Introduction
“Scientific observation then has established that education is not what the teacher gives; education is a natural process spontaneously carried out by the human individual, and is acquired not by listening to words but by experiences upon the environment. The task of the teacher becomes that of preparing a series of motives of cultural activity, spread over a specially prepared environment, and then refraining from obtrusive interference. Human teachers can only help the great work that is being done, as servants help the master. Doing so, they will be witnesses to the unfolding of the human soul and to the rising of a New Man who will not be the victim of events, but will have the clarity of vision to direct and shape the future of human society.”
Maria Montessori, “Education for a New World”
Dr. Montessori believed that children have within them everything they need to become highly functioning adults. She felt that the goal of education should not be to fill the child with facts from a pre-selected course of studies, but rather to cultivate the child’s own natural desire to learn.
In a Montessori classroom, the child’s desire to learn is supported by freedom of choice, repetition of lessons, and practice. The Montessori classroom materials fulfill these purposes, as well as give the child specific immediate information. Classroom use of Montessori materials is based on the child’s unique aptitude for learning at each developmental stage. Dr. Montessori identified the learning style of children through age 6 as the “absorbent mind” which she compared to a sponge in the way it absorbs information from the environment. The process is evident in the way a two-year-old learns language, without formal instruction and without the conscious tedious effort which an adult must make to master a foreign tongue. Acquiring information in this way is a natural and delightful activity for the young child, who employs all of their senses to investigate their interesting surroundings. One hundred years of experience have proved Montessori’s theory that a young child can learn to read, write and calculate in the same natural way that they learned to walk and talk.
Dr. Montessori also identified the learning style of the Elementary age child as “the reasoning mind.” At this time in life, children are interested in understanding the world they absorbed uncritically during their first six years. During the Elementary years, children are explorers and investigators who are interested first and foremost, in understanding reality. Their intellectual power is harnessed in understanding their world through research. Thus, with the support of teachers, parents, and each other, they learn everything they can about the world around them by engaging with it. And they use their imaginations to understand elements of the world that are far away in time, or space. This is the age for the Montessori Great Lessons, and for great work projects that test and temper the child’s imagination, ingenuity, and will.
During the years from 12 to 15, Adolescents undergo tremendous changes in both their brains and their bodies. At the same time, they are particularly sensitive to learning how to live in society. As Maria Montessori saw, Adolescence is a time of a great transition during which young people need guidance and even protection as they come to know and accept themselves and others. On every level, Adolescents benefit from learning by focusing on the whole first so that they can eventually understand the parts.
Maria Montessori’s ideas, developed some 100 years ago, are supported by current brain research, and by the theories of Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner, Eric Erickson, and other developmental psychologists. Psychologist Benjamin Bloom, of the University of Chicago, wrote in Stability and Change in Human Characteristics “the environment will have maximum impact on a specific trait during that trait’s period of most rapid growth.”
Montessori philosophy sees each child as unique and precious, with magnificent individual potential. In a Montessori classroom, children work in a socially cooperative atmosphere to reach their academic potential. They learn through physical and sensory experience and are given freedom to discover, explore, and create in the prepared classroom. Each room is filled with constructive materials that meet the child’s developmental needs. As the child explores these materials over time, they move from concrete knowledge to abstract understanding. The Montessori trained director guides the child to explore new areas of learning at sensitive periods of individual development.
Starting at age three, Montessori classrooms group children across three-year age spans. Each child moves through periods of being the observer, the participant, and the teacher. Older children help younger children to learn, which reinforces their own knowledge. Younger children admire their older classmates and eagerly anticipate the day when they too will have enough knowledge to act as role models. A caring atmosphere promotes the development of responsibility, collaboration, and cooperation.
As a result of being respected and valued as an important part of their classroom community, children learn to value and respect themselves and one another. At the Montessori School of Lake Forest, children develop social responsibility through self-discipline and generosity. They are self-motivated and, in a sense, self-taught. As a result, they acquire deep self respect, and a deep love of learning that will remain with them all of their lives.
