Wow! What a month this has been! I apologize for the time between posts. I am just so busy!
I am 3 weeks into my Montessori certification program and I am LOVING it! The certification program at the Houston Montessori Center is amazing. I am even more confident now, that I am on the right path with my career as an educator.
This past week we discussed a child's choice and perceived control of his/her environment. Giving a child choices and some control over his/her environment makes a huge difference in the child's ability to learn and process information. When they have the ability to make their own schedule, they are more engaged in the work they choose and they are more focused. "And this freedom is not only an external sign of liberty, but a means of education" (Montessori, 1912/1964, pp. 81-84).
So far I have had training in these areas of the classroom:
Practical Life: In this area of the classroom you will find all of the tools necessary to clean the classroom (yes, the children clean up after themselves), wet spill clean up, dry spill clean up, crumbing, window washing, sweeping, dusting, dish washing, clothes washing, food preparation, pouring work, spooning work, tweezing, tonging, open and close work, dressing frames (button frame, tying frame, zipper frame, etc) and many other lessons that teach a child how to be independent and care for himself and his environment. Many of the lessons also strengthen the 3 finger grasp, which prepares the hand for writing with a pencil. It is amazing to see the children working with all of the practical life work. They are so proud of themselves when they wash the dishes, cut a carrot and serve it to their friends, pour their own water from a porcelain pitcher into their glass cup and drink it, etc. They are so proud of their work and they are so careful and precise with how they follow the lesson given to them by the guide in the classroom. Imagine as a child of 3, being allowed to touch the porcelain pitcher and actually pour from it, or being allowed to core an apple, slice it, and serve it to your friends! The children are so proud of their work. At this age, being independent and doing the work they see Mommy and Daddy doing at home is so special and important to them.
Sensorial: In this area of the classroom you will find the knobbed cylinders, pink tower, brown stairs, geometric cabinet, rough and smooth boards, thermal tablets, sound cylinders, bells, stereognostic (feeling) work, olfactory (smelling) work, gustatory (tasting) work, and many other works that strengthen the senses. This work is very important because it teaches the child to use her senses to understand her environment. It also provides the foundation for language such as big, small, thick, thin, tall, short, rough, smooth, hot, cold, etc. Much of the work is also seen again later in math work as the child develops in the classroom.
In my next post I will give a short paragraph overview on Math and Language.
I hope my short paragraphs do justice to the beautiful education program Maria Montessori developed. I am so excited to put everything I am learning into motion in my own classroom this fall!
More to come! :)
