This is the latest in a series of regular blogs from Barbara Isaacs, Academic Director of Montessori Centre International, Europe’s No.1 Montessori Teacher Training Organisation.

Amongst the proposed changes to the EYFS is an expansion of the early learning goals for mathematics. In recent consultations practitioners have been urged to reflect on the goal which expects children to be able to count to 20 and also add, double and divide. It somehow overlooks the skills which form the foundation of mathematical thinking, skills which need to be understood before we start formal instruction in arithmetic and the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Long before children are capable of this we introduce them to shapes, to matching and pairing, sorting and grouping, as well as sharing out. These skills and activities prepare children for later mathematical operations and for later systematic study of geometry.

While the mere mention of ‘geometry’ will cause anxiety for many, young and old, very young children have no qualms in exploring 3D shapes almost from birth. Think of the rattles, fluffy cubes and squeezable balls they’re given to welcome them into the world, or the diverse shapes they play with as they lie under the ‘baby gym’. Then, as they become mobile, toddlers begin to build a wide range of structures reflecting their interests and experiences as they use construction toys. In most nurseries the unit blocks which originated with Froebel’s gifts are a much-loved resource because they give children opportunities to create and represent towers, houses, castles and airports, and roads on which to wheel their favourite cars. Whilst this play takes place, they compare and absorb the relationships of the various prisms that form the foundation of what the unit blocks offer.

Playing with blocks also affords children opportunities to explore symmetry, learn about the relationships between the blocks and come to appreciate empty spaces and the light which shines through their structures – the essential principles of architecture as we know it today. Many young children’s creations demonstrate a real appreciation of forms.

Shaping their future

Montessori nurseries have a large collection of solid and flat shapes to be explored by the children in what is known as the ‘sensorial’ area. They comprise a set of 10 graded-in-size pink cubes, brown prisms and red rods, as well as a range of cylinders organised by colour according to diminishing circumference and height. These serve as interesting learning tools in their own right, helping children understand the relationships in size and sequence. But it’s when they are combined and used in conjunction with the unit blocks that we often see their value in supporting children’s learning. They come to be used as symbols to represent the child’s thinking whilst constructing a castle, tower or the Taj Mahal, offering us a real insight into the child’s understanding of the materials and their creative abilities.

We also combine the solid shapes with the flat shapes to highlight the structure of the solids and as a preparation for learning names such as ‘square based pyramid’, ‘triangular based prism’, ‘hemisphere cone’ or ‘ovoid’. Children are exposed to a wide range of flat shapes with which to tessellate or draw around to make patterns – at first commonly encountered examples, but also more unusual shapes such as curvilinear triangle, oval and ellipse and the quatrefoil. As children explore these we introduce their names, which soon become part and parcel of their vocabulary. I believe this exploration and spontaneous play combined with the use of proper names gives young children a solid foundation in geometry that will serve them well in later life.

Learning Together

A new parenting book from Montessori St Nicholas is taking a fresh look at family life...

Building Strong Foundations: What Montessori can offer your family aims to help parents put their children at the heart of the home and to unlock their amazing potential. Available from March 24th, the book can be ordered at montessori.org.uk/bookstore or by calling 020 7493 8300.

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For at least a couple of days, I felt pretty pleased with myself. It felt like a huge milestone to have reached, finally, the end of assignments; the end of a road I have been travelling along for some months. A momentous occasion.

My joy at receiving this piece of paper was short-lived though. Yes, it did mean that there would be no more assignments. But I still have lots of work to do for my teaching practice. And what this letter also meant was that there would be exams. After two days of skipping around feeling happy, there was the realisation that in a few weeks' time, I would be eligible to do examinations. 

Actual examinations. Me, in a room, armed only with a pen, a piece of paper and my brain. The nervousness kicked in shortly after that mental image...

Let's just say, it's been a little while since I last sat in an examinations room, waiting to hear the magic words 'You may turn over your papers... now'; the combination of fear and adrenalin coursing through my veins as my eyes tried to focus on the printed paper in front of me. I might look a bit different from the student I was then; a few years may have elapsed, but that special exam feeling is easy to conjure up. 

And here I am, about to willingly put myself through all that again.

Many, although not all, of the distance learning students are like me and have not done exams recently.  

I was lucky enough to make the trip to London to attend a seminar at MCI, on Preparation for the Written Exams. I was so pleased to see some familiar faces amongst the other students, and to meet some new ones too. Penny, our tutor, asked us to set up the room as if it were an exam hall and we sat facing the front in our individual desks. She put a question paper, face down, in front of each of us and then asked us to turn it over. A frisson went round the room; even though it was an exercise this time, the anxious memories that came flooding back were all too real.

We were asked to share our feelings and I was relieved to hear I wasn't the only one who was apprehensive about the prospect of exams. We worked through these feelings one by one and soon, the other students and I had faced our fears. By the time we left, we were all much happier. We had been given some strategies now, for revision and for the exams themselves and felt better prepared for what lies ahead.

Facing our fears meant we were able to overcome them together. 

It has been a tough few months - I have been combining teaching practice and doing assignments at the same time, which has been challenging enough - but also because the Winter has brought with it the usual toil on the family's health, another thing we have had to deal with, on top of my college commitments. At one point, every member of my family was sick, including my baby, pictured above getting to grips with her treasure basket. It was a hard slog trying to keep going through all of that but finally, we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Spring is here, assignments are over. I have a lot of work left to do - my teaching practice continues, and exams are looming, but I can see the end just glimmering over the horizon - the chance to gain the qualification I have worked so hard for, and with it the possibility that I will get to work with children in the amazing way that Montessori devised.

The exams will undeniably be hard work, but as Montessori said, 'work...should be a source of great satisfaction'. It will all be worth it, in the end. 

I wish all the other students preparing for their exams lots of luck. 

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Read a new blog from one of our Distance Learning students, Catherine Baignent.

The more time I spend around children, whether working with them during my teaching practice in the Montessori classroom, or interacting with my own children or their friends at home, the more I realise how amazing they are.

