Abstract/Notes: The key role of toys and play in early years education has been highlighted by several childhood pedagogues such as Froebel, Montessori, Weikart, and Malaguzzi, among many others. It is consensual among the international educational community that children now spend far more time being instructed an...

Language: English

Published: Hershey, Pennsylvania: IGI Global, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-5225-5167-6

Abstract/Notes: Article text: In recent months we have observed a lot of concern expressed about poor literacy skills and indeed the large number of children who are unable to read even at a very basic level. Further, it has been noted that many of the young men in our prison are unable to read and therefore do not benefit from the ideas, knowledge and information which the written word can impart. Why is it that with the great increase in teacher training and with educational opportunities open to all, why is the legendary 96% literacy rate we once boasted about, now only a myth? Literacy in its broadest sense embraces a wide range of skills. The Lindawood Bell programme promotes a sensory approach to teaching Reading. This pro- gramme states: “Reading is an integra- tion of processing skills; word attack skills, sight reading, contextual fluency, oral vocabulary, and comprehension.” As an Early Childhood Education teacher, I am particularly interested in the earliest experiences of our children at home and at school as they learn to speak, to express themselves and to become literate. I opened Happy Vale Montessori School in September 1973 as a Nursery School for children from 2+ to 6 years old. In over 40 years of operating Happy Vale, we never had a child leave us unable to read at a level expected for her age. I am told by the current administrators that the same is true today. The Montessori Method is based on a phonics first approach and a sensory, hands-on approach. It consists of a step-by-step series of learning materials which ensure success. Following a thorough knowledge of phonetic words, the child is introduced to each diagraph, one by one, all using specially prepared learning material, which she can manipulate herself. There is urgent need for research to investigate our children’s experiences at school and how they are being taught to read. For several years I had interesting experiences working with young primary school children in an after-school programme at my church. Year after year, I found that every child could recite the vocal sound of each letter, but had no idea how to use this information in word recognition. They had no word attack skills and had great difficulty reading the simplest phonetic words. I notice that the Sunday Advocate of 20th September, in an article on Literacy, carried a photograph of an old bus converted to a mobile library. This is a great idea, but how do we help those children who are unable to take advantage of this service because they simply cannot read? I rest my case.

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: Well into the 1930s, the Italian Maria Montessori stated at the European Congress for Peace in Brussels that ‘preventing conflicts is the work of politics; establishing peace is the work of education’. She explicitly linked peace to education and promoted a kind of learning that deviates from mainstream traditional education. Learning for peace was a way of showing that education is not simply about the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills but that it serves a larger purpose, a ‘public common good’. As we gradually approach the twenty-first century, there is a need to rethink about ways in which our educational system can respond to the global challenges. This chapter shows that there are possibilities to build on age-old legacies and theories to improve the quality of education and contribute to a more sustainable future. The focus is on Maria Montessori who somehow appears to be a rare name in the philosophy of education and peace literature.

Language: English

Published: Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2020

ISBN: 978-3-030-48671-6

Language: German

Published: Münster, Germany: LIT, 2008

ISBN: 978-3-8258-0850-1

Series: Impulse der Reformpädagogik , 19

Abstract/Notes: This volume provides an examination of the theoretical basis for preschool through elementary school multiage grouping, a realistic picture of what it looks like, some guidelines for planning and implementing a multiage model, and recommendations from practicing multiage teachers. Chapter 1 defines multiage grouping and provides a brief history of the movement. Chapter 2 supplies the theoretical framework by examining which theories contribute to the creation of a solid foundation upon which multiage grouping is built. The theories are cognitive, social learning, sociocultural, psychosocial, and ecological. Chapter 3 provides the readers with the common beliefs and the curricular, instructional, and assessment elements inherent in multiage settings. Chapter 4 describes four sites that are currently using multiage models. Chapter 5 follows with some down-to-earth advice on how to get stared and how to be assured that a program will be solid enough to overcome some of the barriers

Language: English

Published: Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press, Inc., 1995

ISBN: 0-8039-6267-3

Abstract/Notes: Poster presentation at an undetermined conference.

Language: English

Language: English

Published: [S.I.]: South African Montessori Association, 2006

Abstract/Notes: Guide to Montessori education. Answers questions such as: How will I know if Montessori is right for my child? How is Montessori different from other educational methods? Why is Montessori considered an education for life? How does Montessori nurture a love of learning?

Runtime: 12 minutes

Language: English

Published: Rockville, Maryland, 2003

Abstract/Notes: In February of 2013, President Obama announced the President’s Early Learning Initiative to focus on improving access to high-quality early care and education. Over the past four decades numerous studies — such as the Perry Preschool Study, the Abecedarian Project, the Chicago Longitudinal Study, and the Cost, Quality, and Child Outcomes Study—have indicated that high-quality early childhood education increases the likelihood that children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, will become successful students and citizens. Montessori is a well-established and time-tested approach to early learning. A growing body of research on Montessori education demonstrates the superior impact of learning environments that are structured, exploratory, and highly enriched with developmentally appropriate materials and resources. When children have a robust and positive foundation that supports strong cognition, executive functions, social-emotional development, and non-cognitive skills, they enter school and society from a place of strength. High quality Montessori education provides this foundation, and our goal is to bring it to scale for all families through the public system. NCMPS is the lead organization working in conjunction with Montessori educators, associations, and activists to bring high-quality Montessori education as a viable and accessible alternative - if not the standard approach - to 0-6 education in this country.

Language: English

Published: Washington, D.C., 2016

Abstract/Notes: Creating fully implemented Montessori programs in the public sector presents challenges because states and districts frequently lack funding to serve students younger than age five. Some states offer state-funded pre-K programs for three- and/or four-year-olds, but the availability of these programs varies widely. Some public Montessori programs charge tuition for three and four-year-olds to create mixed age primary classrooms. When establishing policies for how tuition-paying pre-K students will matriculate into the publicly funded program at age five, public Montessori programs should ensure their programs remain accessible to low-income families.

Language: English

Published: Washington, D.C., 2016