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Positive Discipline and the Montessori Method | MKU

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Positive Discipline is easy to read about, but it can be challenging to put into practice. This philosophy requires a paradigm shift away from..

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Montessori Teacher Training: A Study of One’s Self

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A truly authentic Montessori Teacher Training program will have a strong emphasis on the spiritual preparation of teachers-to-be.

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Freedom

Sense of order

Need for repetition

Development of self-discipline through work

...and so on.

How often have we discussed the spiritual preparation of the teacher in the same context?

We are all striving day after day, year after year to enrich the little souls at our school or at home.

Have we ever stopped to delve deeper into ourselves?

Have we attempted to discover our inner spirit and taken efforts to prepare ourselves as educators?

Maria Montessori emphasized 'The spiritual preparation of the teacher' during her lectures and talks. She said that:

Study alone would not prepare teachers for the mission of education.

Teachers have to rightly prepare for this task.

How then, we, as educators can prepare ourselves for this journey?

Here are some pointers that could help you to get started.

1. Systematically and periodically study yourself

Start by keeping a journal to write your actions during the week

Reflect on those actions: what did you do? How can you improve?

Use your reflections to plan

Try to eliminate or work on those actions that have a negative impact on children.

2. See yourself through another's eyes

Think about ...

How does my co-teacher or my administrator approach me?

Is there something in me that inhibits the action of people around me?

By asking these questions, we discover our own weaknesses before uncovering the child's'.

3. Remember its okay to have faults and weaknesses

By this, we become open to suggestions and guidance and that will help us to become effective teachers.

If we consider ourselves perfect or keep seeking perfection, we may often be clouded and misunderstand the child.

4. Reflect upon child's dilemma

If we are angry or too proud to accept our weakness and if the same reflects in our actions, it is the child who is affected.

For example, when you shout or raise your voice against a child, the child feels suppressed to express himself or herself. This will lead to negatively impact the child's behavior.

Always think of the receiver of your actions - the child!

5. Stay humble

Staying humble will open you up to learning new things.

By humble, it also means we strive against our deep-rooted prejudices and assumptions and adapt to the existing environment.

If we have certain strong beliefs and assumptions and do not let them go, can we truly understand the child?

6. Be self-aware

Through daily practices, mindfulness, meditative or otherwise, be aware of your own self, your actions and your thoughts.

This not only lets you be present in the moment but also makes you sensitive to the people and surroundings around you. Being self-aware helps you slow down and observe children with calm and composure.

I would like to end this article with a quote by Maria Montessori for reflection by all of us.
"It is not enough for the teacher to love the child. She must first love and understand the universe. She must prepare herself, and truly work at it." Aarthi Nandakumar Reference:
(Aarthi is currently pursuing her Masters in Montessori Integrative Learning from The Institute of Educational Studies, Endicott College, USA. She is enthusiastic and passionate about the Montessori method and aspires to go beyond and extend it into holistic and integrative learning for children and teachers alike. )

The Secret of Childhood by Maria Montessori

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Montessori Philosophy: The Spiritual Preparation of the Teacher

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Discover Maria Montessori's approach to spiritual preparation of the teacher and how to become a better educator. Read more here.

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Nurturing the Inner Life: The Spiritual Preparation of the Teacher - Ideas & Insights Articles - Montessori Services

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“The real preparation for education is a study of one’s self. The training of the teacher who is to help life is something far more than the learning of ideas. It includes the training of character, it is a preparation of the spirit.”- Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind

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Montessori Reading Acceleration Pathway Sign Up Flier

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Montessori Reading Acceleration Pathway Sign Up Flier

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Reading Acceleration Pathway Community of Practice – Montessori For All

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Teachers, interventionists, and administrators who join the Community of Practice will have access to five webinars throughout the upcoming school year, coaching, weekly emails, and a private Facebook group focused on:

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Montessori for All Reading Acceleration Pathway Website

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Montessori for All Reading Acceleration Pathway Website

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Reading Acceleration Pathway Community of Practice – Montessori For All

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Teachers, interventionists, and administrators who join the Community of Practice will have access to five webinars throughout the upcoming school year, coaching, weekly emails, and a private Facebook group focused on:

