Montessori
whisperingoaks2
Pam,
What your mom thought of Montessori does not describe very well my experience with
Montessori. We had a dress up corner and a popular art room with paints and other art
supplies always accessible with special art projects now and then. We had stories and
singing every day, the Montessori bells were always available to play, and there was lots of
make believe on the playground. The children could use the Montessori materials in
whatever logical way they wished. There is an advantage to large classes because the
children are choosing activities on their own and learning from each other, which fosters a
surprising independence from intrusion by an adult. The name Montessori is not
copyrighted, so anyone can start a Montessori school, and there is quite a variety among
them. I hope people reading this post will not make assumptions about Montessori but
will go observe at their local Montessori school if they are interested. Linda
What your mom thought of Montessori does not describe very well my experience with
Montessori. We had a dress up corner and a popular art room with paints and other art
supplies always accessible with special art projects now and then. We had stories and
singing every day, the Montessori bells were always available to play, and there was lots of
make believe on the playground. The children could use the Montessori materials in
whatever logical way they wished. There is an advantage to large classes because the
children are choosing activities on their own and learning from each other, which fosters a
surprising independence from intrusion by an adult. The name Montessori is not
copyrighted, so anyone can start a Montessori school, and there is quite a variety among
them. I hope people reading this post will not make assumptions about Montessori but
will go observe at their local Montessori school if they are interested. Linda
Schuyler
Why would you hope that on an unschooling list?
Schuyler
www.waynforth.blogspot.com
I hope people reading this post will not make assumptions about Montessori but
will go observe at their local Montessori school if they are interested.
.
_,_._,___
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Schuyler
www.waynforth.blogspot.com
I hope people reading this post will not make assumptions about Montessori but
will go observe at their local Montessori school if they are interested.
.
_,_._,___
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Danielle Conger
whisperingoaks2 wrote:
I incorporated a lot of Montessori into my home when my kids were young,
but rejected much of it for precisely the reasons Pam noted. The lessons
and right way to use toys was *far* too rigid in my opinion and closed
down much learning.
Take the nesting boxes, for example. Kids would be shown how to use
them, correctly stacking from largest to smallest, totally bypassing all
the amazing experiments that can be done by stacking them in different
ways.
Waldorf, too, has many wonderful creative aspects to it, and I'm very
drawn to the reverence of nature, etc. But too rigid--it, too, shuts
down so many learning opportunities.
Nope. I choose unschooling, hands down.
--
~~Danielle
Emily (9), Julia (7), Sam (6)
http://www.organiclearning.blogspot.com
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Connections: ezine of unschooling and mindful parenting
http://connections.organiclearning.org
>Who gets to define "logical" and why is that more valuable than "creative"?
> The children could use the Montessori materials in
> whatever logical way they wished.
>
I incorporated a lot of Montessori into my home when my kids were young,
but rejected much of it for precisely the reasons Pam noted. The lessons
and right way to use toys was *far* too rigid in my opinion and closed
down much learning.
Take the nesting boxes, for example. Kids would be shown how to use
them, correctly stacking from largest to smallest, totally bypassing all
the amazing experiments that can be done by stacking them in different
ways.
Waldorf, too, has many wonderful creative aspects to it, and I'm very
drawn to the reverence of nature, etc. But too rigid--it, too, shuts
down so many learning opportunities.
Nope. I choose unschooling, hands down.
--
~~Danielle
Emily (9), Julia (7), Sam (6)
http://www.organiclearning.blogspot.com
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Connections: ezine of unschooling and mindful parenting
http://connections.organiclearning.org
Ren Allen
~~ I hope people reading this post will not make assumptions about
Montessori but will go observe at their local Montessori school if
they are interested. ~~
I hope people reading this list will realize that Montessori holds no
special formula for learning and that children don't need specialized
classrooms or materials to learn naturally and beautifully.
I hope people reading this list will trust themselves and their
children enough to realize that they have everything they need for
learning together by being aware, present and joyfully involved with
each other.
I hope people reading this list will trust LIFE itself as the best way
to learn, trust the world and universe enough to know that it holds
anything and everything you need for your life journey and learning
adventures.
I hope people reading this post will not make assumptions about the
perceived "value" of Montessori over their own homes and choices but
will go observe their own children learning naturally at this very
moment without contrived methods and loads of money being thrown at
some stranger when they themselves are perfectly capable of providing
all that their child needs right now. Simply by being in tune to that
which fascinates your own child, you can provide all that they need
for today, for this moment.
