Language: English

Language: English

Published: Lunasa, Ireland: Gearailt, 1971

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

Abstract/Notes: In 1987, parents and teachers from diverse neighborhoods of a local school district in New York (New York) founded the Bronx New School, a small public elementary school of choice that was meant to be learner-centered, with high standards for all. The school was organized into heterogeneous, multi-age classes and structured to encourage collaboration among faculty, students, and families. In spite of political stresses, the school's founding values have survived. This report focuses on the first 3 years of its life, a time when a comprehensive assessment system was designed and used throughout the school. The assessment system was designed to support instruction and learning through the collection of descriptive records of student growth. Teacher-kept records, student-kept records, and samples of student work in portfolios are used in combination to develop a picture of student learning. A developmental framework constructed by teachers provides a general guide for expectations of

Language: English

Published: New York, New York, Sep 1994

Language: English, Italian

ISSN: 0008-7181

Abstract/Notes: By focusing on key figures in early years education and care, this book considers the influential thinkers and ground-breaking approaches that have revolutionized practice. With contributions from the leading authorities and researchers in the field, chapters provide an explanation of the approach, an analysis of the theoretical background, case studies from practice and questions and discussion points to facilitate critical thinking. Included are chapters on: Froebel, Psychoanalytical theories of educating and caring for young children, Maria Montessori, Steiner Waldorf education, High/Scope, Post-modern and post-structuralist perspectives, The role of the creative arts, Forest Schools, Vivian Gussin Paley, Te Whariki.

Language: English

Published: [S.I.]: SAGE Publications, 2010

ISBN: 978-1-84920-577-1

Language: English

Published: Cleveland, Ohio: NAMTA, 1995

Language: English

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