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A Review of the Evidence Base for Montessori Instruction

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A Review of the Evidence Base for Montessori Instruction

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Montessori education: a review of the evidence base - npj Science of Learning

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npj Science of Learning - Montessori education: a review of the evidence base

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The Montessori Event (Annual Conference)

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The Montessori Event (Annual Conference)

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Montessori Training- Distance Learning Program

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Montessori Training- Distance Learning Program

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NAMC's Montessori teacher training programs provide you with the convenience of distance education and the choice to enroll whenever you like. Our format has worked for busy students for 20 years, and our Montessori teacher training programs are the most cost-effective in the world. The global leader in Montessori curriculum resources development, NAMC is proud to share our resources with our students. Included with each of our four Montessori training programs are NAMC's comprehensive, high-quality, full-color Montessori manuals.

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Welcome to NAMC Teacher Training - North American Montessori Center

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NAMC's Montessori teacher training programs provide you with the convenience of distance education and the choice to enroll whenever you like. Our format has worked for busy students for 20 years, and our Montessori teacher training programs are the most cost-effective in the world.

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Podcast & Discussion on recent Montessori research

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Podcast & Discussion on recent Montessori research

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For 20 years, Jesse McCarthy has worked with thousands of children, parents, teachers and administrators - as a principal for infants to 8th graders, an executive with a nationwide group of private schools, an elementary & junior-high teacher, and a parent-and-teacher mentor. Jesse received his B.A. in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and his Montessori teacher's diploma for ages 2.5 to 6+ from Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), the organization founded by Dr. Maria Montessori. Jesse has spoken on early education and child development at schools around the globe, as well as at popular organizations in and outside of the Montessori community: from AMI/USA to Twitter. Jesse now heads and hosts .

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New Montessori Research - Montessori Education

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Impressive study results found for children in Montessori school (vs traditional)

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Recently Published

Montessori: The Science behind the Genius, 3rd edition
by Angeline S. Lillard, PhD

Oxford University Press, 2017 (496 pages)
Details

Recent news and articles
More Research and Theory Articles

Taggart, J., Fukuda, E., & Lillard, A. S. (2018). Children's preference for real activities: Even stronger in the Montessori children's house. Journal of Montessori Research, 4, 1-9.

Lillard, A. S. (2018). Rethinking education: Montessori's approach. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27, 395-400.

Theory of Mind in Context - Taylor and Francis, 2017

Removing supplementary materials from Montessori classrooms changed child outcomes - Journal of Montessori Research, 2016 (PDF)

Montessori Education and Creativity - AMI Journal 2014-2015

Preschool children's development in classic Montessori, supplemented Montessori, and conventional programs - Journal of School Psychology, 2012

Mindfulness Practices in Education: Montessori's Approach - Mindfulness June 2011

What Belongs in a Montessori Primary Classroom? Results from a Survey of AMI and AMS Teacher Trainers - February 2011 (PDF)

Old dogs learning new tricks: Neuroplasticity beyond the juvenile period -Developmental Review 31, 2011

THE EARLY YEARS: Evaluating Montessori Education - Science Journal

Montessori: The Science behind the Genius, Chapter 1 (PDF)

News / Press

Edutopia on Montessori

How to Realize Preschool Dreams - New York Times editorial

The Future Of Education Was Invented In 1906 - Forbes

Montessori as a charter school alternative, New York Times letter to the editor

Don't stop classroom chatter; it's good for learning, The Times of London

Montessori, Now 100, Goes Mainstream, Washington Post

Students Prosper with Montessori Method, Scientific American

Montessori Schools Hit the Century Mark in Stride, National Assoc. of Independent Schools

Montessori education turns 100, Minnesota Public Radio

Don't just stand here, think! Boston Globe

Montessori Schools Foster Social and Academic Skills, AAAS News

Montessori Students Go Their Way, Patriot Ledger

Study Shows Improved Test Scores for Students in Montessori Schools, Fox News

Test-free system 'gives children a better start in life'? - The Times, London

Montessori Kids: Academic Advantage? - WebMD

Children at Montessori schools are better educated - Daily Mail

Inner-City Montessori School Creates Model Citizens, HealthDay News

Montessori teaching 'better than traditional schooling', Daily Telegraph, London

Research shows benefits of Montessori education, Education Guardian, UK

A bright spot for city's schools - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

