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May 2010

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HighlightsMontessori & The International BaccalaureateBullying: What Parents Need to KnowTesting the TestParenting ... Graduates ... Book Reviews ... and more!

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EDITOR Joyce St. GiermainePRESIDENT Tim SeldinPROGRAM DIRECTOR Lorna McGrathEVENTS & ADVERTISING Margot Garfield-AndersonBOOKKEEPER Kate BellFULFILLMENT Michael AndersonPRINTED BY InterPrint Note: InterPrint is now FSC, SFI and PEFC

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Tomorrow’s Child (ISSN 1071-6246), published five times ayear, is the official magazineof The Montessori Foundation,a non-profit organization. Theopinions expressed in Tomor-row’s Child editorials, col-umns, and features are thoseof the authors and do not nec-essarily represent the positionof the magazine or TheMontes sori Foundation. Accep-t ance of advertising does notrepresent the Foundation’s en-dorsement of any product orservice.

It is the policy of TheMontessori Foundation, a non-profit organization, to encour-age support for the organiza-tion by discounting the sale ofbulk-order shipments ofTomorrow’s Child in orderthat schools may make themagazine available to theirfamilies. The MontessoriFoundation does NOT grantpermission to reprint materi-al from Tomorrow’s Child inany other form (e.g., book,newsletter, journal). Copies ofthis issue or back issues areavailable for purchase throughour online Bookstore: www.montessori.org. For StandingBulk Orders call 800-655-5843(toll free), use the order formon page 30, or place your or-der at www. montessori.org.The Montessori Foundationdoes not provide refunds forcancelled standing bulk orders.

Cover Photo by Larry Canner at Westwood Montessori School (TX)©Tomorrow’s Child Magazine May 2010 • www.montessori.org

May 2010 Vol. 18 No. 4

& more ...17 Calendar18 Dear Cathie: Year-Round Montessori19 Greenways for Home & School:

Earth Tips22 Montessori Graduates:

Where Are They Now? 24 Montessori Reads30 Tomorrow’s Child Order Form

Highlights

5 Montessori & The International BaccalaureateTim Seldin

6 Anne Frank’s Montessori LegacyTim Seldin

10 The ‘We’ PrincipleSuzanne Voldman

10 Testing the TestPaul Epstein, Ph.D.

13 Montessori CharadesPatty Sobelman

14 TV FreeClover Bell-Devaney

16 BullyingChelsea Howe

19 Looking Back: A TributeBetsy Hoke

20 Grace & CourtesyMargot Garfield-Anderson

Send all correspondence to:The Montessori Foundation

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Tomorrow’s Child

4 ©Tomorrow’s Child Magazine May 2010 • www.montessori.org

NEWSWORTHY

KeepingTomorrow’sChildAffordablefor Families – Price forStanding Bulk OrdersRemains the same for the2010/11 School Year

Despite the fact that our printing anddistribution costs have skyrocketedthis past year, The MontessoriFoundation has found a creative wayto reduce our costs to publishTomorrow’s Child, and we’re passingthe savings on to our standing bulk or-der schools. Every Montessori schoolneeds the validation and informationthat Tomorrow’s Child provides totheir families — now more than ever.

Instead of publishing the magazine fivetimes per year, we will be reducing thenumber of publications to four times peryear; however, instead of producing five32-page issues, we will now produce four40-page editions, eliminating the May is-sue, which many schools found to come ata time when (North American) familiestend to be focused on the coming summervacation. We save money on the cost ofproducing and mailing the extra issue, andschools benefit from the additional pagesof content in each issue, which amounts tothe same number of pages as in previousyears. For more information, go to page 29.

We’ve also extended our Early BirdDiscount until May 31, 2010, a monthlonger than our usual April 30th deadline,to give administrators more time to adjusttheir budgets for the next school year.

It is our mission to provide the best infor-mation about Montessori education to asmany Montessori parents as possible.Together, we’ll get through this recession.This is our way to help! If you have anyquestions after reviewing the new produc-tion schedule and pricing, please do nothesitate to contact us at 800-655-5843/941-729-9565 or by email at [email protected].

ly, we all had the same mem-ory. It was at the ClearwaterBeach Peace Academy back in2005. We had a raised dancefloor set up for a perfor-mance, and the band musicat a wedding going on in thehotel was coming through theairwalls. Bob led Dottie up tothe dance floor, and the two ofthem danced as if they werethe only two people in theworld. It made such a lastingimpression for those of uswho were present to share inthis special moment.

Dr. Sheryl Sweet was somoved that when she learned

of Bob’s untimely passing,she penned this incrediblylovely poem and tribute. Weshare this with the Montessoricommunity as well as Dottieand hope she knows how in-credibly loved and treasuredshe is.

For Dottie and Bob:

Two souls dancing loveShining light on all of usKnowing them is pure joy.And now....The one dances loveBut only on this life planeThe Dance of Love is eternalLove is all there is.

Save the datesNovember 4-7, 2010

The Montessori Foundation’s14th Annual International ConferenceNurturing & Sustaining Community

Hyatt Resort, Sarasota, Florida

In MemoryThe Montessori Foundationwould like to extend itsdeepest sympathies toDottie Feldman for the lossof her beloved husband,Bob, this February. Many ofus in the Montessori com-munity knew Bob, who trav-eled with Dottie to many ofthe conferences around thecountry. We delighted in see-ing him and sneaking himchocolates when Dottiewasn’t looking or just watch-ing the love that went bothways between them.

When remembering Bobwith some colleagues recent-

You’re invited to attend a November 4-7, 2010 weekend of inspiring workshops,keynotes, entertainment, exhibitors, and, of course, thebeautiful Hyatt Sarasota, Florida waterfront resort.

Our Keynote Speakers include:Larry SchaeferHarvey HallenbergWendy LaRue andTim Seldin ... along with 34 incredibly

talented and distinguished workshop presenters witha wealth of experiences and information to sharewith the community that will leave you inspiredand ready to hit the ground running with new ideasupon your return to the classroom.

Of course, IMC members receive a generous discount on registration, so if you arenot yet a member, join now through the www.montessori.org website. Then con-tinue to watch our homepage as we develop the schedule and publish a completeconference brochure.

IMC school members who bring six or more staff receive an even bigger discount!Plan now. Book flights while many airlines are running specials, and look for theHyatt booking code soon. See you there!

©Tomorrow’s Child Magazine May 2010 • www.montessori.org 5

by Tim SeldinPresident,

The MontessoriFoundation

Montessori and The InternationalBaccalaureate

Despite widespread efforts to change public perception, most Americans still have theimpression that Montessori ends after age five.

Even though Montessori schools have spread all over the world, in the UnitedStates, many end after kindergarten or only run a small elementary program.Secondary Montessori schools are still rare, with perhaps three hundred Montessorimiddle school programs and fewer than fifty Montessori high schools in the US. Asmany Montessori schools open elementary classes, and with more and more develop-ing middle or high school programs, this is slowly beginning to change.

With such a fine reputation at the early childhood level, why has Montessori’sgrowth been so slow to catch on at the elementary and secondary levels?

In my mind, the answer is clear: to a large degree, we have found it difficult to con-vince nervous parents that our academic program is strong enough at the elementarylevel and beyond. As a result, it is common to see half or more of all students whoreach age six leave Montessori for free public or more traditionally structured privateschools. As friends leave, or talk about leaving, those parents who might otherwisestay for elementary are confronted with a second concern that their children will nothave enough friends.

It is ironic and frustrating that most Montessori schools still find it difficult to sellthe majority of their families on Montessori’s continuing effectiveness as their chil-dren grow older, especially when you take a closer look at our students. MostMontessori students are enthusiastic learners, love school, and tend to think forthemselves. They think about things deeply, and they almost always think outside thebox.

By age ten, most Montessori students are very well-educated, self-disciplined, andself-motivated, which pays off when they get to college and for the rest of their lives.Montessori literally helps students learn how to learn.

So what would it take to make the case to the average parent? The answer in mymind is to develop exceptionally strong programs at the middle and high schoolyears, and everything else will take care of itself!

Editor’s Note: The cover photo and thephotos in this article were taken at TheWestwood School in Dallas, Texas.Westwood is an authorized InternationalBaccalaureate World School offering theIB Middle Years Program (MYP) (grades7-10) and the IB Diploma Program (DP)(grades 11-12).

Why? It’s simple. In the US, as with mostof the world, when we think about educa-tion, most of us place the greatest weight onthe secondary years, not the years of earlychildhood and lower elementary. Rightly orwrongly, parents, educators, and decision-makers tend to look at the secondary yearsas being the direct preparation for college.They place great emphasis on the highschools that they attended, not realizing thatthe foundation for their child’s characterand success was laid in the years of infancy,early childhood, and elementary education.

People tend to look for evidence that aschool or educational approach is effectivein limited areas: preparation for college;college admissions; and success at the un-dergraduate and graduate level of university studies.

Traditionally, Montessori educators havefelt that establishing secondary programswas so far out of their reach as to be only apipe dream. They could not imagine what aMontessori high school would look like,how they would organize one, where theywould find the teachers, and how theywould ever get enough enrollment to paythe bills.

In part, this has been caused by a tenden-cy to think in the old familiar terms of thetraditional public or private high school.These educational models are, indeed, outof the reach of most Montessori schools.They require large enrollments, large staffs,and large facilities.


As a result, we’ve been caught ina situation where we could notimagine bringing together the re-sources needed to establishMontessori secondary programs,and the absence of strong Montes-sori high schools has colored thepublic’s perception about how seri-ously Montessori is to be taken.

I believe that there is a solution:the development of Montessori-International Baccalaureate middleand high school programs. I’ll ex-plain what I mean in a moment, butfirst, let’s take a brief look back atthe history of Montessori programsfor adolescents.

The Development of SecondaryMontessori Programs

The first secondary schools orga-nized along Montessori principleswere founded in Europe in the1930s. Anne Frank, the young girlmade famous by her poignant di-aries, was a student in one of thefirst Montessori high schools inAmsterdam until, being Jewish, shewas forbidden by the Nazis to attend

classes with Christian children. At last count,there were eight large, highly regardedMontessori high schools in the Nether-lands.

Secondary Montessori programs devel-oped sporadically in North America. Anumber of schools in the US developedsecondary programs that were Montessoriinfluenced, but which were not officiallyrecognized as ‘Montessori’ programs.They included the upper-school programopened in the early 1970s at Ravens HillCollege in Philadelphia, the early-adoles-cent program begun in 1978 at Near NorthMontessori in Chicago, and the Montes-sori Farm School in Half Moon Bay, Cali-fornia. I graduated from another in 1963:the Barrie School in Washington, DC.

Barrie was founded by my family in1932 and opened its upper school in the1950s. After college, I returned to teach atBarrie’s upper school (grades 7-12) andlater served as its headmaster for 22 years.In 1982, Barrie was officially recognized bythe American Montessori Society (AMS) asthe first pilot Montessori high school inthe US. That same year, Paul Epstein,Harvey Hallenberg, and I organized thefirst AMS-accredited secondary Montessoriteacher training program at Barrie’s Insti-tute for Advanced Montessori Studies; an-other program was opened in Dallasshortly afterward by Dr. James Paulik.(After I left Barrie to lead The MontessoriFoundation, Barrie’s board and new head-master decided to turn its Montessori upper school into a traditional academicprogram, and the Institute for Advanced

Montessori children have minds of theirown, and they are not afraid to expressthemselves. Any child can raise a fuss. Whatmakes Montessori children such a challengeand joy is that they rarely act out. Insteadthey tend to assume that their opinion mat-ters, and they challenge us when our logicis flawed or we are being inconsistent.Sometimes, it would be much easier to justsend them to their room!

As parents of a Montessori child, we haveto be willing to ignore snide comments andendless questions from our family andfriends about why we continue to keep ourchildren in this “oddball” sort of school,when local public schools are free, and farmore prestigious private schools are avail-able.

Otto and Edith Frank faced this same chal-lenge when their daughter Anne was oldenough to start school at age three. Forthem, Montessori was the answer. As weall know, their daughter became a world-famous author. Even today, The Diary ofAnne Frank is widely read around theworld.

Anne Frank’s

Montessori

Legacy

Only parents who arevery self-confident tendto choose Montessorischools for their children ...


Montessori Studies no longer offers sec-ondary Montessori training.)

Today, the secondary Montessorimovement continues to spread in boththe public and private sectors. There are anumber of MACTE-accredited secondaryMontessori teacher education programs,and the North American MontessoriTeachers’ Association offers an annualseminar in adolescent Montessori educa-tion. However, as of this time, no onemodel of secondary Montessori has be-come the norm, and many schools strug-gle to design a program from scratch.

There is another model which, whenrefined, could allow Montessori schoolsto develop strong secondary programsextending through the 12th grade, blend-ing the essential principles of Montessorisecondary education, while also meetingthe accreditation standards of theInternational Baccalaureate Organiza-tion.

In the model I propose, interestedMontessori schools could offer relativelysmall Montessori middle and high schoolprograms, serving between fifty and twohundred students. These small secondaryprograms, which I think of as ‘boutique’high schools, would offer somethingquite different from what most Americansnormally have in mind, yet I believe theywould have substantial appeal and acade-mic integrity.

