help your children be more confident in their abilities. Indeed, independence is the best gift we can give to our children, as it enables them to be self-sufficient and know how to take care of themselves.

Today, we live in a time when there is a lot of pressure on children at home, school, or work. The idea behind the Montessori Method is to teach children that being themselves will give them the ability to succeed in life. Children need to feel confident, capable and become more independent so that they can defend their ideas, thoughts, and feelings against pressure from others. But the question now is how this Method helps children become independent. Well, that’s what you are going to learn in this article. But first, let’s understand what the Montessori Method is.

WHAT IS THE MONTESSORI METHOD?

It is an educational method that Maria Montessori developed. It has been implemented globally and has helped children develop learning skills for independence, self-regulating, and creativity. The Montessori Method uses a hands-on approach, where children learn through experiences to find their way of learning.

THE MONTESSORI METHOD WILL HAVE THE CHILDREN LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO KEEP LEARNING, BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT PERFECT IN EVERYTHING.

How can the Montessori Method help your child to be independent?

The Montessori Method is designed to be flexible and adaptable to meet each child’s needs. It allows children to be exposed to different learning environments and solve problems by themselves. The Montessori Method emphasizes making lessons fun-filled and interesting to capture the child’s attention and develop their thinking skills.

Here are four ways that Montessori helps your child become independent:

ONE

The Montessori Method encourages children to become more independent, through a stress-free environment.

The Montessori Method is a great tool to help children become independent by giving them a stress-free environment. It helps children become less dependent, because they need not rely on parents or teachers for help. It teaches kids how to solve problems by themselves.

For example, when you are doing your work, it is certainly stressful to stop your work and ask for help from another person if you do not know how to do something. The Montessori Method teaches us that we must not stop what we are doing until we have finished it. It is an excellent tool to teach children how to do their work without disruptions, but to only stop if necessary. It teaches children that they only need to pause when they are stuck on something or need help.

TWO

The Montessori Method encourages children to learn how to solve problems.

Learning how to deal with problems is one of children’s most rewarding experiences. The Montessori Method gives children opportunities to learn on a broad scope of different topics to develop their problem-solving skills; they will not need to rely on others for help.

For instance, if a child is trying to understand how to use a slow cooker, he is expected to figure it out by himself. Even if you want to teach him how to use it, the child must remember what you taught him. The Montessori Method allows children to take an active role in their education and figure out most problems on their own. It seems easy at first, but doing this will develop their problem-solving skills and increase their independence.

THREE

The Montessori Method helps children become more respectful of their ability.

The Montessori Method positively impacts children’s self-confidence and self-esteem, because it helps them appreciate what they are accomplishing. It helps them become better learners by giving them more confidence in their learning ability. The Montessori Method is a great tool to encourage children to learn more about what they have and who they are.

For example, if a child is having trouble learning how to play the violin, it may affect her self-worth and self-esteem. Children may think that they cannot learn or do not have what it takes to become good violinists, so they give up. But the Montessori Method will have the children learn from their mistakes and encourage them to keep learning, because they are not perfect in everything. As a result, this will teach them how to accept their capability for learning new things.

FOUR

The Montessori Method helps children to be independent by reinforcing self-confidence.

The Montessori Method helps children become more confident by giving them opportunities to learn new things and feel proud about themselves when they accomplish something great. This Method gives children the opportunity to learn new things and achieve something great by themselves. Therefore, they are more confident in believing that they are independent, because they know how to solve their problems without depending on other people’s help.

For example, let’s imagine that your children decide to ride a unicycle for the first time.

They are not ready yet, but they still want to try. By doing this, they will understand that even though it is not easy, there is a way that they can overcome challenges with riding a unicycle and challenges in life. This develops self-confidence. As they learn how to approach new challenges, they will be able to do more and more for themselves.

HOW CAN PARENTS HELP ENCOURAGE CHILDREN’S INDEPENDENCE AT HOME?

We should encourage our children to be increasingly independent right from the start, but they need guidance and coaching. They need to learn the basics: proper hygiene and the daily habits of independent living when they are older. Help them learn to do things carefully with confidence.

