Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this action research study was to explore how sharing anti-bias children’s books in literature small groups in a lower elementary Montessori class affects children’s perceptions of and ability to communicate about themselves, their families, and others, as well as the classmates with whom they choose to associate. The sample studied in this research was a class of 20 children aged six to nine at a private Montessori school located in a small town adjacent to a large Midwestern city. Data was collected through pre and post oral interviews, written reading reflection worksheets, and daily teacher observations of children’s work and play partners. The study found that anti-bias literature small groups are an effective way to improve children’s perceptions of themselves and their ability to communicate about human difference. More research is needed about how to improve children’s perceptions of their families and their ability to communicate about human similarity. Additionally, a longer intervention period and refined data collection tool are recommended in order to learn more about the impact of anti-bias literature small groups on children’s choice of work and play partners.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2019

Language: English

ISSN: 0889-5643

Language: English

ISSN: 0889-5643

Language: English

ISSN: 0028-5048

Abstract/Notes: In the United States, children are often given the opportunity to engage in pretend activities; many believe this kind of play benefits children’s development. Recent research has shown, though, that when children ages 4 to 6 are given a choice to do the pretend or the real version of 9 different activities, they would prefer the real one. The reasons children gave for preferring real activities often concerned their appreciation of the functionality; when children did prefer pretend activities, their reasons often cited being afraid of, not allowed to, or unable to do the real activity. Given that children in Montessori classrooms have more experience performing real, functional activities, in this study we asked if this preference for real activities is even stronger among children in Montessori schools. We also asked children to explain their preferences. The data are from 116 3- to 6-year-old children (M = 59.63 months, SD = 12.08 months; 68 female): 62 not in Montessori schools and 54 in Montessori schools. Children explained their preferences for pretendand real versions of 9 different activities. Children in Montessori schools preferred real activities even more than did children in other preschools, but all children explained their choices in similar ways. The implications of these results are discussed with regard to play in preschool classrooms.

Language: English

DOI: 10.17161/jomr.v4i2.7586

ISSN: 2378-3923

Abstract/Notes: This article draws on Martha Nussbaum's distinction between basic, internal, and external (or combined) capacities to better specify possible locations for children's ‘incapacity’ for autonomy. I then examine Maria Montessori's work on what she calls ‘normalization’, which involves a release of children's capacities for autonomy and self-governance made possible by being provided with the right kind of environment. Using Montessori, I argue that, in contrast to many ordinary and philosophical assumptions, children's incapacities for autonomy are best understood as consequences of an absence of external conditions necessary for children to exercise capacities they already have internally, rather than intrinsic limitations based on their stage of life. In a closing section, I show how Montessori proposes a model wherein both children and adults have autonomy, power, and responsibility, but over different spheres, and suggest implications of these differences for who has responsibility for establishing the conditions under which children can flourish.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1111/1467-9752.12134

ISSN: 1467-9752

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of young children's team centered problem-based learning strategies(team centered PBL) on the self-efficacy and academic interests in young children's mathematics. For these purposes, the data were collected by questionnaire from 27 young children living in S-city. They were respectively assigned to experimental group and comparative group. The experimental group was trained four weeks with the 12th sessions through the team centered PBL. Before administrating the experimental procedure, both groups took the pretest for measuring their self-efficacy and academic interests. After the experimental sessions, they also took the posttests to measure both of them. The major results of this study were as follows: First, the experimental group trained through the team centered PBL strategies has got higher scores on the self-efficacy questionnaire than the comparative group. Second, the former which got higher scores on the self-efficacy also gained more scores on academic interests test than the latter. In light of these results, it suggests that young children's self-efficacy in the kindergarten could be acquired through team centered PBL strategies. / 본 연구의 목적은 유아 수학에 대한 모둠별 문제중심 학습전략이 유아의 자기효능감과 학습흥미에 어떤 영향을 미치는지를 밝혀내는 것이다. 이를 수행하기 위해 경기도 S시 소재의 H유치원만 5세반 실험집단 14명에게 4주 동안 총 12차시에 걸쳐 유아 수학 관련 모둠별 문제중심 학습전략을 실시하였다. 모둠별 문제중심 학습전략이 종료된 후에 유아 수학 관련 자기효능감검사와 학습흥미검사의 결과를 비교집단 13명의 결과와 비교 분석하였다. 본 연구에서 밝혀진 주요 결과로는 첫째, 모둠별 문제중심 학습전략을 받은 실험집단이 그렇지 않은 비교집단보다 유아 수학에 대한 자기효능감 점수가 유의미하게 높았다. 둘째, 모둠별 문제중심 학습전략으로 자기효능감이 높아진 실험집단이 그렇지 않은 비교집단보다 유아 수학에 대한 학습흥미에서도 유의미하게 높았다. 이 같은 연구결과는 수업시간에 유아들에게 수학 관련 모둠별 문제중심 학습전략이 제공될 경우, 유아들의 수학 관련 자기효능감과 학습흥미가 향상될 수 있음을 의미한다. 따라서 유아들의 수학 관련 자기효능감과 학습흥미 향상을 위해 모둠별 문제중심 학습전략을 적용해 볼 필요성이 있을 것이다.

