[ Post a Response | Catholic Montessori Message Board ]
Posted by Eleanor on February 5, 2007, 7:39 pm, in reply to "Introduction to Montessori" If you're interesting in evaluating the pros and cons of Montessori vs. other methods of education, "Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius," by Angeline Lillard, is a very worthwhile read. It also has a helpful introduction to the educational philosophy and the didactic materials. On another note, here's a lovely children's book, written from a Montessori perspective -- available free online: "Understood Betsy" ("The Montessori Method" is available free online: http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/montessori/method/method.html and the others are readily available as reasonably-priced paperbacks.) After that, if you were planning to homeschool but couldn't arrange to take formal Montessori training, you'd want to find (and study) a ready-made teacher's album that covers the 3-6 curriculum, such as "Montessori Matters" or "Montessori on a Limited Budget" (both out of print, but can be found used). Then, you'd need to buy or build the materials for the first few presentations: several assorted practical life activities, cylinder blocks, pink tower, sound cylinders, smell bottles, touch boards, etc. (These are usually introduced at around 2.5 - 3 years old.) And practice giving presentations with the materials... to your husband, your dog, or whoever will listen. :-) Maybe I'm in a minority here.... and maybe I'll get flamed for saying this!... but I would *not* suggest that you start by reading the Michael Olaf catalog, the "Natural Structure" book, assorted Catholic Montessori homeschoolers' blogs, or any other "Hey folks, you can do Montessori too!" types of sources. After coming at it from both directions, so to speak, I really believe it's important to get the grounding from her own writings, in order to be better able to evaluate any other advice and figure out how true it is to the Montessori philosophy and materials... and, if it's not, how much that matters. As homeschoolers, we all have to cut corners at times... but without a full understanding of the reasons *why* things are done the way they are in the M. classroom, we might end up cutting down a retaining wall instead. If that makes any sense. To put it another way: The results described in Angeline Lillard's book, and in Dr. Montessori's own writings, were achieved with a community of 30-40 students in a 3-year age range, using the full selection of precisely designed materials, presented in a particular sequence and manner by a directress with extensive training and experience. IMO, it's naive for homeschooling parents to assume that they'll surely get the same (or better) results with a small group of children of very diverse ages, a mish-mash of "somewhat Montessori-ish" materials set out on shelves, and an untrained parent giving presentations while simultaneously running the household. In saying this, I'm not intending to run down homeschooling, and I'm quite ready to believe that the homeschooled children will have advantages in some areas. At the same time, though, I also believe that they will be lacking some of the benefits of a classroom Montessori environment, especially if the parents take a "freewheeling" or "eclectic" approach to the method. The more I learn about Montessori, the more I'm coming to believe this. Please, don't be scared off by my soapbox excursion. :-) I'm mainly writing this in reaction to those people who seem to be popping up everywhere (especially online), saying, "Of course, you can do Montessori homeschooling, with whatever you have on hand, and without any formal training -- after all, your home is already an ideal environment, and you are an ideal teacher!" I just don't think it's that simple. "Traditional Montessori" (for lack of a better term... contrasting it to the "eclectic" methods) seems to me to be one of the most demanding types of homeschooling. It requires a great deal of practical and spiritual preparation, as well as understanding of (and respect for) the norms established by professional Montessori educators. Of course, on the up side, there are plenty of rewards, for both parent and child. :-)
24.6.255.200
For basic advice on Montessori principles, and how to apply them at home, I like Tim Seldin's new book, "How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way." The author isn't Catholic, and a couple of his activity suggestions seem a little flaky to me (the "peace table" comes to mind), but you can use your own judgment on that stuff. :-) The vast majority of the book is very helpful, and it's beautifully laid out and illustrated.
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/canfield/understood/understood.html
[The following comments go beyond your original question, and might not be of interest, but I'm throwing them in anyway to get them off my chest. ;-) ]
If, after learning the basics about the method, you're seriously interested in using Montessori as a method of homeschooling, I'd strongly suggest that you read at least a couple of Dr. Montessori's own books (e.g., "The Absorbent Mind," "The Secret of Childhood," "The Discovery of the Child," or "The Montessori Method"), as well as E.M. Standing's "Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work." These books are required reading for classroom teachers-in-training. Slow going, but very much worth it.
Message Thread:
« Back to thread
