tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.comments2013-03-24T17:05:39.840-07:00Montessori MomentsMeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06580482411332472270noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-65523971820794881142013-03-24T17:05:39.840-07:002013-03-24T17:05:39.840-07:00A side by side comparison of the results would be ...A side by side comparison of the results would be awesome - but before we could do side by side with Montessori and Waldorf, or Montessori and anything, we'd have to do side by side with different Montessori types. I stand by AMI, which is the organization Dr. Montessori helped found and which (to the best of my knowledge) has the highest standards... but pretty much any comparison done by non-Montessori people is unlikely to separate between AMI and other types of Montessori. I think that would water down the benefits of Montessori in any comparison, and I'd like it to the best of it that gets compared, if that makes sense. I definitely agree that we need more research!Meganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06580482411332472270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-90015194099640274202013-02-21T00:42:10.396-08:002013-02-21T00:42:10.396-08:00Love this insider's view on the Montessori app...Love this insider's view on the Montessori approach. Thank you so much for writing and sharing it! <br /><br />I also love that you started straight with the main differentiation between Waldorf and Montessori. I always say that even though they are both on the same end of the 'alternative education spectrum', they are kind of opposite from each other, in a way - and you have illustrated that 'way' really well, here. Montessori is practical, grounded in the real world, with real tools and real tasks. It is sensorial and Earthy, somehow. <br /><br />Waldorf is of the mind and imagination, of the soul and creativity. (I think these are terms they would agree with). <br /><br />So, now we are down to how we think the child is developing, what is most important to them and what they *need* the most at this stage. Paging the psychologists... if only they could agree. <br /><br />To me it seems evident that they are both true - kids are very much into imagination and love tall stories (even when they are clear that they are not 'real')... and they are enchanted with the simple, everyday tasks they see all around us - and yearn to master them. But I do think it is a good point you make about kids not having sufficient understanding about the world to tell fantasy from reality. Then again, don't all cultures tell fables, fairy tales and folk stories to their young? It is certainly not without historical precedence, right? <br /><br />I kind of want a side-by-side comparrison of the results, if that makes sense. I want to see 100 or 1000 kids from each schooling system and see what patterns we find. How do they turn out different? what are the strengths and weakenesses of each system - or is it truly just about finding what works best for individual children? <br /><br />Thanks for the great food for thought, <br />Gauri<br />LovingEarthMama <br />Gaurihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15130638249742766567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-2455549398014301012012-06-03T20:41:51.039-07:002012-06-03T20:41:51.039-07:00I agree completely. When my son Jack (3) speaks to...I agree completely. When my son Jack (3) speaks to people they will often say, 'You're so smart' or 'You're such a clever boy'. While I think it is so incredibly important for children to have positive self-esteem I often feel that hearing 'you're so smart' all the time can actually have negative effects. Sometimes it sounds a little patronising. Like he is not really being listened to. At times he seems frustrated, I think he would rather someone talk to him rather than at him telling him he is 'so smart'. Often times I think, they're just words, he knows them because he has exposure to non-fiction books regularly. Young children's minds are like sponges; absorbent minds :) Why do we have to put labels on them; smart, gifted, shy, timid? Why can't they just be themselves? I am fiercely protective of people labelling Jack. <br /><br />KateAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-36253893756441291322012-01-10T13:35:20.077-08:002012-01-10T13:35:20.077-08:00Thanks, Lauren. Sorry it took me so long to get yo...Thanks, Lauren. Sorry it took me so long to get your comment posted - I took a blogging break over the holiday and we just started back at school yesterday :).Meganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862217241561467690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-35248394377388256842011-12-30T22:53:27.533-08:002011-12-30T22:53:27.533-08:00This is really interesting! Mikko loves to write (...This is really interesting! Mikko loves to write (4.5 years old) but hasn't yet grasped reading as much. I guess I wasn't even thinking about how that would be considered "backwards" in a mainstream schooling perspective. I guess we've been doing something right!<br /><br />Thanks for the ideas for how to continue! For instance, the idea of saying the sound a letter makes rather than its name makes so much sense.Lauren Waynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07500733577920040395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-85486459093374280522011-11-15T21:00:06.988-08:002011-11-15T21:00:06.988-08:00Thanks for sharing this informative post..
