Students Prosper with Montessori Method

By David Biello
Friday, September 29, 2006

Nearly 100 years ago, a physician opened a school in a poor section of Rome. In doing so, Maria Montessori went beyond being the first female doctor in Italy and became the pioneer of a new method of education. A curriculum based on close observations of children, the Montessori method includes an individualized curriculum and no grades, among other innovations. And a new study among children from Milwaukee seems to show that it delivers significant benefits over traditional public schools for the youngest students.

Psychologists Angeline Lillard of the University of Virginia and Nicole Else-Quest, now at Villanova University, surveyed children who had participated in a random lottery to attend a public Montessori school in Milwaukee. A total of 112 children (and their parents) elected to participate in the study in exchange for $100; 53 kids who "lost" that lottery and attended typical public schools were compared with 59 who "won" and attended Montessori schools. Surveys showed that the parents had similar incomes--ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 a year--and, because all had enrolled in the lottery, had presumably desired a Montessori education. "This strategy addressed the concern that parents who seek to enroll their children in a Montessori school are different from parents who do not," the psychologists write in the paper presenting their findings in the September 29 issue of Science.

Lillard and Else-Quest tested one set of children after completing primary education, at around five years old. Although ethnicity data was not collected, the majority of the students were African-American, according to Lillard. On a variety of tests, ranging from letter-word identification to math, these Montessori kids outscored their public school counterparts. When confronted with social issues, such as another child hoarding a swing, they more commonly resorted to reasoning--43 percent to 18 percent. And on tests of so-called executive function--the ability to adapt to changing rules that increase in complexity--Montessori children again outperformed their peers.

But these gains at an early age did not seem to translate directly to an older cohort of 12-year-olds that the researchers also tested; both Montessori and regularly schooled children performed equally well on the skills tests. But the older Montessori children did write better essays, based on blinded ratings by Lillard and a graduate student. "We don't know if these 12-year-olds, when they were five-year-olds, were more advanced or not," Lillard says. "What is notable regardless is that they're not doing worse than their peers despite the fact that they weren't being tested repeatedly on multiple-choice-type tests." The researchers also note that the 12-year-olds may have suffered from the newness of the Montessori school in their early education, as the method often relies on peer teaching.

Lillard plans to continue following these students throughout their academic lives to assess the overall effect, as well as expanding the study to new schools in new places and different income levels. She will also be assessing what specific parts of the Montessori method deliver these improvements. "This was very authentically implemented Montessori," she says. "It's actually a fairly small percentage of schools that are this strict. How much can you change Montessori and still have these outcomes? Or what are the most important practices?"

Source:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=students-prosper-with-mon&print=true

The Tendencies of Humans

Throughout history, humans have relied on their ingenuity and adaptability for survival. Regardless of race, country, or culture, people follow similar patterns of exploration, inventiveness, and creativity. After years of careful observation, Maria Montessori was able to identify eleven important tendencies that compel human beings to construct and refine the world around them.

What do we mean by the word "tendency"? One dictionary defines it as "A predisposition to think, act, behave, or proceed in a particular way". The following characteristics are ones that we display before we even know what they are; we do them naturally and instinctively. In Montessori philosophy, they are the key to understanding how and why a Montessori classroom calls out to the very soul of the child.

Here are the tendencies of humans as defined by Maria Montessori:

Orientation. Human beings want to know their relationship to the environment around them. When children enter a new environment, they often want to look at and touch everything around them. They enjoy knowing "where" they fit in - from learning their address to finding their country and continent on a map.


Order. People prefer order to chaos and confusion. Order brings predictability and security. There are two kinds of order: external and internal. An orderly classroom (external) helps children to have orderly thoughts (internal).


Exploration. Our earth is filled with wonderful sounds, scents, textures, tastes, and colors. Children are naturally curious, and love to use their senses to learn more about the fascinating world around them.


