M is for Montessori
Today, I’m sharing an acrostic poem with you all about Montessori. But first, if you’re looking for a deeper dive on these Montessori terms (and MORE!), you should go have a look at the Mini-Dictionary I’ve created for Montessori parents.
Let’s have fun with letters and make an acrostic poem!
If you're new to Montessori education, this is like a great introduction. But maybe you're a Montessori guide, or your a Montessori grandma that has been studying Montessori for a while, or maybe you are a Montessori mama who has read some books or taken courses like Homeschool of the Redwoods or Constellation, and you know a lot about Montessori? Either way, this will help you to dig a little deeper.
I'm Aubrey Hargis, Montessorian and mom of two. If Montessori is new to you, I am inviting you into our community! We love the earth, we love the animals, the plants, and we love all humans. I choose Montessori for my children and myself...because education is a journey we take with our children, and the opportunities for learning start over every day.
Hey, Sweet Friend (1:14)
I’ve been so excited about this episode! It’s one that I think will be great for those of you who are new to Montessori, specifically because you’re going to get a lot of terminology and some base understanding all in one episode.
And if you’re new to the Montessori community, WELCOME! Generally, Montessorians are passionate about education and very kind--I hope that you find the waters warm and inviting, and that you feel comfortable here. It's a wonderful place to be and a wonderful place to learn.
Member Spotlight: Dana (3:09)
I want to share with you a spotlight of a mama who is in my membership group for a Montessori homeschooling parents called Constellation!
Meet Dana! She is a Montessori homeschooling mom of one. You can read her story, rhythm and routine, and advice for new Montessorians here.
Our Acrostic Poem (10:41)
An acrostic poem is a classic poetry style which you MAY remember from your own elementary days! To make an acrostic poem, you take a word, and then assign a word to each of its letters. There are many words I could have chosen for each of these letters to represent, but I chose these because they have special meaning to me. I also feel like by talking about them, I can help you to learn more about Montessori.
M is for Maria and Mario (12:14)
Maria Montessori was the genius behind the Montessori method, and Mario was her son. He was born after Maria had studied education, and in the middle of the time when she was working to put her theories into practice. Maria fell in love, got pregnant...but was not married.
When Mario was born, she didn't feel like she could raise him out in public. This was a time when a woman couldn't publicly have a baby that was out of wedlock (as they used to say), because they were so oppressed. So, she was separated from him, and a family member raised him. She would come and visit as often as she felt like she could get away with, secretly observing him from afar.
When he was about 15 years old, they were reunited, and he realized that she was his real Mama. She felt like the world could finally know that she had a son...and they were both so overjoyed. He stuck with her until the very end of her life, and they did everything together. They were inseparable.
After she died, he became the leader of her legacy. We can still read his essays, lectures and contributions to the method as well! He's a very integral part of Montessori education, even though he's not well known outside of our little Montessori community.
O is for Observation (16:11)
It is critical if you're going to be a Montessorian that you understand that this work starts with observing the child, and also observing yourself. We cannot move forward in the method, learn how to do a lesson, learn how to help children grow in any way, unless we have taken the time first, to observe our own inner thoughts and assess our own prejudices and biases. Then we must observe the children that we're going to teach. This is a crucial part of Montessori education.
N is for Normalization (16:53)
I actually did a podcast on normalization just a few weeks ago that you should go listen to if you are curious! To sum it up for you: a normal child in Maria Montessori’s eyes was a joyful child. One who loves to learn, who is concentrating, loving the learning process, and excited about learning the next thing.
T is for Traditions (17:32)
We Montessorians feel like children should learn about the traditions that happen all over the world in many different cultural areas. This is a pathway to learning how to be a more peaceful human being. Maria believed that children could feel a connection to other people no matter where they were in the world, even if they believed something completely different. One of the ways that we do this is by introducing one another to each other's traditions, and studying them and learning about them. We may even connect some of the similarities and differences to our own traditions.
E is for Environment (18:56)
Montessorians love the environment. We learn about global warming, and we do not deny its existence. We believe that the earth needs to be protected. We are environmentalists! We understand the interconnectedness of all living things on earth and fight to protect it and to educate ourselves and our children about it.
S is for Sensitive (20:27)
Maria Montessori discovered that there were sensitive periods in child development. Children entered and exited these certain periods where they were very, very sensitive to certain aspects of learning.
One example is the sensitive period for order, where she noticed that little children even as young as six months old, even little babies, were looking around their world, and learning where everything went. Another sensitive period is for language. This sensitive period lasts quite a long time, from toddlerhood through the age of six or so, as they are really learning how to communicate with each other.
S is for Social (22:07)
Maria Montessori knew that children were social beings. So she created a class that was multi-age, because she felt like children would learn best in a social environment. If you are at home with your child, don't feel like you're left out of this! You are part of your child's social environment, and so are your other family members, and so are the people in your community, and the other homeschoolers around you. ALL of us grow up in a social environment and we are social beings. And Maria Montessori wanted that to be part of their curriculum, that children feel like a valued part of their community.
O is for Origin Stories (22:50)
Origin stories are especially important in the elementary years. In the last podcast, I did a little episode on the great lessons. You can go back to that podcast to learn more about that. In essence, Maria Montessori felt like children should know where things came from. How do we even come to be in this universe? These stories--and storytelling in general--are a big part of the Montessori Elementary Curriculum.
R is for Repetition (23:37)
Maria Montessori noticed that children had this tendency to repeat things when they were trying to learn new skills. Just because you put something on a shelf for children to do doesn't mean your child is going to repeat it. However, if you're observing your child, you will notice that they do some things over and over and over again in order to learn more.
If you have a little toddler, they might be picking something up, carrying it over to another place and depositing it there and then going back to pick another thing up, carrying that over and depositing it...that’s repetition.
This even true in the abstract years, when they are older. They want to hear the same stories over and over; they want to tell you the same dumb jokes. Kindergarteners and first graders especially do love to do this--the same knock-knock jokes over and over--because the elementary years are an especially sensitive time for the development of humor.
I is for Independence (25:15)
This is one goal of Montessori education. Some people even say it's the ultimate goal of the Montessori approach to learning: for children to become independent adult beings.
I think what we really know is that independence is really different at different ages. Even adults, I don't know that we ever truly experience complete independence when you think about it. When I think about myself,I am not a wholly independent person. I depend on my support systems in my society and in my family network, in order to lead a happy and healthy life. I do not grow my own food. I do not give birth and have my children on my own. I do not raise my children alone. I don't educate them alone. I don't work alone, or teach alone. Sure, I do things like get dressed alone...but even then, other people make the clothes I wear.
That said, in childhood, children go through these phases where they want to become adults, and they want to have more independence. It's up to us to recognize through observation when they’re seeking independence...not to force it upon them, but to see when they're asking for it through body language, words, or behavior. Then, we must find ways to help nurture them along on that path to being the kind of independent being that they want to be at that stage.
Gratitude (28:28)
Today, I am grateful for all the people who help me in my dependent adult life. All the people who have some impact on making my life better or easier, or just allowing me to live and be the free and independent and connected adult that I am today.
