Spring 2012
volume 24 number 1
“Headphones with Swagger (and Lots of Bass),” an article in the Business section of the New York Times on November 19, 2011, featured Beats, $300 headphones designed by Dr. Dre, “the sonic architect of gangsta rap.” One of the photos in the article is of (I am assuming) a father and his son and daughter attending a party at a pop-up store in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. The young girl is wearing the headphones while her father and brother look on (Martin).
This scene called to mind another New York Times article...
AMS has publicly stated its commitment to ensuring that our efforts in the Montessori public and charter school arena must be both sustainable and inclusive. To this end, we realized that we needed significant additional financial resources. With the leadership of Marie Dugan, former AMS interim executive director and current member of our Development Committee, we were very fortunate last summer to receive...
Last summer, as a representative of the American Montessori Society, I attended a Montessori conference in Beijing and had the privilege of visiting several Montessori schools. It was fascinating to see students involved in the same math, Practical Life, and sensorial lessons as American Montessori school students. Also fascinating was seeing language and culture activities that are unique to Chinese culture and art, such as intricate sewing that included the zodiac symbols and corresponding constellations. But perhaps most fascinating of all was witnessing the proliferation of Montessori schools the country has experienced in recent years.
Montessori schools are rapidly opening in China, in part to help promote creativity in education. Dr. Yong Zhao, a forerunner in global education from the University of Oregon, and a keynote speaker at the AMS 2011 Annual Conference, said that...
Montessori Life is supposed to be a magazine geared toward the members; let it be more specifically useful. The magazine is beautiful, well-edited, and easy to read; how about adding a regular column on Montessori philosophy, the underpinning of why we do what we do? We could also use more articles on classroom management, on dealing with special needs children, and what about the transitioning child? Practitioners could also use more articles on the latest research on child development. And there can never be enough advice on how to communicate with parents. How about...
It is hard for me to believe that my “little girl” is at the point in her life where she is deciding on which high school she will attend next year. She has been busy visiting small and large private and public high schools so that she can weigh her options and we can then make an informed decision. Like most parents, I have been wondering, with some trepidation, whether my child’s Montessori experience has adequately prepared her for the “real world.” My questions are...
Authentic learning focuses on real-world, multidisciplinary problems and solutions and is an important educational strategy for equipping students with 21st-century skills (Lombardi, 2007; Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2008). Although authentic learning is considered a broad educational practice, the following common components have emerged...
Did you notice?
The cover of Montessori Life has a slightly new look. The changes, although subtle, reflect graphic elements employed in all of the newest AMS publications as well as on the AMS website, thus creating a cohesive visual branding of AMS designed to trigger instant recognition: This is AMS!
Clean, graceful, and strong graphics, coupled with captivating photos of children at work, provide a perfect complement to...
The American public generally recognizes the name “Montessori” because so many schools across the country and around the world use the Montessori name. However, the Montessori community has long believed that misunderstandings abound. In The Montessori Controversy, John Chattin-McNichols (1998) highlights conflicting criticisms that Montessori education is either too rigid and robs children of creativity or that it is completely unstructured and without any academic standards. A recent dissertation study quantified Montessori awareness and identified misconceptions in particular for those aspects of Montessori education that are...
I may be treading on thin ice at this juncture. It is easy to offend teachers and guides and administrators when this subject is broached. But I believe the future of Montessori education hinges on this. How far can a guide or school deviate from proven methods practiced by Maria Montessori and still be called a Montessori school? Well, if students are all sitting in rows of desks with no freedom of movement, no choice of work...
As a parent, sociologist, and educator, I often seem to see the world differently from others. While some see a public policy debate as a football game between winners and losers, I see it as a vital way to create a good society. While some see education as a means to an end, I see it as a goal in and of itself. Some see gender equality growing in society because of the obvious changes in women’s roles. However, I question this perception of increasing equality, as gender roles appear to me to remain strongly tied to traditional practices.
My youngest daughter attended an excellent preschool program. It was widely known for its open atmosphere, its racial and ethnic diversity, and its fair-minded attitude toward teaching young children. At this bastion of equality, gender differences still existed. Each year on Mother’s Day...
Nearly 15 million children in the United States—21% of all children—live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level—$22,050 a year for a family of four. Research shows that, on average, families need an income of about twice that level to cover basic expenses. Using this standard, 42% of children live in low-income families.
Child poverty rates are highest among...
According to experts in special education (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2004, 2010), there are specific recommendations for effective instruction of students with special needs. These recommendations incorporate the planning necessary for content coverage that must be “appropriate to pre-skills and abilities” of the student. The criteria for effective instruction in content coverage—which apply to all students, and specifically to students with special needs—must include the following areas of attention: Scope and Sequence, Curriculum, Pacing, and Types of Learning (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2004). Each of these areas of attention can be found and experienced in a Montessori inclusive environment...
4,962,571 tells the story of Zachary Zane, a young boy fascinated by numbers, who decides to count real things until he reaches 4,962,571. The reader follows Zach as he begins with one bite of toast and proceeds through the contents of his pockets, birds in the sky, leaves on a giant maple tree, and on and on, until he reaches his magic number. The reader senses, as Zach approaches his goal, that he will not stop there. Children of a certain age, for whom counting becomes a challenge and an obsession, will certainly...
AMS Annual Conferences
2013 March 14–17
Hilton Orlando Destination Parkway
Orlando, FL
2014 March 27–30
Hilton Anatole
Dallas, TX
2015 March 12–15
Philadelphia Marriott Downtown
Philadelphia, PA
A kindergarten student came to the office to ask me if I could return something I had borrowed from his class. He asked so politely that I remarked that even though he thinks he is going to first grade next year we would be keeping him here because he has only been here one year. His reply was, “That’s okay. My friend and I are making a googol of metal insets and it will take us a long time!”
Marilyn Horan
Bunche Montessori Early
Childhood Center
Fort Wayne, IN