Communication. Humans delight in conveying thoughts, feelings, and information to each other. Various types of communication include the written and spoken word, touch, facial expressions, gestures, art, music, and dance. Communication is the link of understanding between people, both face-to-face and from generation to generation.


Activity. People generally like to stay busy. For children, movement can be enjoyed for its own sake, rather than always having a goal or end product in mind. Even children who have very little to play with will find ways to be active through games, songs, dance, and pretend play.


Manipulation. Humans need to take hold of their environment to understand it. It is the next step after exploration: once you have found something interesting, you will quite naturally want to use it in some way. This is how the concept of "tools" began.


Work. Humans feel worthwhile through their work. Work leads to a feeling of accomplishment and self-respect. Maria Montessori believed that it was through work that a child constructed his true self, free of defect or misbehavior.


Repetition. This occurs when a child repeats a task over and over again. Oftentimes it is with the intent to master the task, but even after mastery occurs, a child may continue to repeat the activity for the sheer pleasure of doing so.


Exactness. Have you ever seen a child get upset because something was put back in the wrong place? Or watched them line up their blocks neatly before building a tower? Instinctively, humans seek to be precise in their work. Doing something exactly right brings enormous satisfaction.


Abstraction. This is truly the characteristic that sets us apart from animals. We are able to visualize events that have not yet occurred; we are able to feel and express emotions that are not tangible. We can imagine something that exists only in our minds, and then take the steps to make it happen.


Perfection. All of the tendencies culminate in this one. Once we have explored, manipulated, and worked in our environment, we can perfect our activities. In doing so, we are masters of our own minds and bodies as well as the tasks we set out to do.


Once we are aware of the underlying forces that compel human development, we will recognize them everywhere. The tendencies of humans are what compel babies to put everything they find into their mouths. They are the reason that a young child wants to know how things are made, and why children are filled with wonder when they enter a forest. They are the reason for our appreciation of a finely-crafted piece of furniture or a beautiful painting; we recognize the repetition that went into the mastery and finally perfection of a difficult skill.

The prepared environment (i.e., the Montessori classroom with its carefully chosen and beautifully arranged materials) is built around these tendencies. Because of this, Montessori teachers do not need to force their students to work; children are naturally drawn to the materials because they appeal to their instinctive drives. For example, the environment is safe and secure, filled only with items that can be touched and manipulated by the child. Work is neat, orderly, and accessible; this encourages exactness and exploration.

Today's child unconsciously displays the same traits that early humans did, and without realizing it, we often stand in the way of their exploration and manipulation because it is an inconvenience to us. When we are able to remove any hindrances to a child's natural tendencies, the child will flourish and likely surprise us with their pursuit of knowledge, their innovative thinking, and their limitless curiosity.
If you'd like additional information, Mario Montessori, Jr. (Maria's grandson) gave a lecture entitled "Tendencies of Man" that was published as a small booklet in 1956.

From:
http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/Tendencies-of-Humans_ep_73-1.html

Stand Against Poverty

Just before world leaders began gathering at the United Nations for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Review Summit, the voices of their citizens followed them, telling them, loudly and clearly: “We will no longer stay seated or silent in the face of poverty and the broken promises to end it!”

KTMS supports the realization of the MDG. Let's all act now!!!

http://standagainstpoverty.org/suap/

For photos of the learners supporting the MDG, please visit the KTMS Facebook Page

SRA Reading Laboratory

KMTS now uses SRA Reading Laboratory for it's lower elementary learners!

SRA Reading Laboratories are a carefully structured system for teaching and developing essential reading skills. The unique multi-levelled approach helps students to get the most from every minute of learning time. They offer a tried and tested formula that have taught over 100 million children to become fluent readers.

