General Presentation p. 1

The Three Period Lesson p. 3

Our Mission p. 5

Our Vision p. 6

Our Goals p. 7

The Guide’s Role p. 8

The Parents’ Role p. 10

What about Discipline? p. 11

A Day in a Children’s House p. 12

Practical Information p. 16

ASSOCIATION EDUCATION SUBSTRATUM | FRANCEMONTESSOR I

PYRÉNEESATLANT IQUES

07 82 90 21 72 | montessoripyreneesatlantiques@gmail.com

Montessori Pyrénées Atlantiques Our Charter “Our care of the child should be governed, not by the desireto make him learn things, but by the endeavor always to keep burning within him

that light which is called intelligence.”Maria Montessori

The Advanced Montessori Method, Volume I

General Presentation We wish to educate the children within our facility according to the Montessori philosophy, principles and method of education. School is not about teaching but a place for childhood development. Our school is a place to bring forth the will to learn within each child., where we encourage children to be independent thinkers. Our teachers are called guides and are trained by the Association Montessori International (A.M.I.) in the Montessori method of education. The Montessori guide is trained to create a prepared environment to foster childhood development. Through observation of the individual child the guide gives presentations with the scientific material at the precise moment to support physical, intellectual, and spiritual growth. This education is more than a method with specific materials and a specific curriculum, it is also based on principles and a philosophy determined by years and years of observation of child development by Dr. Maria Montessori. Dr. Maria Montessori (1870-1952), one of the first women doctors in Italy spent her entire life observing children in their natural state, experimenting with different educational materials and methods. The result of her observations, what we now call the Montessori method, has been tangibly used to aid in children’s development for over a century now. This method is not only geared towards children with difficulties or disabilities, it is geared towards ALL children, from all social and cultural backgrounds. This method simply follows the child’s natural development and aims at fully disclosing the child’s potential. Dr. Maria Montessori discovered that self-motivation is a catalyst that stimulates the impulse and desire to learn or more accurately, to develop. A true education allows the child the freedom to develop physically, intellectually, and spiritually. This freedom is supported by the child’s surroundings and it is acquired through the child’s choice of his own activities. It is interest that motivates the child and pushes him to learn. This interest is the first necessary step to all types of learning. In each environment is a complete set of the age appropriate Montessori didactic materials. These Montessori Materials are within reach of the child and arranged from simple to complex. They facilitate sensory-motor coordination, the elaboration of concepts, oral skills, writing and reading, arithmetic and so forth. Many of the materials are materialized abstractions (an abstract concept which has been given a tangible form), they develop from the known to the unknown, step by step. The material is ‘presented’ to the child, who then has the possibility of using it as many times as he wishes to and for un unlimited period of time. This presentation of materials as well as each lesson given to the child is based on each child’s biological and natural development, or on what Montessori called the stages or planes of development. Working at their own rhythm, children ascertain new concepts through the manipulative or "hands on" use of the materials. The learning process is reliant on the child's individual and independent work leading to the discovery that initiative leads to the internalization of an idea or concept. The working process cultivates concentration, perseverance and orientation to detail.

The Montessori pedagogy is based on the principle that a child does not only learn a set of facts, but he is learning how to learn. The learning of facts and of the means to get the facts or a specific knowledge is done through hands on work. The intelligence develops through the hands. And in the primary environment essentially, learning is more about entering slowly into one’s culture, acquiring the keys to one’s world that the adult has to share with him in order to help him decipher and understand the world he is growing up into. The different ages within each environment promotes autonomous learning, socialization, and conflict resolution. A Montessori environment is a micro-society, it prepares the child to integrate its own larger society when he will be of age to do so. In the meantime, little ones follow the example set by the older ones, and the older ones help the little ones. In helping they get a deeper understanding of the concept they have just ‘explained’ and a natural social order amongst the children sets into place. The guide is here to guide, counsel, lead to peaceful and kind conflict resolution when nothing else seems possible, tools that the child then learns how to use by himself. The school schedule is based on the three hour work cycle. There are not set times for mathematics or writing or geography. Children have a solid chunk of time – three hours – within which they can work at their own rhythm, choosing their own work. Dr. Maria Montessori had observed that a child needed three hours in order to seek, find and achieve a great piece of work, and thus learn a new concept. A Montessori environment supports spontaneity, inner motivation, independence, determination, perseverance, self-control, order, and initiative. To sum it up the Montessori pedagogy rests on:

