I'm sure I'm making a zillion mistakes in the terminology in this post, but this is all quite new to me so I'm going to be learning right along with Ian as the school year progresses.
Yesterday was quite surreal. I toured a preschool. Yes, Ian is ready for preschool. I can't quite believe it myself, but it is very true. We have FIVE preschools in town to choose from. Is it just me or does that seem excessive for a town of our size? Well, whatever.
The school I toured yesterday was a Montessori house. I knew NOTHING about Maria Montessori, or her method, until I started digging up information on the local preschools several months ago. And let me tell ya, I was in LOVE with her after a very, very short time.
This was the first time I had ever been in a Montessori house (they are called houses not schools), and it was wonderful. Montessori houses are very serene and very organized and orderly. The colors are muted and almost every single item within the house is made of natural materials: wood, glass, metals, etc. While I had no idea until I started reading some wonderful articles loaned to me by the school's director, everything within the house is placed very deliberately according to Montessori's own research and all Montessori houses, no matter where you go,will have the same arrangement and placement of materials. Block towers are placed away from work spaces so the children must carry one block at a time to their work space. It makes the children become very aware of the size, shape, and weight of each individual block. All of the shelves are precisely organized within each "subject" of learning. The very concrete concepts are on the top shelves, while the most abstract concepts are nestled among the bottom shelves. The shelves line the walls, and the contents of the shelves naturally flow, one into the other....physics, astronomy, natural sciences, mathematics. Reading, cultures, arts. It's an amazing sight to see.
There are no chalkboards/whiteboards, no desks, and a great deal of "naked" wall space. The children perform their work on little white rugs placed on the floor. They are given the choice to work alone, with a friend, or in a small group, whichever scenario is appropriate for the lesson and mood. There is no set schedule. Montessori believed that with children in this age range, the children are compelled to learn a subject when they are truly ready and there is no benefit in trying to force a child to learn to read if the child has not felt the urge from within to learn to read. Only when the child is truly ready, will the efforts to read be successful. Anyone who has ever tried to engage a child in an activity the child had NO interest in can relate to this whole-heartedly.
The part of the lessons that I most adore, and I do mean adore, is that the children are allowed to move at their own pace. If someone is truly absorbed in their work, they are allowed to work and work and work until they feel satisfied. They are never rushed along before they are done with their lesson.
I also adore the independence they are teaching the children. The children do things you wouldn't believe. There is no snack time. The children are expected to listen to their bodies, and when they are hungry they are responsible for preparing their own snack and cleaning up after themselves. Children as young as three are taught to slice bananas and prepare sandwiches. Five and six year olds are taught to make pancakes and fry eggs. Four year olds learn to iron! Yes, with a real iron (on a low setting). It's all about teaching independence and responsibility. How to take pride in your work and develop self-worth. Self-worth, not self-esteem. The children are also responsible for taking care of all of the class pets.
There is SO much more to all of this. It sounds kind of hippie-dippie, I know. But it was such an incredible environment, and the Montessori Method is around 100 years old. It isn't some New Wave creation. I am SO excited about the prospect of a Montessori education for the boys. I am going back for a day of observation after spring break. I just can't wait to see everyone in action.
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