Introducing The InternationalBaccalaureate (IB)

The International Baccalaureate (or IB)offers high quality programs of interna-tional education to a worldwide commu-nity of schools. Founded in 1968, theInternational Baccalaureate Organizationcurrently works with 2,870 schools in 138countries to develop and offer three chal-lenging programs to over 794,000 stu-dents, aged 3 to 19 years:

! The Primary Years Program, for stu-dents aged 3 to 12, focuses on the de-velopment of the whole child in theclassroom and in the world outside.

! The Middle Years, for students aged11 to 16 (the equivalent of US grades6 through 10), provides a frameworkof academic challenges and life skills,achieved through embracing andtranscending traditional school sub-jects.

! The Diploma Program, for studentsaged 16 to 19 (the equivalent of USgrades 11 and 12), is a demandingtwo-year curriculum leading to finalexaminations and a qualification thatis highly regarded by leading universi-ties around the world.

Each program includes a curriculumframework and approach that is very com-patible with Montessori, a scheme for stu-dent assessment, a program of profes-sional development, and a process ofschool recognition.

A number of Montessori schools haveeither completed, or are in the process ofearning, their IB accreditation for theMiddle Years and/or Diploma Programs.This includes: The Westwood School andSt. Alcuin Montessori, both in Dallas,Texas; The High School at UniversityCircle in Cleveland, Ohio; and TorontoMontessori in Canada. A few are lookinginto the Primary Years Program, but initialconsensus seems to be that the IB is mostuseful at the secondary level.

The International BaccalaureateProgram was developed to provide an in-ternational standard for students prepar-ing for university admission, while re-maining flexible enough to accommodatestudents from different countries whosefamilies are typically diplomats or part ofthe international business community.The IB was designed to accommodate awide range of college-bound students anddifferent school programs, so long as theymeet the essential IB standards.

In developing the IB program, carefulattention was paid to best practices in ed-

In May of 1934, Anne began to attendMontessori. Her father, Otto Frank, laterwrote: “Anne was a demanding charac-ter. She continually asked questions...When we had visitors, it was difficult tofree yourself from her, because everyoneand everything interested her. It was goodthat Anne went to a Montessori school,where each pupil gets a lot of individualattention.”

Anne Frank first attended the 6thMontessori School of Amsterdam fromage 3 to 11 and then spent a year at theMontessori Lyceum (high school) untilthe occupying German authorities forbadeit.

Anne Frank was the typical Montessorichild: bright, eager, and opinionated. Sheloved to play Monopoly™. She dreamedof becoming an actress or world-famousice skater. And, of course, she was an in-credibly articulate writer. Her diary givesus a glimpse not only of those terribleyears, but of the bright spark of humani-ty, compassion, and maturity that are sooften seen among Montessori students.

Anne is the poster child for Montessori,because she is such a powerful exampleof what makes Montessori schools aroundthe world so different. Our children growup just as strong-willed, curious, creative,compassionate, and eager to make a dif-ference in the world as Anne. They makeus proud!

Anne Frank Schools

All over the world there are schools thatbear the name Anne Frank. ‘For the chil-dren of these schools, invoking AnneFrank’s name has special meaning. Forexample, the Anne Frank ElementarySchool in Leiden, Holland writes: “This aname to be proud of and a name that hasmeaning for children. As an elementaryschool, we strive to relate certain themes,such as prejudice and discrimination toAnne Frank.”

Schools bearing the name Anne Frankcan interpret their connection to her invarious ways. The most obvious are, ofcourse, lessons or projects about themesthat correlate with Anne’s diary and the

fact that, as a Jewish girl, she was a victim ofthe Holocaust. As a Montessori school, thereis a special connection between their schooland Anne’s own Montessori school, whichcontinues to thrive in Amsterdam.

On the front of Anne’s alma mater, The 6thMontessori School of Amsterdam, is a textfrom Anne’s diary in her handwriting. In thehall there is a plaque with the names of the130 Jewish students who became victims ofthe persecution of the Jews. Anne Frank isa good starting point for lessons about warand peace, human dignity, and basic humanrights, for any child, as students can easilyidentify with somebody of their own age.Anne Frank’s life story continues to evokegreat interest and compassion. Go towww.annefrank-montessori.nl for moreinformation.

“Becoming an Anne Frank School is not with-out obligations,” emphasizes the Anne FrankSchule in Eschwegen. “A school bearing thename Anne Frank obliges itself to stand upfor freedom, justice, tolerance and humandignity and to resolutely turn against any form

continued on page 8

continued on page 8


ucation drawn from around the world.As a result, the IB strongly encouragesschools to teach in ways that are, theo-retically, very similar to the Montessoriapproach.

This is one of the factors thatmakes the IB potentially such a goodmatch for Montessori schools.Unfortunately, in the US, most schoolsoffering the International Baccalaur-eate are public programs serving onlyexceptionally gifted and talented stu-dents. Rather than following the veryflexible approach that the IB encour-ages, most follow a very tightly struc-tured and fiercely competitive modelthat is more typical of American col-lege-prep programs.

In most, teachers tend to lectureand follow a highly instructor-centeredapproach. Courses are commonly di-vided into separate subjects, ratherthan organized to integrate the cur-riculum whenever possible to showthe connections across subject lines.

The result is still an exceptionalacademic program, but we believethat a Montessori approach to imple-menting the IB will yield similar resultswith a much more empowering stu-dent-centered classroom.

A Montessori-International Baccalaureate Approach

In a Montessori-International Baccalaure-ate approach, teachers encourage studentsto collaborate, explore, discuss, and discov-er from hands-on experience. As in allMontessori programs, teachers tend to playa role that facilitates learning and encour-ages student independence and initiative.While lecture and direct instruction will befound, learning is normally more relaxed,interesting, and relevant. There is a balanceamong academic expectations and stu-dents’ needs and interests, with choicecontinuing to play an important role in thedaily program.

Programs are typically divided into twoor more environments serving the educa-tional and emotional needs of studentsages 12-15 (US grades 7 to 9) and 15-18 (USgrades 10 to 12), or into three two-year agegroups: ages 12 to 14 (US grades 7 and 8);ages 14 to 16 (US grades 9 and 10); andages 16-18 (US grades 11 and 12).

Most Montessori IB schools are fairlysmall, and we imagine and recommendthat schools seek teachers who are excep-tionally well educated and interested inteaching two or more subjects at a high in-tellectual and academic level for each agegroup.

Accreditation from the InternationalBaccalaureate provides several benefits toMontessori schools:

! While there is a great deal of philo-sophical overlap between Montessoriand the International Baccalaureate,the IB should not be thought of asserving as a new curriculum and struc-ture of the school to replace Montes-sori. The IB is a diploma recognizedby colleges and universities aroundthe world. Students can earn it bypassing a sophisticated five-day-longseries of written exams that measuredepth of thinking and learning.

! The IB is also an organization throughwhich schools, offering many differentapproaches, can earn internationalrecognition and accreditation. Thiscan level the playing field for smallschools (like most Montessori pro-grams), giving them a level of credibili-ty that inspires confidence among par-ents and students who would other-wise be likely to leave.

! While the International Baccalaureaterecommends best practices in teach-ing and curriculum design, with theexception of two specific IB coursestaught in grades 11 and 12, it is not anexternal curriculum that schools sim-ply adopt. Instead, each develops itsown course of study that is consistentwith its educational philosophy andapplicable state and national stan-dards. Specifically, for Montessori mid-dle and high schools, there is no dan-ger of losing our Montessori identityand curricular themes to earn IB ac-creditation.

! At the same time, the structure of theprocess to gain IB accreditation is ben-eficial to emerging Montessori middleand high school programs, withoutimposing an external curriculum.

! The International Baccalaureate is thegold standard in pre-collegiate educa-tion. It enjoys a worldwide reputationfor high-quality education.

! The IB is widely available and transfer-able worldwide. With more than 2,300IB schools in more than 129 countries,students would have the option ofcontinuing in the IB should they haveto move.

! The International BaccalaureateDiploma Program is recognized by the

of aggression, discrimination, racism,political extremism and excessive na-tionalism.”

In the US, we are aware of oneMontessori school that bears Anne’sname, the Anne Frank MontessoriSchool of Rockville Center, Long Island,New York. Any Montessori schoolcould, if it wishes, adopt the name AnneFrank Montessori School and join theinternational network of Anne FrankSchools. Likewise, without changingits name, any Montessori school couldcommit itself to acting as an Anne FrankSchool.

The Anne Frank House in Amsterdamcoordinates the network of Anne FrankSchools. It involves schools in activi-ties linked to international projects andconsults with them when developingeducational material and activities.Besides this, there are special projectsfor Anne Frank Schools.

Examples of these are an exhibitiontouring the Dutch Anne Frank Schoolsand students of Anne Frank Schools

from all over theworld making diarypages aroundthemes such as‘ideals’ and ‘free-dom,’ themes ofmutual respect,personal identity,diversity and socialabilities. In sec-ondary schoolsmore emphasis can be placed on theSecond World War and the Holocaust.

Applying to Become an Anne Frank School

Your school can apply by using the con-tact form (select the subject ‘Collection’)h t t p : / / w w w . a n n e f r a n k -montessori.nl/home. Upon receipt ofyour application, the Anne Frank Housewill send you a package containingbooks, posters and the Anne FrankJournal. Besides this, they will give youinformation about the use of picturesof Anne Frank and quotations.

— by Tim Seldin

Anne Frank continued from page 7

Permission was granted for use of photos andquotes by the Anne Frank House © AFF BaselCG/AFS, Amsterdam, NL.


world’s leading universities. Studies showthat IB students tend to be highly success-ful in their post-secondary studies, andmost colleges and universities give specialattention to graduates of IB programs, of-ten granting incoming students a year ormore of credit toward graduation.

Ways to Implement the Montessori-IB Program

The program is designed to continueMontessori education through 12th grade,and to add the International BaccalaureateDiploma program as the curriculum cap-stone during the students’ junior and se-nior years. The case for the MontessoriInternational Baccalaureate High School,therefore, is to implement an authenticcontinuation of Montessori educationthrough the 12th grade, using the IB cur-riculum as a steadying content stream be-tween the middle school and the universi-ty and as a touchstone, or common cur-riculum reference, between Montes-sorihigh school programs.

The focus of the Montessori IB highschool is to address the developmentalneeds of adolescents: providing an envi-ronment that allows for movement andcommunity; providing opportunities forexperiential hands-on learning, field stud-

ies, and internships; preparing studentsfor new steps into adult roles (on and offthe campus), and supporting students innew roles in the school community; pro-viding resources, direction, and access toknowledge; allowing and celebrating cre-ativity, discovery, expertise and invention;immersing students in an optimistic viewof the world and humanity; and support-ing students’ engagement in the world asactive agents through peace educationand curriculum focused on the environ-ment.

The key element in adolescent Mon-tessori education is the creation of a pro-tected social laboratory in which studentscan clarify their values, build strong inter-personal relationships, and learn to com-municate their thoughts and feelings artic-ulately and maturely to one another. Theyshould make major strides in demonstrat-ing personal integrity, compassion, andtrustworthiness. Montessori called this theprocess of “valorizing the personality.”

Whether the Montessori-IB program islocated in a city, the suburbs, or the coun-try is, from my experience and observa-tion, less important than many of us haveassumed. Instead, our prepared environ-ment is one that helps students discoverthemselves, along with preparing them foruniversity and life.

As The Montessori Foundation launch-es its model school in Sarasota, Florida,we will be giving close consideration tothe ways in which Montessori and theInternational Baccalaureate program cancombine best practices to meet the con-tinued interests of Montessori students,not just in the early childhood years, butthrough the secondary years and beyond.

Tim Seldin is the President of theMontessori Foundation. You cancontact him at [email protected]. For more infor-mation about the InternationalBaccalaureate, go to www.ibo.org.

Has your school renewed its standing

bulk order of Tomorrow’ s Child for

the 2010/11 school year?

Time’ s running out.

The Early Bird discount expires

May 31st. Act now and save big!

©Tomorrow’s Child Magazine May 2010 • www.montessori.org

by Paul Epstein, Ph.D.

10

T

" Testing the Test

" The Tyranny of Testing

" Both of the above

A billboard in my town proclaims:School’s open.Tests happen.Prayer helps.

The “We Principle”How Families and Schools

Can Work Together toRaise Healthy Children

“The best gift you cangive a child is the gift

of health”— Dr. Bill Sears

by Suzanne Voldman

est taking and test scores have become thesingularity of education. Teacher perfor-mance and, in turn, school house perfor-mance, is validated primarily through chil-dren’s test scores. The rationale is that teach-ers are teaching, performing if, and only ifchildren achieve high test scores. The justifi-cation is, finally, if children achieve high testscores, Americans will retain our position asthe economic superpower. Perhaps prayerdoes help. Nevertheless, I propose to testthis logic— to test the test.