! A prepared environment, sized to the child’s physical and psychological needs ! A unique set of didactic Montessori Materials ! A mixed age group (0 to 18 months, 18 months to 3 years, 3 to 6 years, and 6

to 12 years) ! Trained AMI guides ! An uninterrupted 3 hour Work Cycle as only schedule ! Free choice of movement and of work within pre-set limits ! A basic learning technique: the Three Period Lesson, inspired by Edouard

Seguin’s work ! The child’s work based on his biological, personal and individual rhythm, based

on the planes of development

WHOLE GROUP AT WORK

Calm 9h - 9h30

Familiar work,

repetition, easy work 9h30 – 10h

False Fatigue

10h

Great Work

New, harder Work

10h-10h30

11h-11h30

Slowing down of activity,

calm, serenity

12h

The Three Period Lesson

Naming Naming is omnipresent in our everyday life. Without names we could not function. Without names, there would be no communication possible between human beings. We start by naming our own children, and when they grow up, we teach them how to name the things and concepts around them. However, even if naming looks like a simple action, it is not as easy as it seems. There are three factors that help us remember the name of something: awareness of the object, love for it, and a great deal of experience with it. We need to come to the name of something after having built up experience of the object. According to Maria Montessori, a name is the crown of an experience, it is the final piece necessary in order to make one’s knowledge a part of oneself. A name only makes sense when we are genuinely aware of the object and have had experience with it. That is why, in Montessori education, names are given to the child after his experience with the object; we never begin with the naming process. If a child has never seen or worked with a polishing kit, how can we simply go up to him and give him the names ‘polish’, ‘brass’… The child and naming The children need names, particularly when they have had experience with an object, so they can talk about what they did, they can refer to the material they used as well as explain their actions. Their absorbent mind absorbs the words we use every day, and when we make them connect these words to specific actions, they are brought to the child’s awareness, and thus stay in their memory. When they have names, they are able to give expression to what they do. When they have become aware of a concept, they explore their environment in a new way. The names they have learnt will not only be used to define the activity they practiced, but will also be used to describe other activities. For instance, a child who has learnt how lay a table, will then be able to use the words ‘glass’, ‘plate’, ‘fork’ or ‘spoon’ anytime he sees one. He will have experienced and reached the abstract part of each and every one of these words. That is why we need to bring as many words as possible to the child’s awareness to help him extend his vocabulary. Giving them names, is like opening a new door unto a wide and fantastic meadow they can wander around and pick up its flowers, but these flowers will never wither. Instead they will stay as fresh as ever in his mind and he can pick them up again and arrange them anyway he wishes to later on whenever he needs them. Stages of learning names There are stages in which you acquire the names: you introduce the concept, then you need to give time for a long experience to be built up, which will then lead to the name which enables the recalling of the concept anytime thereafter. This is done by means of the three period lesson. Montessori’s inspiration for this technique was taken from Séguin’s work with deaf children. The three period lesson is always given using three objects, two objects is too few while five or six is too many. It is always best to check to see what the child knows before giving him a three period lesson. When giving a three period the lesson the adult intends to give vocabulary. Only the object of the lesson should be on the table during a lesson so that it becomes isolated and thus the focus of the child’s attention. The three period lesson is utilized throughout the breadth and scope of the Montessori curricula. This three period lesson, as its name indicates is done in three phases: introduction, experience and naming.

The introduction (associate perception with name): The adult offers the name to the child in a very simple manner, with a pronunciation as clear as possible. The child can be invited to pronounce the name. At this stage there needs to be few other words during the offering of the name. The emphasis needs to be placed on the word that is to be learned. Do not rush through this stage. The adult