One of the really fantastic things about studying for the Early Childhood Course, has been the opportunity to do lots of research into child development, to study various psychologists, pedagogues and theorists, to gain a better understanding of the child and of the effects adults and wider society can have on them – good and bad.

Another brilliant thing has been the opportunity to get into the classroom during my teaching practice. As a Distance Learning student, I have to spend the same amount of time teaching to qualify as the full-time or part-time students. This is where the theories get translated into practice – hopefully – but also where one begins to see those theories coming to life, to fruition, in the individual children one is working with.

There is so much doom and gloom written and spoken about the children and the young people of today. If you took your opinion of children purely from the media, from news, from articles written in magazines, online, or from the sort of chat you hear from others, the future of this planet would indeed be a depressing prospect.

I’ve found my foray into the Montessori classroom so inspiring. The children are eager to learn. They surprise you pleasantly with what they remember, with their approach to the world, with their problem-solving skills, their resilience, their sparkiness. The people that have nothing good to say about children have low expectations of them. The children I work with every day know we have high expectations of them and develop self-esteem and high expectations of their own. It can only help them become self-reliant and self-confident as they grow into fantastic members of society.

However, a few incidents recently have made me realise that the thing that makes me most proud of ‘my’ Montessori children is their humanity, their empathy and their care for others. It’s where the vertical grouping of the true Montessori classroom really comes into its own. The older children, who have become familiar with life in the Montessori school, instinctively reaching out to help the younger child who is struggling. Last week at school, one of the older boys, aged 4, said to a little 2 year old girl ‘Let me help you with that’ when he noticed she was struggling to zip up her coat. This always makes me feel emotional, and incredibly proud and I’m always keen to make a note of any similar positive incidents in the child’s learning journey.

It’s when you see these children out of the classroom and they are still showing this empathy and care for others that I really am heartened. I was at a friend’s house with my children and my five year old became upset as the string of cotton reels she had been threading slipped off on to the floor. Immediately, my friend’s little boy raced over and said ‘Don’t cry! I can pick them all up for you, it will be all right’. He picked up each cotton reel carefully, chatting to her and reassuring her all the while. He is 4. When he had gathered them all up, he said ‘Do you feel better now?’ and she said ‘Yes, thank you very much’.

Both of these children spent their pre-school years together in a Montessori pre-school. It’s heartening to think that they haven’t forgotten what they experienced there, and are still Montessori children at heart, even as they now both attend a non- Montessori primary. Hopefully, both will keep their Montessori flame alive in them for the rest of their lives.

It’s small, but significant incidents like this that I suspect I will never tire of witnessing, which buoy up my faith in children. 

This, then, is the gift Montessori keeps giving the children of generation after generation. I like to think the more children that are allowed to learn in this way, the more hopeful the future for the whole world will be.  

What heartening things have you witnessed from young children? Let us know in the comments below!

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This is the latest in a series of regular blogs from Barbara Isaacs, Academic Director of Montessori Centre International, Europe’s No.1 Montessori Teacher Training Organisation.

This article first appeared in http://www.teachprimary.com/teachnursery/.

During last year’s warm and gentle autumn, many settings had the opportunity to develop their outdoor activities, and also to enrich their activity tables inside. Montessori’s own idea that the “outside must come inside, and the inside be taken outside” invites practitioners to make links between the indoor and outdoor classrooms and to help children make links between the two learning environments, thus increasing their tactile awareness and supporting their need to learn though the senses.

Leaf collections and hunts for conkers, acorns and seeds give children opportunities to investigate the gardens or take part in expeditions to local parks and open spaces. The artefacts found can be brought back into the classroom and arranged on the activity table to facilitate the exploration of textures, colours, sizes, shapes, as well as sound and movement. Magnifying glasses and microscopes can be used further extend the children’s learning. Observations of these explorations will give practitioners opportunities to note children’s:

• Use of language, particularly when describing their explorations
• Mathematical skills, when comparing sizes, colours, shapes and textures
• Powers of observation – their ability to notice similarities and differences
• Skills of representation as they begin to use the resources in a symbolic way, for example, making the conker into a slithering snail, or a sycamore seed into a helicopter
• Ability to share the resources on the table

The observations will also serve as tools for further planning and extension of children’s learning using books, blocks and arts and craft activities within the classroom.

In winter, the outdoor resources are not as plentiful, but there is still an opportunity to use the activity table for artefacts representing the various festive seasons, for example, Hanukah, Christmas, and the Chinese New Year.           

Winter Wonders

Transport themes offer further opportunities to extend children’s learning. Sorting models of the many vehicles in use across the world, using mats representing land, water and air, can be a good start for such a project during the winter. Once again, opportunities for sensory learning are plentiful: children can sort for vehicles by size, type, and colour, or by sound in a type of a sound lotto whilst developing play scenarios.

Or how about the exploration of light? This is another useful winter theme, which can be facilitated by the activity table. Starting with a light box, children can explore shadows and shapes, leading to the mixing of colours, making of rainbows and investigation of transparent, translucent and opaque materials. Shadow puppets become useful tools for story telling and can also introduce new cultures to the children.

Another natural element which can be explored during winter is water – always a source of delight to children. Using their knowledge of floating and sinking, children can investigate the properties of ice, and even explore steam with the supervision of adults.  The changing qualities of water from liquid to solid and gas are miraculous for young children, providing rich opportunities for discussion and introduction of scientific hypotheses, and would be a natural introduction to the  water cycle and observation of weather for the older children.

Finally, don’t forget magnets, as they offer yet another chance to extend the resources offered to children on the activity table, and to promote their growing sensory awareness and opportunities to construct shape and forms using a variety of games.

Remember, with some consideration, opportunities for sensory exploration lie at the heart of most early years activities. Offering children artefacts on activity tables draws their attention towards them and gives practitioners the opportunity to observe and evaluate their level of knowledge and understanding of their environment and plan for further activities.

Taking it further

Retrain with the world’s largest global education movement from home…

Montessori Centre International is Europe’s largest Montessori training college. Its distance learning course offers you the flexibility and support to study when and where you want – in your own time and in your own home.        