Montessori schools in private settings arenot immune. Many (if not most) enrolledparents, and prospective parents, insist ontesting their children. The belief is that some-how taking a test better readies their childrenfor the ‘real’ world. Somehow, test scores val-idate their children and validate what theirchildren have learned. In the public schoolarena, the test score has political power. It isthe test score instead of understanding, andthen educating, children’s unique capabilitiesand human potentials. It is the test score in-stead of empowering children to developtheir natural strengths, interests, curiosities,and human passions. It is the test score in-stead of investing in optimal classroom mate-rials and learning environments. It is the testscore instead of fully developing children’snatural capabilities to explore and learnthrough inquiry and discovery. It is the testscore instead of readying children for adultlives in a 21st century already hallmarked asever changing. It is the test score, instead ofchildren, that defines political rhetoric, edu-cational policy, and economic expenditures.This, claim our politicians, is what we shouldbelieve; we should believe that high testscores are our economic savior. For example:

“[Our] future as a nation depends on our commit-ment to ensuring that every student – not just the se-lect few – achieves far higher levels of math and sci-ence learning. We’ve learned in this economic crisesthat the old ways of doing business just don’t workanymore …. [We] must begin a renewed effortaimed at innovative reform of the education systemfor our students and for the future prosperity of thisnation.”1

Why does the fate of our nation rest uponour children’s test scores on math and sci-ence achievement tests? Does the formersecretary of education sincerely seek innova-tion and reform of the education system, or ishis intent comparable to those of the pastthirty years; namely, more test scores? And ifso, why should we believe that this renewedeffort to innovate education will succeedwhen similarly focused efforts have not?

The 1983 publication of A Nation at Riskalso proclaimed that our future freedomswere at stake. Subtitled, The Imperative forEducational Reform, Americans werewarned:

continued on page 21

y six-year-old is having a tem-per tantrum. This is a knockdown, drag out, pure and

simple ‘meltdown.’All the peaceful par-enting techniques I’ve learned and taughtin my parenting courses are not working.I throw those out. I’m desperate. I use allthe other ‘parenting techniques’ I’ve everheard before. I hear my mom’s words andtone of voice come spilling out of mymouth. Now, my usually calm and mellowhusband, is starting to lose his cool, too.We look at each other in frustration anddespair, and then we start recounting thepast few days of life.

It has been full of over-stimulation, ex-citement, activity, missed sleep, andmeals that are nutritionally unbalancedand laced with sugar. Now we kick our-selves and just try to help our son find hisbalance again. We provide a small plate ofalmonds and apples and let him sit quiet-ly in his room while he tries to becomepeaceful once again. I seem to recall thisis how my mother finally dealt with mytantrums, too.

Later we are greeted by our usuallyhappy and pleasant child and are remind-ed that we are the ones who are responsi-ble for his short trip into chaos. This is apattern we’ve seen over and over. Whydon’t we learn our lesson and rememberthat peace in our house starts with com-plex carbs, protein, consistent bedtimesand exercise?

M

11©Tomorrow’s Child Magazine May 2010 • www.montessori.org

“Our Nation is at risk. Our once unchallenged pre-eminence in commerce, industry, science, andtechnological innovation is being overtaken bycompetitors throughout the world. This report isconcerned with only one of the many causes anddimensions of the problem, but it is the one thatundergirds American prosperity, security, and ci-vility. We report to the American people that, whilewe can take justifiable pride in what our schoolsand colleges have historically accomplished andcontributed to the United States and the well-beingof its people, the educational foundations of our so-ciety are presently being eroded by a rising tide ofmediocrity that threatens our very future as a na-tion and a people. What was unimaginable a gen-eration ago has begun to occur – others are match-ing and surpassing our educational attainments.

If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted toimpose on America the mediocre educational per-formance that exists today, we might well haveviewed it as an act of war. As it stands, we have al-lowed this to happen to ourselves. We have evensquandered the gains in student achievementmade in the wake of the Sputnik challenge.Moreover, we have dismantled essential supportsystems which helped make those gains possible. Wehave, in effect, been committing an act of unthink-ing, unilateral educational disarmament.

Our society and its educational institutions seem tohave lost sight of the basic purposes of schooling andof the high expectations and disciplined effort need-ed to attain them.”2

A Nation at Risk further asserted that,“Knowledge, learning, information, andskilled intelligence are the new raw materi-als of international commerce.”3 The end ofthe industrial era economy was apparent 27years ago, and the economic supremacy ofJapan, Korea, and European nations at thattime was evident while we battled the ef-fects of a gripping recession. Politicalrhetoric then, as now, urged the Americanwork force to recapture its competitiveedge by becoming the top ranked educatedforce. “Edu-nomics” seeks to trump child-hood.

What brought this about were the resultsof international testing. America’s childrenhad not had the right stuff for 37 years. ANation at Risk lamented, “Internationalcomparisons of student achievement, com-pleted a decade ago, reveal that on 19 acad-emic tests, American students were neverfirst or second and, in comparison with oth-er industrialized nations, were last 7 times.”4

A Nation at Risk published additional alarm-ing reports such as 17 years of steady de-clines in SAT scores as well as continual de-clines in test scores from other types of stan-dardized testing. High school drop-out rateshad increased and so, too, did the numbersof students enrolled in remedial courseswhile in school and later when employed.

During the past 30 years, American in-dustrialists sent manufacturing oversees,not because of failing American testscores, but because third-world uneducat-ed labor was (and is) cheaper.Nevertheless, a new knowledge-basedeconomy was emerging; today it is global,and it is competitive. The political rhetoricthen was clear: It was time to retool. IfAmerica were to remain economically se-cure and, therefore, politically free, Ameri-can students would have to become well-educated, and well-educated for a newkind of economy. During the 1980s and1990s, American corporations retooled forthe knowledge-based economy. Americanschools followed suit; the business ofschools was business.

Schools, like corporations, developedvision statements, mission statements,high performance expectations, goals, andperformance standards. Successful busi-nesses stayed in business only when con-sumers rewarded them economicallythrough repeat purchases. What made abusiness successful was excellence and atotal quality-service orientation. Similarly, aschool would become excellent when itproduced high test scores. Parents wouldreward those schools by choosing to sendtheir children to them. Other schools, likebad businesses, would close. That ratio-nale is today’s rhetoric:

“Whether it’s in rural Alaska or inner-city Detroit,everyone everywhere shares a common belief thateducation is America's economic salvation. Theysee education as the one true path out of poverty –th e great equalizer that overcomes differences inbackground, culture and privilege. It’s the only wayto secure our common future in a competitive glob-al economy….Everyone wants the best for theirchildren and they are willing to take greater re-sponsibility. Nobody questions our purpose.”5

I question their purpose. Today we are atwar, and not only in Iraq and Afghanistan.We are at war against children and the verynature of childhood. A Nation At Risk was acall for mobilization for education reform inanticipation of a new kind of economy. Thecall came, however, when government de-termined to bankrupt the former SovietUnion through a star war’s defense. Thefunds were simply not there for a full-scalecorporate-style educational makeover.

Since 1983, educational excellence re-form efforts have included creating a varietyof total quality management systems forschools and evolving state and national stu-dent performance standards. Enacted in1992, the first President Bush establishedAmerica 2000, which included the goal ofAmerican students becoming first in mathand science test scores. President Clintonadopted those same goals in 1994 with theenactment of the Goals 2000 Educate


Americans Act. Despite the economicboom of the 1990s, and today’s re-emerg-ing economy, the premise then, and now,was that a quality K-12 education would de-termine America’s economic success. 2000came and went; Y2K2 claimed national at-tention instead of the failed achievementgoal of American children becoming first inthe world. Did this failure and falling testscores bring about the crashing housingmarket and the current great recession?More than test scores have fallen; through-out the past three decades, the walls andceilings of too many American schoolhous-es also fell.6 Perhaps the singular focus ontest scores was (and still is) more economi-cally prudent; we cannot fund federal debt,brought on in part from war, and rebuildschools.

The current variation of the testing direc-tive is called No Child Left Behind (NCLB).The rationale is again the same, and it is stillrooted in the outdated premises of an in-dustrial era, factory-mode model of learn-ing: One approach works best for every-one. The teacher, as supervisor, overseesproduction; as practiced, production in theschoolhouse means adults select what tolearn, when it is to be learned, and how tolearn. The school as factory implementsquality controls — standards — to assureuniform production of the products (thechildren).

In keeping with the factory model, betternational and state standards of academic ex-cellence, like factory controls, should guar-antee production of better quality students.This has been the solution for 30 years, and,despite all efforts, costs, and rhetoric, ac-countability through acceptable test scores,as reported in March 2010, is difficult tocome by.

“Today’s results once again show that the achieve-ment of American students isn’t growing fastenough. After modest gains in recent years, 4thgrade reading scores are flat and 8th grade scoreswere up just one point. The achievement gap didn’tnarrow by a statistically significant amount in ei-ther grade. Like the NAEP 2009 math scores re-leased last fall, the reading scores demonstrate thatstudents aren’t making the progress necessary tocompete in the global economy. We shouldn’t besatisfied with these results. By this, and many othermeasures, our students aren’t on a path to gradu-ate high school ready to succeed in college and theworkplace.”7

While a successful education for all childrenis essential, the current politically deter-mined approach is not. And, as the highschool drop-out rate continues to rise, anincreasing number of students may betelling us they have had enough of business(schooling) as usual. The politically deter-mined solution myopically insists one

method works best for all. This has not, andwill not, work. Factories produce things, andfactories implement standard controls to as-sure production results with uniform andquality products. We do want, for example, toknow that chairs will hold up to the standardsfor carrying weight. We do want our carbrakes to hold to the standards designed toensure we will be able to stop in traffic. Wewant our food and water to be uniformly safe.But this logic is inappropriate and wrong forchildren.

Children, simply, are not things. They donot adhere to the metrics of things. Childrendeserve, instead, their childhoods. Being uni-form and the same defies the designs of life— growth, change, difference, uniqueness,and possibility. Children are unique individu-als. Children mature at different times; howthey learn during one stage of childhood dif-fers from other stages. Children possessunique capabilities and potentials for becom-ing who they are meant to be; parents withmore than one child know this to be true.

The testing focus fails on several additionalfactors. In its current form, No Child LeftBehind (NCLB) assumes that equal test scoresequate with educational equality; if all chil-dren score well, they must have learnedequally. However, some children are adepttest takers while other children are not. Somechildren process information with bettermemory retention than others. Some chil-dren contend with additional learning issues,sensory-integration disorders, and a variety ofattention deficits. Still, NCLB requires thatschools demonstrate overall adequate yearlyprogress (AYP), higher test scores this year ascompared with last year’s, without considera-tion for the needs of individual learners. Butwhy should we conclude learning has oc-curred if, and only if, test scores are higher?Surely, children do learn even though testscores decline. Even when scores go up, whathave children really learned if they forget to-morrow what they had previously memo-rized?

NCLB further assumes that monetary re-wards for higher test scores and punitivesanctions for low test scores will cause schoolimprovement. Nevertheless, 30 percent of thenation’s schools failed to demonstrate AYP in2006. The number of schools failing to meetNCLB standards increased to 50 percent in2008, and there were no significant gains in2009. During this same time period, states re-duced their education budgets in response tothe negative effects of the great recession,while investing in multiple-choice testingwhich costs less.8

Calling it accountability, the political systemhas fired teachers and administrators who donot cause children to produce adequate testscores. If jobs are at stake, are we not exploit-ing children? Is the use of children to producetest scores to verify adult performance not


morally unconscionable, reprehensible, andtragic?

This prevailing politic has introduced stressand fear into the classroom without regardfor its effects on learning. Children cannotoptimally learn in such conditions. Childrenrequire learning environments that nurtureand support risk taking and mistake making,two critical aspects in the learning process.When afraid and stressed, the human brainstruggles to access its higher thinking andproblem-solving functions. As fear and stressincrease, our brains retreat into a more primi-tive mode of flight, fight, and freeze. I have noevidence of causation, but surely it is not justcoincidence that violence in schools and in-creasing pressures for test scores are concur-rent.

Education, as test taking, has additionalcosts. Teachers, motivated to keep their jobs,teach to the test. Defaulting to industrial-erapractice, students are drilled; instruction con-sists of memorization instead of higher-orderthinking and learning how to identify andsolve problems. In too many classrooms,time for teaching the test occurs by eliminat-ing instructional time for art, music, dance,recess, and physical education. Some schoolshave reduced, and in some cases eliminated,time for history and science instruction. Yet,these subjects and experiences support amore complete child development that is es-sential for the opportunities of the knowl-

edge-based economy. Creativity, and not19th/20th century style memorization is thecurrency of the day. Time for test practice isnot time for children’s interests or authen-tic problems; no time to be a child; no timeto tune children in to the challenging issuesof their adulthoods.

Tests, once taken, do not alter instruc-tional practice, and there is a critical timelag until the scores are reported. The testscores become archeological artifacts; cru-cial decisions about jobs and school effica-cies are rendered based on these artifacts.Caution should guide archeological analy-ses and conclusions if, for no other reason,than that children continue to learn andgrow since taking the test. Decisions basedupon who they were, and what they did,mask who children have become and whatthey are capable of today.

