"All our handling of the child will bear fruit, not only at the moment, but in the adult they are to become."
- Maria Montessori
Montessori Resources
The Timing and Quality of Early Experiences Combine to Shape Brain ArchitecturE
The foundations of brain architecture are established early in life through a continuous series of dynamic interactions in which environmental conditions and personal experiences have a significant impact on how genetic predispositions are expressed.Because specific experiences affect specific brain circuits during specific developmental stages—referred to as sensitive periods—it is vitally important to take advantage of these early opportunities in the developmental building process. That is to say, the quality of a child’s early environment and the availability of appropriate experiences at the right stages of development are crucial in determining the strength or weakness of the brain’s architecture, which, in turn, determines how well he or she will be able to think and to regulate emotions. To read more:...... Harvard University Study
Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships
Healthy development depends on the quality and reliability of a young child’s relationships with the important people in his or her life, both within and outside the family. Even the development of a child’s brain architecture depends on the establishment of these relationships. To read more ..... Harvard University Study
Montessori Madness! A Parent to Parent Argument for Montessori Education
by Trevor Eissler
"We know we need to improve our traditional school system, both public and private. But how? Better-qualified teachers? Longer school days or school years? More testing? More funding? No, no, no, no and no. Montessori Madness! explains why the incremental steps politicians and administrators continue to propose are incremental steps in the wrong direction. The entire system must be turned on its head. This book asks parents to take a look - one thirty-minute observation- at a Montessori school. Your picture of what education should look like will never be the same." Join the discussion at www.montessorimadness.com or watch a short video.
Montessori: The Science behind the Genius
by Angeline Stoll Lillard, An Vu
"Traditional American schooling is in constant crisis because it is based on two poor models for children's learning: the school as a factory and the child as a blank slate. School reforms repeatedly fail by not penetrating these models. One hundred years ago, Maria Montessori, the first female physician in Italy, devised a very different method of educating children, based on her observations of how they naturally learn. Does Montessori education provide a viable alternative to traditional schooling? Do Dr. Montessori's theories and practices stand up to the scrutiny of modern-day developmental psychology? Can developmental psychology tell us anything about how and why Montessori methods work? In Montessori, Angeline Stoll Lillard shows that science has finally caught up with Maria Montessori: Current scientific research provides astounding support for her major insights. Lillard presents the research concerning eight insights that are foundational to Montessori education and describe how each of these insights is applied in the Montessori classroom."
For more information go to: http://www.montessori-science.org
Montessori Today: A Comprehensive Approach to Education from Birth to Adulthood
by Paula Polk Lillard
Paula Lillard, director of a Montessori school ranging in age from 18 months to fifteen years, provides a clear and cogent introduction to the Montessori program for the elementary and later years. In detailed accounts, Lillard shows how children acquire the skills to answer their own questions, learn to manage freedom with responsibility, and maintain a high level of intellectual stimulation by using the Montessori method. This is an essential handbook for parents and teachers who have chosen the Montessori alternative for the older child.