should be calm when offering the name. To begin with nouns and adjectives are used. Offerings should be short, “it is smooth.” The experience (recognise object that corresponds to the name): At this stage the adult gives the language and the child identifies the particular object that has that exact language associated with it. The adult help the child build up the association between the experience the child already has had of the object and the name: the word is associated to the concept. This is done by offering simple instructions always containing the name in question. These instructions the child to be mentally and physically active while taking in the phonetics of the name. He has to recall something from the past and relate it to something new: the name. Sometimes, it is not so new because the absorbent mind has probably half-absorbed the name already: in this instance, it is a link made between the word and the concept it represents. This part should be the longest part. It needs to be long so the child can build confidence. The most important is to repeat the commands over and over again. In that way, the name is slowly getting fixed into the child’s mind. You can pick up the pace of the instructions when you see the child is building confidence. However, it should not be so difficult that the child cannot do it. It is also nice to move the position of the object and ask the child to simply show it. The adult must not move too quickly from this stage. As the child builds up his confidence or shows interest the adult may speed the pace of the identification. You can have the child point to the object. You can have the child “show” you the object. If you ask the child to “show me,” you will need to rearrange objects. If the child is not focused or unwilling to participate then the child needs to repeat the lesson and work with the sensorial materials and the three period lesson should be repeated at a later date. If the child makes mistakes he is not ready for the psychic association of the word and the teacher must not correct him. The naming (remember the name that corresponds to the object): When you are confident that the child is ready to move to the third period, you can ask the child to give you the name. It is a period of verification where both the child and the adult are sure that the child knows. You can insist that the child pronounces the word a few times to make sure it will stay in his mind. If there is a defect in the pronunciation, there will always be time later to correct it. To maintain the child’s confidence we should ask the child, “Do you remember what we call this?” If we ask the child, “What is this?” we are may be setting him up for failure. In this lesson, there should never be more than three new names given to the child. The names that we give them through means of this lesson are mostly in the sensorial area since we give them concepts. Words that represent concepts are used every day but are not easy to explain. We give them the names of the qualities of the materials: colours, sizes, shapes, dimensions… But we also give them the concepts of comparatives and superlatives and how to use these properly. We help them verbalise the mental exercise and analysis they go through when they work with this material. For instance, once we give them the words larger and bigger, not only can they go home and explain what they did in class, but also, they can apply them to anything else that surrounds them: “I would like the bigger piece of cake”. This lesson is applicable not only in the sensorial area, but in the language and mathematical area as well. In this manner, the child slowly but surely learns these new names and fixes them in his mind forever. He will then be able to use them whenever he needs to express himself, and without the adult’s help. It is a new step towards his independence, and also his precision, richness and creativity in language.

Our Mission

Fostering thinking minds of responsible children to engage in a better future. In order to fulfill our mission, we subscribe to six main principles of the Montessori method:

! Observation: it is the key to an accurate and child-centered education ! Freedom within limits: it is an art to learn how to be free all the while respecting

others around us and the limitations of our environment and capacities ! Responsibility: there is never any freedom without responsibility and learning

how to cope with it is an integral part of life ! Independence: it is paramount to any other aspect of the method. Without

independence, there is very little learning and development achieved. ! Respect: respect for the materials in the environment, respect for the adults and

the other children in the environment and respect for one-self. ! Intellectual exploration: which is the result of a well balanced motivated

personality. These principles are founded on the pillars of the Montessori Method: • The Absorbent Mind – characteristic of the child under 6 years old: he ‘absorbs’

everything that is said and done around him, the good alike the bad. • The Sensitive Periods – periods that appear and disappear all along childhood,

that function like impulses and that push the child to interest himself to a particular thing at a specific moment in his life. It is at that precise moment that is it is ideal to present to him concepts pertaining to that field so that he can ‘learn’ them.

• The Planes of Development – the child does not develop in a linear way but

according to stages that come and superimpose one after the other:

0 PETITE ENFANCE 6 ENFANCE 12 ADOLESCENCE 18 MATURITE 24

3 9 15 21 • Human Tendencies – these are unique to human beings and present in every

one. We are all born with these tendencies and these tendencies urge us to answer our needs. Tendency to communicate, to being curious and to work are examples. These tendencies are present at birth and are the same in adults and children alike. In our environments children have the opportunity to follow their tendencies in order to answer their needs.

Our Vision The Montessori method will enable us to help the children develop following their natural and biological rhythms as well as self-construct their intellect, characters and personalities to the fullest of their potential so they can one day contribute to their community and society as fully aware and productive members. The children in our environments are given a chance to develop their independence, autonomy, self-respect and respect for their environment and other people around, intelligence, responsibility and true happiness. Being able to make the right choices at the right time, of being a peaceful warden of one’s habitat, of not merely surviving but living to the fullest, happy and responsibly, this is the kind of citizen we would like to see blossom for our future and our children’s future.

