Abstract/Notes: Maria Montessori (1870-1952) proposed four planes or stages in children's development, within which were sensitive periods. Normalisation, a transformative process, typically occurs during the first plane of development (birth to six years) and is the essence of Montessori education philosophy. It is a time when children exercise self-discipline and concentration. No direct observation protocols exist to assess normalisation. This research developed the Early Childhood Normalisation Observation Schedule, through three sequentially linked phases. A systematic review of the literature, referral to expert panels and cognitive interviews, and two separate observation studies demonstrated rates of children's normalisation behaviours in authentic Montessori classes.

Language: English

Published: Perth, Australia, 2023

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Language: English

Language: English

Language: English

ISSN: 1071-6246

Language: English

Language: English

Language: Swedish

Published: Uppsala, Sweden: Historiska institutionen, 2011

ISBN: 978-91-977312-9-4

Series: Opuscula Historica Upsaliensia , 44

Abstract/Notes: This study asked how specific characteristics of preschool settings affect the naturalistic occurrence of environmental constraints and children's adaptations to them. A taxonomy of 7 varieties of constraints invented by Jackson and Wolfson (1968) and a taxonomy of 14 adaptations were used. The constraints conformed to Schoggen's (1963) definition of conflict environmental force units (conflict EFU). 2 middle-class nursery schools and 2 Head Start programs were studied. These environments enabled the effects of several ecological variables- structure of the daily program, spaciousness of the schoolroom, and teacher-children ratio-and several personal variables-age, sex, and social class -on the incidence of conflict EFU and adaptations to be determined. Differential linkages of the adaptations with varieties of conflict EFU were also examined. The environmental variable which differentiated preschool settings was the program structure, and significant effects for age, sex, and social class were also found.

Language: English

DOI: 10.2307/1127453

ISSN: 0009-3920

Abstract/Notes: There is an expanse of literature looking at various topics supporting Montessori education, especially in preschool; however, there is a lack of research in infant and toddler Montessori classrooms. Most of the empirical data regarding language acquisition has focused on the child’s acquisition of vocabulary through direct instruction, rather than the learning capability from overhearing a third party in a naturalistic setting. The purpose of this intervention study was to add to the limited empirical research on language acquisition in infant and toddler Montessori environments. More specifically, the intervention assessed if infants and toddlers could indirectly acquire new vocabulary through the Absorbent Mind from teachers and peers’ ambient dialogue during the Montessori three-period lesson. The research utilized a descriptive, correlational pre-and-post quasi-experimental design to assess and analyze vocabulary and ambient language. Data collection occurred in three Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and American Montessori Society (AMS) infant and toddler mixed-aged environments throughout New York State and Maryland. The Language Environmental Analysis (LENA) system was used to analyze audio recordings. Transcriptions of audio recordings quantified vocabulary acquisition and ambient language. Paired t-tests and ANCOVA were used to analyze children’s acquired vocabulary. A fidelity scale analyzed the extent to which Montessori trained teachers adhered to the three-period lesson intervention. The findings provide opportunities to improve infant and toddler teachers' classroom practice related to language acquisition. Suggestions were offered for early childhood teacher preparation programs.

Language: English

Published: Brookville, New York, 2021