Though more children today can be considered self-sufficient, learning through experiences and making mistakes will help them develop a sense of responsibility and become more self-reliant later in life. Even with care, mistakes happen. Let’s help them to learn from their mistakes with patience and calm.

If we allow our children to do tasks independently, we will witness steady growth in their capability.

For example, let children:

• Place foods on their plate: You can give them advice, but let children learn how to pick up and put things onto their plates.

• Wash their hands: You can talk with them about the importance of washing hands, but let them learn how to scrub, wash, and rinse themselves.

• Brush their teeth: This is another task you can do with your child but let them do it alone after you’ve given instructions on how to brush, what part of the mouth to use the toothbrush, and when to spit out afterward.

• Pick out clothes they want to wear: In case you don’t have enough time to lend a hand in picking, let your children select the clothes they wish to wear, once they have learned the basics of choosing outfits on their own, using simple instructions from you, such as, “Choose a shirt that has long sleeves.”

• Choose their toys: Let your children choose the toys they want to play with, but make sure you don’t allow them to play with dangerous items like knives or scissors.

These simple steps will help your child feel comfortable when they start to face challenges on their own and help them understand the importance of independent living.

Final Thoughts

Children develop their independence in different ways as they grow and learn about the world. The Montessori Method is an effective way for children to learn how to be independent with their own decisions and find new ways of solving their problems on their own. The Montessori Method is the best way for children to develop skills that will help them cope with anything they encounter. •

Andrea Gibbs was born, raised, and still lives in New York. She is a work-at-home mom with a background in business development, strategy, and social media marketing. She contributes to a blog at the Montessori Academy to motivate and educate other parents about how they can get their children ahead of the game in school. montessori-academy.com/why-the-montessori-method-works

Return to Table of Contents
I think my child is ready to move up to the next class… a year early!

I think my child is ready to move up to the next class… a year early!

by | Children with Exceptionalities, Emotional Intelligence (EQ), MFA, Mixed Ages, Montessori Curriculum, Montessori Education, Planes of Development, Prepared Environment, TC Feb 2022

Over the years, it’s quite common for parents to come to us to say that, since their child is so advanced academically, they worry that the class they are in now is not sufficiently challenging. It is not unusual for parents to ask the school to move them up a year early next term.

There’s no one response that schools offer, but I think there are a few things to consider.

Typically, parental fear of their child being disadvantaged by being the most advanced in a Montessori classroom is based on a misperception.

Unlike traditional schools, where the pace of education is based upon the norm of the class, the Montessori curriculum follows an international model rather than what is commonly taught in American schools. In general, Montessori programs are more sophisticated and individualized in many ways.

In the United States, in the first three grades (kindergarten through second grade), it is fairly common to teach children number recognition and simple mathematical operations with one or two-digit quantities. Math can be very abstract, and some children memorize answers but may or may not understand what they’re doing.

Likewise, with reading, many children are asked to read from simplistic texts or workbooks that have more to do with spelling and vocabulary than with really giving them a love of the written word, no less a desire to express themselves in writing.

While there is a real concern about math education in the United States, many students are not culturally literate in history, geography, economics, science, civics, and our cultural heritage found in the arts and literature.

Like most schools that follow European tradition, Montessori places a huge emphasis on what some people call the ‘cultural subjects.’ These topics include, science; technology; history; geography; international studies; the foundations of industry and trade; architecture; engineering; and so much more. Montessori’s breadth of curriculum tends to produce young people who have far more knowledge of their country’s history, government, and heritage than most Americans.

So, we have three basic issues. The first is that in Montessori, children don’t learn at a preestablished pace. They are not only able to choose the things that most interest them but to learn in ways that they find most appealing. Children are different. Some learn best by listening to someone else talk; others learn by observing, and many need to directly experience to understand and remember. There are so many variations in the way children learn, and it’s challenging to know what’s right for an individual child.

The second issue is that no teacher can work with each child every moment of the day. That’s the beauty of Montessori’s prepared learning environment. It allows children to find meaningful work without having to depend on a teacher telling them what to do throughout the day.