Founded in 1938, SRA or Science Research Associates Inc. is a Chicago-based publisher of educational materials and schoolroom reading comprehension products.[1] Early on, it had a trade and occupational focus. In 1957, it moved into individualized classroom instruction with the iconic SRA Reading Laboratory Kit, a format that later translated to mathematics, science, and social studies. The labs were large boxes filled with color-coded cardboard sheets. Each sheet included a reading exercise for students. The student would then follow up with multiple choice questions. As the child moved ahead, he or she would advance in difficulty.

SRA's Reading Laboratories provide individualized reading instruction to a whole classroom of readers at different levels. The Labs offer lessons in phonics, decodable text, timed reading and fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, test preparation, and literature.

For 50 years, SRA Reading Labs have helped more than 100 million students around the world improve their reading skills. A range of reading levels encourages students to learn independently and at their own pace. Self-directed readings let you manage an entire classroom of readers at different levels. You simply initiate the program with a placement test. Then, students progress through each level at their own rate.

For more information about SRA, please visit:
SRA Readinglabs website

For photos of the SRA training for the KTMS teachers, visit the:
KTMS Facebook account

Practical Ways to Help Three Year Old Children at Home

http://www.dailymontessori.com/montessori-at-home/three-year-old-children-at-home/#more-59

Three year old children are now able to have more control with their fine motor skills and have more understanding and heightened curiosity about the world. Parents as the educators can pass on values with small activities and help the child increase their self confidence in their daily lives. The following are a few general examples to be implemented in the home.

WATCHING TV

Read a bedtime story every night even if it is only a short one. Make it a routine as it will also help children settle down at night.

Tell true stories at bed time instead of reading for variety of bedtime routine

Borrow children’s books from your local library to add variety to the collection of books read.

Avoid using the TV as a babysitter. Limit the amount of time spent watching TV and videos etc. Set limited times when your child is allowed to watch TV.

Teach your child how to turn off the TV. Allow them to self regulate as to when it is enough to be sitting in front of the TV.

Turn TV off when family are having meals. This is setting a good example of when to watch TV and allows for dinner conversation.


OUTDOORS

Take time to walk at your child’s pace when outdoors/in public.

When outdoors, spend time talking and looking at things along the way. Name things along the way to help your child’s vocabulary.

Use this time to share news regarding things that are related to family/friends, people and things that are important to you and your child.

Remind children to wear hats and sun scream before going out to play.

Practice kerb drill when walking.

Help your child to know the meaning of traffic light colours.

Encourage the child to put each activity or toys away when completed or finished playing with them.

Encourage the child to be physically active as it leads to a feeling of wellbeing and helps promote good muscle tone and strong heart and helps deals with stress. It also helps them sleep better.

Encourage the family to exercise together dancing to favourite music, swimming at the closest aquatic centre or in your pool, kicking a ball at the park or in your backyard bushwalking, etc.

Encourage respect for the environment

Involve the child in caring for the garden. Allow them to plant a small herb garden. Use the herbs to add taste to foods. This can also encourage them to eat the foods since they were involved in the preparation of the food.

Children can do small tasks that help develop respect for the environment by carrying the household compost to the compost bin or carry out the papers to the recycling bin.
Discourage waste for example, remind children to use one piece of paper for drawing and to use the other side as well. A chalkboard is less wasteful.


FORMING GOOD EATING HABITS

Encourage the child to eat using child size cutlery. This can help them eat independently and gain confidence.

Encourage healthy eating habits to lessen the chance of diet related diseases by offering some children prefer raw vegetable. Offer sticks of carrot or celery. Offering a variety is good.

Plenty of wholegrain cereals such as breads, rice, pasta and noodles

Lean meat, poultry and fish

Offer milk, yoghurt and cheese

Encourage children to drink water instead of juice or cordials or soft drinks contain sugar, preservatives intake.

Choose foods low in salt

Expect the child to try new food but don’t insist that they eat it if they don’t like it
Introduce foods repeatedly and they might one day change their mind and give it a try or even like it

When at the dinner table ask questions and show interest in your child’s day.