The curriculum at MSLF, based on Maria Montessori’s study of child development, is designed to maximize the development of children through prepared environments. Montessori trained directors conduct carefully planned lessons that children then carry out independently and repeatedly. Children are encouraged to build sensory-motor skills, socialization skills, high self-esteem, inner security, and abiding habits of concentration. Great care goes into preparing and maintaining classroom materials that are beautiful and inviting, and serve as essential components of the curriculum. Montessori pedagogy is approximately 100 years old and is practiced in nearly four thousand public and private schools in the United States, and throughout the world.
Birth to 3
Parent Infant Program
“The first two years of life are the most important. Observation proves that small children are endowed with special psychic powers, and points to new ways of drawing them out—literally ‘educating by cooperating with nature.’ So here begins the new path, wherein it will not be the professor who teaches the child, but the child who teaches the professor.”
Maria Montessori, “Education for a New World”
A New Concept in Early Childhood Education
More learning takes place in the first two years than at any other time in a child’s life. The brain develops rapidly, and this growth is aided by the child’s physical experiences. The Montessori School of Lake Forest Parent Infant Program helps parents gain a better understanding of their child as they learn meet the child’s true needs without sacrificing their own. With so much time devoted each day to the “maintenance” of the very young child—diapering, feeding, bathing, entertaining—there is very little time to stop and appreciate children for the unique beings they are, and for the contributions they bring to the family. Through parent/child sessions and parent discussions, you will grow to know and appreciate your child even more thoroughly, from this fresh new perspective.
Montessori and the Prepared Environment
The children in the Parent Infant Program are truly the educational resource for their parents and their Montessori-trained director, as they explore the wonders of their ever-widening world. The Montessori approach provides a “prepared environment” for children. This means that every object in the classroom is chosen specifically for this age child. The children are free to explore and learn by experiencing the classroom materials and the other children—a critical component of their early education as they learn to interact with a familiar group of peers on a regular basis.
A Good Beginning
With their language and movement skills developing well, and their parents supporting their growing independence, young toddlers are ready for the learning opportunities of the Toddler environment.
Toddler Program
“At the age of two years the child has a need for walking…But the child does not want to get anywhere, he just wants to walk, and to help him truly, the adult must follow the child…The child walks with his eyes as well as with his legs, and it is the interesting things on the walk that carry him along.”Maria Montessori, “Education for a New World”
Fostering Independence and Determination
The Montessori School of Lake Forest Toddler Program maximizes the development of young children through meticulously prepared environments. An adult with Montessori “Assistants to Infancy” (birth-three) training conducts carefully planned activities which lead the Toddler age child to build sensory-motor skills, high self-esteem, inner security, and abiding habits of concentration.
The Toddler Environment
The Toddler environment is divided into several areas, including gross motor movement, fine motor development, and language skills. The exercises of practical life include care of the environment (both indoor and outdoor), care of the self, and refinement of grace and courtesy. All activities are designed to develop coordination and independence, and encourage contributing to the group, which leads to increased self-esteem.
A Toddler develops the foundations for a strong personality through work carried out with full concentration. This is achieved by working on activities which completely absorb the child, and fulfill their urge to explore the world.
As Your Child Learns, So Do You
One of our driving goals at the Montessori School of Lake Forest is to work together with parents to insure their child’s optimal development. To that end, we offer special Montessori Parent Information Sessions throughout the year. Observation of your child’s class is another way to gain insight and understanding of the Montessori way.
Ready for Primary
By the end of their Toddler experience, children are ready for the Primary environment. They are increasingly interested in learning from other children and about the world around them. The more complex social life and the vast array of materials and lessons to be learned in the Primary class satisfy their need to grow.
Primary Program
“…[Since] there are in this period of three to six natural aptitudes to easy acquisition of culture, we should take advantage of them, and surround the child with things to handle which in themselves convey steps in culture. When we place in his environment certain objects which allow him to imitate human actions around him, and the means to perfect acquisitions already made in the first period, we help him to achieve the complicated culture of today.”
