Education Posts

Can Montessori Work in Public Schools?
Some people have the mistaken idea that the Montessori method is strictly for wealthy or privileged children. Unfortunately, due to the cost of materials and training for the teachers, Montessori is often relegated to the private sector. A growing number of school districts, however, are paving the way for Montessori in the public schools.

How to Find Your Way Through the Standardized Testing Dilemma
I hope you were able to read part one of this series on standardized testing. In part two, we'll take a look at alternatives to standardized testing, as well as things that parents and teachers can do to either avoid standardized testing altogether, or at least find some benefit in the test results if testing is unavoidable.

Anything But Standard: How Standardized Tests Diminish Learning
In a city in Northern California, teachers in the district's poorest public school anxiously prepare each year to give California's own STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) test to their students. These students hail from predominantly Hispanic families, many of whom have just arrived in the country and are living in the city's poorest neighborhood.

Ten Best Posts of 2007
Hard to believe that 2008 is almost here, isn't it? In looking back over my blog posts for the past year, I thought it would be fun to compile the 10 Best Posts of 2007. I used a few different criteria, including number of comments, the amount of traffic (visitors) that a post generated, and of course, whether or not I liked it. Here’s what I came up with – take a look and see if you agree!

Quality Online Games for Kids
This week, I've been researching websites offering games for children. I was unhappy, though not surprised, to find that every one of Google's top 10 sites for a search on 'educational kids games' features either advertising or a required login. It's understandable that website owners want to see a profit when they make an effort to publish a free resource, but I question the ethics of advertising to small children.

If John Taylor Gatto and Maria Montessori Could Meet
When New York State Teacher of the Year, John Taylor Gatto, published his essay The Six-Lesson Schoolteacher in 1991, something seemed to resonate within the minds of people across the nation. Perhaps they remembered only too well the intense boredom, frustration, and enforced conformity of their own public school years. Perhaps the truth in the essay is simply too evident to be dismissed or denied...

Top Ten Montessori Videos on YouTube
Montessori teachers, parents, students and the media are harnessing the power of the video sharing website, YouTube, to share and spread the Montessori message. The following is a list of most popular Montessori videos on YouTube, based on the number of page views each one has received. I've included a short summary of each - have some fun checking them out!

Yes, Children Can Love Math!
First, a confession. I hated math when I was growing up. There are lots of reasons for this - boring math teachers, stultifying textbooks, and repetitive busywork would be among them...

Unchallenged and Disenchanted: The Dilemma of the Gifted Child
A friend of mine recently forwarded me an interesting article from Time magazine on gifted children; more specifically, on the idea that we may be failing our geniuses by not allowing them to pursue academics at their own rate.

Is the Montessori Classroom the Right Place for a Gifted Child?
After taking a brief look at giftedness in the first post of this series, I'm ready to answer the question, "Is the Montessori classroom the best place for a gifted child?" I believe the answer is a qualified "yes".

Montessori and Autism - An Interview with Michelle Lane
I am so delighted to present my most recent interview. As many of you know, the incidence of autism diagnosis is on the rise, and parents everywhere are searching for the best therapies to help their children...

Promoting Peace in Montessori Education
Peace education is a huge component of the Montessori curriculum. Unfortunately, I think we often don't give it the time and effort we should. There are so many other things to teach, learn, and do. It's not hard, though, to bring peace into the classroom or home...

7 Ideas for the Last Week of School
Hard to believe, but the school year is coming to an end. Sometimes it can be difficult to think of things to do during the last few days or weeks...the kids know it's almost over and concentration is in short supply...

Children and the Nature of Observation
I read a fascinating article about a month ago in the Washington Post, and it's kind of been simmering in the back of my mind all this time. Called Pearls Before Breakfast, it involves the brilliant and gifted violinist, Joshua Bell, and a busy morning in a large Washington metro station...

Of Waldorf, Doman, and Charlotte Mason
I've been hearing a lot about other alternative methods of education besides Montessori. It seems that more and more people are becoming disillusioned with current traditional methods of education, and are reaching out for other ways of helping their children learn...

And Now for Some Non-Montessori Materials...
Time for a little change-up - a break from Montessori. We know our kids can't live in a "all-Montessori-all-the-time" world. I like to think that there are many toys and educational products out there that are Montessori in spirit, if not in actuality. I'm going to share a few of my kids' favorites...