Test scores are, finally, too narrow. Beinga child, and the experience of learning, in-volves complex related factors such as braindevelopment, personality, temperament,emotional states, school and communityenvironments, and racial, ethnic, and cultur-al matters. Learning is far more than a testperformance. Learning is a way of life.

It is time to confess: Children are not theeconomic saviors of the nation. After allthese decades, what is the evidence for pre-suming children’s test scores correlate withfuture national economic security?

Sadly, A Nation at Risk urged the nationto eliminate the factory approach to school-ing. What is urgently needed now is aknowledge-based approach to education.What is urgently needed, instead, is ac-countability for the factors involved in howchildren actually learn, such as maturation,multiple intelligences, gender differences,unique capabilities, and strengths. Instead,the current industrial orientation, to readyby teaching the test and then testing chil-dren, denies them their childhood inschool. Children require opportunities toplay, explore, think, fail, discover, and cre-ate. These are necessary activities if childrenare to develop their cognitive capabilities forexecutive functioning. These are essentialcapabilities if children are to succeed asadults in the emerging global knowledge-based economy.

When, then, will we let children grow andlearn for their own benefits rather than forsociety’s? How do we end the politicalregime’s control over our children? Perhapsit is as simple as this: Parents, take backyour children! Tell your politicians enoughis enough! Remind your politicians that theyrepresent and work for you.

If we must assure ourselves that childrenare learning and teachers are teachingthrough testing, then tell political leaders toimplement teaching and testing suitable forthe 21st century. The current design gives a

Recently, my husband and I were enjoying anice Texas evening on the back patio whenour eleven-year-old daughter announced thatwe were going to play charades. We were tak-en aback as we never played this with her. Shemust have picked it up at scouting or some-place else. As she began, we realized that shewas rather good. She knew the hand gesturesfor a movie, a TV show, and a book. She knewhow to indicate how many words and howmany syllables in a word. We were ready togo.

She opened and closed her hands and weshouted, “A book!” She nodded yes. She heldup five fingers and we yelled, “Five words!”She smiled. One finger was waved at us, weknew we were at the first word. Here we go…

Emily drew a triangle in the air.

“Triangle!” No, her head indicated.

She made her left and right thumb and fore-finger touch to form another triangle.

“House, roof, pyramid, mountain, apex…”

No, no, no, no, no…

Then she smiled and shook her head as if shehad figured something out. She pinched herfingers together to show something small. Weguessed, small. She was very proud of her-self.

We were proud of ourselves, as well, but thenshe made that triangle again!

“Hut, hill, ant hill?”

No, no, no.

We could all feel the frustration, so we agreedto a time-out so she could talk.

“Please,” we begged, “what are you trying toshow us?”

Our daughter announced loudly, “The firstword is an ARTICLE!”

That is when we both realized that ourMontessori daughter, now in her ninth yearof Montessori, was showing us an article –that small triangle was an article.

How frustrating it must have been for herto have parents who were guessing NOUNSwhen her triangle was at first large and shethen refined her movements to make itsmaller to show us an article. We were intears; we were laughing so hard.

We have a new gesture now when we playcharades. We asked Emily to show us howwe would know when she was symboliz-ing her movie, TV, or book title. She bentover and pulled on an imaginary boot.Simple… Maria Montessori was born inItaly! Needless to say, we are much betterat charades these days. Montessori cha-rades!

P.S. The book was The Adventures ofRobinson Crusoe. We would never haveguessed that! We were stumped at The!

#Montessori Charadesby Patty Sobelman


test score meaning only when comparedagainst other scores. A child is scored as“proficient” because another child is not.

We need now a new kind of metric. Insistthat everyday classroom experiences consistof knowledge-based learning. Hold teachersaccountable for differentiating instructionbased on their knowledge of each child’sstrengths and learning capabilities. Demandtesting for the kinds of lifelong learninghabits and skills children will need as adultsin the knowledge-based economy such asproblem solving, creativity, design abilities,communication effectiveness, and effective-ness with working in teams. Other charac-teristics include “initiative, creativity, imagi-nation, conceptual thinking, curiosity, effort,irony, judgment, commitment, nuance,good will, ethical reflection, or a host of oth-er valuable dispositions and attributes.”9

These are some of the essential 21st centuryknowledge and skill requirements.

Montessori education begins with an in-tention to discover each child. By takinginto account each child’s unique capabilitiesand strengths, a Montessori education em-powers children to learn how to learn.Becoming self-reliant and knowing how to

engage in lifelong education is very differentfrom memorizing to take tests. How suc-cessful is this approach? It happens thatchildren enrolled in public Montessorischools today outscore their non-Montes-sori peers on standardized state-mandatedtesting. Children enrolled in privateMontessori schools also achieve high scoreson nationally normed standardized testssuch as the California, Iowa, and Stanford.

To discover each child, Montessori teach-ers listen to, and do not disturb, children’sfirst quiet moments of concentration. Thisis when they reveal their learning styles andstrengths. Montessori also taught us towatch for the beginnings of self-discipline aschildren engage in repetition with the learn-ing materials. In a delightful collection of es-says, Montessori wrote:

“Instead of trying to teach him our ways, let us givehim freedom to live his own little life in his ownway; then, perhaps, we shall learn something aboutthe ways of childhood, if we are observant.

Those of us who have tried to learn the ways ofchildhood from children (instead of from our ownideas) have been amazed at the discoveries we

have made. And there is one point on which we allagree – children live in a world of their own inter-ests, and the work they do there must be respected,for, though many childish activities may seem point-less to grown-ups, nature is using them for her ownends. The greatest help you can give your children isto give them the freedom to go about their work intheir own way, for in this matter your child knowsbetter than you”. 10

Montessori’s premise is huge: A discovery-based approach to education promises to as-sist and guide each child towards the full de-velopment of her or his unique human po-tential. Simply, how a child learns will influ-ence who they will become.

Children in Montessori schools demon-strate enormous capacity for intellectual ac-complishment. Children, when ready, write,read, and think mathematically. Rather thanlooking to external rewards for motivation,these children find intrinsic joy and love inthe very process of work. Work leads thechild to growth and self-mastery. Over time,the child develops an inner discipline andpeaceful serenity.11

Montessori teachers today help childrenbecome independent and self-disciplined

FOR TEN YEARS WE DIDN’T HAVETV. Well, we had a TV, butno cable, so really all wecould watch were DVDs.For our six-year-old,DVDs were an occa-sional treat. We’d trotthem out about oncea week, either be-cause it was some-

thing really special hewanted to watch, or because we

were at our wits end in terms of occu-pying him.

Our reasons for not having televisionwere clear to us. It saps your energy. Itis a substitute for meaningful engage-ment. It is regularly ridiculous, offen-sive, and violent. It encourages stayinginside even on beautiful days. It createspassivity. It fries your brain. And so on.We knew where we stood, and weknew we were all better off without it.

However, a little over six months agoVerizon™ made a courtesy call to ourhome, just to let us know, in case wewere interested, that for only another$12 a month, we could get DIRECTV™and have over two hundred cable chan-nels. Suddenly, my eyes were as roundas saucers. I was positively giddy at theprospect of drifting off each night after

watching The Office, Keith Oberman, Bill Mahr, or –ahem – Lost, in addition to all those great shows onHBO, we’re always having to rent and then getting be-hind on for a season until the show comes out onDVD. We could actually have the opportunity to watchthe presidential debates, the DNC, or the Oscars fromhome! And, really, it might not be so bad for our childif he watched a bit of PBS on Saturday mornings whilewe slept until 7:00 am, or something luxurious likethat, for the first time in six years.

In our excitement, we quickly convinced ourselvesthat it would be silly not to get DIRECTV™ at such areasonable price. And just like that, ten years of a TV-free home went out the window. I mean what harmcould it really do if we set boundaries and our sonwatched a few educational shows? In fact it might evenenhance his life!

Well, with DIRECTV™ in our area, it turns out youdon’t even get PBS, ABC, or NBC, so before we knewit we were giving in to cries for the Cartoon Network™and Boomerang, which feature the likes of Tom andJerry beating each other senseless, and WilmaFlintstone doing the dishes while Fred goes golfing.Or good old Nickelodeon™ with shows like Sponge-bob Square Pants, and a seemingly endless variety ofvapid pre-teen reality shows, from which our son ap-parently learned, and is now very fond of, the wordsexy. In fact, he just used it to beat me at Scrabble™last night.

We were firm on the rules, though, only half an houron school nights and a little more on weekends. That

Tv Free?OneFamily’sTelevisionSaga

By Clover Bell-

Devaney

Parent at TheMontessoriSchool of theBerkshires,Lenox, MA


through child-study and by designing class-room and outdoor environments in whichchildren find engaging activities that helpthem develop habits of lifelong learning, forexample: concentration, investigation, col-laboration, problem solving, and communi-cation. The Montessori approach stands inmarked contrast to the national determina-tion to substitute practices of adult account-ability for the experiences of childhood.

Montessori education embraces the es-sential fact that each life is precious and mustbe cherished rather than molded. A child isready only when she or he is ready, and chil-dren do not develop or learn uniformly atthe same standard pace. Truthful-ly, childrencan only learn when they do. A child will talk,walk, and balance a bicycle only when she isready. A child will understand number, oper-ations with fractions, equivalencies betweengeometric figures, causes of historical events— only when she is ready. A child will blendvisual symbols for language (c – a – t) andread cat only when she is ready.

When respected and given dignity to bewho you are supposed to be, the outcomesof a Montessori education are nothing lessthan the passions of life itself. As proclaimedby Montessori in 1940:

“A perfect development that brings forward man ashe can and is destined to be: conscious of the societyhe will become part of; master, not slave, of the infi-nite means that civilization put at his disposal;equally developed in his moral and social powers asin his physical and intellectual ones; aware of histask which requires the collaboration and unani-mous effort of the whole of mankind.”12

To declare that each child has unique capa-bilities is to proclaim each child has genius.As we assist or serve each child in fulfillingher, or his, potential, our task includes learn-ing to overcome our own biases and preju-dices and to see clearly the possibilities with-in each child.

We can anticipate that our children willface as adults known problems with as yetunknown solutions: dwindling non-renew-able energy supplies and environmentaldegradation, including the destruction ofrainforests, the loss of topsoil, species extinc-tion, and pollution. Other likely challengesfacing our children include human migra-tion, hunger, and terrorism. Our childrenwill surely face unknown problems as well.

Against these demands and challenges forexistence, Montessori education is a philoso-phy for peaceful co-existence, and we need

“little more,” however, ended up being a lot more. As if itwere possible for our son to be an earlier riser than he’s al-ways been, he started getting up at 5:00 am on weekends justto watch TV. So, by the time we got up and checked on him,he had started his day by watching at least a couple hours.Still, we told ourselves, this wasn’t an unreasonable amount,considering that the average child in America watches sixhours a day.

As the weeks went by, however, we started to notice a newgrumpy, unhelpful, disinterested, easily distracted, lethargicside emerging from our previously enthusiastic, curious,boundlessly energetic child. He actually started not wantingto go outside. More than once, on beautiful snow days, heturned down offers to go sledding, skiing, or snowman-mak-ing.

Then we heard from school. For the first time in three years,he appeared disinterested in the lessons, less focused, andsomewhat disagreeable. His teachers were perplexed. They’dalways experienced him in the past as an active, motivated,and generally cooperative kid.

We mulled it over. It might just be a phase. It might be histrue personality emerging (yikes!). But I suspected thesechanges had to do with TV. I called my mother and asked herif she’d noticed a difference in our son when he’d been visit-ing recently. She said that he had seemed a bit tuned out, lessfocused, and had kept asking to watch TV when he was there.

At home, I started to notice that sometimes, even after we’dturn off the TV, he’d sit there just staring at the blank screen,as if this were vastly more interesting than actually doingsomething.

The straw that really broke the camel’s back was when Iasked him what his perfect day would consist of if he couldchoose whatever he wanted to do for a whole day. The an-swer was eat and watch TV. So from that day forward, the TV‘broke’ (that’s the word on the street, FYI). It may seem ex-treme, but I knew the mutiny I’d have on my hands if I arbi-trarily changed the rules. I sensed I had to do something bigto have an impact. I thought I’d try the broken TV for a weekand see whether it made a difference.

In the first couple of days, he made comments like, “Life isboring without TV,” which of course assured me I was onthe right path. Within a few days, we saw a difference, andschool saw a difference. He stopped asking about TV alto-gether by the end of the first week.

We’ve now had a couple of TV-free months at home (forhim at least), with a video here and there, and lots of timespent playing games, doing projects, reading books,wrestling with Dad, being silly –— all the stuff he’s alwaysliked to do. To quote his teacher: “From a classroom per-spective, he has been more cooperative, open to learning,good-willed, and enthusiastic about learning and new chal-lenges. He’s been progressively more and more delightfulsince TV was out of the picture.”

And, to me, he just seems like his old self. I wouldn’t tradethat for my extra hour of sleep on weekends in a millionyears.

