The Magic of Montessori
I have 2 kids (Emory 7.5 and Jasper 3.5) who are both going to our local Montessori school. I have always felt strongly that the standard school system sucks. I’ve always had a desire to help reshape formal education, to create a better experience focused on: inquisitive thinking, creativity, collaboration, discovery, and following your passion.
No worksheets, no tests, no lectures, no classrooms, no homework.
It turns out, Montessori is what I’ve been after.
We went to a parent night where they showed us some of the materials the kids are currently using and learning. It was incredible. I was so jealous. I wanted to take my 7 year old’s class!!! The things he’s learning are concepts that I’ve only just barely discovered myself after re-reading Bill Bryson’s book “A Short History of Nearly Everything”. I went home and talked to Emory about it and I could see how much he’s absorbing: stong nuclear force, weak nuclear force, dark matter, supernovas, on and on. The learning he’s experiencing is not the type that’s only good for passing tests. He gets it, probably not all of it entirely, but he gets the big important ideas. Meanwhile, he’s enjoying it, really loving it, and because of that a lot more is actually sticking and getting processed in a meaningful way.
The following night we watched a video that outlines the major differences between Montessori and traditional schooling. (I’m happy to lend out my copy if you’re interested in watching it)
At first, it comes off like a cheesy corporate training video. But the content blew my mind.
I came to the profound and stark realization that sending your kid to a traditional school is like giving your kid a lobotomy and throwing them in a torture chamber. If they come out fine, it’s in spite of the education they were given. That’s how I felt about school when I was in it. Now I just wish I saw that video about 2 years ago (and I wish my parents saw it 30 years ago). Our older son Emory went to Montessori pre-school. It was awesome. Then when he was 6 we decided that he should go to the local school: it’s a block away, it had a great reputation, we were unsure whether the Montessori primary school would provide enough “grounding”. Ugh. In some ways it was a necessary and important way for us to learn that even at a “good” school in a country with a good reputation for their education system is just the same old bullshit: worksheets, tests, and catering to the lowest common denominator. It’s just as backwards as everywhere else. After eighteen months of standard schooling, we switched Emory back to Montessori and we are ecstatic.
While watching the Montessori video, I realized how directly related the principles are to interaction design, the web, social networking, and open platforms. Fundamentally, Montessori is a well designed platform that uses the same underlying techniques as our best digital platforms:
- object oriented architecture
- peer networking
- multi-sensory inputs and outputs
- parallel processing
- iterative and agile development
- progressive disclosure and perceived affordances
Best of all, the Montessori platform provides so many beautifully simple, highly imaginative, fun materials to help people (kids and adults alike) enjoy the learning process so that it is an extremely powerful and meaningful experience.
If you’re interested in finding out more about Montessori I highly recommend that you watch the video, read this article and others like it, read this FAQ and go observe a Montessori class.
This past week I went in and spent a couple hours with Emory’s class. I had a lot of fun making this simple little digital story together with the kids. I can’t wait to do it again!
Posting your comment
Laura | September 7, 2007 @ 4:07 pm
Hi! We are new to Montessori with my one and only 4 yr. old. He just completed his first week in primary. Should I have been surprised that the teachers did not provide us with any feedback on how his first week went? My son is a storyteller, and so when I questioned him on activities, that’s what i got-a creative story i.e. when I dropped him off teacher mentioned they’d be using marachas. When he didn’t mention the activity, I asked him about it and he told me they spent the entire morning playing marachas to the Ramones! So, I am probably not going to get much info from him. Has this been your experience? I have absolutely no idea what went on there this first week, what his emotional state was during his time there…am I being too sensitive? He is our one and only and this is his first away from home experience…thanks for your input.
Hadley | September 7, 2007 @ 4:50 pm
Hi Laura.
Your experience sounds like what most parents feel when their child starts school of any kind. In my experience and my friends, it is highly unusual for a 4 year old to talk about their day in any complex way. I know it can be maddening when your child comes home at the end of the day and you haven’t a clue what they did all morning. For many months my son just wandered around watching other kids do stuff. I was not worried because I knew that for some children, this is their process of becoming familiar with their environment and who they are in it. Another parent at preschool with her first child was worried because her daughter said she didn’t do anything for weeks and weeks. She thought, why am I paying for Montessori? Now 6 months later these are both happy confident kids who are busy all day with Montessori materials, puzzles, singing dancing and probably maracas. Many of the activities children do at Montessori show no tangible evidence for parents to see - like sweeping, practical life activities or the pink tower. You child may go weeks on end bringing home nothing.
If your Montessori school is a good one, your child’s teacher will be happy to meet with you in a few weeks to discus your child’s progress. Also at our school they keep a wonderful portfolio throughout the year of your child’s development and we are able to take this home whenever we want.
It really does help to read a lot about Montessori to become familiar with it’s unique ways. All schools apply Montessori’s educational theory’s to different degrees and there can be a HUGE variance on schools.
If you can read a copy of this book “Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius”
http://www.amazon.com/Montessori-Science-Angeline-Stoll-Lillard/dp/0195325265/ref=pd_bbs_7/105-3185978-1298855?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189140480&sr=8-7
Kaz | May 4, 2008 @ 9:13 pm
Hi Laura
It is very common for children to tell their parents strange things that they do all day. My own daughter told me for months that she just had snack all day. Like you i questioned what i was paying for. I eventually brought a book explaining the equipment in the classroom. She would then point to pictures showing me what she had been working on.
Now i am a Montessori teacher and many parents wonder the same thing.
Most children enter the childrens house at age 2 1/2 to 3. I notice your child is 4 and if they hadnt been in montessori before most will start at the same place as a three year old.
Children will usually spend their first few months extending their fine motor skills and concentration in the practical life area (pouring, spooning, threading etc) and sensorial area (cylinder blocks, geometric solids, pink tower, brown stair, sorting, colour box 1 and 2 etc).
I would also encourage you to talk to your childs teacher and see if there are any opportunities to come into the classroom to see what is happening. Our school has a few evenings and weekends where parents can what their child is working on.
Regards Kaz