“Preventing conflicts is the work of politicians; establishing peace is the work of education.” Maria Montessori, Education and Peace

Our Goals Children have few basic physical needs: to be fed, clothed, and sheltered. They have one immense spiritual one: to be loved and cared for. This need encompasses a myriad of other ones amongst which we’ll only cite a couple: be listened to, talked to, guided, etc… What we do in our environments strives to answer those needs as best we can outside the home. For the 3-6 year olds we try to recreate a home outside the home, a warm, caring, safe environment that will also provide the children with keys to understanding this big wide world they are living in. We are giving them the opportunity to learn about the basics in order to slowly take their place and act their part in their community: the children are introduced to social manners and customs, to understanding the daily tasks that go on around them at home and right outside, to understanding basic abstract concepts needed in order to grasp the world around and go on academically later, to writing and reading and counting – all three fundamental tools to be mastered with a strong foundation in today’s world. Their physical needs are also met: movement is a crucial part of our environments, the child is in constant movement, free – within limits – to walk and talk in his environment. He is constantly using his muscles, if not his feet or legs, his arms, his hands. Movement is key to learning in our environments. The needs of the 6-11 age group are equally met. Their insatiable thirst for knowledge, exploration, and creation has an opportunity to be quenched and triggered onwards, to go beyond the limits of imagination, using the limitless powers of the brain to cover unchartered territories. Under the guidance of the adult, whether it is mathematics, language, geometry, biology, history, geography, music or literature, the child covers quite a broad range of academics all the while exerting his own intellectual capacities and using his immense imagination skills. In both environments the child learns to be a confident and assertive human being, caring and kind, responsible and happy.

The Role of the Guide The role of the guide is two fold: 1. to link the child to the materials in the environment in order to promote learning, and 2. to link the child’s life in the environment to his parents and his home life. The role of the guide in the prepared environment can be described in three steps:

1. He has to create a beautiful and attractive environment in which the children are going to be seduced into working and learning. He thus also has to make sure he upkeeps it and maintains it clean and pleasing to the eye.

2. He has to have a sound knowledge of the materials in the environment and the theory and principles they contain in order to be able to present them just at the perfect time for the child, thus becoming the dynamic link between the child and the material, which leads the child to learning. The presentation of the material has to be done in an enticing manner since it represents the first learning step for the child, it is truly fundamental.

3. He has to be able to know when not to interrupt when the child is deep into concentration, and to step back and observe in order to evaluate the child’s progress and needs.

The guide is a part of the environment and consequently needs to model an attractive appearance, a respectful and graceful manner and a kind but firm behavior with the children in order to ensure peace and joy within the environment.

“So the eyes of the teacher must be trained. A sensitivity must be developed

in the teacher in order to recognize this ephemeral phenomenon of concentration when it occurs.” Maria Montessori, The Child, Society, and

the World

Adult Child

Physical Environment and Didactic Material

The Roles of the Montessori Teacher according to Anne Burke Neubert

1. The Montessori teacher is the dynamic link between the child and the Prepared Environment. 2. She/he is a systematic observer of the child and an interpreter of his/her needs. 3. He/she is an experimenter, tailoring the environment to meet his/her perceptions of the child‟s needs and interests and objectively noting the results. 4. The Montessori teacher is a programmer preparing the environment and keeping in perfect condition, adding to it and removing materials as needed, based upon the individual child‟s requirements. 5. He/she is an evaluator, judging the effectiveness of his/her own work and the environment every day. He/she must also evaluate the progress of each child. 6. He/she is a respecter and protector of the child. He/she must know when to step in and set limits or lend a helping hand, and when it is in the child‟s best interests to step back and not interfere. 7. The Montessori teacher is a supporter, offering warmth, security, stability, and non-judgemental acceptance to each child. 8. He/she is a facilitator of communication among the children and of the child‟s effort to communicate with him/her. He/she must also interpret the child‟s progress and his/her work to parents, the school staff, and the community. 9. She/he is a demonstrator, presenting clear, interesting and relevant lessons to the child. Her/his role is to seduce the child into spontaneous fascination with the materials through demonstrations. 10. The Montessori teacher is a consistent good example of desirable behaviour for the children, following the ground-rules of the class his/herself, and exhibiting a sense of calm, consistency, grace and courtesy and demonstrating respect for every child. 11. She/he is a peacemaker, consistently working to teach courteous behaviours and conflict resolution. 12. The Montessori teacher is a diagnostician, able to interpret the patterns of diversity, and non-judgemental acceptance to each child.