Now I just need to do something about my own addiction tothe HBO vampire show True Blood. I guess I didn’t get thatmemo about the TV being ‘broken.’

this now more than ever before. A Montes-sori education promotes within children at-titudes of respect and encouragement foreach human being, no matter how youngor how old. A Montessori education em-powers children to become confident inthemselves and comfortable with others. Itis a sense of partnership rather than powerand authority.

Children who graduate from Montessorielementary and secondary programs haveexperienced:

! Integrated and in-depth studies.

! Thinking systemically.

! Choosing and engaging for long peri-ods of time in work that is personallyfulfilling.

! Learning to respect and restore thenatural environment.

! Community service and knowing howto contribute to others.

! Understanding cultural and racial dif-ferences as a call for celebration ratherthan a cause for fear.

! Developing self-discipline and respon-sible choice making.


by Chelsea Howe, MS, LGPC, CAC-AD-trainee, PsyD Candidate,

Montessori Foundation Staff Member

t’s just a stage,” Mom said as she entered my office.Behind her, her ‘tween’ daughter followed as if she

were a toddler, shyly hiding behind her mother to makesure she was secure before venturing into the world. Iwondered what she meant by this “stage.” How long hadthis been going on? What had happened at school thatmade her never want to go back? What habits havechanged? Has she been eating? Sleeping? So many ques-tions wandered through my head.

As we entered my office for family therapy, her daugh-ter burst into tears. I had not known that she was experi-encing this level of distress. Bullying or “relational aggres-sion” was occurring, a phrase that has been popularized bythe media. According to many researchers, boys are moreprone to physical aggression, the desire to hurt someoneby inflicting physical pain, while girls engage in relationalaggression, the desire to hurt others by sabotaging friend-ships and relationships deemed important. Sadly, in thera-py, I had heard about my client’s daughter for some timenow; but, I had never realized how great an impact the re-lational bullying was having on her.

Her daughter said, “They hurt my feelings. They makeme not want to go to school. One minute they are myfriends, and another minute they are talking behind myback, spreading rumors about me.” My mind started spin-ning. Haven’t there been several cases in the news recent-ly, pertaining to (mostly) girls who had been cyber-bullied,or just plain bullied, to the point that they had chosen totake their own lives? These children are crying out for helpand so few people have helped them. Whose responsibili-ty is it, anyway?

Speaking with her mom, I learned that she had con-tacted the school several times to find that nothing hadbeen remedied. Further, she expressed feeling “caught in

! Entrepreneurial thought and practice.

! Managing time and knowing how toinitiate and complete projects.

! Working effectively in teams.

By acquiescing to the political regime, wefail to account for the effects of a testingregime on a child’s individual and uniquehuman potential. By questioning the politi-cal regime’s industrial-era orientation toschooling, we question their purposes foreducation. It is past time for the Montessoricommunity to take a public stand in serviceof the child. Presidents will ask Congress toappropriate trillions of dollars for childrenand their education only when mothers andfathers persuade their representatives of thepriority of childhood. Children require ourrepresentation. They cannot alone tell theworld of their inner beings. This is ourwork; this is our charge — to tell the worldabout the human potential of children andto make safe and empowering environ-ments in which children can stand and an-nounce, “Here I am.” This is the emergingpolitical partnership between parents andteachers.

BullyingWhat ParentsNeed to Know

While bullying israrely a problemat Montessorischools, every parent should beon the alert forchanges in theirchild’s behaviorthat might indi-cate a situationthat requirestheir interventionto act as theirchild’s advocate.

Paul Epstein, Ph.D. is Head of RochesterMontessori School in Rochester, MN and co-author of The Montessori Way.

“ I

REFERENCES1 Dick Riley, former U.S. Secretary of Education,

1993-2001. “It’s Time to Do School Differently”.The Greenville News, June 7, 2009.

2 A Nation atRisk http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/NatAtRisk/risk.html.

3 Ibid.4 Ibid.5 Arne Duncan. “Reauthorization of ESEA: Why We

Can’t Wait” http://www2.ed.gov/news/speech-es/2009/09/09242009.html

6 For example, Jonathan Kozel. SavageInequalities, 1991.

7 Department of Education. Education secretaryDuncan issues statement on the nation's reportcard in reading for 4th, 8th graders.http://www2.ed.gov/ news/pressreleas-es/2010/03/03242010.html

8 NCLB After Six Years: Confronting the myths of NoChild Left Behind. http://www.fairtest.org/con-fronting-myths-no-child-left-behind

9 Bill Ayers, quoted in C.M. England (2003). None ofOur Business. Why business Models Don’t Workin Schools, p. 8.. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

10 Maria Montessori. The Child, Societyand the World. Unpublished speeches and writ-ings, pp. 5-6. Oxford, England: Clio Press. 1995

11 Kathleen Futrell. The Normalized Child.Cleveland: NAMTA. 1998.

12 Retrieved August 5, 2003, from the AMI websitehttp://www.montessori-ami.org/ami.htm


the middle.” How far do you go to protectyour child in hope that she will not be ex-posed to the evils of the world? Or, do youhope that your child will go out into theworld and just encourage them to overcomethe obstacles, despite the risks that may oc-cur in the process? I felt like crying for thisyoung girl —she seemed so trapped.

I remember times in grade school when Ihad a fear that cliques had been established,and I might be the next one to be ostracized.I knew exactly what it felt like to undergothis process. But, I couldn’t relate to the cy-ber-bullying that I had just learned of — wedidn’t even have the internet! I learned that“talking things out” didn’t always work, ei-ther. How can somebody “talk things out” ifthey don’t even know who they’re supposedto talk to?

I decided to make my own plans, as atherapist and as an activist. This little girl hadso much to say; she just never knew whoshe could say it to. I sat with her and took acase history, particularly focusing on whenthings changed.

Recently, she had begun to eat more, shesaid, when she was “scared” or “angry.” Shehad also told me that she hated going tosleep at night. In fact, she really hated goingto sleep because it was a reminder that shewould have to be prepared, ready, for thenext unpredictable day at school. Further,her mom reported to me that she had beencrying far more frequently than she could re-member. Choices for dinner would often re-sult in a meltdown that had nothing to dowith dinner and everything to do with thelack of control she felt in other areas of life.Finally, Mom told me that her daughter hadbeen “acting out” towards her, a safe target,which made their relationship far more frag-ile than it had ever been.

All of these factors are signs of depres-sion. In fact, many people forget that chil-dren do not necessarily show the ‘normal’depression signs characteristic of adults;rather, a change of behavior can be the signitself. She had met many of the signs of de-pression, as far as I was concerned. While itmay indeed be situational, she was demon-strating very serious signs of distress thatwarranted a need to get help – immediately.

Luckily, in this particular situation, thedaughter was already participating in therapysessions with her own counselor. Her moth-er, too, was active and involved in therapyand, based on her own challenges, she knewwhat to look for as signs of acute anxiety anddepression. She was an activist, on her own,having already contacted the school’s psy-chologist, teacher, and principal. But, herdaughter attends a large public school, and,with so many other students, it can take along period of time to get the much-neededhelp.

We developed a plan — behavior plan, ifyou will. We decided to reinforce and sup-port her need for close friends with a coupleof different students with whom she hadpositive experiences and good relationships.These would help provide her with a senseof protection.

She would ‘ignore’ the bullies, so that thebehavior would eventually decrease. Some-times, as we all know, any attention, evennegative attention, fuels the fire — we want-ed to extinguish the fire. She was also en-couraged to continue to talk to the schoolcounselor, her teacher, and two other staffmembers with whom she had a positive rela-tionship, thereby increasing her sense ofself-efficacy. I decided to contact the daugh-ter’s therapist (with the consent of motherand daughter) and, collectively, we wouldactivate a plan with the principal to help de-crease the relational bullying that likely con-tributed to the depression her daughter wasexperiencing. Finally, we encouraged thecontinual conversation of what these emo-tions felt like, physically and psychologically.

It has been several weeks since this inter-vention began. While we still don’t have a‘set’ date to meet with the administrators,the bullying has decreased and her daugh-ter’s mood has lifted. She has not acted outaggressively towards her mother, a previousoutlet that allowed her to project her frustra-tion safely. Further, her daughter has gainedmore confidence and self-competence indemonstrating that she was able to redefineher experience and create a safer, more se-cure, environment of her own doing.

The relational aggression, unfortunately,did not stop. In fact, it became exacerbatedfor a short period. However, as planned, herdaughter tactfully ignored the behavior anddecided to redirect her attention to thingsand people that provided positive experi-ences. It became tiring for the girls to targetsomeone who no longer cared. And, finally,her daughter continued to pursue individualtherapy that allowed her to learn and usebetter coping mechanisms when the timesgot tough.

But, the fight is not over. In fact, the rela-tional bullying, in this case, went from onetarget to another.

Who will show up next on the nightlynews, should the child not have the supportor advocacy that my client’s daughter had?

Something will need to change withinschool systems and within children’s envi-ronments to give them a stronger sense ofself and a greater sense of safety. We are allhopeful that something will be done to helpremedy this situation, as research indicatesthat relational bullying has increased. Surely,one may assume that this might have a di-rect effect on childhood depression and anx-iety.

Should your child show signs of distress,don’t wait to get help — get it now! Createa warm, nurturing environment that pro-vides safety but also encourages action.Help your children learn to use their voicesto gain help and respect from teachers andthe administration, rather than attemptingto fight back directly against the aggressors,potentially causing a cyclical pattern of ag-gression. Take action, as a concerned par-ent, that supports your child’s actions, seek-ing help through the administration andmaking yourself heard.

Parents have rights too; sadly, manydon’t take the necessary steps, becausethey believe they won’t be heard, won’t beable to make any changes, or have fear thatthey may create a larger problem. Sure, chil-dren need to learn how to interact with oneanother. They also need to gain self-confi-dence and self-competence that they canmake positive changes that can impact theirown lives. But, they may not have the expe-rience or the words to impact advocacy orlegislation, or even changes within theirown school system. So, be the advocatethat mirrors your children.

And, finally, talk to your children. Teachempathy. Help them express their feelingswhile processing how to proceed. Respectyour child and help them learn what theycan do, interpersonally, and intrapersonally.Let them know you will be there and thattheir concerns are warranted. And, finally,be part of the solution to help rectify theproblem.

June 12 - August 3, 2010 - The Montessori Foundation

Montessori Leadership Institute - Term 2www.montessori.org

[email protected]

June 21 - July 23, 2010 - NAMTAA Montessori Orientation to Adolescent

StudiesCleveland, OH (440) 834-4011www.montessori-namta.org

October 22 - 24, 2010 - AMS2010 Fall Conference

San Diego, CA (212) 358-1250www.amshq.org

November 4 - 7, 2010 Montessori Foundation & IMC14th Annual International ConferenceSarasota, FL (800) 632-4121

[email protected]

If you have a conference or event you’d like to promote, please email informa-

tion to: [email protected].

CCaalleennddaarr


I am trying to plan my child’s summer.While we do love his Montessori school,we think he might need a break from therigors of the Montessori classroom?Isn’t a year-round Montessori class-room too much for a young child?

— A mom (who’s just trying to do what’s best for her child)A

Q

2010 MontessoriLeadership

Institute OnLine!Term 2

June 12 – August 3, 2010

Coming Soon!

While all have common elements, thereare significant differences. Some aremore academic, some more focused onnature and gardening and still othersmore focused on the arts. Not everyschool does things the same way eachand every year. So, the most importantthing to do is to ask specific questionsabout the plan for the summer at yourchild’s present school. What are theirplans for the summer program? Theymay be exactly what you have in mind.

Summer is a special time of year andlends itself to different experiences thanare often provided by Montessorischools during the regular school year.Many parents gravitate towards a pro-gram where children can experiencethe wonders of nature and the out-of-doors.

There are many Montessori schoolsthat shift their focus somewhat in thesummer and provide these nature-based experiences for the children.Some have a period of time each daywhere the children work in the tradi-tionally prepared Montessori classroomwith a Montessori guide. They have oth-er periods of time where they are doingspecial projects, working with animalsor outside in the garden. Some have ac-tually set up activities that can be self-chosen and are done out-of-doors. Thisdoes not work in all climates though, soyou will need to check.

Other summer programs are themebased and change focus each week.These themes may be more ‘playschool’ such as the circus, or more aca-demic themes such as space, a foreignlanguage, or a specific culture or occu-pation. Some programs may includespecial activities, such as field trips, wa-ter play days, cookouts, picnics andhikes. Others may have a more play-fo-cused sort of camp and have activitiesavailable to include traditional buildingblocks, train sets, Lego™ building sets,and coloring papers. Still others may bea meld of the two types. They may havea Montessori-type work time but onlyhave limited Montessori exercises suchas beginning practical life and art, astheir group leaders may not beMontessori trained.

Staffing is often different in summerprograms as well. Some Montessorisummer camps are staffed by collegestudents, teacher’s assistants, orMontessori interns and others by expe-rienced Montessori trained guides. Eachof these types of programs has theirown flavor and provides a different ex-perience for children. Your challenge is

Dear Cathie ... A Montessori Teacher’sPerspective

by Cathie Perolman

It is wonderful that you are being consci-entious about your child’s summer andbeing sure that his programs truly domeet his needs.