How to encourage self esteem

Tell them that you love them

Take time to listen to them and talk to them

Spend time with them

Help them to find the solutions to problems

Encourage them to follow their interests

Display their work in the home

Celebrate their achievements and milestones even small ones.

Allow your child to choose between two appropriate sets of clothing.

Allow ample time for the child to dress themselves in the morning.

Encourage child to carry their own backpack, bag or personal belongings.

Help them to learn their surname address and phone number.

Observe the child and become aware of their interests, so that you can provide challenge.
Be friendly with error and remember that learning happens when a child is able to attempt a new activity with encouragement from adults.

When dealing with errors in grammar, no need to correct but one may repeat the sentence correctly to avoid humiliation for the child. It will keep the experience positive rather than having the feeling of being corrected/rebuked.

Give the child positive feedback and resist saying you did that the wrong way. Correct by setting the good example.

Remember it is the process of learning that is important not the product.


ACTIVITY IDEAS

Encourage a love of music as music is wonderful to help with stress as a way of relaxation.
You could give the child access to a saucepan and wooden spoon or other kitchen paraphernalia that are safe.

Implements that are kept in a special place in the kitchen to be used for percussion, (tapping sticks, tubes etc).

Pick your child up and dance with them in the kitchen (if its big enough).

If your lifestyle permits take a child to group music lessons which are fun (Yamaha do them using keyboard) children pick up music skills very quickly if you start at about 4-5 years.

If the child has a 2nd language spoken in the home, take them to Saturday language school.
Use everyday activities such as driving to school/day care to play games such as “I Spy” to help children learn their sounds.

Encourage children to play board games such as Junior Scrabble and Junior Monopoly. They will need a lot of help initially but this will help them to learn to take turns. Board games teach children a range of skills such as counting and word building and are good alternative to watching TV

A chalkboard and chalk is an ideal way for children to practice drawing and writing as errors are so easy for them to erase

Provide children with a variety of simple toys not an overwhelming number of elaborate expensive ones. Pack things away and rotate them so children can manage to tidy their toys away with very little help.

Children this age would enjoy puzzles, simple construction toys, simple musical instruments, play dough, plasticine, crayons, country pencils, puppets and books.

They love to create cubbies using old cardboard boxes, etc. Save old cardboard boxes for creative activities and such.

Raising a book lover

Home Grown
by Toni Tiu

I grew up in a house full of books. From finance to romance, there was always something to read. We are a family of book lovers, so naturally I hoped from the very beginning that my baby becomes a lover of books as well. With the way he interacts with his books now, I can confidently say he is a book lover too.

Encouraging a child to read can start at infancy. A month after I gave birth, I was desperate to catch up on my reading. Between taking care of the baby and trying to catch up on lost sleep, there was hardly any time for a leisurely read. That changed when I began a bedtime routine with my infant. Before tucking him in, I’d take out a book and read aloud a few chapters to him. Not only was it a way to familiarize him with my voice, it helped me catch up on my reading. I think reading aloud to him even when he was just a month old was a good start in establishing a healthy relationship with reading. He is now 11 months old and enjoys it very much when books are read aloud to him. Sometimes he babbles while I read to him. It seems like he’s reading along with me. I love sharing a book with him!

There is a wealth of good children’s books in stores that it’s a challenge picking just a few out. Books with big, bold shapes and bright colors are fascinating to a baby, so I choose books with these in mind. I find that they hold my baby’s attention longer. He carefully observes the details on each page before moving on to the next.

Board books are my current preference. It’s easier for the baby to turn the pages on his own. When he was a few months old, I’d sit him on my lap and turn the pages for him while reading aloud. Over time he would learn how to flip the pages himself. In the beginning he used his closed fist to try turning the page, then his open hands. Both times I would help him. Today, he uses his fingers and turns the pages on his own. I think his pincer grasp (using the thumb and index finger to pick up small objects) developed because of the page turning. I’m wary of books with paper pages for now because the baby crumples up the pages anyway, and he could be prone to paper cuts. Board books are friendliest for my little one.

