ost of us are so busy ‘doing’ Montessori that it feels impossible to ‘support’ Montessori. Unless our classroom, or our school, is directly and significantly impacted by a regulation or policy, we figure we can make the best of it and just get by. We make compromises, we adjust, we believe there is nothing to […]
y parents were married for 58 years when mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. My parents would repeatedly say that they had done it all: “Better, worse, richer, poorer sickness and in health.” Mom had a stroke and, during the follow-up doctor appointments, it was discovered she had Alzheimer’s. During this time period, she was in […]
Montessori is not only an incredible educational method but it’s also a way of life! What children learn in Montessori becomes part of their being. Sure they learn to read and write and do math, but more than that they learn how to learn; they learn how to be part of a community; they learn how to articulate their ideas confidently; they learn how to listen and seek to understand; they learn how to take care of themselves; and they learn how to solve problems.
As parents, it’s our job to keep that learning going by our words and actions. But children don’t come with a user’s manual, and sometimes we may find ourselves wondering how Montessori teachers work their magic?
Just as it has for 110 years, you will find that the time-tested methods used by Montessori educators will help you build even stronger bonds within your family, stop disruptive behavior as it begins, strengthen parenting partnerships, learn alternatives to punishment and reward, and much more.
If you’ve found yourself engaging in power struggles with your children, reacting instead of responding to everyday situations, such as taking out the trash or trying to be the referee when your children are squabbling, you may appreciate a more Montessori way of parenting. Our new online course, The Parenting Puzzle, was designed with you in mind.
The Parenting Puzzle: The Basics is the first in a new series of Montessori parenting courses developed by the Montessori Foundation. The course can be taken online or in person through a growing community of Montessori schools.
Our first five-week course will teach you the essential strategies to meet your children’s emotional needs and minimize misbehavior. It can help you turn your home into a peaceful haven, rather than a battlefield. Lorna McGrath has been a Montessori parent educator for years and is thrilled to be the Program Director for the Montessori Family Alliance and the primary presenter for The Parenting Puzzle. Based on her work with children of all ages and their families, Lorna provides strategies for cultivating closeness, cooperation, and open communication.
The Parenting Puzzle: The Basics is based on the work of Maria Montessori, Rudolph Dreikurs, and Kathryn Kvols. It will help you to meet children’s emotional needs while refocusing disruptive behaviors in a respectful, positive way. You will experience the atmosphere that you marvel at in Montessori classrooms, as you put the ideas and strategies from the course to work in your family life.
Along with issues raised by parents participating in this course, we will address the following issues:
Taking time to breathe
Raising confident children
Feeling part of a family community
Communicating with honesty and respect
Enjoying your time together as a family
Learning how to work out solutions without excessive family drama
Creating a home environment that is filled with peace, understanding, and harmony
Topics
Week I— Parenting for the Long Haul
Week II— Why Do They Do What They Do?
Week III— What to Do When You Want to Trade Them In!
Week IV— If We Can’t Punish or Reward, What?
Week V— Parenting on the Same Page
Bonuses
Downloadable resources (checklists, worksheets, PDF guides, etc.)
Access to a live group with others
Direct email access
Weekly live webinars
Course completion certificate
Course Texts:
Redirecting Children’s Behavior and accompanying workbook by Kathryn Kvols
How to Raise an Amazing Child: The Montessori Way by Tim Seldin
Other Suggested Readings:
The Child in the Family by Maria Montessori,
Montessori Today by Paula Polk Lillard
Understanding Montessori: A Guide for Parents by Maren Schmidt
The Cost:
$150 a parenting couple/$125 for Members of the Montessori Family Alliance (plus the cost of books)
If you are reading this in Tomorrow’s Child magazine then you are probably a member of the Montessori Family Alliance. The online course is available for only $125 (member price) plus the cost of books. You can sign up today at www.montessori.org
Or if you prefer live classes, talk to your school administrator to find out how your school can offer The Parenting Puzzle: The Basics live.