A well-run Montessori classroom is notdriven by rigorous academics only. It isalso rich in the areas of art, music, culture,botany, zoology, cooking, nature, etc.Thus, a year-round program is really nottoo much for a child if he is, indeed, guid-ed according to his age, interest, and abili-ties. Year-round programs have the luxuryof taking the whole experience a littleslower and enriching it more widely, asthe children spend significantly more timein the environment.

There are many different interpreta-tions of the Montessori philosophy and, asa result, many different types of Montes-sori schools and summer programs.

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Cathie Perolman is an experiencedMontessori guide at the 3-6 level. Sheis a Montessori teacher educatorand publisher of educational mate-rials. Cathie guides a 3-6 Montessoriclass at Nurturing Nest Montessoriin Columbia, MD. She can be con-tacted through Tomorrow’s Child at: [email protected].

Earth TipsExcerpted from 50 Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth

What do you think? Which uses more electricity?

A) a television B) a refrigerator C) a toaster

Refrigerator is the answer, of course. It’s running all day and all night — every-day. So here are some things you can do to help conserve energy.

! Don’t open your refrigerator unless you have to. Once you’ve opened it,quickly get what you want and close the door. Think about what youwant before you open the door.

! If your parents say it’s okay, make it your job to keep the coils free of dust.Brush the coils off with a broom, dustcloth, or (with their permission)vacuum cleaner.

! With a parent, check to see if your refrigerator is colder than necessary. Itshould be set between 38 and 42 degrees fahrenheit. If you raise the tem-perature a little, the food will stay chilled, but you’ll use less electricity.Hint: Feel the food. If it’s icy, the dial is set too cold.

Keep a record for yourself.

Record how many times you open the refrigerator during the day. Are youopening it more than you really need to? And how long do you keep it open?

I first started using this book with my own children and in my Montessoriclassroom twenty years ago. 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to save the Earth,The EarthWorks Group, 1990 is still a great little guide for children and fami-lies who are concerned about saving our planet. You can get a revised copy atAmazon.com.

— Reviewed by Lorna McGrath

to match your child with the programthat fits him and your family the best.

As you explore programs, be sure toask questions. Ask about the use of thechildren’s time, the availability of theMontessori materials, the qualificationsof the group leader, the variety andavailability of activities, and time out ofdoors. How structured is the child’stime? What is the age span of the group?Will your child know any of the adults orother children in his group? Will he havea chance to do academic work, or is thesummer more ‘low key,’ with emphasison other areas.

GREENWAYS FOR HOME & SCHOOL

ooking back on my thirty-six years inMontessori education that has broughtme much joy, satisfaction, and chal-lenge, I have one person to thank for ig-niting my life’s passion. As my time asHead of MSE is drawing to a close, I wantto pay tribute to my niece, BethWadden.

Beth, my parents’ first grandchild,was born in California in 1966. The mo-ment I met her at six months of age, I fellin love. Luckily, her family moved toIowa City, just 60 miles from my homeand I was able to spend many delightfuldays with her. Her joyful personality andconstant curiosity made her a charismat-ic child. When Beth was two and a half,my sister enrolled her in a Montessorischool. Beth’s very hip paternal grand-mother, who had pursued Montessoriteacher-training in California in 1964when the Montessori approach was be-ing revived in the US, generously offeredto pay her tuition. Beth loved going to

Montessori school, and my sister wasthrilled with her progress. By now, Bethhad a younger sister, and life was busy asher dad pursued his Ph.D. in English lit-erature and my sister worked part timeas a librarian.

But, in May of 1969, our world turnedsuddenly dark, when a doctor discov-ered a large tumor in Beth’s stomach.She was diagnosed with a non-Hodg-kin’s lymphoma. Although surgery re-moved most of the tumor, the doctorscould not safely excise all of it. Shewould need radiation treatments, andthe prognosis for a complete recoverywas not good. I’ll never forget the mo-ment when my dad shared this newswith me as he drove me home from myfreshmen year in college. The only othertime I saw him cry was on my weddingday.

That summer, my sister, pregnantwith her third child, invited me to livewith them and help out as they expected

Beth to become ill from the radiationtreatments. Thankfully, she was not af-fected and remained healthy and viva-cious all summer. I clearly remember theevening Neil Armstrong was to step onthe moon. Walking on the sidewalk withBeth as she clasped my hand and staredat me with her piercing blue eyes, shedeclared emphatically, “I never want togo to the moon. I don’t want to leaveMommy and Daddy.” Looking up at themoon, I clutched her hand tighter astears ran down my cheeks. “I don’t wantyou to fly to the moon,” I said. “I wantyou to stay right here.” I rememberthinking at that moment, “How is it wecan send men to the moon, but we can’tcure one very special little girl that I loveso much?”

No less than a miracle brightened ourlives when Beth’s cancer disappeared.Meanwhile, I continued to adore mynieces and nephews, always treasuringBeth, who was an extraordinary gift.

LookingBack:

A Tributeby Betsy Hoke,Head, Montessori

School of Evergreen(Evergreen, Colorado)

L

C©Tomorrow’s Child Magazine May 2010 • www.montessori.org20

During my senior year in college, I stu-dent-taught English to seniors at the lo-cal high school. I was dismayed by theirlack of interest in learning. I wanted towork with children who loved learning.I wanted to be with children like Beth,and her siblings and cousins, for whomevery discovery was full of awe. Aftercompleting a January internship in aHead Start program and observing at aMontessori school, my sister suggestedI consider taking Montessori training.There just happened to be a year-longtraining course in London. Since I hadspent my junior year at ExeterUniversity in England, I was thrilled tohave an opportunity to return for moreadventures and pursue my interest inworking with young children.

When I finished my training, having

worked much harder than I did myjunior year, I applied for teaching po-sitions in Oregon, Washington, andColorado. I accepted a job inColorado Springs, thinking that Iwould teach for a couple of years andhead back to Europe for more travel.But I was hopelessly hooked. I startedteaching and didn’t step off the conti-nent for thirty-three years.

After working at two Montessorischools, I found my true home inEvergreen, Colorado at MontessoriSchool of Evergreen in 1980. At thattime it had one primary classroom,but by the time I left my tenure asHead of School twenty-nine years lat-er, we had created elementary andmiddle school programs.

My two children had the benefit ofattending the school through eighthgrade, and their success and determi-nation today is, in great part, due totheir Montessori education. Mydaughter graduated from Columbiaand is entering a doctorate programin medical anthropology and publichealth at Northwestern University. Myson is an environmental science ma-jor at Colorado College, a totallygreen young man and a professionalcross-country mountain biker andbike mechanic; passions he began de-veloping as a result of some of hismiddle school experiences.

In 1979, after ten healthy years,Beth’s cancer returned in the form of

Hodgkin’s disease. When Mt. St.Helen’s erupted, Beth left her home inSpokane and came to Rock Island,Illinois to stay with my parents for amonth to escape the ash dust that herdoctors felt would be harmful. She wasas courageous and cheerful as ever. Shewent into remission for a year, but thenher original lymphoma returned, thistime invading her brain. I spent a won-derful week with Beth, her siblings, andher mom touring Seattle in the sum-mer of 1981. That was the last time Isaw her. She died a few months later,having held on courageously until shequietly slipped away on her sixteenthbirthday.

Over the years, I have found im-mense comfort knowing that becauseof my love for Beth and her love for herMontessori school, my life took a paththat ultimately impacted hundreds ofchildren including my own. In hershort life Beth lit up with joy the lives ofher family, friends, and teachers. In mylife, she has made all the difference. Inevery child that I have touched as aMontessori teacher and administratorglows a tiny spark of Beth’s enduring

hildren arranging real flowers in glassvases. Children setting out woven clothplacemats, sitting patiently and quietlyuntil everyone in the class has theirlunch set out before them. Children lis-tening and enjoying classical musicwhile they eat and then engaging in po-lite conversation in low tones. Childrenplacing their dishes in the sink after

by MargotGarfield-AndersonThe MontessoriFoundation

cleaning them off and quietly pushingtheir chairs back in under the table.Children respecting one another andnot jumping in to be first!

This is what I observed on a recentvisit to the Montessori School of LosAltos located in a residential communityin Palo Alto, California. This may notseem like such an accomplishment, butthese were primary level children, ages3- 6. Yes, three-year-olds, and they areentirely capable of demonstrating graceand courtesy at the lunch table and theworld at large. In Montessori, we en-courage parents to reinforce this prac-tice during home meal times as well.Meal time is community and familytime. In our hectic, frantic, getting-from-one-activity-to-the-next lives, taking halfan hour to enjoy the mealtimes in such

a lovely way is encouraged and doeseveryone a whole lot of good.

This underlying theme of grace andcourtesy is one of the most amazing as-pects (in my opinion) of what setsMontessori apart from many other edu-cational paradigms. It is an approachthat focuses on each person’s place insociety. It educates the whole child inorder that they understand their respec-tive obligations to the earth. Childrenare raised to be global citizens and donot think the world revolves solelyaround them. They are respectful froma place deep within their hearts, not justbecause they were shown the steps in ademonstration or it was required ofthem to perform a trick. Grace andcourtesy become a way of life for thesechildren who are fortunate to be in a

Grace & Courtesy

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Montessorienvironment. These

skills stay with them long after theyleave the classroom. Montessori chil-dren have typically been identified as:“those kids with great manners.”

As parents we can take a page out ofMontessori’s book and reinforce graceand courtesy at home. Try sitting downat the kitchen or dining room table as afamily, using real placemats, napkinsand dishes; not just eating on the runover the sink, or from a take-out bag.Take the time to listen to what yourchildren have to say during this time orjust enjoy the quietness of the meal,while taking a few relaxing breaths.When parents are able to make the con-nection of reinforcing classroom skillsin the home, it becomes a part of thefamily way of life. It allows us all to slowdown for just a few moments and have

time to literally, “smell the roses.” YourMontessori child can lead the way. Letthem set the table, let them demon-strate their skill, and then let them showyou how it’s done. You will be awed bytheir capabilities and by following theirlead they, in turn, see that adults alsoare gracious and courteous. It’s a greatcircle to start forming. So, we highly rec-ommend following the child in thismanner.

A special thanks to HanneloreEngelman and her teachers and stu-dents for allowing me to observe themrecently at their school.

I’d like to say a very special thank-you to thewonderful friends and attendees who werewith us at the 7th West Coast conference inSan Jose, California (March 17-21) for helpingme celebrate and welcome my first grand-child, a beautiful little girl, Blakely JayneThornton on Sunday morning, March 21.Everyone cheered when my son-in-law, whohad kept me up to date all night long as the labor progressed, called to tell us of Blakely’ssafe arrival. Minutes later, they Skyped mefrom the delivery room so that I could see herwonderfully alert little face.

And many thanks for my wonderful employ-ers (who are truly my family members aswell) for letting me work from Blakely’s homethis past month so that I could be there forthis very special time in all of our lives.Blakely will grow up knowing the kindnessand compassion, love and respect that theMontessori community has shown our family.

— Many thanks, Margot

Editor’s Note: If you didn’t attend theFoundation’s recent West Coast Conference,you didn’t just miss out on a great Montessorievent, you missed out on baby drama! MargotGarfield-Anderson, our Events Coordinatorand PR Director, was anxiously awaiting thebirth of her first grandchild, which was due totake place any day in Rochester, NY. Planswere made for Margot to fly to Rochester im-mediately at the end of the conference to bewith her daughter, Liz, for the blessed event.However, her grandchild had other plans,and by the last day of the conference, all ofthe attendees were on pins and needles rightalong with Margot as a new life entered theworld to a rousing reception from Montes-sorians cheering from thousands of milesaway. Here’s Margot’s update.

I’ve learned that my frustration withmy child’s behavior is familiar for manyfamilies. I hear the same stories fromother parents. Behavior issues, hyperac-tivity, moods swings, and problems withfocus and concentration are common.In my work as a teacher and parent edu-cator, I’ve seen this, but with my ownchild, I came to really understand thatno amount of parenting or ‘discipline’techniques are going to help my childunless he first lives a balanced lifestyleand is biochemically stable throughproper nutrition. I’ve found that balanceis my number-one job in helping my sonsucceed at home and at school.

So how do we keep our children bal-anced from a lifestyle, biochemical, andnutritional standpoint? In this day ofprocessed and ‘engineered’ food, bal-ance sounds easier than it really is. Itseems the media and food marketers in-form us daily about what is healthy andwhat is not, but how do we sort through

all of that in our busy lives and end upwith a healthy meal that our childrenwill eat? The government has imple-mented “nutrition facts and informa-tion” labels on food packaging now, butwhat does that mean to me as a parent?How much protein and fiber should mychild consume? How much sugar is toomuch for cereal? What is a healthy child-sized portion? How do I navigate theconfusing landscape of advertising andmarketing in the media and the super-market? How can I get my child’steacher to understand that feeding myson a birthday cupcake at 11:30 andsending him home to me at noon is re-ally not a good idea? There are so manyquestions.

