|
Josh_Thompson@TAMU-Commerce.edu 903-468-8627 |
"The teacher, when
she begins work in our schools, must have a kind of faith that the child
will reveal himself through work. She must free herself from all
preconceived ideas concerning the levels at which the children may be." Maria Montessori - The Absorbent Mind :: Dell Publishing, 1984 :: p. 270 |
A Montessori Primer http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/jthompson /Resources/montessoriprimer.htm |
Two Guiding Principles of Montessori Education, from my first Montessori trainer, Sr. Monica Marie (Sally Hibberd), 1980:
Highly organized sets of self-help material | |
Spontaneous Activity |
It is best to understand a thing by looking straight at it - so it is best to look at Montessori by looking straight at her own words. Dozens of books, training manuals, and speeches on many continents show us her thoughts, alongside hundreds of didactic materials she invented, created, or discovered for teaching children. Here are some key quotes:
"The objects in our system are instead a help to the child
himself, he chooses what he wants for his own use, and works with it according
to his own needs, tendencies and special interests. In this way, the objects
become a means of growth."
- Discovery of the Child :: Clio Press, 1988 (reprinted 1996 edition)
:: p. 150
"Our goal is not so much the imparting of knowledge as the unveiling and
developing of spiritual energy."
- The Child in the Family :: The Clio Montessori Series, 1996 :: p. 63
"We must help the child to act for himself, will for himself, think for
himself; this is the art of those who aspire to serve the spirit."
- Education for a New World :: Clio Press, 1988 :: p. 69
More selected quotes: http://amshq.org/montessori_quotes.htm
My favorite single text is her summative work The Absorbent Mind (1949, reprint 1995) Owl Books.
Words about the Montessori Method have been written over the decades. The best recent text about Montessori is Angeline Lillard's (2005) Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius. Oxford University Press. Publisher's website: www.montessori-science.org. Dr. Lillard also has published a research article recently: http://www.montessori-science.org/montessori_science_journal.htm. Lillard has identified eight principles: Montessori Education.pps
And her comments have raised discussions on implementation of Montessori in broader applications:
Cossentino (Jan 31, 2007) Evaluating Montessori. Education Week, Vol. 26, Issue 21, pp. 31-32.
Morrison (Spring 2007) Montessori Now - and for the next 100 years Public School Montessorian, Issue 75. www.jola-montessori.com/psm/75/articles/morrison75.html
http://breeze.tamu-commerce.edu/montessori/ This 16:53 breeze presentation features Stephen Garretson, Coordinator TAMU-C in Midlothian.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM1Gu9KXVkk This ten minute YouTube video is produced by the American Montessori Society.
Next after reading her writing, the best introduction to Montessori is to enter into the classroom. Here is a sampling of programs:
Dallas (east) |
Dallas
Montessori Teacher Education Program East Dallas Community School (214) 824-8950 Lindsley Park Community School 214-321-9155 |
Dallas (Oak
Cliff) |
Mt. St. Michael Catholic School (formerly Prince of Peace Community School) |
Dallas Public
School |
|
Arlington | Montessori Academy .org |
DeSoto | Ashbury Academy .net |
Garland |
|
Longview | Oak Forest Montessori School 903-297-0634 |
McKinney | Daffodils Preschool (972) 548-2322 |
Paris |
Episcopal
Day School (903) 737-9800 |
Plano | Montessori School of North Dallas .com |
Quinlan |
Lakeland
Montessori Children's House
|
Sherman |
Montessori Organizations
Montessori Materials Providers
Bruins Montessori Materials (Oak Cliff) | Juliana Group | LORD Equipment | Michael Olaf |
Montessori Services | Nienhuis |
Methods and Materials Worksheet .doc
Maitril Lesson Plans .pdf
Video: An Introduction to Montessori Philosophy & Materials VHS5387
© 2007 Josh Thompson PhD |
'The views and opinions expressed on this page are strictly those of the page author.'