Montes...Thanks for sharing this informative post..<br /><br /><a href="http://www.happyhandsmontessorinursery.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Montessori Nursery School</a>Adam Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10032097371248121545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-41216263954847805222011-11-14T17:56:03.583-08:002011-11-14T17:56:03.583-08:00Thanks for all the wonderful comments! I'm a b...Thanks for all the wonderful comments! I'm a brand new blogger so it really means a lot to me :)Meganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862217241561467690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-58180484431288413482011-11-09T19:10:42.064-08:002011-11-09T19:10:42.064-08:00Great tips! Now I know what to add to our holiday ...Great tips! Now I know what to add to our holiday wish list. And I know another blog to add to my reader :)Sylvia@MaMammaliahttp://mamammalia.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-69689768755974493392011-11-08T18:02:01.077-08:002011-11-08T18:02:01.077-08:00I really like the idea of the children having opti...I really like the idea of the children having options to help themselves throughout the day. I'm going to set up a snack section during the day so they can help themselves. Thanks for that idea! My little ones help me as much as they can in the kitchen and I'm used to finding alternative options for my 2yo who wants to do all the things his 3yo sister can.Terrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09684698960387428709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-754027906355187712011-11-08T16:33:43.116-08:002011-11-08T16:33:43.116-08:00Great Montessori-inspired ideas, and I love that y...Great Montessori-inspired ideas, and I love that you described the activities you put out! I added this to the main part of my post at http://livingmontessorinow.com/2011/11/08/montessori-inspired-food-preparation-for-preschoolers/ to be sure that no one missed it.Deb Chitwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16665549481411417908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-50987804288117006112011-11-08T11:15:09.384-08:002011-11-08T11:15:09.384-08:00Love this. Thank you so much for sharing! So infor...Love this. Thank you so much for sharing! So informative and so many easy to do ideas. I am bookmarking it for future use as my son is still a bit young for any of the activities. Thanks for sharing :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10767847394956942818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-86318159869755424232011-11-08T07:04:40.928-08:002011-11-08T07:04:40.928-08:00Really interesting and useful guidance for little ...Really interesting and useful guidance for little ones to be part of what they eat. Lots of useful tips. <br />My kids spend huge amounts of time cooking with me, amd although I try to simplify things by not offering too much choice at a young age, as they get older, and start to cook independently, they have much more involvement in the meal planning.Angel wings and Herb teahttp://angelwingsandherbtea.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-28322726162183239222011-11-08T06:23:04.438-08:002011-11-08T06:23:04.438-08:00I love that you are doing this in a classroom envi...I love that you are doing this in a classroom environment with multiple kids! And I bet their parents love that they are all helpful at home in the kitchen as well. TY for the ideas!Dionna @ Code Name: Mamahttp://codenamemama.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-4470507923690319332011-11-08T06:10:27.771-08:002011-11-08T06:10:27.771-08:00my daughter always got the real tools... sometimes...my daughter always got the real tools... sometimes it didn't work that well and we were consulted for help... and there was the occasional cut in the finger, but hey, even I sometimes still cut myselfmamapoekiehttp://www.authenticparenting.infonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-76369326353552276512011-11-08T05:50:01.645-08:002011-11-08T05:50:01.645-08:00Greetings from Malaysia! Hopping in from the carni...Greetings from Malaysia! Hopping in from the carnival! <br /><br />Great tips! Back when I started to learn to bake, I got my 2 year old boy to 'help' me mix the batter (just turning the spatula around and around) and even now he loves watching videos on cake making and sometimes I catch him playing by himself as he pretends to cut cake and cook us imaginary foods. <br /><br />~ Jenny ( <a href="http://www.imafulltimemummy.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.imafulltimemummy.com/ </a> )I'm a full-time mummyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08500868058094898354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-13984517823240870702011-11-08T04:30:05.005-08:002011-11-08T04:30:05.005-08:00This is so inspirational. I know Mikko (4) gets so...This is so inspirational. I know Mikko (4) gets so proud of himself when he does something independently. I love these ideas of guiding them and showing them easy ways to help prepare their own food. Even something as simple as teaching them to cut bags open with scissors instead of needing adult help – brilliant!Lauren Waynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07500733577920040395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-17016637564883870522011-11-08T02:36:45.165-08:002011-11-08T02:36:45.165-08:00Those are really interesting ideas, I must admit I...Those are really interesting ideas, I must admit I never really thought about the self-regulating aspect of it, despite having practised baby led weaning.Thanks :)Luschkahttp://www.diaryofafirstchild.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-43219809826517400732011-10-23T14:42:43.867-07:002011-10-23T14:42:43.867-07:00I would never have thought of this. What outstand...I would never have thought of this. What outstanding advice!MO'Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14166746694199690566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-15287527773682976362011-10-20T21:30:49.982-07:002011-10-20T21:30:49.982-07:00Good reminderGood reminderAdriana Stinnett - Cravernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-61971950265204224192011-10-20T18:10:56.531-07:002011-10-20T18:10:56.531-07:00I would have never thought of that. Outstanding a...I would have never thought of that. Outstanding advice!MO'Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14166746694199690566noreply@blogger.com