To find out more about Montessori home learning, visit montessori.org.uk/mci_training or call 020 7493 8300.

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This is the latest in a series of regular blogs from Barbara Isaacs, Academic Director of Montessori Centre International, Europe’s No.1 Montessori Teacher Training Organisation.

This article first appeared in http://www.teachprimary.com/teachnursery/.

The EYFS consultation document proposes more focus on children’s personal social and emotional development, particularly in the first four years of life. It was Montessori’s aim, as early as 1907, to encourage children’s autonomy by supporting their fierce drive for independence. She made clear links between autonomy and a child’s positive self-image and self-esteem. All parents, practitioners and teachers have seen the intense pride and sense of achievement when two- and three-year-olds manage to put on their shoes, serve their own snack or manage to complete an activity successfully. These accomplishments are possible because we show children how to go about managing such tasks and give them time to become competent. The initial steps are often clumsy and inefficient, but practice makes perfect! Once they can do it for themselves, young children often offer help to their friends and those who may be struggling. Their self-esteem is enhanced further by making these social connections and promoting a sense of belonging and wellbeing within the group.

Montessori started by making sure that children established good habits of hygiene, by demonstrating how to wash themselves thoroughly and how to use the toilet independently. Even today, we need to show children how to wash and dry their hands, particularly after painting or a craft activity or gardening, as well as before and after meals or following a visit to the toilet. In such situations they may need to brush the dirt from behind their nails and ensure that their wrists are clean too. Many settings find hand-washing a challenge because they are located in church halls, with limited access to running water. However, it is possible to set up a hand-washing activity in the classroom. This will involve having two small buckets, a jug, small bowl and soap dispenser and a small nail brush, and paper towels for hand-drying.

Awash with Ideas

One bucket (with a lid) will be partly filled with warm water and will have a jug inside. Children who need to wash their hands must fill the hand-washing bowl with the jug. They will also need to learn how to access the soap from the dispenser and how to rub their hands together to make lather, and ensure that they wash their fingers carefully, checking their nails for dirt. Whilst purposeful, hand-washing gives two- and three-year-olds a great deal of pleasure, and it can be a drawn out process. When finished, children are expected to pour the used water into the second bucket and wipe out the bowl in readiness for the next person.  

Just think what skills and learning take place during this simple activity. Children will need to remember the sequence. They will improve their hand-eye coordination and estimation during the pouring activity. They will grow in their awareness of their own body whilst being reminded of the need for personal hygiene. Finally, their sense of self within the group will also increase.

You may not want to have a permanent access to hand washing as described here, as it can occasionally end up with much spillage, but you may want to try it out when doing finger painting, printing and other activities within the art area.

Another element of personal hygiene which can challenge the practitioner is children’s ability to blow their nose. Why not try having a box of tissues, a smallish wall-mounted mirror and a rubbish bin available in close proximity? A child can then be encouraged to blow their nose, check that they have managed the task properly, and dispose of the tissue in the bin provided. Young children will need to be shown how to blow their nose and be reminded about checking if they have wiped their nose properly – but once successful, they have gained  a skill for life!

This is just a beginning. Why not try to develop a routine for brushing teeth after lunch, or if you have the space, for each child having their own hair brush for use first thing or after naps?

Taking it further

Retrain with the world’s largest global education movement from home…

Montessori Centre International is Europe’s largest Montessori training college. Its distance learning course offers you the flexibility and support to study when and where you want – in your own time and in your own home.        

To find out more about Montessori home learning, visitmontessori.org.uk/mci_training or call 020 7493 8300.

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Read a new blog from one of our Early Childhood Diploma students, Katie Butterworth. She is a trained teacher who is sharing her experience of taking the plunge and studying Montessori.

We hope you enjoy.

Well, here I am at the other end of my Montessori exams. It’s been a busy few weeks, juggling apparatus practice with revision, work, some semblance of a relationship and scattered remains of a social life! OK so it hasn’t been quite that dramatic, but it has been intense; the culmination of a year of new information and concepts for my brain to attempt to assimilate. Reaching this milestone has caused me to reflect onmy reasons for embarking on this journey in the first place...

For me it wasn’t so much for the qualification, as I’m a qualified Primary School teacher already. Having taught for a year in London when I stumbled across the Montessori Method, it wasn’t a necessary step for employment reasons. In fact having spoken to other students on the course I think there is often something deeper than the prospects of a job which attracts many to Montessori. My personal reason for undertaking the diploma took root as a small but consistent voice in my head, which kept asking if there wasn’t a better, or kinder, way to teach.

I had felt since the start of my teacher training that the theory of child development and learning, and the practice of teaching methods used in schools didn’t always seem to mesh well. We knew in practice the best way to engage students in their learning, but in reality the schools often seemed stuck, caught between wanting the best for their students, and the demands for certain attainments in SATS and assessments.

So when I discovered quite by chance some Montessori materials online, and was impressed by their clarity and success, I started to delve a bit deeper into the pedagogy. During the summer holidays I bought a few books, and the more I read the more impressed I became. I felt that this was a practical method with real basis in the theory and child development.

Having completed the course, I can tell you I have not been disappointed; far from it. My respect for the work of Dr Montessori has only increased as I have started to grasp the depth and breadth of the curriculum which she developed. As a result my understanding of child development is far greater and I feel I have a sound basis from which to develop my practice.

As for the future; well first I have the not insignificant task of completing my teaching practice, for which I anticipate needing to utilise all the knowledge and skills I have been accumulating this year, and probably developing new ones too! I have some experience of working in Reception and Nursery classes before, but I know I will be called upon to explore and reflect thoroughly upon all the avenues of daily life in a classroom. The commitment of the lecturers to ensuring that students have a thorough understanding of all aspects of the Montessori philosophy and curriculum is to be highly commended. I feel sure it has greatly enhanced my ability to benefit the children in my care.

Following this my longer term goal is to work in a reception or Key Stage 1 class, and implement as much of the Montessori philosophy and pedagogy into my practice as is possible. To quote Catherine in an earlier article, I’m just beginning. I feel that there will never be a point at which I have learnt all I can – the nature of working with children in general – but with Montessori’s legacy to guide me, I am surer than ever that I am on the right path.