Another consideration is that most of us learn best not by simply receiving a lesson; repeated experiences along with the opportunity to help (or teach) other children solidifies the skill or concept. The best teacher of the typical student is usually not the adult with a master’s degree in education; rather, it is often other students who have a grasp of the material and are willing to share their understanding with a fellow student.

The third point is that a child who remains in a Montessori multi-age class is surrounded by other students (younger and older) who have their own gifts and talents to share. They stimulate each other. The beauty of the Montessori experience is that the class is a community, not simply a group of children who are focused on the lesson that the teacher happens to be giving. This ongoing set of relationships builds a sense of safety and security for most children, both with their peers and with the adults in their lives. As parents, we need to understand how incredibly valuable that is.

So, the trade-off to having a child move up a year early is not so much that the child will get lessons that they couldn’t get in the younger class, as much as that they would be moving up into a class, where the age range is going to be three or four years beyond their current level.

Every child is different and there are times when moving a child up early actually is worth considering. In my experience, I never followed a hard and fast rule. We always try to explore with the family why they feel this is a good idea? Here are some points parents and educators should consider:

• Is it accurate that the current class really can’t meet the child’s intellectual and academic needs?

• Do the parents feel a strong urge to push their child ahead more quickly? If so, why? What do they hope to gain? What are the pros and cons?

• Or is it fear that their child will miss opportunities that they would have at the next level?

These are all legitimate questions, but we must weigh them against the advantage of stable, continuing relationships. Having been one of those students, who was moved up a year early at one point along my journey, I found it difficult to be a year younger than the youngest child in the classroom. So, if you ever come to the conclusion that, perhaps, your child might do well to move up, try to really think it through with the school and weigh the pros and the cons.

Montessori is based on the idea that each child follows her own pace and that education is a journey, not a race.

Montessori classes are not only about academics. The focus is social and emotional, as well. While a five-year-old may be reading like a six-year-old, this same child may socially and emotionally be better suited to remaining in a class with familiar children. Being among the oldest and most advanced creates the possibility of becoming a leader. Don’t undervalue how wonderful that experience can be.

Montessori is based on the idea that each child follows her own pace and that education is a journey, not a race.

Other than saving a year’s tuition if your child attends a private Montessori school, there are few (if any) benefits for a child who finishes high school early. Beginning university younger than the other students in their class may again present same social, emotional, and academic challenges, depending on the student.

Appreciating Montessori’s ability to meet children at their intellectual level is one of the greatest gifts of Montessori education. I always recommend that parents follow their hearts, but I do advise every parent to be thoughtful and careful before leaping to a decision.

Try to find the best path for your child, and always remember that it’s important to ask them what they really want to do. Listen carefully to their reasoning. Sometimes the reasoning makes perfect sense; sometimes it doesn’t make any sense at all. Weigh your conclusions and follow your parental instincts. That’s all any of us can do. •

Return to Table of Contents

Faces of Normalization

Faces of Normalization

by | Child's Work, Children with Exceptionalities, Emotionally Healthy Children, Montessori Curriculum, Prepared Environment, Primary (3-6), TC Feb 2022

Montessori Method

Normalization is a term that Montessori teachers exhaust at the beginning of each school year.

“The children are normalizing.”

“Normalization is a delicate process.”

“We’re almost normalized.”

But what is normalization?

Dr. Montessori described normalization in this way: “And in these qualities of the child, she sees man as he ought to be: the worker who never tires, because what drives him on is perennial enthusiasm. She sees one who seeks out the greatest efforts because his constant aspiration is to make himself superior to difficulties; he is a person who really tries to help the weak, because in his heart there is the true charity which knows what is meant by respect for others, and that respect for a person’s spiritual efforts is the water that nourishes the roots of his soul. In the possession of these characteristics, she will recognize the true child, who is father of the true man.” (p. 257).

These are some of the faces of ‘normalization.’ The children are demonstrating independence, perseverance, repetition, and concentration to the exclusion of all the sights, sounds, sensations, and activity around them, because they have a greater task at hand. The children are constructing their own learning; they are shaping their own personalities; and they are building the adults that they are yet to become.