Language: Korean

ISSN: 1226-9417

Abstract/Notes: In order to know general awareness for children's song among preschoolers, their teachers and parents the questionary paper survey was performed against 212 of kindergarteners, 63 of their teachers and 197 of their parents. At the sametime their favorite children's songs were collected among the prepared lists of children's songs and selected about 10 children's songs for each group, in order. Also, those selected children's songs were analyzed their musical elements, too. The under 4 year old and female children more favorited the singing children's songs everyday than the 5 year old and male. Thachers replied that they selected the proper children's songs in the basic of the topics of usual daily life and children's interests. Also, parents believed that children's songs is very important to develop their children's musicality. Finally, the favorite children's songs were analyzed as followings the major beat was 4/4, the major tonality was C major, the major form and leongth were 8-34 measures, and the major rhythm was the replicated, symcopated and nimbled one. / 본 연구에서는 유아·교사·학부모의 동요에 관한 인지수준과 선호하는 동요의 유형은 어떠한지 또한 유아들이 선호하는 동요의 음악적 구성요소는 어떠한지에 대해 알아보았다. 연구의 대상은 국·공·사립유치원의 유아 212명, 교사 63명 및 학부모 197명이다. 본 연구의 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 유아·교사·학부모의 동요에 관한 인지수준은 유아·교사·학부모 모두가 동요를 좋아하고 동요부르기가 음악성 발달에 매우 중요한 것으로 인식하고 있는 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 유아·교사·학부모가 선호하는 동요의 유형은 유아는 동물 또는 가족과 관련된 창작동요를 교사는 동물과 식물에 관련된 창작동요제곡과 인터넷동요를 학부모는 식물과 사랑, 기본생활습관에 관련된 창작동요와 인터넷동요를 선호하였다. 결과적으로 유아·교사·학부모의 선호하는 동요는 크게 차이는 없지만 유아들이 선호하는 동요는 학부모의 선호도 보다는 교사가 선호하는 동요와 일치도가 높아 학부모보다는 교사의 영향을 더 받는 것으로 판단되었다. 셋째, 유아들이 선호하는 동요의 악곡의 특징은 노래 마지막 부분에 강세가 있거나 반복적인 리듬과 노랫말에 엄마, 아빠, 아기로 표현된 가족과 연관된 노래와 동물을 의인화한 노래 또는 동물의 의성어를 표현한 노래를 좋아하는 것으로 나타났다.

Language: Korean

ISSN: 1226-9417

Abstract/Notes: Students of color comprise a majority in public Montessori school enrollments around the United States, and practitioners are often asked for evidence of the Montessori Method’s benefits for these students. This article examines the relevant literature related to the experiences of students of color in public Montessori schools. Research finds Montessori education offers both opportunities and limitations for students of color in attending diverse schools, developing executive functions, achieving academically, accessing early childhood education and culturally responsive education, minimizing racially disproportionate discipline, and limiting overidentification for special education. Public Montessori education’s efficacy with students of color may be limited by several factors: the lack of diversity of the teaching staff and culturally responsive teacher education, schools that struggle to maintain racially diverse enrollments, and the challenge of communicating Montessori’s benefits to families with alternative views of education. The review concludes with directions for future research.

Language: English

DOI: 10.17161/jomr.v3i1.5859

ISSN: 2378-3923

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this action research project was to explore how the implementation of bucket filling could affect self-regulation in 5-year-olds in a Montessori classroom. The bucket filling theme is character education children’s literature. The collection of data for this action research utilized a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative, including the pre- and post-Preschool Self-Regulation Assessment, daily observation reflections, and tally sheets of behaviors. The data collected and analyzed in this study use of bucket filling can have some effect on self-regulation skills in 5-year-olds in a Montessori classroom. Self-regulation is essential to success in the classroom and in the world at large, any intervention that supports self-regulation is vital for students and teachers.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2019