I hope that anyone stopping by here will go read more about
unschooling and quit thinking that ANY school has some magic bullet
for creating a wonderful learning environment. Your child holds the magic.
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
Montessori but will go observe at their local Montessori school if
they are interested. ~~
I hope people reading this list will realize that Montessori holds no
special formula for learning and that children don't need specialized
classrooms or materials to learn naturally and beautifully.
I hope people reading this list will trust themselves and their
children enough to realize that they have everything they need for
learning together by being aware, present and joyfully involved with
each other.
I hope people reading this list will trust LIFE itself as the best way
to learn, trust the world and universe enough to know that it holds
anything and everything you need for your life journey and learning
adventures.
I hope people reading this post will not make assumptions about the
perceived "value" of Montessori over their own homes and choices but
will go observe their own children learning naturally at this very
moment without contrived methods and loads of money being thrown at
some stranger when they themselves are perfectly capable of providing
all that their child needs right now. Simply by being in tune to that
which fascinates your own child, you can provide all that they need
for today, for this moment.
I hope that anyone stopping by here will go read more about
unschooling and quit thinking that ANY school has some magic bullet
for creating a wonderful learning environment. Your child holds the magic.
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
Vickisue Gray
Wow, another treasure.
Vicki
"Your child holds the magic." quoted from Ren
----- Original Message ----
From: Ren Allen <starsuncloud@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, November 12, 2006 10:03:15 AM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Re: Montessori
~~ I hope people reading this post will not make assumptions about
Montessori but will go observe at their local Montessori school if
they are interested. ~~
I hope people reading this list will realize that Montessori holds no
special formula for learning and that children don't need specialized
classrooms or materials to learn naturally and beautifully.
I hope people reading this list will trust themselves and their
children enough to realize that they have everything they need for
learning together by being aware, present and joyfully involved with
each other.
I hope people reading this list will trust LIFE itself as the best way
to learn, trust the world and universe enough to know that it holds
anything and everything you need for your life journey and learning
adventures.
I hope people reading this post will not make assumptions about the
perceived "value" of Montessori over their own homes and choices but
will go observe their own children learning naturally at this very
moment without contrived methods and loads of money being thrown at
some stranger when they themselves are perfectly capable of providing
all that their child needs right now. Simply by being in tune to that
which fascinates your own child, you can provide all that they need
for today, for this moment.
I hope that anyone stopping by here will go read more about
unschooling and quit thinking that ANY school has some magic bullet
for creating a wonderful learning environment. Your child holds the magic.
Ren
learninginfreedom. com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Vicki
"Your child holds the magic." quoted from Ren
----- Original Message ----
From: Ren Allen <starsuncloud@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, November 12, 2006 10:03:15 AM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Re: Montessori
~~ I hope people reading this post will not make assumptions about
Montessori but will go observe at their local Montessori school if
they are interested. ~~
I hope people reading this list will realize that Montessori holds no
special formula for learning and that children don't need specialized
classrooms or materials to learn naturally and beautifully.
I hope people reading this list will trust themselves and their
children enough to realize that they have everything they need for
learning together by being aware, present and joyfully involved with
each other.
I hope people reading this list will trust LIFE itself as the best way
to learn, trust the world and universe enough to know that it holds
anything and everything you need for your life journey and learning
adventures.
I hope people reading this post will not make assumptions about the
perceived "value" of Montessori over their own homes and choices but
will go observe their own children learning naturally at this very
moment without contrived methods and loads of money being thrown at
some stranger when they themselves are perfectly capable of providing
all that their child needs right now. Simply by being in tune to that
which fascinates your own child, you can provide all that they need
for today, for this moment.
I hope that anyone stopping by here will go read more about
unschooling and quit thinking that ANY school has some magic bullet
for creating a wonderful learning environment. Your child holds the magic.
Ren
learninginfreedom. com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Ren Allen
I have rejected two different messages that espoused how wonderful
Montessori is and how we as unschoolers should be learning about it.
First of all, this is a list to help people understand unschooling.
Secondly, most people here are fully aware of Maria Montessori's work
and other educational philosophies. Most people don't GET to
unschooling without learning a lot about education and learning in
general.
I'm posting this because I think the topic of various educational
philosohpies is a valid discussion. The reason I rejected the posts
was not to avoid a discussion on various educational philosophies and
the merits or demerits of each, but because I feel it is disrespectful
to the list members that joine here to learn about UNSCHOOLING.