Maria Montessori, “Education for a New World”
Fostering Independence and Determination
The Montessori School of Lake Forest Primary Program continues to maximize the development of young children through scientifically prepared environments. The Montessori-trained teacher conducts carefully planned activities which continue to lead the child to build sensory-motor skills, master concrete academic concepts, develop the ability to concentrate deeply, practice socialization skills, and acquire high self-esteem and inner security. The mixed-age grouping of the Primary classroom corresponds to Maria Montessori’s theory of child development, which is based on three-year cycles. Because of their constant interaction in the classroom, Primary children learn to get along with children of different ages and abilities, to respect each other’s work and workspace, and to treat each other with courtesy.
The Primary Environment
In the Primary classroom, there is a variety of activity as well as a great deal of movement. A three-year-old, for example, may be washing cloths by hand while a nearby four-year-old composes words and phrases with the letters of the movable alphabet. Meanwhile, a five-year-old performs multiplication using a specially designed set of beads. In this lively classroom, work inspires work, and 28 children is the normal head count. Although much of the work at this stage of development is done individually, sometimes the entire class is involved in a group activity, such as storytelling, singing, or movement.
Extended Day
The Extended Day afternoon provides a rich experience for the older child in a small group setting. A child will be invited to enter the Extended Day Program on their fifth birthday. By allowing them to pursue areas of advanced study during the afternoon, the Extended Day Program assures that your child will have enough class time to complete the full syllabus. This six-hour program qualifies as a Kindergarten Program as required by the State of Illinois.
As Your Child Learns, So Do You
The faculty and staff of the Montessori School of Lake Forest offer ongoing Parent Information Sessions which address the developmental opportunities and challenges for families and children from birth through 15. Observation of your child’s class is another way to gain insight and understanding of the Montessori process.
Montessori Education Does Not End With The Primary Experience
Montessori education continues through a child’s Elementary and Adolescent years. The Montessori Elementary environment responds to the Elementary age child’s expanding view of the universe. As the Elementary age child moves from the concrete learning of the preschool years to the more abstract concepts of older childhood, Montessori Elementary education meets their developmental needs each step of the way.
Elementary Program
“To do well, it is necessary to aim at giving an idea of all the sciences, not in precise detail, but only as an impression. The idea is to sow the seeds of the sciences at this age when a sort of sensitive period of the imagination exists…And, as we have seen, the examination of a detail triggers the study of the whole.”
Maria Montessori, “From Childhood to Adolescence”
The Elementary Environment
Like the Primary Program, the Montessori School of Lake Forest Elementary Program is organized in three-year age groupings. At both levels, the multi-age grouping provides children with broad opportunities for social development. Therefore, a full complement of ages, up to 30 children per class, is optimal. Montessori education provides the Elementary age child with diverse and creative paths to developing abstract thinking. Mathematics for instance, is presented through three-dimensional manipulative materials that reveal simultaneously arithmetic, geometric, and algebraic correlations—each providing a concrete way to experience an abstract concept. The materials for disciplines such as geometry present basic terminology as the groundwork for future in-depth study. Likewise, the Elementary grammar materials use symbols and visual patterns to help the child discover parts of speech and analyze the structure, style, and logic of sentences. These exercises refine reading and writing skills. In addition, art, music, and physical activity are integral parts of Montessori Elementary education. Children also plan their own “going out” excursions according to individual or small group interests. These “goings out” can be service projects, such as visiting the elderly, cleaning up the environment, or holding a food drive. They can also be a way to run classroom errands, or do research in the community.
As Your Child Learns, So Do You
In addition to volunteering and attending Parent Information Sessions, Elementary parents are invited to support the community spirit of the classroom by getting involved. Because parents are treated as collaborators, they are often invited into the classroom to share and participate in activities. Elementary age children begin to see that their educational experience is the direct result of their parents’ input and action. They learn to see that the school is a community, and that all are involved in events such as operettas, celebrations, and “goings out.” Observation of your child’s class is another way to gain insight and understanding of the Montessori way.
