Abstract/Notes: Concentration is a "sine qua non," a hallmark, of a Montessori Casa program. Yet, it happens that some children do not concentrate. They do not engage with the materials in the classic pattern of normalization. They are not challenged by ADD, ADHD, or a variant of sensory integration spectrum disorder. Instead of working alone, they prefer the company of others; they prefer to learn with others. One may wonder if their natural intelligence is interpersonal. Based on studies of brain development and findings from recent ethnographic research, this article describes a type of attention called "shared focus." Ethnographic research was conducted in Casa classrooms, located in four Montessori schools, during a 3-year period, beginning in 2008. The research involved observing classrooms and interviewing school staff, teachers, and children. "Children who do not concentrate" was a common concern raised by the teachers in those classrooms. A review of brain development research suggests concentration is a type of attention. Children may use a type of attention called shared focus when, for example, they laugh and run together on the playground, and when they leave their parents during morning arrival. Some children may also more naturally use this type of attention instead of concentration during the work period. (Contains 1 table.)

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Abstract/Notes: Scope and method of study. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the connection between the beliefs, attitudes, and expectations teachers exhibit towards students who have attention challenges in three independent schools in England and the pathognomonic-interventionist continuum as identified by Jordan-Wilson and Silverman (1991), which identifies, along a scale, where teachers' beliefs lie. Teachers' sense of efficacy as they meet individual student needs was also explored as was what educators in these schools, who have limited, if any, recourse to special education assistance, do to support students who display the characteristics of attention deficit. The pathognomonic-interventionist continuum and Bandura's (1977) construct of self-efficacy were the lenses used to focus the research. The study records participants' responses and reflections about the phenomenon under study, describing what it is they do, how they perceive their responsibility towards their students, and how they support each other. Findings and conclusions. Data compiled from a sample of 10 teachers and 3 head-teachers, were disaggregated to provide a picture of how participant teachers work with attentionally challenged children in selected English independent schools. The results provide evidence that teachers whose profile identifies them with the interventionist perspective present stronger senses of self-efficacy. They are prepared to undertake prereferral-type activities to determine where the student is experiencing difficulty and are then willing to manipulate the learning environment to meet individual student needs. Teachers in these schools perceive it as their professional obligation to design teaching scenarios to benefit all students. Teacher efficacy, their sense of their ability to positively influence their students' educational performance and achievement, is unrelated to years of experience or educational background, but is related to the beliefs which they hold.

Language: English

Published: Stillwater, Oklahoma, 2006

Abstract/Notes: Catherine Nehring Massie provides important contextual information in considering children with attentional challenges. She discusses the prevalence of attentional challenges in today's culture and the contributing factors. She gives a general overview of the spectrum of attentional challenges and some of the indicators in children. Her history of Montessori and work with children facing attentional challenges provides a clearer understanding to the individual details and definitions as it builds upon years of work and observation. Critical to her article and those that follow is the link she draws between concentration (attention) and human development: "Attention lays the foundation for concentrated work--normalization of the child's personality." By partnering Montessori with medical knowledge, fostering focus and attentional development can be better achieved. [This talk was presented at the NAMTA conference titled "Finding the Hook: Montessori Strategies to Support Concentration," October 6-9, 2016, in Columbia, MD.]

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Language: English

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Language: English

Published: Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-85109-296-3

Series: The Montessori Series , 15

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: Lunch beverages, Martha Stewart's Living magazine

Language: English

Language: English

Language: English