So, to further this conversation, I am posting a small part of one
post that I rejected. I figured it will foster a discussion without
the list feeling "preached at" about how great Montessori is.
My issues with the following post are: Unschoolers are quite aware of
a child's need to be involved in real work and invited into the adult
world. If the poster had read here for more than a week, that much
would be obvious.
Secondly, how does Montessori meet these needs better than
unschooling?? The truth is, it doesn't. While Maria Montessori had
some great ideas about kids, the schools can't possibly give a child
the freedom AND nourishment that an involved parent can.
Anon:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am not suggesting that people close doors to homeschooling or
unschooling and all run to put their kids into a Montessori school.
Rather, Montessori presents a wonderful side
of children that people often miss--how kids not only love fantasy,but
they love reality as well. Kids not only love to play, but they love
to work and do what they see adults doing.
Kids love to stretch themselves and do hard things (as long as they
choose it themselves) and to do it themselves. They are pulled by
their own interest like a magnet into such activities and they get
tremendous satisfaction out of doing these things. The
Montessori environment is a response to the children's desire in
this direction.
Also, Montessori does not close the door to play, fantasy, art,
music, dance, poetry, love of
nature, etc., but these are all an integral part of Montessori as
well. Why not give the kids everything?
Montessori is and how we as unschoolers should be learning about it.
First of all, this is a list to help people understand unschooling.
Secondly, most people here are fully aware of Maria Montessori's work
and other educational philosophies. Most people don't GET to
unschooling without learning a lot about education and learning in
general.
I'm posting this because I think the topic of various educational
philosohpies is a valid discussion. The reason I rejected the posts
was not to avoid a discussion on various educational philosophies and
the merits or demerits of each, but because I feel it is disrespectful
to the list members that joine here to learn about UNSCHOOLING.
So, to further this conversation, I am posting a small part of one
post that I rejected. I figured it will foster a discussion without
the list feeling "preached at" about how great Montessori is.
My issues with the following post are: Unschoolers are quite aware of
a child's need to be involved in real work and invited into the adult
world. If the poster had read here for more than a week, that much
would be obvious.
Secondly, how does Montessori meet these needs better than
unschooling?? The truth is, it doesn't. While Maria Montessori had
some great ideas about kids, the schools can't possibly give a child
the freedom AND nourishment that an involved parent can.
Anon:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am not suggesting that people close doors to homeschooling or
unschooling and all run to put their kids into a Montessori school.
Rather, Montessori presents a wonderful side
of children that people often miss--how kids not only love fantasy,but
they love reality as well. Kids not only love to play, but they love
to work and do what they see adults doing.
Kids love to stretch themselves and do hard things (as long as they
choose it themselves) and to do it themselves. They are pulled by
their own interest like a magnet into such activities and they get
tremendous satisfaction out of doing these things. The
Montessori environment is a response to the children's desire in
this direction.
Also, Montessori does not close the door to play, fantasy, art,
music, dance, poetry, love of
nature, etc., but these are all an integral part of Montessori as
well. Why not give the kids everything?
Sandy
Why not give the kids everything?
already giving their children everything. :-)
~Sandy
>I believe that people who unschool or are learning how to unschool are
already giving their children everything. :-)
~Sandy
Michelle Leifur Reid
> Anon:Gee, I thought through unschooling I was. :-) I don't think that
> > Why not give the kids everything?
>
most unschoolers need someone else to offer all these things to their
kids. However you put it, Montessori is still SCHOOL and that doesn't
foster an unschooling environment. I believe that most unschoolers
are happily providing all the things that Maria Montessori (and all
the pseudo Montessoris) are saying are important for a child while at
the same time offering much much more!
Michelle
Ellen
I've always been a fan of Montessori in part because I started in one
and loved it as a little kid. And I do think that if I had to choose
between Montessori and public school, I'd pick a good Montessori
because there is more freedom and individuality built in.
But, now that I'm older and a mom myself, and after 2 years of reading
up on child development, education, and the like, I do think the best
thing is an unschooling environment because only then is each kid free
to become whatever he wants to be and however he wants to do it.
and loved it as a little kid. And I do think that if I had to choose
between Montessori and public school, I'd pick a good Montessori
because there is more freedom and individuality built in.
But, now that I'm older and a mom myself, and after 2 years of reading
up on child development, education, and the like, I do think the best
thing is an unschooling environment because only then is each kid free
to become whatever he wants to be and however he wants to do it.