I turned to one of my trusted parent-ing sources, Dr. William Sears, for an-swers. Dr. Sears has written over fortybooks on topics such as parenting,breastfeeding, birth and nutrition. Hisaskdrsears.com website has becomeone of the most popular childcare refer-ence sites on the internet. Dr. Sears’

work centers around a child-centeredphilosophy and is committed to makingscientific information accessible and un-derstandable for parents. His latest bookis The N.D.D. Book, How NutritionDeficit Disorder Affects Your Child’sLearning, Behavior, and Health, andWhat You Can Do About It – WithoutDrugs.* This book was truly an eyeopener for me. It confirmed what myown research about nutrition and par-enting my son had taught me. My son issometimes out of balance, but I cankeep his life in balance if I commit to fol-lowing the basic nutritional and lifestyleguidelines that Dr. Sears provides. Dr.Sears makes the compelling argumentthat “optimal growth and developmentoccur when a growing body is in bio-chemical balance. In fact, a good defini-tion of health itself could be ‘the state inwhich biochemical balance exists in thebody.” (Sears, p.19) He argues that onereason for the drastic increase in whathe calls the “D” disorders (Diabetes,

L.E.A.N continued from page 10

continued on page 27


y name is Lauren Bolar, and I workfor a privately owned AMI

Montessori School in Mesa, Arizona. Iam also a graduate of this school andthe granddaughter of the owner, IrmaLetson. I am applying for my AMIMontessori training this summer andwanted to take a moment to share myMontessori experience. I am proud tobe an advocate for the hard work mygrandmother has done for the past 32years.

I am a recent graduate from ArizonaState University and have a bachelor’sdegree in Business Administration. I am excited to start myeducation in the Montessori Method. I was born and raisedin a Montessori environment. In 1978, my grandmotheropened Tempe Montessori School and has involved the fam-ily ever since. A few years after, my mother started to workside by side with her to create a beautiful learning environ-ment

When I started at TMS, I was only two years old and havefond memories of sitting on the patio, painting, and takingnature walks around the farm-like neighborhood. I loved go-ing to school at TMS.

One of my favorite quotes is: “The job of the teacher is toteach the child to say I can do it myself.” As I transitionedinto a traditional school, I found myself longing for the inde-pendence I had experienced in my Montessori environment.At 16, I started working at TMS as an after-school aide, and Itruly started to understand the importance and impact theMontessori Method has on the child.

The first time a child called my name on the playgroundand showed me that she could do the monkey bars by her-self because I had showed her how I did it as a child; I knewthis is what I wanted to do. I knew that I could help childrensee their own potential and challenge them in a positive way.As the years went on, I moved on to being a lunch assistant

inside of the classroom. I found myself directing childrenwith the same guidance I was given as a child. At this point,I started to teach the children the songs I sang as a child.

I also worked in the toddler community. This is where Istarted to see the developmental process in its purest form.The children started at 15 months and, in the beginning(like many parents), I did not understand the children’s ca-pabilities. It was not until a parent asked me “How do theycommunicate? Who puts their shoes on?” that I knew that itis not only necessary to educate the children but the par-ents as well. I answered, “They use their words and puttheir shoes on themselves.” I had educated a parent on thepotential of their child! It was a great feeling.

The toddler community showed me the great beginningof the developmental process that Montessori children ex-perience. The children came into the environment and didnot know how to use their hands or talk. When they transi-tioned into the 3-6 classroom, they had a full vocabulary andprided themselves on taking responsibility for their own be-longings and actions. They were well-rounded, indepen-dent, and proud of themselves at three years old.

Once, I started to see the children learning and under-stand their capabilities, I wanted to understand the role ofthe Montessori materials. I knew that one of the first lessonswas the pink tower. I remember having that lesson as achild, yet I did not understand the purpose.

I often observed the children in their work environ-ments and had recollections from my own childhood of do-ing the language boards and (my favorite) the geographymaps, as well as reading Max the Cat and Six Kids.

When I turned 22 years old, my mother urged me tobranch out and see if this is what I wanted to do. I found ajob working as the assistant to the vice president of a soft-ware company. I was able to help her with what she neededand finished my daily tasks, quickly and efficiently and wasself directed. I attribute this to my Montessori education. Ihave been privileged to have attended a Montessori school,a private Catholic school, and a public school. To this day, Ibelieve that I have retained the most knowledge from myMontessori experience.

Although I did well as an administrative assistant, I foundmyself longing to go back to my Montessori roots. It wasn’tuntil my mother passed away, that I truly understood thatteaching was my calling. I started to recall all of the thingsmy mother used to do with us as children and why she al-lowed us to have the freedom we did. We were allowed toget dirty and take things apart. We often cooked for our-selves, cleaned up after ourselves, and were allowed tomake mistakes — as well as take responsibility. We partici-pated in sports, choir, and scouting. My mother took us toMexico and explored the bay with us. We brought creatureshome, and she would help us make homes for them on ourpatio. She allowed us to develop freely and in our own time.

Without my mother’s trust, we would not have the confi-dence we have today. She had this trust in us because ofher knowledge in our development and education. It is be-cause of my mother that my brothers and I are intrinsicallymotivated and the people we are today.

When I accompanied TMS’s elementary class on a classtrip to Mexico, I was able to show the children the samethings my mother showed me. This reinforced my interestand determination to be a Montessori teacher. Without myMontessori education, I do not believe I would be the per-son I am today. My independence to do things for myself,

MontessoriGraduates

Where are they now?

Lauren BolarTempe MontessoriSchool, Mesa,Arizona

Pictured above areTempe founder, IrmaLetson and Lauren,Irma’s granddaughter.The young Montessoristudent is Kadence,Lauren’s niece.

M


“Bragging rights” for your school or child!

We want your graduates’ stories inTomorrow’s Child! Simply send us thefollowing: ! the graduate’s name! name/s & location/s of Montessori

school/s attended! number of years in Montessori! where they are now! approximately 250 words describing

what their Montessori experiencehas meant to them

! a picture of the graduate (then andnow)

Have a story? Just contact Lorna McGrath at

[email protected].

PS: We’d love to hear from more boys.Come on guys —

we know you’re out there!

stand up for myself, and have thecourage to continuously seek knowl-edge, to solve my problems and takeon demanding tasks would not havebeen fostered. I can honestly say, Imight not have the knowledge of my-self to take opportunities and chal-lenge risk!

Becoming a Montessori teacher isnot only to continue what my grand-mother started more than 30 years ago.It is to help and encourage children tobelieve in themselves and to love theireducational experience as I did mine.

I go to TMS and watch my niece inthe toddler community. To watch hergrow from an infant to where she is to-day is amazing. She takes what shedoes in the classroom and brings ithome with her. At home, she likes toclear and clean her table and put herlunch away. Her vocabulary has grownexponentially! It is amazing to watchher every day!

I am excited to have the opportuni-ty to learn the Montessori Method. Ihope to have the impact on childrenthat my teachers have had on me. Mymain goal as a teacher will be to helpchildren understand their potentialand explore their opportunities in both

their educational process and theirpersonal experiences. I truly believea well-rounded education is notonly what people learn in a class-room but what they also take awayfrom it in their life experiences.

After my mother passed away, Ipetitioned Arizona State Universityto honor my mother by granting herdegree in family studies, which shewas a semester short of completion.My main point was simply what Istated previously: education is notonly what is learned in the class-room; it is what a person learnsthroughout their life through theirwork, life experiences, mistakes andsuccesses. It is because of my grand-mother and mother’s commitmentto my education that I believe in theMontessori Method.

To be given the opportunity tolearn and qualify as an AMI certifiedMontessori teacher will be a bless-ing not only in my life but in the en-richment of my future parentingskills. Every day, parents trust mewith their children. To be able tohelp educate parents is the nextstep in my educational endeav-ors!

Learning isFun andLearningThroughMusicby HestiaAbeyesekeraPh.D.

These two CDsfeature delight-ful collections ofsongs designedfor preschoolersand for early elementary chil-dren. These sim-ple, cheery,repetitive songsand melodieshelp children tolearn and to re-

tain a great deal of information. Hestia skillfullyuses rhythm and melody to help learning becomefun and effortless.

Learning is Fun features a song for every monthas well as songs about the days of the week, theworld, the weather and a song in four lang-uages. Learning Through Music has many livelysongs including The Butterfly, where childrenlearn the word metamorphosis. The Story of aSeed, where children learn the parts of the flower,the leaf, and the tree and Land and Water, wherechildren learn the names of some of the land andwater formations with geographic examples fromNorth America.

Hestia Abeyesekera is Montessori trained and hasa doctorate in education. She also has degrees inmusic, speech, and drama from London, England.Her extensive educational background and train-ing makes her uniquely qualified to produce thesewonderful collections of songs, which she devel-oped and used in her classrooms.

I have used these songs for many years in myclassrooms to help with units of study. I have hadgreat success using these songs for live musicalperformances, where the children sing for theirparents and extended families.

The CDs or songs can be purchased at http://www.acceleratedlearningmethods.com/ wherethey are featured on the front page.

— Reviewed by Richard Colombini,Montessori Teacher,

Arise and Shine Montessori, Minneapolis, Minnesota


THANKS to all our standingbulk order subscribers foryour support in getting thisnew benefit of Tomorrow’sChild off and running!

If your school has a standingbulk order to Tomorrow’sChild, your families and staff can get connected toTomorrow’s Child OnLineNOW!

Tomorrow’s Child OnLineis a free, additional benefit to subscribing in bulk toTomorrow’s Child.

TCOL includes articles,videos, audio files, interviewsand more that connectMontessori families andschools.

Contact LornaMcGrath (Director ofthe Family EducationCenter) at [email protected] for details.

Montessori Reads • Montessori Reads

The FamilyCenter

Stay connected!

Now is the time forMontessori schools to sign up

for their standing bulk order ofTomorrow’ s Child for the

2010/11 school year.

See page 29 for informationon benefits & special discounts.

Are We There Yet? And LessonsLearned Along the Wayby April L. Whitten

Author, April Whitten, was soinspired by her observationsand experiences on her jour-ney on the Overland Trailsthat she decided to write thisbook. Her photography isunique and the story is time-less.

The wagon train journey began in Nebraska inthe spring of 1999 and traveled acrossWyoming, Idaho, and Nevada to California. Thejourney itself concluded at the vast PacificOcean. It took many months and a great manymiles. April had a strong desire to share hernew appreciation of our country’s history and

Celebrating Children’s ArtA Visual Arts Program That SoarsThe Renaissance SchoolOakland, Califorina

The Renaissance School is a Montessorischool in Oakland, California. They servechildren from toddlers through the 8th gradeand provide all-day Montessori programs fortheir families.

At Renaissance, under the guidance offounder and owner Leslie Hites, the childrenare given not only a strong Montessori pro-gram but also, a program that includes mul-ti-lingual classrooms and a major focus onboth visual and performing arts.

This book is a beauti-ful compilation of thechildren’s art, whichwas exhibited at TheRenaissance School’sAnnual Art Show. Thisartwork was created inthe studio art pro-gram.

The staff at Renaissance believe that, “astrong visual-art education offers extraordi-nary benefits to children: improvement incritical thinking, problem solving, flexibility,coordination, creativity, self-direction, per-sonal expression and communication….”


Montessori Reads • Montessori Reads

Read any goodbooks or enjoyedsome great CDs

lately?

Reviews welcome.

Please contact meat [email protected].

its amazing beauty. Through April’sphotography children will beginto see the beauty in the westernregions of the US and travel asthe early pioneers did.

Beyond the history of the pio-neers, who crossed the countryin search of gold and a new life,April shares the life lessons thatshe learned along the way thatcome from being together, de-pending on each other, and sup-

porting each other’s success.

It is a wonderful photographic diary, re-flecting the diversity of the land and wa-ter forms, people, and the weather asthe country unfolds.


Mimi theMermaid and thePearl Necklaceby Sydney A.Wurapa, Jordan A.Wurapa and KarinSmall Wurapa, MD,MPHIllustrated by WendyRasmussen

This book started as ajournal entry forSydney when she was

just seven years old. She and her brother, Jordan,attend St. Joseph Montessori School in Colum-bus, OH.

At St. Joseph Montessori School, creative writingand completing the work cycle have always beenencouraged. Sydney would enter something newabout the story each day with the encouragementof her mom and dad.

The story and publishing of the book became atwo-year family project with Jordan’s help as well.As a family they decided to give 100 percent oftheir profit from the book to NationwideChildren’s Hospital in Columbus for some of thechildren’s program there.

In this imaginative story Mimi learns from herfriends and family that a person’s beauty comesfrom the inside out. This is not a new lesson butone that is important in a world that often em-phasizes external appearance and material acces-sories. This particular story is about a young girlwho is looking for acceptance and love.

The illustrations are lovely, and there is a surpriseat the end! Children in school or at home will en-joy this book and will gain valuable insights fromreading the book with friends and family. You canpurchase Mimi the Mermaid at barnesandnoble.com.