Another way to build a child’s love for reading is to be conscious of what stage he’s in. My baby is at the phase where he is fascinated with textures, so he has some books that stimulate his sense of touch. Books that have little tags of a silky, cottony or furry texture intrigue him. Other ways to encourage reading are choosing books that reflect his interests, listening to audio books, and sharing books you yourself loved as a child.

I think the best way to raise a book-loving baby is as simple as showing him that you enjoy reading too. Whether it’s the newspaper, a magazine or a novel, if your child sees you reading he’ll be motivated to read as well. So far that’s working out fine for me and my son. He is growing up surrounded by books and by people who enjoy reading them.

When I see my baby pick up a book and go through the pages with such concentration, my heart sings. I love how he is so captivated by the pictures. I love how right now letters are just pictures and patterns to him, but eventually he’ll learn how they form words. Then words will unlock worlds, and my book-loving baby will find even more reasons to keep on reading.

+++

Bookworm Toni Tiu never leaves home without a book. Now she doesn’t leave home without two books – one for her and one for the baby. Visit her personal blog at WifelySteps.com.

Source:
http://ph.yfittopostblog.com/2010/08/21/raising-a-book-lover/

CAN YOU PRAISE CHILDREN TOO MUCH?

In the rush to give children a healthy dose of self-esteem, some adults go
too far to praise children. And that can backfire. It doesn't take kids
long to realize that all the praise may not be justified. Maybe you fail to
gush over a painting the way Mom and Dad have always done. Or a playmate
tells them their clay bowl is yucky. It's a rude awakening!

A child who is praised too much may fall into the great-expectations trap.
These kids feel the only way they can be accepted and loved is to keep
performing at higher levels. Too much praise can also set up a
fear-of-failure scenario. Kids are so dependent on the approval of others,
they may be afraid to take risks. Scared that they won't be able to do a
task perfectly, they don't do it at all.

This is not to say that adults should act like drill sergeants. It's fine
to tell a toddler everything he does is wonderful. And it's also fine to
burst out in spontaneous delight over something a child does. But by the
time kids are in preschool, caregivers and parents should think about when
and how they praise.


DON'T PRAISE INDISCRIMINATELY. Children need and deserve realistic
feedback about their accomplishments to understand their strengths and
weaknesses. If you gush over everything, they will never recognize that
some areas really do need improvement. Instead of treating every painting
as a masterpiece, talk about the facts: Look at that deep-blue sky! What a
lot of colors you used today! I can't wait to hang up this painting. Think
of praise as a form of feedback. The more specific you are, the more
important information you impart to the child.


FOCUS ON THE CHILD'S SPECIAL TALENT. Every child has some area of
competence, one that can serve as a source of pride and accomplishment.
Encourage that special talent and the child's pride in his achievement will
transfer to other work.


LOOK AT THE CHILD'S EFFORTS, NOT THE RESULTS. Too often, adults reward
the results and forget about the effort. Look back two or three months on
the child's progress and concentrate your praise on how much a child has
improved.


NEVER COMPARE A CHILD WITH SIBLINGS OR FRIENDS. Many times adults compare
one child to another. Encourage children to participate and do well because
they enjoy something, not because they want to beat out someone else or
prove they're smarter than someone else.


TEACH CHILDREN THAT MAKING MISTAKES IS A NATURAL PART OF THE LEARNING PROCESS. While you will never be able to take away all the
disappointment a child will face, you can make sure he doesn't feel
defeated by it. For instance, if you see a child is upset because a project
didn't come out the way he wanted, you can encourage him to start over or
change something in the project.


Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC.
(1993). Can you praise children too much? In M. Lopes (Ed.) CareGiver
News (August, p. 1). Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Cooperative
Extension.

Source:
http://www.preschooleducation.com/art18.shtml