MONTESSORI  HOMESCHOOLING

Created by and for homeschooling families

MONTESSORI HOMESCHOOLING QUESTIONS

Q. Who or What is "Montessori"
A. Maria Montessori, MD was the first woman to receive an MD degree in Italy. She has inspired people around the world, for over 100 years, basing education on observation of children to discover their needs, rather than on a curriculum. For more information on Dr. Montessori see: Montessori

Q. What is "Montessori Method" of education?
A. The Montessori method of education is best described as an "Aid to Life" rather than a specific curriculum of educational objectives. For some answers to Frequently Asked Questions on this subject, that may help in establishing a Montessori-type learning environment in the home, see: FAQ

AGE 0-3:

Q. At what age does homeschooling start?
A. At first we were very surprised to get letters from parents of children of one or two years of age who were asking for advice on homeschooling. Then we realized that this was the very best time to start using Montessori ideas in the home. Our daughter Ursula is the teacher, or Assistant Infancy in Portland, Oregon. This is some information from the website of her community, The Garden School:

• Parenting
• Preparing the Environment
• Prenatal
• The First Year
• The Second Year - Working with My Family
• The Second Year - Toys
• The Second Year - Music, Art and Language

AGE 3-6:

Q. Can I use Montessori ideas at home with my child?
A. Yes, you can use Montessori principles of child development and education at home. Look at your home through your child's eyes. Children need a sense of belonging and of being needed. They get it by participating fully in the routines of everyday life. "Help me do it by myself" is the life theme of the preschooler. Can you find ways for your child to participate in meal preparation, cleaning, gardening, caring for clothes, shoes, and toys? Providing opportunities for independence is the surest way to build your child's self-esteem. In Montessori 3-6 classes around the world it is this practical life element that builds habits of thinking logically, making intelligent decisions, following complex steps of complex processes, care in actions, and so forth, that prepare for a life of independent thinking and responsible action, and care for self, others, and the world. It is often the major area of work in the whole first year of the child's experience in a Montessori class.

The Montessori 3-6 environment is filled with cultural, artistic, scientific activities and materials and books.  There is no junk food, no television, no computer.  Books, toys, and other educational materials are carefully chosen and of the best quality. The child is never forced to attend a lesson or do a piece of work.  The teacher is trained to model kindness and consideration, to observe the child and follow her interests in suggesting work, to give careful, individual lessons,to keep exacting records of what the child is learning and where his interests are leading him, and to refrain from interrupting when the child is concentrating on an activity. Much of this can be created in the home.

ALL AGES

Q. What about socialization?
A. The word socialization, contrary to the opinion of some, does not mean spending the weekdays competing with 15-35 human beings one's own age.  In a natural community children spend their daily lives with old people, babies, and everyone in between.  They do not compete, but learn to search out the needs of others and to help them live and learn.  This mixed age group and habit of teaching and helping others, and being helped and taught by people younger or older than oneself, is a part of Montessori classes at all ages and is easy to fit into the Montessori homeschooling plan. Don't worry about finding a group of children the same age as your child. This limitation came about when traditional schools were begun as a factory model of education, the most efficient way, or so it was thought. Natural socialization occurs when children spend their lives interacting daily with people of all ages. In Montessori schools the wider the age range the more successful the socialization and the learning, the more independent research and excitement, the more student-to-student learning, the less teacher-dictated schedules and assignments, and boring group learning. My best classes when I was a Montessori teachers were composed of children from 2-6+ years, and from 6-12 or 13 years.

AGE 6-18:

Q. What Montessori ideas can I use for school age children?
A. There are many varieties of homeschooling. Some people try to imitate the traditional school model buy following a strict schedule of school hours, using desks, etc. We fear that this turns a child off as much as going to school. It also separates "learning" from "living". This model is NOT Montessori homeschooling.