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This is the latest in a series of regular blogs from Barbara Isaacs, Academic Director of Montessori Centre International, Europe’s No.1 Montessori Teacher Training Organisation.

This article first appeared in http://www.teachprimary.com/teachnursery/.

The Montessori approach is often criticised for not allowing children opportunities to be creative, but this is a fundamental misunderstanding of how it supports children’s creativity. Montessori recognised and valued our ability to be creative; according to her it is one of the key human tendencies. Every new discovery, invention or trend in fashion, art or music needs a person or people with the initiative to explore and apply new ideas in unusual ways. As such, in Montessori settings creativity is seen as a way of thinking and is encouraged. 

To express ideas we require tools and skills that help us implement them. This is where Montessori nurseries start when introducing the creative curriculum. Young children are encouraged to develop skills by having access to high-quality materials and by being given opportunities to repeat activities. The resources need to be plentiful, accessible and appealing, and if necessary are replenished or changed daily by teachers. Such resources include:

• Paper of different qualities, sizes and colours
• Pencils, crayons, felt tips
• Glue (sticks or small pots with spatulas), right- and left-handed scissors, cellotape/masking tape
• String, ribbons, wool, glitter, sequins, pasta, beads, fabrics, paper of different textures, sticks, leaves and petals for collages
• Sponges, wood blocks or vegetables for printing
• Stencils and objects to draw around
• Threading, sewing and weaving activities
• Playdough, Fimo or clay
• Boxes of different shapes and size
• An easel which the children can use for painting or chalking, with paints and clean brushes ready for use. (Children will be shown where to put their pictures to dry once they are finished and also how to clean the easel in readiness for other children to use.)

The organisation and range of materials should encourage choice. There should be small trays which children use to contain self-selected resources, as well as any tools they may choose to use for their activity. There will also be aprons and mats to use.     

During a child’s early days at nursery, if they show interest, they will be shown gradually how to:

• Roll up their sleeves
• Put on an apron
• Find a mat
• Find somewhere to sit
• Where to find paper
• Where to find resources
• Use the glue stick
• Use scissors safely
• Thread
• Use sewing cards

Initially, they will be guided by the teacher, but as their skills develop and they begin to demonstrate competence, they will access this area of the classroom in the same way as they do other areas of learning – freely and spontaneously. As with other areas of learning, every child will be shown how to return the resources they have not used, and how to clean up their work mat and put away their apron.

Each one of a child’s creative efforts will be supported and appreciated by an adult. Children will also have the opportunity to see what their friends have done – the older, more mature children providing inspiration for the younger ones. In some settings this inspiration may also be given by having an artist or one of the teachers share various techniques and ideas with the children. Rather than formal lessons, these will usually be opportunities for children to observe and be inspired. The child’s own ideas will be scaffolded by the adult, who might suggest the use of various materials, a new technique or tips on how to improve their skills. 

Taking it further

Retrain with the world’s largest global education movement from home…

Montessori Centre International is Europe’s largest Montessori training college. Its distance learning course offers you the flexibility and support to study when and where you want – in your own time and in your own home.        

To find out more about Montessori home learning, visit montessori.org.uk/mci_training or call 020 7493 8300.

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This is the latest in a series of regular blogs from Barbara Isaacs, Academic Director of Montessori Centre International, Europe’s No.1 Montessori Teacher Training Organisation.

This article first appeared in http://www.teachprimary.com/teachnursery/.

We hope you enjoy the piece. Please let us know your thoughts.

Barbara Isaacs looks at the varied ways in which children can be introduced to life on Earth...

Montessori wanted young children to have close contact with nature and also learn about the physical features of the world and its people. Whilst history is introduced with the help of calendars and timelines, explorations of magnets, colours and the properties of water are part of everyday life in a Montessori nursery classroom. This area of the curriculum is referred to by Montessorians as 'cultural studies', whereas the Early Years Foundation Stage aptly names it Knowledge and Understanding of the World. And this was really Montessori's aim – to give young children an opportunity to learn about all elements of life on Earth.    

We usually begin by exploring the immediate environment – the focus is on creatures found in the nursery garden or on nature walks. Many Montessori settings embrace the Forest School training as a fitting addition to this area of learning. Growing flowers and vegetables and caring for nursery pets has been part of Montessori practice since the beginning of the 20th century. In addition, children will find on the nursery shelves a range of matching and pairing activities, wherever possible using real fruits and vegetables, and also models of animals rather than pictures, enabling them to find members of the individual families and group mother and baby animals etc. Children also explore flowers as they arrange them in the classroom or look after them in the garden, and match leaves with pictures of the plants to which they belong.   

Crossing continents

When looking at geography, Montessori children usually begin by exploring the solar system and looking at the map of the world and its continents, and the people and animals who live there. Physical features such as rivers and mountains are explored, as are celebrations from different cultures. The diversity of human life is usually reflected in collections of objects representing a continent or country. As the nursery's collections grow, they're housed in baskets or chests of drawers. Typically, they include children's traditional clothes and accessories, as well as money, books, types of transport, music, models of animals found in that continent, and pictures of families in typical houses, eating typical food and celebrating festivals. When children start exploring these boxes, often as part of a planned project which can span across a whole term, they'll also cook food from that continent or country and have visitors to tell them about their life.  

With growing globalisation it's easy to find artefacts for these boxes, but it's increasingly difficult to identify the unique features of these continents without being either tokenistic or stereotypical. None-the-less, children really enjoy the continental collections, which often serve as props for dressing up and role-play.

One of the most popular activities on the shelf in this area of learning is the mapping game: essentially a 'small world' activity. It gives children the opportunity to put together a model town, village or city using two identical base-boards, which include roads, a rail line, and a hill and a lake or pond accompanied by two sets of buildings. As two children, or a child with an adult, engage with the materials, they have the opportunity to explore and describe models of the buildings, their structure and features. The participants discuss where they would like to place the buildings on their base boards. They take turns in their decision-making; therefore, one always copies the other, using his/her observational skills and attention to details as the identical placement is made. In addition to developing children's spatial awareness, the game also increases prepositional language and conversational skills, and supports cooperation. Why not try it out? 