School of Thought, University of Virginia Arts & Sciences Magazine

UVa Professor Shares her Groundbreaking Work, Albemarle Family

The Pretenders: Make-believe is no waste of time for Dr. Angeline Lillard, Cville magazine

Book Reviews

Podcasts/Radio

Parents Journal - Dr. Angeline Lillard interview on weekly National Public Radio (NPR) broadcast.

Montessori education turns 100 - Researcher Angeline Lillard discusses Montessori education on Minnesota Public Radio

The Montessori Legacy - Dr. Lillard, Wendy Fisher and Eric Lamb are interviewed on the public interest program Insight produced by WMRA radio (requires Real Audio player)

Parent's Perspective podcast - Dr. Lillard is interviewed on the weekly public radio program focused on parenting

Videos

Angeline Lillard Presents Montessori: The Science

A Montessori Journey from the Start | Forest Bluff School

Other links

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MONTESSORI SCIENCE: Articles, News, Video, Podcasts, Reviews

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Montessori Articles, News, Video, PDFs, Podcasts, Radio & Reviews related to the Montessori Method and current science research provided by Dr. Angeline Lillard

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Montessori: The Science behind the Genius, Angeline Lillard

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Montessori: The Science behind the Genius, Angeline Lillard

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What Works Clearinghouse- Montessori Approach

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What Works Clearinghouse- Montessori Approach

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As of December 2005 no studies of Montessori Method were found that fell within the scope of the Early Childhood Education review protocol and met WWC design standards. Therefore, the WWC is unable to draw any research based conclusions about the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of Montessori Method to improve outcomes in this area.

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Explicit Spelling Instruction in a Montessori classroom

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Explicit Spelling Instruction in a Montessori classroom

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Reading and spelling don't come easily for all children
I was the third-grade spelling bee champion in my small, rural New Jersey elementary school. My teacher awarded me with a pocket-size thesaurus for my accomplishment.

My classmates and I spent months memorizing lists of disconnected words with no analysis or reflection of spelling patterns, rules, etymology, or morphology. While rote memorization allowed me to take home the coveted thesaurus, for most students, this practice does not support the processes underlying literacy acquisition. Many children will need direct and explicit spelling instruction to spell (and write), even if their reading is at or above grade level. Learning to spell is more complicated than reading because spelling requires complete and accurate word memories.

When explicitly taught the rules and patterns of the English language, approximately 84 percent of all words can be spelled accurately by sound-symbol correspondence patterns alone. But English has a great many words, and this leaves at least 100,000 more that could be spelled correctly if other information was considered, such as word meaning and origin. It would take an additional twenty years after the spelling bee for me to learn about the fascinating rules and patterns of the English language.

I was a wide-eyed and eager student teacher nearing the completion of my master's degree in Elementary Education with a focus in Montessori Studies. The lower elementary classroom I was placed in had been led by a master guide trained in primary through upper elementary. She created a wonderfully rich environment where students collaborated in concentrated work and inquisitive research, fulfilling their intrinsic desire to learn. During my first week in the classroom, she called the second-year students to the lesson table to explore why some one-syllable words with the ending /ch/ sound were spelled with a "tch." I personally could not answer why, and I was intrigued by this approach to word study and spelling. As a young child, I never learned the rules of spelling. Witnessing the enthusiasm and excitement firsthand as students gained a deeper understanding of our language motivated me to begin my comprehensive study and apprenticeship in Orton-Gillingham and structured literacy practices.

Orton-Gillingham (OG) is an approach used to teach literacy that was first developed to assist students with demonstrated reading, writing, and spelling difficulties. It originated in the 1920s by Samuel T. Orton, a neuropsychologist and pathologist who worked with patients with brain damage, and Anna Gillingham, an educator, and psychologist. Together they created a multisensory learning strategy that involved the integration of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning pathways for reading instruction. Early attention was focused on children with language processing difficulties, but the approach began to be utilized for all students learning to read, write, and spell.