Anika places a large pink cube atop a small pink cube and the cubes fall. She removes the large cube and chooses another somewhat smaller cube. This cube also falls. She removes the small cube and replaces it with a larger cube. She places the smaller cube atop and, later, the smallest cube at the top of the tower. She sits back, observes her balanced tower, and her eyes sparkle as she smiles. one who seeks out the greatest efforts because his constant aspiration is to make himself superior to difficulties; he is a person who really tries to help the weak, because in his heart there is the true charity which knows what is meant by respect for others, and that respect for a person’s spiritual

To the onlooker, it appears that the children are cleaning, building, and working on skills. They appear to be manipulating letters, numbers, and tablets of color. They carry long red rods, stack pink cubes, and lug heavy brown pieces of wood to awaiting throw rugs. These observations are accurate; however, the process of normalization involves a great many skills, some that are visible and some that are less obvious. These children (and others like them) are learning, growing, and developing in a specially prepared environment that fosters the love of activity, concentration, self-discipline, and sociability. This process is facilitated by a sensitive adult, who has prepared the environment with order, consistency, warmth, and the removal of obstacles that could prevent this development.

Martin enters his classroom, says hello to a few friends, and walks directly to the shelf that contains the materials necessary for the parts of the tree puzzle. First he retrieves and unrolls his rug with attention to its position and smoothness. Then he gathers his puzzle and places it on the rug. He builds, disassembles and rebuilds his puzzle without fatigue, but with joyful energy.

Dr. Montessori’s discovery of the “secret of the child,” i.e., their hidden potential, had yet to be revealed and understood by adults. Dr. Montessori’s skills in observation and the circumstances that placed her in the company of children in need of a place to call their own (the slums of San Lorenzo, Rome) found a fertile place for the revelation to occur. She shared with her adult students at the second Indian Montessori training course, that the children came “undernourished, dirty, and uneducated.” “And these very small children, from three to six, did wonderful things. They had wonderful revelations. All these revelations of how to learn to write and to read by themselves at such a young age (and in the midst of joy) resulted in a transformation of their character.”

Liam is building the triangles with deep concentration. Somewhere in the room a tray falls, a child coughs, and an adult walks past. Outdoors a horn sounds and a truck rumbles past. Meanwhile, he continues the assembly of the triangles, the triangles that he has constructed many times before, without interruption.

Then and today, children enter Montessori settings with capabilities that suit them for the work and activity they will encounter. They bring bodies designed for purposeful movement, coordination, grace, and stamina. Their hands and senses serve them by allowing them to interact with and come to experience their environments. They are equipped with a mind that absorbs impressions from all around them; a mind that organizes, problem solves, adapts, remembers, is curious, is capable of long periods of attention and concentrates with little effort and without fatigue. When the body and the mind are satisfied, the true character of children is disclosed. They are peaceful, joyful, sociable, helpful, self-disciplined, satisfied, and their inquisitive and loving souls are made evident. ¢

REFERENCES

Association Montessori Internationale USA. (n.d.). “The first Casa dei Bambini: Montessori 150.” Retrieved December 2, 2021, from https:// montessori150.org/news/ first-casa-dei-bambini.

Montessori, M. and Claremont, C. A. (2019). The Absorbent Mind. Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company.

Dorothy Harman is an AMS Early Childhood credentialed Montessori guide. She holds a BA in Early Childhood Education and a M. Ed in Curriculum and Instruction with an Emphasis in Creative Arts. Dorothy Harman serves as a Montessori consultant and Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Nebraska- Kearney. She serves as a Field Consultant for the Center for Guided Montessori Studies and was a 2018 recipient of an AMS Peace Seed Grant. She is the author of Intentional Connections: A Practical Guide to Parent Engagement in Early Childhood and Lower Elementary Classrooms, published through Parent Child Press.