Taking it further 

Fast track your career with a Montessori teaching qualification...

Montessori Centre International is Europe's largest Montessori training college, based in central London with regional study centres. It offers two main courses, a diploma and foundation degree. Study is available: full, part-time and distance learning.

 To find out more about Montessori teacher training, log on to montessori.org.uk or phone 020 7493 8300.

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This is the latest in a series of regular blogs from Barbara Isaacs, Academic Director of Montessori Centre International, Europe’s No.1 Montessori Teacher Training Organisation.

This article first appeared in http://www.teachprimary.com/teachnursery/.

We hope you enjoy the piece. Please let us know your thoughts.

Barbara Isaacs describes ways in which numeracy can be promoted in and outside the nursery...

Recent research identified children's ability to recognise quantity soon after birth. Montessori also acknowledged these unique qualities by speaking about the child being born with a 'mathematical mind' (Montessori, 2007). By this she meant that as children mature they develop an ability to match, pair, sort and classify information and organise it in a logical way. In Montessori nurseries children explore and learn to identify shapes; they pair sound cylinders, sort natural materials, such as shells, pebbles, conkers, according to size or texture. They also develop grading skills when using activities such as the colour tablets. They are introduced to 1:1 correspondence when matching cylinders with appropriate sockets in the cylinder block, and also explore length, weight and size through their play. 

When they're ready and show interest, children are introduced to counting with the help of number rods and sandpaper numerals. They gradually learn about both cardinal and ordinal numbers, and their relationships with the written symbol. Working first with quantities they focus on sequence as well as patterns of numbers such as odd and even. At all times children have objects to manipulate and organise to enhance their mathematical understanding.

Unique to Montessori is her approach to the decimal system. The child who knows numbers up to 10 is introduced to the names of the hierarchies within the decimal system using the bars, squares and cubes made out of the Golden Beads (pictured). With the help of these 'fixed quantities', young children are able to count up to 9,999. To enhance their understanding of the decimal system hierarchies, they have access to numeral cards, which use colour to represent the hierarchies. The cards are also designed to highlight the place value of zero. With the help of these materials children can be introduced to numerical operations such as addition or multiplication and have the opportunity to work with large numbers long before they learn to add or subtract units and tens. 

Summer sums

Mathematics activities are easy to plan and prepare outside too. For example, why not number all the nursery bikes, tricycles and scooters? The same numbers, attached to a fence, then identify 'parking' places for them, encouraging children to leave them there when they're finished. (This approach also avoids having a pile of bikes in the middle of the playground or fighting over who uses them and when.)  

The garden provides opportunities for counting by having a collection of pebbles or shells which can be counted into flower pots marked by numbers from 0–10 and organised into a number line by being attached to a wooden board. Different size buckets can be filled with sand and weighed. Old flower pots can be sorted by colour or size. Dolls' clothes can be washed and hung on a washing line, once again sorted by size, colour or garment. Sunflower seeds or daffodil bulbs are ideal for adding or subtracting, and you could measure the volume of the watering can by filling it with the help of ladles, cups, jugs or buckets. 

Finally, a collection of large packing cases will serve not only for making dens and creating large constructions, but also to see how each shape fits inside another or to compare the sides of each case to discover if it's a square or a rectangle, or even an interesting conical shape or pyramid. The opportunities for maths outdoors are endless; why not try to introduce some of them in your nursery this summer? 

Taking it further

Fast track your career with a Montessori teaching qualification...

Montessori Centre International is Europe's largest Montessori training college, based in central London with regional study centres. It offers two main courses, a diploma and foundation degree. Study is available: full, part-time and distance learning.

 To find out more about Montessori teacher training, log on to montessori.org.uk or phone 020 7493 8300.

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To find out more about Montessori teacher training, log on to montessori.org.uk or phone 020 7493 8300.

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For people like me, then, the chance to study a little more 'remotely' is an absolute lifesaver. My three children are very small. There is no way I would be able to have trained to become a Montessori pre-school teacher without Distance Learning. It has let me take a different avenue in my life, enabled me to study something I am passionate about, supported me through a time where, if it weren't for the flexibility of doing the Early Childhood Course via distance learning at MCI, I would not have been xable to study at all. I am very grateful and positive about the experience and feel I am lucky to have had the opportunity to learn the latest research on child development, to hone my teaching skills, to discover the truly amazing world of the Montessori Method. 

Having studied full-time for my degree many years ago as a single person without children, I know that any course has difficulties that must be overcome. Distance Learning is no exception; those challenges are just different ones this time around. As I sit and prepare my final assignment, I become aware once again of just how those difficulties manifest themselves. 

I tend to do most of my study at weekends when my husband is around to help look after three small and very demanding girls, after spending a hard week at work. And sometimes it's somewhat harder to create my own 'prepared environment' to foster my concentration than it is in the Montessori setting.

I sit in my study, tapping away, trying in vain to find that perfect quote. Which of Montessori's books did it come from? As I shut my eyes to concentrate, there is a series of loud shrieks from the room next door as one small girl remonstrates with another, then the padding of feet across the hall and my door is wrenched open. In tumble two cross, red-faced children, mouths open, both passionately describing who pinched who first. Then the baby crawls in as I am trying to usher the two out, picks up my text books from the floor and begins to eat them. My husband attempts to entice all three out of the study. The noise level reaches new heights.

By this time, I've practically forgotten what my name is, let alone what point I was trying to prove with my long-lost quote.

I also work in the evenings. This is normally calmer, as hopefully the children are in bed. But sometimes, sadly, they have other ideas; the stairs become a busy thoroughfare with them descending and me marching them back up to bed with a drink, a book, a toy, a blanket, a watering can (yes, really) or anything else that they decide Can Not Wait Until Morning. And sometimes, after feeding them, bathing them, reading stories, singing lullabies, settling imaginary friends and finally shovelling them all into their own beds, I am so tired that after about an hour or so, I realise I've spent the last few minutes doing less evaluating and more staring into space. I really ought to call it a day myself.

