Abstract/Notes: Discusses the importance of developing a child's relationship with nature in Montessori education. Surveys natural outdoor activities for the toddler and 3- to 6-year- old child, including addressing the planet's functions and destiny through maps, storytelling, and going out, and for young adolescents, living on the land.

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Abstract/Notes: Molly wrote this article thirteen years ago. It is a fitting counterpart to the preface of this publicaton because it predicts the role of nature across the planes of education even before the Erdkinder was tested. The article combines contemporary environmentalists with Montessori's seminal insight into the developmental impact of nature on the child's personality. [Reprinted from "The NAMTA Journal" 25,1 (2000, Winter): 119-143. This article is based on a talk presented at the Twenty-Third International Montessori Congress, Cancun, Mexico, July 23-26, 1999.]

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Abstract/Notes: David Orr suggests that environmentalist and peace educators must teach civics, law, government, and political history to deeply cultivate an understanding of the influences and policies that create and perpetuate environmental destruction and humanitarian crises. Citizens, especially students, must comprehend the political forces and the public interests that have created the current destabilization of our environment and human community and must become civically and politically engaged to affect actual policy change.

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Language: English

Published: New York: A. A. Knopf, 1930

Abstract/Notes: The language immersion approach of the Intercultural Montessori School (Oak Park, Illinois) for children aged 2-6 years is described and discussed. An introductory section gives background information on early work with immersion by Maria Montessori, a personal experience leading to the school's establishment, and the response of language and education professionals, the public, and parents to the concept of preschool immersion. Subsequent sections discuss common patterns in the students' language learning experience at the school and the developmental stages the learners went through as the experiment progressed: pre-production; early production; speech emergence; and intermediate fluency. Anecdotal information about specific students and events are used for illustration. Observations about comprehensible input and the Montessori manipulables, whole language, and other instructional strategies are included. Specific recommendations are made for content and classroom procedures in early childhood immersion, based on this experience. The paper concludes with reflections on the potential of this environment for development of bilingualism.

Language: English

Published: Oak Park, Illinois: InterCultura Montessori School, 1997

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: This action research project was completed to test the impact of a series of lessons centered around empathy and building social skills on the students and community of a Montessori elementary classroom. The setting was a suburban school in a classroom of 15 children ages six to nine. The students were primarily Caucasian and coming from middle class families. Data was collected using a tally sheet, observational field notes, a series of journal prompts and a pre/post survey. Both Grace and Courtesy lessons and storytelling sessions were part of the intervention plan. The children participated in a variety of ways including role playing, discussions, and story sharing. The results showed that the lessons did improve the interactions between the children as well as the feelings of community. The children developed a common language and skills to more positively navigate difficult interactions.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2019

Abstract/Notes: Under current circumstances, educational issues such as the achievement gap, non-cognitive development, Executive Function, and students with challenging behaviors impact day-to-day classroom practices and fundamentally reshape the results of education. The purpose of this research was to utilize the Montessori environment and principles, as well as the "normalization" approach developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, to help students with behavioral and learning challenges find the balance of their mental developmental processes and maximize their academic achievement at the same time. This action research conducted focused-group case studies of the Montessori Normalization process for children possessing behavioral and learning challenges at a preschool in rural China. The research applied pre-and post-assessment for the 3-6-year-old participants to investigate the evidence of improvement. The assessment utilized indicators based on symptom guidelines for ADHD, ASD, Learning disorders, and Learning Difficulties, published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study’s findings indicate that the Montessori-guided early childhood education intervention had helped students with behavioral and learning challenges, thereby providing an alternative solution for addressing the challenge of the development gap. This research also suggested that Montessori-based classrooms provide a positive, nurturing environment for gifted children with learning difficulties (exceptional learners) who confront challenges in a mainstream classroom.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2022

Abstract/Notes: This qualitative research study was conducted during synchronous class sessions with adult learners enrolled in an online Montessori teacher education program. The aim was to determine which techniques were being used to facilitate adult learning in an online learning environment. The research collected data through data tools designed to record the observed behaviors of participants engaged in online synchronous class sessions. The data revealed the use of learning techniques beneficial to developing self-confidence, community building, and knowledge acquisition by utilizing qualitative and quantitative research methods. This study can serve as a framework for future research projects focusing on adult learning methods and techniques that will positively impact adult learners’ experience in online learning environments. This study provided evidence that supports techniques that focus on supporting and encouraging adult learners to build self-confidence while cultivating a supportive community of learners. Overall, having synchronous class sessions appear to be beneficial to the building of community, self-confidence of the adult learners, and worthwhile use of time to evaluate the effectiveness of learning in online environments. Synchronous class sessions, accompanied by asynchronous activities of adult learners, are a very effective way of educating future teachers in the Montessori method.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2022

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this action research project is to determine the effect of the lessons of Grace and Courtesy on children's peer reverence in a Montessori primary (ages 3-6) environment. This research study was conducted at a private Montessori School in a midwestern suburb. The four-week study was completed in a Primary Montessori environment with 13 children, ranging in age from three to six years old. During the study, data was collected on behaviors related to peer reverence and the lessons Grace and Courtesy. Data was also collected on the collective attitude, as observed and reflected on, by the adult. Data from the study showed that the use of the lessons of Grace and Courtesy correlated to the decrease in number of undesired behaviors and increase in number of desired behaviors related to peer reverence. Further study could include the effect of lessons of Grace and Courtesy on conflict resolution; the effect of the lessons of Grace and Courtesy on social skills; the effect of daily repetition of the same lesson of Grace and Courtesy; the use of cards to follow-up on the lessons of Grace and Courtesy; and the use of the lessons of Grace and Courtesy outside a Montessori environment.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2021