To Register: tinyurl.com/parentingpuzzle
To join the Montessori Family Alliance:montessori.org/mfa/
Tomorow’s Child/ November 2017/ Pg 25
For the first time in nearly fifty years, the United States is playing host to the International Montessori Congress; most recently held in France, Australia, and India. The Montessori Institute Northwest, of Portland, is facilitating the historical event under the auspices of the Association Montessori Internationale. It will be held at the Oregon Convention Center and attended by thousands. It will be a transformational event.
A dozen years ago, I boarded a plane in Boston, Massachusetts headed for Paris, France so as to attend the 24th International Montessori Congress. Prior to the Congress, I believed I was a committed Montessorian. That was most likely true. However, the Congress provided me the opportunity to truly understand that I was part of a global, educational movement that had begun, at that time, almost a century earlier.
At the 2001 Paris Congress, held at UNESCO’s headquarters, the Montessori Method was discussed by international scholars, as well as all of the attendees.While the words of those speakers still continue to resonate with me, so do all the other wondrous things I viewed and in which I participated.
Classical music was performed by highly recognized musicians and singers. Colors and patterns, vivid and diverse, flowed through hallways; Congress attendees dressed in garments that spoke of the countries they called home. Materials from Maria Montessori’s first classroom, housed in a beautifully crafted display, provided a lineage to the materials in contemporary classrooms. Conversing and sharing notes about the day’s events extended late into the night. Fanciful food, dancing, and after-parties brought the Congress to a formal close, while simultaneously celebrating all that had just begun: seeds of ideas, renewed and new friendships. The list is long.
This summer, the Montessori International Congress in Portland, Oregon will echo all that I experienced in Paris and so much more. The theme alone, “Montessori: Guided by Nature,” is provocative and vast. The ‘who’ that is guided by nature is open and is, therefore, inclusive of both the child and the adult. Add to this that, for the first time in the Congress’ history, the conference is open to all; educators, philosophers, social workers, researchers, artists, and parents will be in attendance. Therefore, the ‘who’ in regard to the theme, “Guided by Nature,” is the populace at large. A paradigm shift in global thinking regarding education and nature will gain momentum via the actions of attendees.
The keynote speakers, including Dr. Brian Swimme, Paul Hawkens, Dr. Vandana Shiva, and Judith Snow, are torch bearers in regard to the re-assessing and sustaining of dignity and respect in that complex relationship of human life and the universe at large. There are also eighty breakout speakers, whose subjects range from “Neuroscience Research and Montessori” to “Biomimicry: Learning from Nature’s Genius.” This is one of the most provocative elements of the Montessori community – it’s inclusiveness of diverse fields of study and the interweaving of those fields under its pedagogical umbrella.
In Portland, as I experienced at the 24th International Congress, there will also be music, historical materials for viewing and pondering, food for the plenty, conversation for two and twenty, and, yes, there will be dancing and celebrating. It will be amazing. Join me and so many others.
http://themoveablealphabet.blogspot.com/
Montessori Leadership / 2013 / p 9
The Montessori Way, Revised and Expanded: An Education for Life; A Comprehensive Guide for Parents and Teachers
$25.00
The Montessori Child: A Parent's Guide to Raising Capable Children with Creative Minds and Compassionate Hearts (The Parents' Guide to Montessori)
$20.00
The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being (The Parents' Guide to Montessori)
$20.00
Montessori in Action: Building Resilient Montessori Schools 1st Edition
$29.95
Bulk Order, 30 Copies of Montessori for Every Family: A Practical Parenting Guide To Living, Loving, And Learning
Original price was: $600.00.$510.00Current price is: $510.00.
The Montessori Way, Revised and Expanded: An Education for Life; A Comprehensive Guide for Parents and Teachers
$25.00
The Montessori Child: A Parent's Guide to Raising Capable Children with Creative Minds and Compassionate Hearts (The Parents' Guide to Montessori)
$20.00
The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being (The Parents' Guide to Montessori)
$20.00
Montessori in Action: Building Resilient Montessori Schools 1st Edition
$29.95
Bulk Order, 30 Copies of Montessori for Every Family: A Practical Parenting Guide To Living, Loving, And Learning
Original price was: $600.00.$510.00Current price is: $510.00.