Anne Burke Neubert, A Way of Learning, 1973

The second aspect of the guide’s task, working with the parents is based on communication and is to be considered as a partnership.

The Role of parents Parents are the child’s primary educators. School and teachers are only present to help the parents raise their children. In this instance, the guides are here to help the parents understand child development, more specifically their own child’s development. The guides base themselves on their training, experience, and most of all observation skills. The guides work hand in hand with the parents in order to help the child fulfill himself and develop to the fullest of his capacities. The guides are the parents’ partners in their child’s education. In order for a good partnership to succeed we ask that the parents come to the parent educational nights and workshops. We ask that the parents come to the parent-teacher conferences twice a year. To be aware of basic Montessori philosophy and principles is paramount to working hand in hand and connecting the home environment to the school environment. We ask that parents do not hesitate to communicate with us, seek us out for any extra information or discussions they might need. The two conferences in the year are not the only opportunities for parents to discuss their child’s development. You can make an appointment with the guide to discuss your child if needed. We ask that parents involve themselves in their child’s life at school. We do ask that parents make a difference between the home and school environments: the child comes to school to work and socialize and develop academically. He should go home to play, learn how to be a family member and enjoy his family time. Parents are an essential part of the child’s life in the Montessori environment and of the Montessori community generally speaking. We have many opportunities for parents to be actively involved through environment observations, material making workshops, parent information workshops, class presentations and help with specific projects. The observations are a unique opportunity to catch a glimpse of the functioning of a Montessori environment. Observation is a tool to understanding: the Montessori environment is not an ordinary classroom therefore we strongly encourage you to come experience our environments through observation. The environment is carefully prepared to answer the needs of the child where a delicate balance between the child, the guide, and the environment during the work cycle or working period is realized. The observers will have to respect the balance between the children and their environment. Guidelines for observation will be issued during the observation and include restricting movement, refraining from talking, or engaging children in conversation. Parents should contact the front office to set up an observation appointment. The workshops are excellent opportunities to familiarize yourself with Dr. Montessori’s philosophy and method, the didactic materials, and the work of your children. Class presentations by parents are to be discussed directly with the guides, keep in mind that you may be asked to stay for an entire work cycle (3 hours). We also have a small library you can borrow books and DVDs from.

What about Discipline? We recognize that in order to facilitate a transformation of inappropriate behavior, adult models that treat children and other adults with integrity must guide children. We abstain from punishment opting to redirect behavior instead. This redirection includes many different mediation techniques. The skills needed to solve conflicts are as important as any other academic subject. “Freedom within limits” is at the core of Montessori philosophy, and therefore at the core of the Montessori environment. Children in Montessori environments enjoy the considerable freedom of movement and choice they have. However their freedom always comes within the scope of well-defined limits, taking into account behavior patterns. Children are free to do what they choose within the community rules, and if they step out of the set boundaries, they will be refocused. The preparation of the environment and the careful definition of rules is key to disciplinary success. Our approach to discipline is based on independence, mutual respect and confidence. Disciplinary methods using intimidation, humiliation, or dignity infringement, are prohibited. The child and his/her family are asked to respect their surroundings, children and adults alike, and to refrain from any physical, moral or verbal violence. Therefore, any purposefully degraded material will be billed to the family. In the event a child has trouble meeting the expectations of environment appropriate behavior, all our efforts will be turned towards finding an adapted solution, collaborating with the child and his/her family.