Studying from home means having to be very fierce about resisting distractions, whether they be pleasant ones, spending time with my family, or less alluring ones, loading the washing machine, changing the beds, cleaning the house.

My family are pretty supportive, but I do feel a little guilty when I hear my five year old role-playing with my three year old, saying 'I must do my essay now.' 

Still, as another month goes by, another milestone is ticked off. One more assignment deadline to go and I move into a new phase of the course, concentrating on my teaching practice and then exams. There's still some way to go, lots of hard work ahead, but studying via Distance Learning has meant I've managed to come so far and learn so much and for that I am truly thankful.

What are your distractions when studying or working? Let us know in the comments below!

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This is the latest in a series of regular blogs from Barbara Isaacs, Academic Director of Montessori Centre International, Europe’s No.1 Montessori Teacher Training Organisation.

This article first appeared in http://www.teachprimary.com/teachnursery/.

We hope you enjoy the piece. Please let us know your thoughts.

Montessori education is well-known for its sensory focus, which lies at the heart of young children's learning. The sensorial apparatus, activities and materials are designed to enhance the child's understanding of shapes, colours, textures, sounds, tastes and smells.

In Montessori settings exploration using all the senses provides the starting point of the early years curriculum. Practical life and sensorial activities offer young children opportunities to develop manipulative skills and eye-hand coordination, as well as problem solving and thinking skills. This early independence and exploration are the foundation for creative thinking, as well as the basis for later more academic work. 

Many of these activities are available to children inside the classroom and are extended to the outdoors when appropriate. The key is to build on learning facilitated by these materials and place it in context of the child's everyday experience. Many of the sensory materials develop cognitive frameworks which support the child's organisation and classification skills. These learning opportunities can be applied to the free-flow nature of early years practice advocated today; however, Montessori (2007), along with Froebel, recommended close contact with nature and talked about “taking the inside out and bringing the outside in”. 

Exploring textures

When speaking about textures we usually consider experiences which involve children's hands in finding out about rough, smooth, sticky, knobbly, spiky, silky surfaces. Children in Montessori settings explore fabrics, papers, stones, trees and other natural materials for texture. Starting with spontaneous exploration of treasure baskets and heuristic bags, Montessori toddlers gradually progress on to the more formal activities, matching and grading textures of sand paper and fabrics as well as a variety of different types of paper. This exploration is accompanied with conversations and discussion during which the child and adult describe the shared experience.  The final stage of this learning is evident when young children begin to use the rich experiences and language originally associated with Montessori sensory materials in the every day context of their nursery life. 

Have you considered providing some of these experiences by organising a sensory walk in your garden and offering children more than just the chance to encounter different textures? Sounds and smells can be easily incorporated into the sensory walk in which textures will guide the children in their exploration.

If you are in the process of designing your garden, you may consider planning for a permanent sensory  walk, but you could also design a less permanent experience with opportunities for changes in the surfaces reflecting seasons and providing children with a 'sensory obstacle course'.

Using old tyres you could offer children sensory areas for their feet. There are an array of materials with which you could fill the tyres to make this walk exciting for young children – for example, different textures of sand, pebbles, leaves and grass cuttings, as well as off-cuts of different types of fabrics, paper or plastic materials. You could also mix herbs and scents with you textures to enhance the experience.

And to make it even more fun you could connect the tyres or areas of exploration with walkways using wooded planks to make the challenge of reaching the next 'tyre of discovery' a little more exciting. Using different types of footwear according to the season with bare feet in the spring and summer could make this activity even more fun for the children. 

Taking it further

Fast track your career with a Montessori teaching qualification...

Montessori Centre International is Europe’s largest Montessori training college, based in central London with regional study centres. It offers two main courses, a diploma and foundation degree. Study is available: full, part-time and distance learning.

            To find out more about Montessori teacher training, log on to montessori.org.uk or phone 020 7493 8300.

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We have pleasure in introducing the first of a series of regular blogs from Barbara Isaacs, Academic Director of Montessori Centre International, Europe’s No.1 Montessori Teacher Training Organisation.

This article first appeared in http://www.teachprimary.com/teachnursery/.

We hope you enjoy the piece. Please let us know your thoughts.

Children attending Montessori settings are encouraged to be independent in every aspect of their life at nursery. They are given opportunities to make choices about their activities, and therefore  spontaneous engagements with the environment and child-led activities flourish. Freedom of choice is promoted on the understanding that there are also some rules linked with the freedom – such as making sure activities are left ready for another child to use. This type of social focus promotes freedom with responsibility, as well as social awareness and initiative, because once children know the routine they are in charge. 

The approach requires consistency from the adults, as well as an understanding that children need to be shown, helped, reminded and given time to undertake tasks such as washing up after a snack – and remember, the job may not be done to our adult expectations, because children need opportunities to develop competence through repetition. The bonus for the child is a feeling of achievement, and control over their actions and environment.  

Paint a picture

There are many routines in the daily life of the Montessori classroom which promote this sense of achievement such as the setting of a table, helping oneself to a café-style snack and also washing up dishes at the end. Children are also encouraged to think about their friends by returning activities where they found them, for example placing books back on the bookshelf or making sure that the unused resources from the art trolley are returned to their appropriate boxes and baskets.   

A good example of such a routine is painting and washing the easel afterwards. As most children enjoy painting and using water, this routine offers the practitioner a perfect opportunity to introduce the whole cycle of activity starting with deciding to paint and finishing by leaving a clean easel and washing one's hands. Consider the sequence of steps required for this activity and how they support all aspects or learning and development:

• Making the decision to paint 
• Remembering to put on an apron and rolling up one's sleeves
• Deciding what size paper to use
• Attaching it to the easel
• Choosing the colours to use
• Painting the picture 
• Writing one's name on the picture, either by oneself or with the help of the practitioner
• Taking the picture off 
• Putting it out to dry
• Fillinng up a bucket with enough water to be able to wash the easel
• Squeezing the sponge/cloth 
• Wipingg the easel and the paint pots if necessary
• Making sure they are clean
• Rinsingthe sponge or cloth 
• Emptying the water from the bucket
• Checking that there is no spilled water and mopping it if necessary 
• Washing one's hands
• Taking off the apron

Each step also requires its own skills and procedures – indeed they involve an array of problem-solving, remembering, thinking and physical skills.