Return to Table of Contents

Cosmic Education Resource Page

Cosmic Education Resource Page

by | Imagination, MFA, Montessori Curriculum, Science, Writing

Begun by Sharon Caldwell

NOTE TO THE READER: This page is a work in progress. I will continue to update it as I find more resources and information. Please email me at sharoncaldwell@montessori.org with suggestions and requests. Please also check out the Cosmic Education section in Links. Most of my favorite links are there and may not be duplicated in this article.

We must be careful not to fix the details of the Great Lessons so that they become so precisely accurate that they become mere catalogs of facts. The need to remain stories of inspiration. We as teachers need to be clear that these Lessons must set the children’s hearts and minds on fire. This is our first priority. As the children break off from the Great Lessons to do research, there they will find the facts. – Robyn – Montessori-L discussion Group

 

Theory of Cosmic Education:

The AMI elementary trainers are unanimous in saying that we should present all the Great Stories within the first 2 – 6 weeks of the school year and that there should be no follow-up work assigned.   – John Snyder, Austin Montessori School. (in an email to Montessori-L discussion list).

If the children are not doing spontaneous follow-up work it means they aren’t inspired – the teacher must then work out why her lessons are not exciting the children. It is also OK if some children do not do follow-up work. They are hearing the stories and also hearing discussions that lead from them as the teacher continues to unpack the stories as the year progresses. The stories are not meant to “teach” factual knowledge but rather to evoke a sense of wonder and a deep appreciation of the interconnectedness of everything. They are intended to spark an understanding of the Cosmic Task of Man.

Cuevas, Eduardo J. G. Liberty: Spiritual Freedom and Moral Responsibility. 25th International Montessori Congress Papers.

Duffy, M & D. Cosmic Education in the Elementary Classroom, Parent Child Press, 2002.

Grazzini, Baiba Krumins, “The Role of the Disciplines for Cosmic Education”, Communications 2006/1, 64 – 74.

Hayes, Mary Montessori’s View of Cosmic Education, 25th International Montessori Congress Papers.

Hilson, Patricia. Laying the Foundations for Cosmic Education in the Child 3 – 6 Years.

Montessori, Maria. To Educate the Human Potential. – Especially important is the first essay: “The Six Year Old Confronted with the Cosmic Plan.”

 

ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE

Some Great Books to inspire extensions from First Great Lesson:

Wikipedia History of Earth is a good place to start looking for info.

The Authors, How To Create a Flawless Universe in Just Eight Days, Godfather Publications, No Location, 597b.

– Yes, this is a real book – but written with tongue firmly locked in cheek. 6 – 12s really enjoy it.

 

STORY OF LIFE

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

www.naturedetectives.org.uk – Why leaves change colour. Good explanation of photosynthesis.

For a more detailed explanation of photosynthesis

CLASSIFICATION OF LIVING THINGS

Parallel to the story of life you begin to explore Classifications/Taxonomy. Depending on the background of your students you can start off with simple “Who am I?” activities to extend exposure to the natural world – either using objects (shells, etc.) or model animals (must be realistic) or picture cards. With children who are reading, you can use “First Stories” which combine short descriptive paragraphs with names and pictures of plants and animals.

Bang, Molly and Chisholm, Penny. Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life. Blue Sky Press. 2009. [Recommended by Priscilla Spears.]

 

THE STORY OF HUMANS

www.handprint.com – This is one of my favorite teacher resource sites, although older children enjoy it too. I love it especially because it highlights the hand-brain connection so integral to Dr. Montessori’s thinking.

Human Migration:

 

THE STORY OF WRITING

A simple version of the story with nice clear graphics that can be hand-drawn on a whiteboard while telling the story: http://www.moteaco.com/albums/greatlessons/story4.html

For more detailed lesson plans see Miss Barbara: www.missbarbara.net/thehistoryofwriting.html

Simple, uncluttered printable timeline: http://www.moteaco.com/albums/writing.html

Human History Timelines:

Christ as the center of human history – see www.montessoriforeveryone.com for a free download timeline. The instructions include some interesting information on dating. NOTE: This is a resource developed by Montessori educators of that faith. The same strategies can be used in many other ways