Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study is to present evidence of how base-ten-blocks have been developed and emphasized as a tool for learning in mathematics education. After an introduction of the theme, we discuss the theoretical and epistemological perspectives that provide the basis for our analysis of the literature. Then, we illustrate how base-ten-blocks have historically been associated with the numeral concepts from the prehistoric era to today. We also review studies about different manipulatives that focus on numerical concepts (e.g., Cuisenaire rods). This discussion will broaden our understanding regarding how perspectives toward mathematics instruction have changed with the introduction of base-ten-blocks. The intent was not to understand the process of developing base-ten-blocks but rather to suggest that teachers must consider the underlying mathematical concepts and structures of base-ten-blocks when they use them. In summary, this study revealed that base-ten-blocks as concrete materials seems to have been presented as different isomorphic numeral concepts for various educational purposes throughout its developmental process. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n9p356

Language: English

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n9p356

ISSN: 2039-2117

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study was to understand typically developing children’s repetitive behavior in a free-play, daycare setting. By studying repetition in a non-Montessori setting, we tested the assumption that repetition is a characteristic behavior of all young children and not limited to the Montessori environment. Although Maria Montessori identified repetition during her observations, there is little empirical evidence to support her claim: most research has considered repetition in terms of psychopathology. We collected naturalistic observational data on 31 3- to 6-year-old children for a total of 101 hours to investigate the frequency, contexts, and structure of repetitive bouts. Multilevel model results suggest the ubiquity of repetition, as all children in the study engaged in motor repetition. Furthermore, repetition occurred throughout all free-play activities (construction, animation, fantasy play, rough-and-tumble play, and undirected activity), although repetition was not equally distributed across activities. Motor repetition was not equal across ages either; younger children engaged in more motor repetition than did older children. To understand the structure of repetition, our study also looked at the length of repetition bouts, which ranged from 2 to 19 repetitions and averaged 2.86 repetitions per bout. This natural history of repetition is an influential starting point for understanding the role of repetition in development and is informative to both Montessori and non-Montessori early childhood educators.

Language: English

DOI: 10.17161/jomr.v5i2.7407

ISSN: 2378-3923

Language: English

ISSN: 0012-2807

Abstract/Notes: This article deals with the first twenty years (1911-1934) of the presence of the Montessori Method in France. The reconstruction is based on written evidences and on the main actors’ experiences in the implementation of Maria Montessori’s ideas. This historical outline allows to better recognise the reasons why Montessori’s educative principles were not welcomed in France so warmly as in other European countries. Several initiatives took indeed place, but they remained insubstantial because they were almost always the result of efforts carried by single persons rather than institutions.

Language: French

ISSN: 1971-1093, 1971-1131

Abstract/Notes: Purpose: This article investigates the role of private supplementary tutoring in Denmark in light of the country's pedagogical traditions in schools and leisure spheres. Design/Approach/Methods: Although tutoring activities are increasing, the phenomenon is not as prevalent in Denmark as in many other countries. In this article, we look in to the history of Danish pedagogy for answers as to why this is the case. In the analytical sections of the article, we include research on parental values of child-rearing, as well as findings from a pilot study on Danish families purchasing private supplementary tutoring, the public debate about private tutoring, and contemporary youth research. Findings: With a solid emphasis on democracy and equality in Danish pedagogy, the conditions for increasing private supplementary tutoring in Denmark have been challenged. However, a current focus on global competition, formal competencies, and higher academic performance among children and young people suggests that providers of private tutoring perhaps face a brighter future also in Denmark. Originality/Value: This article addresses a new field of qualitative research on private supplementary tutoring in Denmark and may be a platform for further reflection and empirical research.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1177/2096531120983335

ISSN: 2096-5311

Language: English

Language: English

Language: English

Language: English

ISSN: 0519-0959

Abstract/Notes: IBHA, the International Big History Association, was organized in 2010 and "promotes the unified, interdisciplinary study and teaching of history of the Cosmos, Earth, Life, and Humanity." This is the vision that Montessori embraced long before the discoveries of modern science fleshed out the story of the evolving universe. "Big History" is a university curriculum that gives a comprehensive overview of everything from the birth of the universe to modern societies and visions of the future. In essence, it is a college-level version of Montessori's Cosmic Education. The IBHA held its first conference in August 2012 at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, MI. A panel of Montessorians gave presentations at the conference to inform the assembled group of their own elementary school version of Big History.

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040