Due to the limited amount of high-quality research on this topic, a review of meta-analyses shows mixed outcomes regarding the efficacy of the Orton-Gillingham approach as a whole. However, one analysis does show positive results for certain elements of the approach. In a 2006 literature review of twelve studies focusing on the effectiveness of the approach with students in elementary school through college, positive results were found for word reading, word attack/decoding, spelling, and comprehension. Substantial research demonstrates the importance of explicit spelling instruction within a structured literacy framework, which is a critical component of OG.

Learning to spell words supports the construction of high-quality lexical representations (quick and automatic retrieval of word meaning), an essential driver of literacy acquisition. The English writing system is complex, with 26 letters producing 44 sounds. Explicit instruction in spelling and reading allows students to strengthen their application of patterns and rules of the English language. Studies with second and third-grade students found moderate to large effects on students' reading when encoding skills provided spelling instruction that was sequenced from easier to more difficult (Blachman et al., 2004). Therefore, it becomes essential that educators enhance literacy skills with spelling lessons that include explicit instruction of carefully selected words. The goal is to make sense of words by selectively referencing the factors that explain why a word is written the way it is (Spear-Swerling, 2022).

Dr. Montessori's development of language lessons and materials was based on Italian orthography, which is shallow (i.e., mostly phonetic and extremely predictable). There is a direct, straightforward grapheme-to-phoneme correspondence . On the other hand, the English language employs a deep or opaque orthography-the relationship between graphemes and phonemes is much less direct. While English is comprised of 84 percent predictable rules and patterns, it contains many more complex codes that must be explicitly taught. For this reason, I have implemented structured literacy approaches in my Montessori lower elementary environment for many years.

The Orton-Gillingham approach and Montessori method, both scientifically based, share many commonalities. They both emphasize systematic, cumulative, explicit, and diagnostic instruction and multi-sensory techniques. Considering the research-supported benefits and the similarities between the Orton-Gillingham approach and the Montessori method, I have found great success and ease of implementation by utilizing the OG approach in my lower elementary classroom. Structured literacy approaches like Orton-Gillingham should contain the following general principles:

Systematic and cumulative instruction: Lessons build upon prior knowledge. The order of lessons begins with the most basic concepts and becomes more complex. Lessons always spiral back and include a review of previously taught concepts. A planned scope and sequence is followed.

Explicit Instruction: "I Do, We Do, You Do" (Similar to the three-period lesson). The deliberate use of scaffolding begins with lots of teacher support and then weans the child to become more independent. Instruction is intentional and explicit and includes modeling and immediate corrective feedback-lots of student engagement.

Diagnostic: Lessons are individualized and differentiated. Guides are continuously diagnosing the needs of the students. Differentiation occurs within groups based on careful monitoring.

Multimodal: To enhance learning, implement the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning pathways simultaneously. Lessons utilize hands-on manipulatives and techniques.

It's easy to see how these criteria are present in Montessori pedagogy and curriculum.
How does this approach unfurl in my lower elementary classroom?
I pull differentiated groups for a lesson on Monday. Each week the groups focus on a spelling rule or pattern as I work through the scope and sequence. The introductory lesson introduces the topic, the students talk about the rule or pattern through guided discovery, and they record it in their spelling books. First-year students have lots of practice finger tapping to stretch the sounds of the word as they write the words in their books. First-year students also utilize a keyword chart to aid in the recall of letter sounds. I also teach them big body gestures to remember vowel sounds and digraphs. When I introduce a new concept, I teach them the movements, and we do the movements together. Over time, using a gradual release of responsibility, the students use the motion with only an initial prompt.

All students receive one or two review words from the previous lesson and two to three heart words. Second and third-year students are only given five words accompanying the rule or pattern in the introductory lesson. First years are given ten. Early in the year, first-year students utilize Elkonin boxes with bingo chips to demonstrate the number of sounds they hear. Later in the year, it is no longer needed, so the scaffolding crutch is removed. All friends air write and discuss the irregular components of the heart words before writing on paper.