A Day in a Children’s House

Observations across the Globe: London, England —Susan Mayclin Stephenson, 1987 What is the greatest sign of success for a teacher…? It is to be able to say, “The children are now working as if I did not exist." —The Absorbent Mind, Dr. Maria Montessori One of Maria Montessori’s wonderful contributions to our world was her discovery that mankind has a Divine Urge, an Inner Guide which, if protected and nurtured in the child, can lead to the development of each person’s full potential, the evolution of our species and peace on Earth. She gives us a practical method of providing such a prepared and nurturing environment and setting the child free to flower within it. A child who is in touch with this Inner Guide, a “normalized child” knows how and when and for how long to sleep, eat, move, talk, work, or think quietly. This child is always enthusiastic, always happy. To watch a prepared environment filled with 30-40 children functioning on this level, a “normalized class”, is one of the most thrilling experiences in life. I would like to share with you, as much as is possible through the written word, a personal experience of such a class in February 1987. I had returned to the Maria Montessori Training Organization in London, England – where my daughter, Narda, was working for her diploma, and where I had received mine fifteen years earlier. I returned with wonderful memories of classes of up to 40 children of ages 2-7, where one could sit down in the middle of the morning and have tea with the directress while the class went on, a beehive of happy, calm, quiet activity – one non-teaching assistant dusting a shelf while the children helped and taught each other and accomplished an amazing amount of joyful work, uninterrupted by adult intervention. I was made welcome and invited, even though this was the last day before vacation to observe the children’s class at the training center. The following are notes from this observation on February 19, 1987: Class Composition: Thirty children age 2 to 7 with one directress and an assistant. In this case, since it is at the training center, the assistant is also a trained Montessori Directress. Physical Environment: A small room adjoins the main room. This is the “reception class” for under-two’s, led by a Montessori Directress for two hours each afternoon, until they feel ready to join completely the main group. This is a gradual process determined by the needs of each child. The main room is made of two rooms, one a few steps higher than the other, made into one large room in the ground floor of the training center. The upper part opens into the garden. In warm weather the class is both inside and out. Today it is snowing! The floor is of polished wood, the only carpeted area being the small reading corner which also contains a rocking chair and a few pillows. The lower area, next to the reception class, contains fifteen tables, a nature corner, book corner, practical life tables and shelves, math language, drying rack for paintings, physic experiments and a shelf of toys similar to those in the reception class. The higher room contains a snack table, piano, sensorial material, geography, history, music, globe and maps, a stack of floor mats and a box of rolled larger floor mats. A corner shelf holds the record keeping charts readily available throughout the day. There is no directress’ table or desk. An ‘ellipse’ for walking-on-the-line is in the higher room. It is used throughout the day for walking and balancing objects, just as any other child-chosen activity. As there are no compulsory large groups, it is not used for sitting upon, musical movement, or anything else but walking.

The Schedule: 8:30 Directresses arrive and prepare the environment 8:45 Children begin arriving, one adult keeping an eye on the coatroom (entrance hall) as children change from coats and outdoor shoes to indoor shoes (adults wear indoor shoes too) which are kept in colorful cloth bags hung on each child’s coat hook. Children enter the classroom, greet their teachers, shake hands, and start the day as they wish, working or helping prepare the environment. 9:10 Door locked. Late arrivals ring the bell and wait for the door to be opened. 9:30 Activities in progress: mirror polishing, braiding, four cylinder blocks done blindfolded, silver polishing, number rods, drawing, puzzle map of Africa, classified picture naming (two groups containing two or three children, each led by a child), identical picture matching, decimal system introduction, pegboard (from toy, link-with-the-home materials shelf), binomial cube, pouring rice, metal insets (three children), and geometric cabinet with third set of cards. 10:10 “False Fatigue,” a common occurrence in a normalized class, occurs right on time. After about an hour of relatively simple work, the class is experiencing a period of restlessness as the children look about for the “great work of the morning” after which most children will settle down to concentrate quite well for an hour or more, emerging quite refreshed. Rather than interfering, the directress steps back to wait for the class to settle back down. Today the children have divided themselves into two groups, the younger children working in the lower room and the older in the upper room. “False Fatigue” is occurring only in the upper room. The momentary noise attracts the attention of the younger children. Several look up from their work for a moment then go back to work. 10:50 The assistant is leading a charming game of singing, choosing partners, dancing and bowing. Other children are continuing their work, unaffected by this circle game. A few children are helping the directress set up three tables, which will hold the hot lunch, which is being prepared in the kitchen. In England the noon meal is the main meal of the day, even at home, and the children eat together. Lunch Preparation: Two colorful, quilted placemats are placed on each table, with a large spoon for soup. One child wheels the food in on a cart from the kitchen, then two other children who have offered to help set out stacks of soup bowls, a large tureen of soup, stacks of lunch plates, a plate of buttered bread, a plate of cheese slices, and a bowl of greens. The directress and another child are checking the order and cleanliness of the environment. It has been kept very ordered and clean throughout the morning by the children, a quick task. 11:55 The assistant is asking a small group of children if they would like to hear a story or a tape – the rest of the class is still working. They vote and listen to a tape. A few children are signing a birthday card with the directress (for the cook). There is, as always, a feeling of a home, a “children’s house” rather than a school where children wait for an adult to tell them what to do next. The self-respect of the children is noticeable on their faces and in every action. Lunch: 12:00 The children have quietly been invited or have come on their own and are seated at tables. The directress stands and they all say a prayer together. I am struck by the fact (as I write this later) that: This is the only time during the whole day that the children have acted collectively – everyone doing the same thing at the same time with an adult leading. To begin lunch, the directress quietly calls three or four children at a time to begin serving