In a Montessori class, aside from a small percentage of time dedicated to covering the required school subjects (2 hours a a week average) the child is introduced, one-to-one, to activities with which he or she will discover the excitement of learning in all areas, and how all areas are related to each other. The teacher teaches the child, just as in the 3-6 class, how to learn from the environment, but in this case the wider world. The student is grabbed by an interest and taught how to do research, contact specialists, invite expert guests to the class, go out into the immediate neighborhood and the larger community to interview and research. During the class hours his time is his own, uninterrupted by adult-imposed schedules and required attendance at group lessons or listening daily to someone talk. Homework is never required in the Montessori class, but children often carry their interests and research into the evenings and week-ends, and thus learning is combined with living.

All of these wonderful elements of Montessori education are available to the homeschooled student.

Here are a few of many other ideas:

(1) The child is learning all of the time, from the environment and from the adults in the environment.  It is better to put energy into enriching the environment and becoming good models than in teaching  the child.

(2) Children learn what they love. Anything forced will probably be detested, or forgotten. When the environment and the daily schedule is supportive we can trust to the amazing organizing function of the human brain, and the fact that humans naturally love work and learning.

(3) A child must know why he has to learn a required subject.

(4) State educational requirements can be reduced to one page per year and the child needs help in learning to schedule time, develop enjoyable methods, and become responsible for meeting deadlines.  This work usually takes no more than two or three hours a day.

(5) Follow the child.  Aside from requirements, if the child's choice are respected and facilitated she will learn at a level that can amaze parents.

(6) The best gift you can give is TIME, uninterrupted concentration and respect for the child's choice and direction of interest. It is very tempting for parents and teachers who have been educated in the traditional way to start to control the child's time. Even the very best projects, field trips, family or school traditions, interests of the adult, can interrupt the success of this kind of education. The adult must learn to inspire, to give tools, and then to sink into the background and observe and enjoy the unexpected.

Although we will not be able to respond personally to each question,
those asked most frequently will be answered at this web site. Thank you.

RESOURCES:

The main theory and practice of this experiment in education, and many of the books and materials Michael used to educate himself over the years, can be found within the pages of The Joyful Child, (Montessori for Birth to Three) and Child of the World, (Montessori for Three to Twelve+ Years). These publications can also be found at some Montessori schools and Montessori teacher training centers, where they are used as parent-education tools, and overviews for the complete 0-12+ program, to help teachers at one level understand the other levels (0-3, 3-6, 6-12, 12-18).

• More Montessori lectures, projects, information, here: www.michaelolaf.net

• The California High School Proficiency Exam: (CHSPE)

• Practical Montessori - Renaissance Parenting newspaper column reprints: ren parent

• MONTESSORI HOMESCHOOL GROUPS: This page was begun by families who are using or have used Montessori ideas to educate their children at home. Montessori Homeschool groups

• Return to the home page of The International Montessori Index www.montessori.edu

MY MONTESSORI HOMESCHOOL STORY

I attended a Montessori school from age 2.5-5, and again for one semester at age 7. For the rest of the time, at my choice, I was homeschooled. My education consisted, for the most part, weekly visits to the library, visits with many people in the community, research of my interests of the moment, daily music practice, and exploration in nature. We did not have a TV. I was allowed unlimited time whenever possible—days, nights, weekends—to explore and choose my own path. Experiences and study directions were offered by my parents, and periodically by other mentors and teachers, but my choices and passions were always respected.

My parents both worked full time (my mother in her home office) and spent very little time "educating" me. During the elementary years, they helped me make weekly work/study plans which included grade level math and English suggestions, but were otherwise made up of my own choices in areas such as music, literature, mythology, history, astronomy, archaeology, and the arts. I loved exploring and learning, and having my own interests respected. It was my "job" to read and "test" all of the Montessori-type books, toys, and other materials in our family educational supply business, so this inspired much of my interests and kept my studies balanced.

Over the years I studied Suzuki piano and violin, and attended the local music academy at Humboldt State University for several hours every Saturday. Some years I attended a "homeschooling school" for one or two days a week. This provided sports, group activities, and a very interesting social life often found in homeschooling communities. My best friends were not just people my own age, but my young students, my two older sisters, Narda and Ursula and their friends, my parents and grandparents and their friends, people of all ages.