Montessori Education Does Not End With The Elementary Experience
The Elementary age child has learned how to learn. Through their long experience of sustained relationships with other children through multi-age classes, they have insight into the personalities of other children, and into how groups function. They usually make friends easily. They have a balanced outlook on life, and tend to be level-headed problem-solvers. They have a liberal arts understanding and mastery of basic educational foundations—literature and mathematics, as well as the beginnings of the study of ethics. Their project orientation emphasizes working beyond set limits to gain a complete knowledge of a subject, because they love to learn. By the end of the Elementary years, Montessori children are well prepared to meet the challenges of the Adolescent Program, where they learn how to begin constructing themselves as responsible members of society.
Adolescent Program
“The teachers must have the greatest respect for the young personality, realizing that in the soul of the adolescent, great values are hidden, and that in the minds of these boys and girls there lies all our hope of future progress and the judgment of ourselves and our times…if social progress is realized through the succession of the generations, then these children… will become more highly developed than their adult teachers.”
Maria Montessori, “From Childhood to Adolescence”
Montessori Education Fulfills Itself In The Adolescent Years
Adolescents need to construct themselves as responsible individuals who participate as contributing members of society. The Adolescent asks: Who am I? Where do I fit in? What contribution can I make? How can I participate? Adolescence is a time of dramatic change, including profound changes in the structure of the brain. The Adolescent Program of the Montessori School of Lake Forest addresses the challenges of adolescence as opportunities. The Adolescent Program:
- Provides a supportive learning environment;
- Offers a stimulating syllabus to meet or exceed state and local school standards;
- Allows each young person to develop their unique strengths while learning about the roles and responsibilities of adult society.
The Adolescent Program is organized around Maria Montessori’s Plan of Work and Study for Adolescents. Lessons reveal the relationship between knowledge and responsibility, and emphasize human invention and discovery. The program is situated on farmland at Prairie Crossing in Grayslake, nine miles west of the school’s main campus. The Program’s curricular offerings include:
- A full complement of challenging academics;
- An introduction to human society based on the economic imperatives of farm work;
- Field trips and research trips to libraries, laboratories, museums, and theaters.
Adolescent Program Syllabus:
- Pre-algebra, statistics and probability
- Algebra 1 and Geometry (Algebra 2 if needed)
Language
- Classic Literature
- Writing styles, techniques, and standards
- Latin translation, comparative grammar and syntax
- Reading, writing and performing: speeches, presentation, dramatics, poetry
Ethics/Logic
- Logic and ethics in discussion and seminar
- Information on types of intelligence - How humans develop throughout life
Sciences
- Eco systems, biomes, biology, physics, chemistry and geology
History
- Study of inventions, discoveries, and social changes throughout all of history.
- Ancient civilizations; Illinois and local history; governments past and present
Art History / Culture & Expression
- Introduction to artists and movements throughout history
- Media literacy
Art
- Drawing, painting, sculpting, photography, film and video, music
Practical Subjects
- Opportunities to apply knowledge of math, language, and the sciences.
- Specific aspects of production (fields, chickens, greenhouse) and exchange (sales, marketing, recordkeeping) as well as in domestic roles (cooking, cleaning, repairs)
Club Days, Before and After School
Additional hours of care are available between 7:30 AM and 8:45 AM in the morning for all students and 3:15 PM and 6:00 PM in the evening for children ages 15 months and older to accommodate the schedules of parents. Our Before and After School Clubs combine an atmosphere of “extended family” in a nurturing, homelike environment with balanced educational offerings. After their long school day, many children are ready for a change of pace. After school care follows basic Montessori principles. Children are encouraged to help teach one another, to follow projects to completion, to create their own activities, and to care for their environment. The outdoors is an integral part of the after school experience.
In addition, the school is open on Club Days - days that according to the traditional school calendar, regular school is closed. This option is available to accommodate the schedules of parents.
Dr. Montessori observed that when the child’s basic needs for order and stability are met, the child feels secure enough to develop independence. These important needs are provided for daily in the physical environment and in the social setting of our Before and After School programs. Focusing on the needs of the children, our teachers help the children learn to cooperate, to make choices, and to concentrate on a variety of materials. The final result provides the best of both worlds: the nurturing comfort of home, and the challenging stimulation of Montessori.