themselves. The two teachers then sit down at one of the tables and eat with the children. For the next hour the serving, eating, talking, cleaning up, serving dessert, cleaning and dressing to go home (for those few children who go home after lunch) is carried out solely by the children, while the directresses eat and talk together with the children sitting nearest. It is obvious that every detail has been thought out, every “point of consciousness” taught with practical life lessons. There is no feeling of confusion, tension, control by adults and the children exhibit, even during lunch, the traits of normalized children – joy, dignity, independence, unselfishness, initiative, self-discipline, love of order, work, the environment, and each other. Some of the practical life activities that are noticeable are: walking without bumping anything, tucking in chairs, holding chairs for another child, carrying a bowl of soup down two steps, offering the last piece of food to another, checking to see if the bowls are empty before stacking them, looking in a mirror to see if one’s face is clean, and not interrupting someone else who is talking. During lunch the children are free to get up and down from the table, get more food, offer food to others, go to the bathroom, take as much food as they like (as at the snack table during the day). Again the feeling of home. After the main course, each child has cleared his place leaving the placemat. A child pushes the cart back to the kitchen and the dessert is brought out. Again the children set out stacks of small bowls and spoons and two large bowls of pudding and berries. The rest of the class is talking among themselves at their tables. Again the directress calls a few children to begin the serving, then sits down to chat while the children eat, converse, and clean up. 12:40 As they finish, those children who are going home (5-6 children) take a chair to a spot near the dressing area. Then each gets his or her outside shoes, boots, etc., dresses, and sits on his chair to talk to friends. The parents wait till the door is opened by the directress at 1:00. The children shake hands, say good-bye, and go home. The rest of the class is still cleaning up, washing tables, putting chairs on tables for sweeping the floor, returned to their work, or are sitting and talking. 1:00 Except for rainy days, the children who want to, go outside and play. The others stay inside and work. 1:30 Back inside, work which is on-going is being continued by children (work can also be left out overnight in some cases – there is a wide range of work going on, some of which takes hours or days). There is no feeling that the afternoon is any different than the morning. The children seem to need no special projects or adult-centered activities – even though this is the last day before vacation! Child-chosen work, by oneself or with one’s friends, seems to be the most favorite activity of the children. The directress could easily say, “The children are now working as if I did not exist.” 2:00 The children are well into their work, with classical music playing softly in the background. The class seems the same size even though some have gone home because the infants are now in the class and some are working in this room. Activities which I can see in progress right now are: square of Pythagoras (a 3 year old doing it very well), binomial cube, Africa puzzle map, thermal bottles, one child walking on the line, sandpaper letters and numbers, movable alphabet, polishing a classroom window, and table washing. There is no difference in the kind of work done in the morning, a child is always able to rest or sleep if he wants to. The directress tells me that children over 1 • seldom nap in England (except for the convenience of the adult of course) but tend to go to sleep earlier than American children. The children are allowed to find their own balance between activity and rest. The directress is working with a group of children on a decimal system game. The assistant is going over the work records. As in the morning children are free to work alone or in groups of their choosing. There is the rule “One can only work with a piece of material whose purpose she understands” but the “understanding” can come in different ways. She might have had a presentation one-to-one by the directress, by another child, or perhaps by watching another child’s lesson or work. So the directress keeps track not just of the