At age fifteen I passed the CHSPE (California High School Proficiency Exam) and received an official high school certificate. Then I was able to take classes at Humboldt State University (HSU). Looking always for the best teachers, rather than specific subjects, I earned 35 units at HSU in drama, math, physics, and music. During the summer of my fifteenth year I attended the Calgary Conservatory (Mt. Royal College) in Alberta, Canada, became a certified Suzuki piano teacher, and began teaching — adults and children.

For years I earned my own money teaching music and playing in professional music groups, and learned to budget it for tithe, savings, and food, clothing and other necessities. I have toured/traveled in the USA, Cuba, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, circling the globe in the University of Virginia's Semester at Sea program (SAS). I graduated in three years from Brown University, and returned to India to volunteer for an environmental NGO in India (CSI). I studied law at the University of Oregon where I worked as a tutor for first year students, an editor of the law review, and in the courtroom as part of the criminal defense in a pro bono law clinic. I graduated in May, 2008.

My homeschooling experience was based on the ideas that education should be cooperative instead of competitive; it should feed curiosity and create joy and compassion toward others; it should be rewarded by intrinsic rewards of mastering subject matter, overcoming obstacles and finding one's own answers to questions rather than extrinsic rewards such as praise, grades, or threats of failure; it should teach practical and social skills such as helping others, and teach one how to balance work and play and be healthy. These are Montessori goals that lead children toward a productive and happy life.

Tests: I was not "educated for tests", nor did I take any tests during my school years except a California assessment test at the end of 6th grade, and exams in classes at Humboldt State University. Instead I learned to enjoy learning and to work hard and do my best. When it came time to apply for college I took practice ACT and SAT tests, scoring very low, and then worked steadily for 2-3 months to learn what was needed to raise my scores to a consistently high level. As a result I was admitted to Brown University.

Computers: My parents read an article published by MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) that recommended that children, in preparation for a future in sciences, physics,or engineering, interact in the real world and avoid computers. It went on to say that at MIT a student could learn all he or she needed to know on computers during the summer before, or the first semester, of college. It said that students who have worked on the farm, with heavy loads, building, etc., know much more about physics than those who have learned on computers. This definitely resonated with what our family believed. We have lost track of that article so if anyone finds it would you please contact me.

Beginning around age ten I used computers to learn correct keyboard skills in order to avoid the bad habits of index-finger typing that can be impossible to break; that was the only computer use.

Giving:The spirit of "giving back" is big in our family from generations back, as it is in Montessori schools. I "tithed" or attempted to give 10% or my earned money and 10% of my time, to helping others. My parents helped me to find good ways to tithe: feeding the homeless, playing music at the local alzheimer's center, cooking Friday dinner for a housebound friend, and so on. My allowance was not a reward, or pay for work or chores, but was considered a share of the family income. Daily chores were considered a natural contribution to the family and community.

Over the years we have learned a lot by homeschooling, from other homeschooling families, and from Montessori teachers and parents. The Michael Olaf Montessori catalogues have been constantly rewritten to reflect this learning, and they are considered valuable overviews of Montessori philosophy and practice for use in many situations, and a source of materials for homes and schools, for children from birth through age 12 and beyond.

The books and educational products that I used to homeschool myself are offered here: Montessori Materials.

Here is my music myspace page: Music

I am sorry that I am not in a position to reply to all the great emails that have been sent to me as a result of this posting, but I am very glad that it has served as a help and an inspiration to so many people. Thank you for writing.

Sincerely,
Michael

Blanket permission is given to reprint this story for educational purposes, citing "permission granted by the Michael Olaf Montessori Company, www.michaelolaf.net" It was written at the request of the organizers of the California Home-Education Conference, for homeschoolers, or anyone else, interested in using Montessori philosophy in the home.

Parents Susan and Jim, Thanksgiving, 2008,
Trinidad, California. Photo by Michael

Educational projects connected with the Stephenson family: projects

Updated on February 1, 2010

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