This method also requires a different approach from the adult, who must make sure that the environment is ready and enables children to perform all these steps on their own – for example, the apron, paper and paints need to be ready for use, the picture drying area needs to be accessible and manageable for the child, the bucket and sponge need to be nearby, as does the mop for drying up any spills. And just imagine the child's face at the end: a triumph of autonomy!

If you are tempted to try this, but are anxious about it working, why not try it as part of your outdoor activities first. You will be amazed how quickly the children will be eager to participate, and if you persevere, you will be able to introduce it inside within couple of months. Why not empower the children to be in charge of their painting activities?

Taking it further

Fast track your career with a Montessori teaching qualification...

Montessori Centre International is Europe’s largest Montessori training college, based in central London with regional study centres. It offers two main courses, a diploma and foundation degree. Study is available: full, part-time and distance learning.

            To find out more about Montessori teacher training, log on to montessori.org.uk or phone 020 7493 8300.

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The Montessori Schools Association (MSA) has been steadily developing from strength to strength and we are pleased to announce that we now have over 4000 MSA members across the UK. The MSA is a professional organisation that supports Montessori Schools and teachers throughout the UK. The MSA provides information, advice, subsidised continued professional development training and networking opportunities to our members whilst raising the profile of Montessori education within the government and with the public. 

There are 11 regions in the UK and each region has its own Regional Chairman to provide support locally and invite members to regular regional meetings. Essentially, the MSA’s vision is to foster communication and unity within the Montessori movement throughout the UK and to provide support and guidance to members and their schools, irrespective of size, premises or financial position. 

The schools in membership adhere to a Code of Practice which defines the commitment of each school to the promotion of quality in Montessori settings.  Join this growing organisation in its mission of creating higher standards and increased credibility in the Foundation years and Primary Education sectors for the benefit of Montessorians and for the families and children in our schools. Visit www.montessori.org.uk/msa

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It’s well and truly winter here in my part of the world. The holidays are over, celebrations done and in this corner of England at least, Spring feels a long, long way away. It had been unseasonably warm by comparison; first shoots of daffodil, snowdrop and tulip had pushed their way out of the earth. The garden birds had started to sing and it was mild enough to go for long walks on the beach (although despite what my daughters seemed to think, the water was still cold when it floods over the top of your wellies)

But it’s a false dawn; we are still weeks away from Spring and very recently, the snow we'd been waiting for finally fell; how will those tender green shoots cope? How will the birds and animals fare with this sudden icy blast? Nature might have been fooled, but not me. I’m still working hard at my assignments. I have two more to go.  One last big push to get me through to that end point, which is almost beyond my imagination. Just as I can barely remember what life was like before the winter came, so I struggle to recall how things were before I spent every spare minute working on an assignment.

As a mother of three small children, I’m quite used to multi-tasking, but these last months since I started the Early Childhood Course have taken it to a whole new level.  When I have eventually shovelled everyone into bed, I hit the books. I walk around like a bloodhound searching out a scent, whether I’m shopping or strolling in a wood, on the hunt for something I might be able to use in an activity. I am finding it hard to answer the door without tripping over piles of Useful Scavenged Stuff that hasn’t thus far proved that useful, but from which I daren’t part.

At night, I struggle to sleep because my brain is whirring, trying to think of ideas for my lesson plans. There is never any rest! I got the inspiration for my current assignment while doing the washing up, writing a shopping list and insisting that it really isn’t warm enough for a three year old to go outside without tights on.  

So, here I am, planning these last two assignments, waiting for Spring, knowing that when it finally does arrive, I will have finished. But the thing is, I know in reality I will never finish. I'm just beginning. I may not have any more assignments to do. But I’ll have teaching practice, exams… and even after they’re over (which I guess one day they will be) I won’t stop. I will never cease the hunt for activity materials. I will never stop taking inspiration from Nature. My house will never be a cardboard free zone. This is my life now, my Montessori life. And I love it. 

In what ways has Montessori changed your life? Let us know in the comments below.

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Over the next three issues of Montessori International we will be focusing on three prime areas of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage, namely: personal, social and emotional development; physical development; and communication and language. For this issue, which looks at the first area, we are exploring 'meaningful relationships'. The core of this exploration are three articles by Antonella Cirillo, Elspeth Denchfield and Jeremy Clark that discuss meaningful relationships - respectively - in theory, practically in the nursery and practically in the home. These key articles are supplemented by Sally Goddard Blythe's piece on the debate about stress levels of children in child care,and of course - having already touched on relationships at home in Jeremy Clarke's article - it is also worth mentioning in this context Kristin Hulass Sunde's interview of Kathi Hughes, the author of the Charity's forthcoming book on parenting, available in March.

In addition to regular sections such as 'Research Watch' and reviews we have a lot of news this time round, including school news, a preview of the 2012 MSA National Conference, and a short article and pictures from last December's very successful MCI Graduation Ceremony and MEAB Awards. So, welcome to this issue - I hope you find it both enjoyable and enlightening. 

My final word though must be a big thank you to Barbara Isaacs for stalwart editorial assistance and guidance along the Montessori path.

Best wishes,

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The end of the year is always a good time to look backwards. Time to reflect on what you have - or haven't - achieved in twelve months. I'm still a student, doing the same course, still working away at my assignments, still stressing over deadlines.  For me, on the surface at least, things have stayed the same. 

Stayed the same, yet changed immeasurably. I've changed. I've experienced so many wonderful things on this course. I've met some fantastic people: my tutors, the other distance learning students on the Apparatus course, but the real change is down to the children. The children I've had the pleasure of working with over the last few weeks of my teaching practice in particular. A chance to test out the theories I've learned on the course for real.