presentations she has made, but of all activities the child masters. 2:50 The directress leaves the room for a parent conference. The assistant is working on records. The children are working. As one child begins to walk on the line, the assistant has just put on soft music and withdrawn to her work. Two other children join and walk on the line, balance objects in their hands while they walk and return to their work. 3:10 The assistant sits down with a book near the door. This seems to be a signal to the children that the day is coming to an end. The children, for the most part, do not seem in a hurry to stop working. Over the next fifteen minutes they finish their work, put it away, go into the hall and dress for going home, by themselves and helping each other. As they are ready they come and sit with the assistant and listen to her read. 3:30 The outside door is opened. The children shake hands with the directress, say good-bye, and go home. Errors and Their Corrections: This is a normalized class, but I do not mean to give the impression that every action and intent was perfect! There were errors to be corrected. The beautiful thing is the method of their correction. I watched the directresses carefully watching a child in each case to judge the intention. Then, unless it was something that needed to be interrupted at once (I saw this happen only once), a mental or written note was made so that the error could be corrected by teaching the correct activity later at a neutral moment, rather than risk invalidating or embarrassing the child by correcting. “Teach by teaching not by correcting”. NOTE: This observation was done in the children's class of the AMI Montessori training center in London, England in 1987: MMI, The Maria Montessori Institute. Susan received her primary diploma here in 1971 and her daughter, Narda Sherman, was studying for her diploma when Susan visited. This article was published in The National Montessori Reporter in 1987

Practical Information How does the project insert itself in the local community? We do not believe there are ‘enough’ schools. Education is not an ‘extra’ that you can do without. Parents are not born educators, some of them need help in order to understand how their children are developing and where they are headed next in their developmental stages. A lot of parents do not have the time or the abilities to educate their children academically and developmentally, this is what teachers – in this instance guides – are for. We are here to help families, parents raise their children. What we offer is simply a different perspective and way to go about it, one based on the laws of nature and human development, steeped in science and open to the unlimited possibilities the world has to offer. In this regard, our school would be another unique opportunity for families to trust in the children’s unrealized potential. We also believe in the importance languages play in shaping a young brain, and we believe this area to be good soil for the discovery and learning of different languages, in this instance, English. Admission form The admission form will be provided upon acceptance of your application. It must be returned with three pictures and a complete copy of your ‘livret de famille’, a copy of your child’s passport, or his/her birth certificate. Your child’s immunization schedule must be up to date. All enrolled children are in a ‘trial period’ for the first month. If the child does not abide by the rules and functioning of the environment, he will not be able to remain within it. Terms of Payment On the admission form you should have acknowledged the terms of payment, it's method, and the due dates. Arrival and Dismissal Attendance Your child must maintain regular attendance. Frequent or long absences do not propagate normal development. A child's developmental progress is determined by their attendance. Frequent absences can lead to separation anxiety. Consistent attendance leads to the creation of friendships, social life, and prevents separation anxiety. Where and How to Drop Off your Child In order to encourage independence children are to be picked up and dropped off in a brief manner, as outlined by your child's guide. We ask that you drop your child off at the arrival/dismissal deck. The guide will welcome your children and bring them into their environment. At the end of your child's school day you can collect your child at the arrival/dismissal deck, where he/she will be waiting for you with his/her guide. In order to establish a sense of security and consistency for the child we ask that you abide by these guidelines. We thank you in advance for your understanding that these moments are not the right time to discuss your child’s development in detail. Discussion on child

development should be reserved for arranged meetings between the guide and parents. If you are late for Drop Off In the event of tardiness the guide needs to be promptly informed. However, tardiness should remain uncommon.

Hours are as follows: 9 am to 2 pm

Children are considered tardy after 9:15 am. The doors will be closed after these hours. Persons Authorized to Pick Up your Child The name and phone number of persons authorized to pick-up your child should be indicated on your child’s admission form in the occurrence of your absence. In the event of a change to your child's schedule we ask you to notify us in advance. The person authorized to pick-up your child must have a valid ID and/or be known by the guide. We will not release a child to an unannounced person or a person whose identity cannot be confirmed. Please make sure you are on time to pick up your child, children feel very distressed if they feel like they have been ‘forgotten’. Diet and Nutrition: We Are What We Eat Eating healthy foods harmonizes with the Montessori philosophy as it contributes to healthy childhood development. Consuming unhealthy products containing chemical products such as preservatives and additives or addictive substances such as sugar and caffeine have negative effects on our how our brain functions, our organs function, and our behavior. In the Montessori environment, preparing, serving, and cleaning up food are part of the curriculum. What could be more important for a developing child than mastering the skills necessary to be able to attend to his most basic needs? Snack We will be providing a healthy snack every morning for the children in the environment. Please notify us of any known food allergies. Lunch You need to provide your child with a healthy meal everyday. It should be nutritional and meet the dietary needs of the child. We would like to thank you for entrusting us with your child's education and wish everyone a great school year!