Language: English

Abstract/Notes: Maureen Murphy-Ryan offers a clinical look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Her thorough definition of ADHD and the diagnoses that may occur simultaneously offer teachers an awareness of what this could look like in a classroom. However, it is only with professional medical input that a true diagnosis can be made and appropriate interventions can be put in place. Behavioral interventions are outlined, as well as the extremely sensitive issue of medication. By partnering these support systems with the Montessori environment and creating a conversation that includes the needs of the child and family, there is a greater chance to successfully help children find their focus. [This talk was presented at the NAMTA conference titled "Finding the Hook: Montessori Strategies to Support Concentration," October 6-9, 2016, in Columbia, MD.]

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Abstract/Notes: "The Advanced Montessori Method, Volume 1" was published in 1918 in English and is considered a seminal work along with "The Montessori Method." In the foreword to this book, Mario Montessori writes: "...the refulgent figure of the child, Dr. Montessori pointed out, who had found his own path to mental health, who spontaneously and joyfully had taken to learning at an early age, has caught the general attention anew." He refers to the immense power of auto-education and the dawning of a new science to bring a fuller understanding of all the traits of early childhood through observation including environment, attention, will, intelligence, and imagination. Attention refers to the stimulus that captures the child's focus or can be the attention propelled by an "internal impulse" or "spiritual hunger." It drives the child to repeat an exercise with attention fixed so intently from object to object that the initial learning brings a new kind of intense engagement. [Reprinted from "The Advanced Montessori Method, Volume 1" (1918). Kalakshetra Press (1965): 123-130. Reprinted with permission from Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company.]

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Abstract/Notes: This speech was delivered on September 27, 1957 at the 11th International Montessori Congress (Rome, Italy).

Language: Italian

Published: Roma, Italy: Vita dell'infanzia, 1959

Abstract/Notes: Barbabra Luborsky links the medical field and Montessori pedagogy to address atypical attention in children through the lens of the occupational therapist. She provides an overview of attention and sensory processing disorders and then informs about particular diagnoses, particularly ADHD and its comorbidity with other diagnoses. Her specific advice as to the role of a practitioner when faced with a struggling child is helpful to the individual teacher and to the entire school community, as addressing these challenges requires collaboration on the part of a number of adults. The second half of her article focuses on specific occupational therapy strategies to support children in a Montessori classroom and offers easily incorporated supplements and adaptations to the environment along with practical tools that can be used in any classroom by any practitioner. A bibliography is included. [This talk was presented at the NAMTA conference titled "Finding the Hook: Montessori Strategies to Support Concentration," October 6-9, 2016, in Columbia, MD.]

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Language: English

ISSN: 1071-6246

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: A growing interest in the benefits of youth meditation has led to new research in early childhood and elementary classrooms. The results of the existing studies are promising, but the body of research is limited and does not include children in a Montessori setting. Youth meditation studies have reported improvements in social-emotional behaviors, self-regulatory skills, executive function, and attention as a result of consistent meditation practices. An action research project was designed to determine if ten children, between the ages of two and a half and six years, in a Montessori classroom would demonstrate an increase in focus and concentration after six weeks of daily meditation practice. Data collection transpired via teacher observations, rating scales, and checklists. The results of this study denoted favorable variations in focus and concentration after the implementation of daily meditation. Future considerations include completing a lengthier assessment to determine the full effects of meditation on students' behavior as well as conducting a comprehensive study that incorporates additional Montessori schools.

Language: English

Published: River Falls, Wisconsin, 2019

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Language: English