The following is the text from this section of the 2009-2010 edition of The Joyful Child, Montessori from Birth to Three. To see other sections of this publication return to: http://www.michaelolaf.com/JCcontents.html Music & Language In the first days, months, and the first year of life the infant is especially interested in the sound of the human voice and in watching the face and lips of a speaking person. It is not an accident that the focusing distance of the eyes of a n

I hope that this information will set your mind at ease about few classroom myths. Always keep in mind that most of the time your children are keenly aware of what gets your attention. If your child should raise any of these issues, have fun responding in a healthy manner. If ever you feel there is a true concern, please drop a note to, or call, the teacher. 1. When I ask my child what he did at school that day, he tells me that he did nothing. Is this normal? Don’t be alarme

The three-year-old preschool child loves order and consistency. The classroom is set up “just so”. Everything is in its place when the children arrive. The teachers help the preschool children to understand the ground rules and to use grace and courtesy. This gives the children a sense of security as they go about their daily activities.

“The secret of good teaching is to regard the child’s intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown to grow under the heat of flaming imagination. Our aim is not only to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his innermost core.” – Maria Montessori Dr. Montessori believed that teachers should focus on the child as a whole person, not on a daily lesson plan. The whole child is always

Dr. Montessori said, “The hand is a delicate and structurally complicated organ, which not only allows the mind to manifest itself, but to e

A celebration of life for the preschool/kindergarten age child The children enjoy celebrating their birthdays at school with a walk around the sun! This celebration also includes a little science and history. The birthday child understands that the earth orbits the sun once a year. The teacher lights a candle representing the sun and places it in the middle of the floor. The birthday child holds a small globe and walks around the candle the same number of times the earth has

A Biography With Insight Into Her Spiritual Nature Dr. Maria Montessori (1870 -1952), made history by becoming the first woman physician in Italy. She was born in Chiaraville, and educated at the University of Rome. Although she is best known for creating the Montessori Method of education, her work was not to start schools or have a process of education labeled with her name. Dr. Montessori felt that the word "method" suggesting merely a system of education was an inaccurate

Maria Montessori And Helen Keller “There must be provision for the child to have contact with nature; to understand and appreciate the order, the harmony and the beauty in nature.” “There is no description, no image in any book that is capable of replacing the sight of real trees, and all life to be found around them, in a real forest. Something emanates from those trees which speaks to the soul, something no book, no museum is capable of giving.” _ Maria Montessori “What a j

A favorite of the Montessori preschool child We need to take time each day to speak to the children quietly. We need to bring the idea of quiet to their consciousness and give them an opportunity to become quiet. Allow the children be still and listen to the silence. They will hear sounds which generally could not be heard, become perceptible. For example, the ticking of the clock, the chirp of a bird, a drip of water and other sounds not usually heard. While sitting in a cir

“Education of even a very small child…does not aim at preparing him for school, but for life…” -Dr. Maria Montessori The toddler program provides a small nurturing group experience to children ages two years up to three years. The toddler classroom is a very special environment, where the needs of the youngest preschool students are appreciated and cherished. The classroom is designed with small tables, Montessori materials and other items that all support the independence