These children have been inspiring, perplexing, heartening, hilarious, vital. And most of all, they've made me realise that they are the heart of everything I do as a trainee Montessori teacher. They are individuals, but they help me consider the essence of the child every time they surprise me with something new - a new movement, a new way of considering the material, of relating to the world.

It's because of them that I have had the chance to start again, not just in my career but in the way I look at the world. What a privilege to have the pre-conceptions and prejudices of an adult viewpoint wiped away and to be able to look again through a child's eyes. The passing of the seasons, the beauty of the skies, the intricacies of the patterns in nature. It has been a joy to experience those anew. I love seeing them come up with the answer to their own questions; working out where Jupiter is in the night sky, or discovering what anteaters have for breakfast. My house is groaning with the weight of things I would previously have thrown away or never have collected in the first place which Might Come In Useful One Day. (Must remember to move that collection of pinecones from the radiator...)

Next year, as I continue on my path to becoming a Montessori teacher, I will also continue to celebrate the children's achievements and individuality and to empathise with their struggles. I know that the world will remain an amazing place, but in ways I cannot possibly foretell, with them at the helm one day. Staying the same, but yet changing, growing and improving. I can't ask for anything more for the new year for myself and I wish the same for you for a wonderful 2012. 

What have been your highlights of this year? Please let us know in the comments below!
 

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Montessori Centre International Graduation Ceremony & MEAB Awards, December 2^nd 2011 

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MCI graduates, families and Montessori schools that achieved MEAB accreditation during the Autumn of 2011 gathered at the Institute of Education, University of London on Friday 2^nd to celebrate their achievements.

It was a delight to see over 100 students, from many backgrounds and cultures, so happy and positive about their achievements.

The guest speaker on the night was Professor Mick Waters who currently works with primary schools in the Black Country.  He is also one of the founder members of the Children’s University and as Chief Education Officer in Manchester supported the introduction of the Montessori approach at Gorton Mount Primary school.

Following a welcome by Barbara Isaacs, Academic Director of Montessori Centre International, Professor Waters, shared some of his research and encouraged the audience to consider how children learn and how adults can engage with them to make the learning exciting and relevant to their interests. 

He shared some delightful anecdotes from primary school children who were interviewed about their achievements which included looking after animals and achieving in sport.  Their colourful comments highlighted the significant role extracurricular activity plays in helping children excel at school.

Dr. Martin Bradley the chair of the Montessori Schools’ Association introduced the MEAB accreditation awards.  Among the MEAB schools to receive their plaques on the night were the Gulf Montessori Schools in Dubai and Kuwait, their principal and co-owner Mrs Hala Roumani came to London to receive the plaques personally. 

Recognition of the quality of Montessori provision in the two Gulf nurseries reflects the consistently high standards of Montessori teacher training Mrs Roumani  and her team deliver on behalf of MCI in Dubai. 

Mrs Roumani must be congratulated on the Centre’s recent success in gaining  recognition in the UAE for the MCI International Diploma in Montessori Pedagogy.  You can find out more about Mrs Roumani’s achievement throughout the latest issue of Montessori International magazine.

The Bloomfield Awards, offered to MCI graduates in memory of Mrs Ruth Bloomfield the founder of the Maria Montessori School in Exeter and a trustee of Montessori St. Nicholas Charity,  were introduced  by Philip Bujak, the CEO of the charity and presented by Wendy Compson, one of the trustees.  The recipients were Maria Coetzee, Kathryn Gardner and Rabia Ali.

The celebrations continued well into the evening and everyone at Montessori St Nicholas, MCI and MEAB wish the accredited schools and graduates every success in their future work with children. 

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Montessori St Nicholas, the UK’s largest Montessori charity is delighted to announce the publication of a new parenting book: Building Strong Foundations: What Montessori can offer your family. The book takes a fresh look at family life to help parents put the child at the heart of the home and unlock their amazing potential. Packed with ideas and advice, it is relevant to parents of young children from birth upwards.

Philip Bujak, Montessori CEO says, “The parenting journey is awe-inspiring, life changing and challenging. The young child is full of future possibility.  This isn’t a how to manual on the right way to raise children. We simply hope this book will provide new insight and perspective to parents on how to bring out the best in children, whatever their budget.  Sometimes it’s the smallest activities that can make the biggest impact on a child’s development.” 

Better parenting starts from birth and is central to the life chances of every child. The book starts out exploring the first year of a baby’s life as a time of extraordinary growth and development. It stresses the key roles played by attachment, movement and communication.

It explains what the Montessori philosophy of “follow the child” means and discusses key elements of the approach which embraces child-led, natural and favorable home environments.

There are lovely personal insights from parents on how to promote a child’s independence through the daily routines of everyday family life: from getting dressed, personal hygiene, eating, and packing a bag to ideas on how to adapt a living space around the needs of the child.

Kathi Hughes, author says: “Montessori encouraged us to help the child help herself. This not only leads to an independent child in practical terms but also one who learns to believe in her own capability to do things. This sense of success feeds into positive self-esteem and a sense of achievement and to a deeper appreciation of what they can do. I hope parents will enjoy reading this as much as I have writing it.”

For further information or to pre-order your book, RRP £5.99, email book@montessori.org.uk

Can you help towards promoting this book? 

We are looking at getting a UK based famous Montessori parent to endorse the book in the introduction.

Do you know of any celebrity Montessori parents who would be happy to help drive publicity for the book through a written endorsement?

If so – please email Amanda Gilchrist – a.gilchrist@montessori.org.uk as soon as possible.

www.montessori.org.uk

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The Order of Merit Pro Merito Melitensi of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta is a knightly order of merit established in 1920. It is awarded to men and women who have brought honour and prestige to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta or actively promoted Christian values or works of charity in the Christian tradition as defined by the Roman Catholic Church.

Philip works tirelessly for the Montessori movement but is also actively involved with other charities and has most recently raised a considerable sum of money for an Oncology unit in a deprived part of Poland.

Conferees include prominent statesmen, such as Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. In this way it is comparable to numerous orders of merit around the world, including the Papal orders.

www.montessori.org.uk

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