Throughout the rest of the week, students may work with the words through word sorts, phonics exercises on paper, Waseca rainbow boxes, dictation sentences with accompanying illustrations (for first years), and reading and working with the words in text passages.

On Friday, the students have a quiz. First-year friends are quizzed on all ten words from the rule or pattern we studied, the review words from previous concepts, and the heart words. Second and third-year friends are quizzed on the five words I provided them on Monday, plus five other words that follow the rule or pattern, the review words, and the heart words. The "mystery" words that I ask the students to spell on Friday eliminate the rote memorization process and allow for a deeper understanding of the rule or pattern of that week.

The importance of explicit spelling instruction should not be overlooked in the Montessori environment. For young children, research indicates that spelling supports learning to read. For older children, learning about the meaningful relationships between words will likely contribute to vocabulary growth and reading comprehension.

Do not hesitate to implement practices and approaches because you wonder, "is this Montessori?" It is possible and acceptable to honor and uphold the Montessori pedagogy while implementing instruction not explicitly mentioned in our albums. As Dr. Montessori stated in The Formation of Man, "The basis of the reform of education and society which is a necessity of our times must be built upon scientific study." We must remember that Dr. Montessori was a scientist first and foremost. We should be compelled to utilize instructional practices rooted in scientific research in our environments. Explicit spelling instruction can be integrative, fun, authentic, and purposeful!

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Explicit spelling instruction drives literacy

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Download PDF By Jennifer Dempsey Reading and spelling don't come easily for all children I was the third-grade spelling bee champion in my small, rural New Jersey elementary school. My teacher awarded me with a pocket-size thesaurus for my accomplishment. [...]

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AMI's global network empowers teachers and communities through the holistic approach of Maria Montessori, helping all children become truly capable and productive individuals by focusing on their moral, behavioral, emotional, and intellectual development.

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AMI's global network empowers teachers and communities through the holistic approach of Maria Montessori, helping all children become truly capable and productive individuals by focusing on their moral, behavioral, emotional, and intellectual development.

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MONTESSORI GUIDE is a resource tool for practitioners to demonstrate what quality Montessori looks like and needs to take into consideration in order to be implemented.

Montessori theory is straightforward. It is deeply rooted in neuroscience and the natural unfolding of human development. Montessori practice, on the other hand, can be complex.

Capturing authentic Montessori practice on film for professional development purposes means showing the work of children in their prepared environments. We decided to seek the child who emerges under the conditions described by Dr. Montessori in her writings.

Our creative team traveled coast-to-coast across the United States, capturing ordinary days in Montessori environments on video to show a diversity of real classrooms with real situations. Filming took place in a variety of communities: urban, rural and suburban programs; public and private sector settings; at corporate child care centers and in home based care.

Topics of concern in daily practice are emphasized.

Join us as we begin delving deeper into our craft!

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An online Montessori resource tool for teachers and parents, with videos and articles that illustrate Montessori classrooms and best practices. Produced by the Association Montessori International/USA.

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Montessori in the Public Sector Standards Alignment

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Montessori in the Public Sector Standards Alignment

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National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector

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The Montessori Curriculum to Standards Alignment (MCSA) - National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector

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MCSA Montessori Curriculumto Standards Alignment A comprehensive alignment between Montessori curriculum and nationally recognized standards take a look Meet the MCSA The NCMPS Montessori Curriculum to Standards Alignment (MCSA) consists of two separate Alignments: Primary (PK3-K) Elementary (1st-6th Grade) Together, they comprise 13 Albums aligning Montessori Primary and Elementary curriculum to national standards.

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Do you have any suggestions on how to curate literature for children? And how to build literacy through them? Do you use reading comprehension questions/writing exercises?

What are your thoughts about movies in the classroom?

Is your reading program is suitable for parents with children in conventional school? Would this be conflicting or confusing for the child?

How do you use the Geography Charts?

Resources related to literature education:

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Montessori Language - Rhyme and Reason Academy

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Posts about Montessori Language written by Emily C