What do we provide our children?

From the beginning, Dr. Montessori found one principle that holds true across all other teachings. When considering these young children, elementary children, adolescents - all in the process of developing themselves, taking in the environment around them to construct themselves:

The greatest for the least.




The best of ourselves. The best of the materials. The best of the culture. The best and richest language.

Good quality colored pencils.

High vocabulary.

Loving examples of relationships.

Order.

Simplicity.

The essentials.

To Be

Children need free time.

Large blocks of free time.

To be bored.

To explore nature.

To find themselves.

To be in silence.

To be in company with others.

To be.


So do adults.


Make that time.

Cosmic Education at all Planes: An Aid to Life

Margaret Stephenson as quoted in NAMTA Journal 23:3 Summer 1997:

Underlying the Montessori idea of "an aid to life" is her vision of the child as the cosmic agent of humanity and its survival. The theme that runs through the four planes is putting the child in touch with the cosmic task of the world and its inhabitants in a manner that is fitted to the psychology of each discrete plane. If a child does not get the connection in one plane, he or she cannot move on to the next plane fully prepared. 

(end quote)

The child does move on to the next plane, just not fully prepared.

What is given at each plane:

1. This connection is made subconsciously yet concretely through the materials. 
2. This connection is made more consciously, through approaching Cosmic Education as a drama, not as a lifeless curriculum. This drama is the vision of Montessori. If this drama inspires the child of the second plane...,
3. then when that child reaches the third plane, he or she will be able to ask, "What is my role in this drama?"

Ms. Stephenson again:

Going Out is also important to give the Elementary child a complete vision of the universe, and a particularly valuable aspect of Going Out is community service. This is the basis for the service we've been talking about for the adolescents; it needs to begin earlier than adolescence (in order to reach its fullest fruits). 

Keys at Every Plane of Development

Consider how the following words apply to EVERY plane of development. 

John McNamara as quoted in NAMTA Journal 23:3 Summer 1997:

Like I did when I taught at the Elementary level, I am still trying to help the students' passage to abstraction, to stimulate their interest, to capture their imagination, to meet their need for group work, to respect their growing moral awareness, and to give precise keys so they can proceed to make discoveries on their own. 

He refers to the adolescent age, but how does this apply to every age?

Spiritual Preparation of the Adult: Ownership of the Environment

This Montessori Nugget applies to all environments - not just Montessori ones.

Who owns the environment?

Adults? Children? Parents? Teachers? Do any of us? Do any of us truly own the environment?

The adult prepares the environment, but does so while considering the needs and characteristics of the children who will be present. The adult also looks at the bigger situation: is this is a school environment, a part-time co-op, a homeschool, an after-school, an impoverished area, an affluent area. All of these considerations and so many more dictate that the adult is not going to come in and set something up in a vacuum.

The children utilize the environment, take into themselves and construct themselves through their experiences.

This whole concept is a tough one for us adults, and there will be many more Montessori Nuggets on the subject.

For our Montessori environments:

Trust the materials described in the albums - go deep with them. There is a LOT that can be culled from just the basic materials. Then, if a child has found a true deep interest that even the depths of the material can't provide, then look at your situation, clarify the needs and fulfill them with appropriate further basic material. 


Anything beyond basic: let the child create - it's his interest, let him own it. 


You the adult provide the keys; you provide the environment; you provide a structure within which the child knows and can fulfill the requirements. Fully formed people at every plane are able to take responsibility for themselves through having access to the right tools. Provide those tools and disengage your own emotions, except to be proud of the wonderful creation in front of you :) 

Spiritual Preparation of the Adult: Who Owns the Learning?

Who owns the learning that takes place in the environment?

We want the children to be responsible, to want to be responsible, for something which we put our heart into for their sakes - the environment and the learning that takes place within it.

It can be so hard to avoid turning into a dictator, even a loving, well-meaning one. When we see our children delve into an interest, most of us want to immediately own that interest, direct that interest, provide requirements for that interest. "Oh, my son, I see your passion for Ancient Egypt! I have this book I want you to read through, it has all sorts of Egyptian activities we can do together! We'll do these particular ones here and we'll have so much fun!"

That can turn out great - but it also takes away ownership of the interest from the child. What if the child really just wanted to study a particular area of the culture and create a timeline; but just wasn't yet interested in the art projects and activities? What if he would have gotten to it later in his journey of exploration and been thoroughly fascinated then?

There are times we provide requirements, and give new presentations regardless of interest (this is how a child discovers new interests), but if the passion is already there, we can strew materials, drop hints, provide ideas, and even minimal requirements, but the child should truly own this passion.

It is a tough balance. And there will be more Montessori Nuggets on this subject.

In the example above, we can make a discovery of the said book, "Look what I have found! I thought this might be of interest to you. I'd love to do some of the activities in it together if you'd like. Just let me know!" And let it go.

If it comes down an education requirement, then it should be discussed ahead of time as part of a work-plan, or just done as a group separate from the child's actual exploration and research.


It is the child's passion - let him own it.