Summer Splash
Remember the good ol’ days? Summers filled with life’s simple pleasures… running through fields, cooling off in the pool (or the neighbor’s sprinkler), then sipping lemonade in the shade of an old tree…MSLF’s Summer Splash program is just the place to capture that same feeling for your child.
As you might guess, our summer program does not try to compete with the many intensive, overscheduled programs offered for children these days. Our goal, instead, is to provide a fun summer program within our secure and consistent Montessori setting.
Plans are well underway for Summer Splash 2013. The faculty is set, and they are already making their plans for our busy summer days ahead.
Watch the NewsFlash in the coming weeks for info about our teachers and our plans for each of the sessions. We are looking forward to an exciting, fun-filled summer (no batteries required)!
For more information please contact Ellen Pavelich, Director of Education and Admissions at
847-918-1000 or ellen@mslf.org
Learning, Speaking, & Living Spanish (LSLS)
Learning, Speaking, & Living Spanish March 2013
Learning, Speaking, & Living Spanish February 2013
Learning, Speaking, & Living Spanish January 2013
Learning, Speaking, & Living Spanish December 2012
NOVEMBER
Globos Globos Globos
(balloons)
de lindos colores
(of pretty colors)
rojo, amarillo, azules y verdes
(red, yellow, blues and greens)
Globos Globos Globos
de lindos colores
me gusta mirarlos
(I like to look at them)
vamos a bailar!
(now we are going to dance)
A mover, mover, mover, mover, mover, mover y parar. (Repeat twice)
(dance and then freeze after “parar”)
¡Vocabulario!
Maestra (teacher)
¿Cómo te llamas? (What is your name)
Me llamo. (My name is)
Gracias (thank you)
De nada (your welcome)
Que es esto? (What is this?) Es (it is…)
Mi Familia
la mamá (mom), el papá (dad), el bebé (baby), el hermano (brother), la hermana (sister), el abuelo (grandpa), la abuela (grandma)
El Cuerpo 1 (the body) (end of the month)
Cabeza (head), manos (hands), piernas (legs)
¡La Vida! (practical life)
Yo (me)
Trae la Alformbra (bring the rug)
Guarde la alfombra (put away the rug)
Commands
siéntense (sit), escuchen (listen),
repiten (repeat), cantan (sing)
Lower & Upper El additions
Once, doce, trece, catorce, quince, dieiséis, siecisiete, dieciocho, diecinueve, veinte
(numbers11-20)
Pronouns:
yo (I), el (he), ella (she),
usted (you formal), tu (you informal),
they boys (ellos), they girls (ellas),
ustedes (you all), nosotros (we),
Frase del Dia:
No se. ( I don’t know)
¿Por que? (why?)
¿Como se dice…? (how do you say…)
Cultura
¡El día de accion de gracias! - Thanksgiving day. “Doy gracias por…”(I give thanks for…)
OCTOBER
Vowels en Español
a (ah) e (eh) i (ee) o (oh) u (oo)
Primary and Lower Elementary. (Sing to “She’ll be coming around the mountain”)
Adios amigos adios!
Good bye my friends good bye!
Adios amigos! Adios amigos!
Good bye my friends goodbye!
*Take turns replacing “adios” with a student’s name.
¡Vocabulario!
Maestra (teacher)
¿Cómo te llamas? (What is your name)
Me llamo. (My name is)
Gracias (thank you)
De nada (your welcome)
Que es esto? (What is this?)
Colores Review
rojo (red), azul (blue), amarillo (yellow)
El cuerpo 1 (the body)
Cabeza (head), manos (hands), piernas (legs)
Otoño (Fall)
Hojas (leaves), Calabasa (pumpkin), manzana (apple)
¡La Vida! (practical life)
Agua (water)
Vaso (cup)
Alformbra (rug)
Commands
siéntense (sit), párense (stand), escuchen (listen), miren (look)
repiten (repeat), cantan (sing)
Lower & Upper El additions
Lápiz (pencil)
Papél (paper)
Frase del Dia:
iSolo espanol! (Only Spanish!)
No se. (I don’t know)
Cultura
¡El día de los muertos!
A day to remember and honor those that passed before us. It is a celebration! The time is spent making arts, crafts, and baked goods as offerings.