We are highlighting this book be-cause we feel that it is a possiblemodel for other Montessorischools. The variety of media used,the creativity expressed, and the in-volvement of children of all ages isexemplary. There are pieces thatuse acrylic paint, yarn and wax, col-lage, clay, watercolors, mixed me-dia, felt, mosaic tiles, wool andburlap – and the list goes on.

To whatever degree your school of-fers visual-arts activities, you willhave enriched your students lives.Please enjoy these samples fromthis professionally produced 100-page volume.

For more information about theRenaissance School, [email protected].


Announcing 3 NEW titles for

The Montessori Foundation’s popular

parent education pamphlet series

See inside back cover for more information.

Adventure in the Arts

Math Refresher

Special Needs

3 NEW OnlineProfessional

Development Courses

See page 18 for more information.

and ...


ADD, LD, IBD, Depression, AllergicDiseases, and many others) is that somany children are eating fake foods andthrowing their bodies out of biochemi-cal balance. Dr. Sears says “There is plen-ty of information to support the axiomof ‘you are what you eat,’ but it is foundonly in journals such as the AmericanJournal of Clinical Nutrition, whichdon’t get read and appreciated by par-ents or even by many doctors.” (Sears, p.18).

As a parent and teacher, I know that itis sometimes difficult for the school andparent to provide a united messagewhen it comes to health and nutrition,because most of us cannot sift throughthis ever-changing mountain of researchand the insidious marketing ploys offood manufacturers. The only way wewill be able to counter the increase inthe “D” disorders and the massive influ-ence of media and advertising is to havea consistent and strong joint messageand shared goals related to health. I’vefound that this task is often more diffi-cult than it should be simply becauseparents and schools aren’t always able tofind common ground to work togetherand have not jointly identified clearstrategies for creating healthy kids.

For the sake of my child and his be-havior at school, I try to make sure thathe avoids sugar, chemical additives, andkeeps a steady blood-sugar level by fill-ing up with foods full of protein andfiber. I’ve often been discouraged andfelt that the school my son attended wasnot supporting him in controlling his be-havior or me in my parenting approach,when a steady flow of birthday or holi-day treats and snacks continued to occurand disrupt our plans. The weeks be-tween Halloween and Valentine’s Dayseemed to be a relentless stream of ‘spe-cial days’ that were celebrated by a fren-zy of sugar.

I felt great at the beginning of theyear when I found out that a parent whowas a registered dietician was planningthe snacks. Then I noticed that the quali-ty of the snacks started to disintegrate.More processed foods and less ‘wholefoods’ were being served. I found outthat the parent had stopped helping co-ordinate the snack planning, and nowother parents were in charge of that re-sponsibility. My frustration was high, buthow could I talk about this in a positiveway without offending others? Thisschool had expressed that they werecommitted to healthy snacks, but that is

really a mystery when we all have differ-ent viewpoints about what ‘healthy’ re-ally means.

Sometimes, serving processed foodsis less expensive for a school, since theyusually have a longer shelf life. Also, thecommon wisdom in our culture is thatsome of these items are considered‘healthy’ kid foods. We’ve all been con-fused by food marketers, who make ittheir goal to impress upon us that theirproduct is healthy, kid friendly, or hasthe current nutritional buzz word onthe label. I commiserated with anotherparent at the school. We both have chil-dren who are sensitive to sugar, and thisissue really made us feel disconnectedand frustrated with the school, but wewere both unsure how to approach theissue with the teacher or other parents.We were really missing an importantcomponent of the school/parent con-nection. How can one approach this is-sue as a school community when thereis such a gap in knowledge and no com-mon language to approach the topic?

Quality Montessori schools are usu-ally very good at bringing parents intothe school community as well as com-

municating what our ‘school culture’ isall about. They provide plenty of parenteducation and make it their responsibil-ity to provide information about Mon-tessori curriculum, Montessori jargon,and Montessori-friendly disciplinestrategies. This education helps the par-ent and school stay connected and inpartnership with each other. As Mon-tessori educators, we know that thisconsistency between home and schoolis a key component of an effective edu-cation for students and positive rela-tionships in our school. We also knowthat we must approach the child in aholistic way and understand that we areeducating the whole person, not simplyworrying about the academic success ofa child. So why don’t more Montessorischools provide health and wellness ed-ucation?

Admittedly, as a teacher I think theanswer involves the blame game. Veryoften, schools or teachers blame theparents for not knowing about nutritionand health. Sometimes teachers evenbelieve that parents “just don’t care.” Inreality, however, I think that most par-ents are just confused. Parents really do

“We” Believe In Healthy Children

! Refuse to play the blame game. Take action and encourage other parents to joinwith you. Remember the “We Principle.”

! Talk to the administrator. Tell him, or her, that you want the school to providehealthy snacks. If cost is an obstacle, form a L.E.A.N. committee and brainstormpossible solutions. Cost should not be an issue if we remember that our number-one goal is growing healthy children. In the long term, prevention and health savesmoney.

! Teach kids where ‘real food’ comes from by planting a garden at home or school.Kids will be more connected to food and more likely to eat it when they have hadexperience in growing it themselves. This can be a simple herb garden or a raisedbed. There are lots of books at the library to help you get started.

! Find a Certified L.E.A.N. Coach and develop a relationship for parent and teachertraining at your school. L.E.A.N. coaches are qualified to bring you many types ofclasses and can help you meet specific goals for your school. For more information,please visit www.DrSearsLEAN.com.

! If you do not have a L.E.A.N. coach in your area, talk to your administrator and askquestions in your school community. Perhaps an interested parent or teacherwould be willing to take the L.E.A.N. coach training and then become a coach forthe school. Consider fundraising to cover the costs of training in order to sponsor acoach for your school.

! Remember that teachers need training, too. Having a common language andshared goals between home and school about nutrition and health is going tostrengthen the message your child receives.

! Find out more about food marketing techniques and how you can educate andprotect your children from their influence. www.commercialfreechildhood.org

L.E.A.N continued from page 21


want what is best for their children butdon’t know how to achieve that andhave very little help or support in mak-ing changes. Some parents believe, in er-ror, that if their child is a healthy weightor has no behavior or learning problems,then no damage is being done. Teachershave so much to focus on in their class-rooms. They are dealing every day withthe consequences of poor behavior andinadequate nutrition but may not beaware that what a child had for breakfastat home or has at school for snack maybe contributing to, or even causing, hisor her behavior and focus problems.Teachers are confused, too.

Montessori philosophy is focused onthe ‘whole child.’ Teachers are trainedthat nutrition is important, and that iscertainly something that Dr. Montessoribelieved. However, Dr. Montessori didnot live in this age of packaged and com-mercialized food products. She did notprovide training to teachers about nutri-tion that addresses these modern prob-lems. I do believe that Dr. Montessori, asa scientist and physician, would havebeen looking to the current research onnutrition and brain development. Shewould have encouraged us all to cooper-ate with each other in taking responsibil-ity for the health of children. I believethat she would have been looking toother leaders in this field, such as Dr.William Sears.

Dr. Sears has made current nutrition-al research practical, accessible, and funfor parents and caregivers and has pack-aged it into a program he calls L.E.A.N.This acronym stands for Lifestyle,Exercise, Attitude, and Nutrition. Thesefour pillars of health represent how welive, how we move, how we think, andhow we eat. L.E.A.N. provides simple ed-ucational programs designed to teachparents and caregivers (including teach-ers) basic behaviors that will empowerthem to raise healthy children. I knewinstantly that I wanted to be a part of thisprogram. Besides the beneficial effectsof nutrition on behavior, mood, andlearning, a healthy diet and exercise pro-gram is essential in fighting the majorepidemic of obesity, diabetes, and other“D” disorders that are ravaging our chil-dren today.

I had the opportunity to attend a Dr.Sears’ L.E.A.N. Coach Training and be-came certified to teach the L.E.A.N. pro-gram to parents and caregivers. The six-hour L.E.A.N. Start course provides par-ents with practical nutrition and physicalactivity tools and information in a highlyinteractive, fun, and entertaining way.

The information is very straightfor-ward, easy to understand, and is veryfamily friendly. Dr. Sears has created away for parents to truly be responsiblefor their own child’s health. L.E.A.Nteaches parents to be a ‘coach’ to theirown children. The program was writ-ten in ‘child-friendly’ language so thatparents have access to simple explana-tions and examples that children canremember and understand. It’s great tohear my son ask me questions aboutnutrition now. Dr. Sears’ “traffic-lighteating” system has given us a tool tocommunicate and an entry point intodialogue. “Is pasta a green-light food ora yellow-light food, Mom?” This child-friendly language is a great way for all ofus to communicate with each other athome or in the classroom on the samelevel using the same terminology.Having a common language keeps usconnected to each other.

My hope is that Montessori schoolswill begin to lead the way when itcomes to family education in healthand wellness. Montessori schools arevery often the leaders in helping bringabout educational and social change.However, this will only happen if par-ents speak up and ask for help andsupport. Parents and educators needto begin talking to each other and starttaking active steps toward creating apartnership aimed at healthier chil-dren.

Dr. Sears often refers to what hecalls the “We Principle.” In his pediatricpractice, he found certain parents werevery devoted to healthy living and eat-ing. He discovered that, over the years,the children of these parents were notin his office very much. They were notsick and were just healthier than otherkids. When he asked these parentsabout how they approached healthyliving, he learned that they used the“We Principle.” They used languagesuch as, “This is how we eat in our fam-ily.” “We drink water in our family. Wedon’t eat junk in our family.”

Children before the age of six orseven are more receptive to the ideathat “this is how we do things in ourfamily.” This “We Principle” helps par-ents make healthy living a family valueand a normal part of family life. Thiskind of language and value sharing isoften used at schools as well. The “WePrinciple” is very effective in helpingchildren learn the ‘culture’ of the class-room that the teacher creates. For ex-ample, “We walk in the classroom,”or,“We use gentle hands and words.”

School communities need to adoptthis “We Principle,” as well, in order tofight the trend toward obesity, dia-betes, behavior disorders, and learn-ing problems. Change is only possiblewhen we’ve committed to sharedgoals and educated ourselves on howto most effectively bring this to life inour homes and schools. A programlike the Dr. Sears’ L.E.A.N. Programcan help a school community makethat transition into unity and health.

As a parent, remember that you re-ally are your child’s first and most im-portant teacher. You are the rolemodel of healthy living for your child.Commit to making changes and edu-cating yourself so that you can helpyour child stay in balance and stayhealthy. The reward may be morethan building a brighter brain oravoiding nutrition -diseases. You justmay bring peace to your family,too.

REFERENCES:

*Sears, William. 2009. The NDDBook: How Nutrition Deficit DisorderAffects Your Child’s Learning,Behavior, and Health, and What YouCan Do About It –Without Drugs.Little Brown and Company, New York.

*See Chelsea Howe’s article and in-terview with Dr. Bill in the End ofSchool Issue of Tomorrow’s ChildMagazine 2008

Suzanne Voldman earned her AMS EarlyChildhood Credential in July of 2003 from theNew Gate Center for Montessori Studies. Sheis a certified Redirecting Children’s Behaviorparent educator and has a B.A. in educationfrom Central Washington University. She isalso a Certified Dr. Sears’ L.E.A.N. Coach. Shelives with her husband and two sons in MapleValley, Washington. She can be reached [email protected].


The Montessori Foundation always strives to help schools and parent organiza-tions provide the most cost effective ways to get Tomorrow’s Child magazineinto the hands of parents. At the same time, in our effort to conserve natural resources and save trees, we’d like to introduce Tomorrow’s Child, theelectronic version.

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Each time we publish an issue, you will receivean email notifing you that the electronic ver-sion is ready for you to access through TCOL.

Log on, go to the TCOL page and you’re readyto read. Just turn the pages using the arrow.It’s that easy and sounds just like you are flip-ping pages in a print magazine. Electronic sub-scribers will also have access to Tomorrow’sChild OnLine (see inset)*.

The Foundation always strives to keep printing costs under control as well as conserve resources and, therefore, we no longer keep aninventory of back issues nor large quantities of the most current issue. We will always try and fulfill new standing bulk orders with themost currently released issue. If that isn’t possible, we’ll start your order with the next one in the cycle and pro-rate your order.

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Tomorrow’s Child OnLine, the parent re-source center provides you with many oth-er free articles and video presentations oneffective parenting and how to incorporatea Montessori way of life into your daily fam-ily routines. Hosted by the Foundation’sParent Education Director, Lorna McGrath,there are many short video clips on criticalissues of parenting. This added benefit isavailable to bulk subscribers and electron-ic subscribers.

Contact Information:Make checks payable to:

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1 Early Bird Standing BulkOrders for 2010/11Same prices as last year!Tomorrow’s Child magazine is the best wayfor schools to help parents stay connectedon key issues in Montessori. Articles on par-enting, research, how Montessori is done in-ternationally, schools showcasing their unique-ness, graduate achievements and valuablecalendar of events make this one of the mostwidely read Montessori resources worldwide.

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Last year, our September 2009 issues soldout! If you are ordering a standing bulk or-der for the 2010/11 school year, be sure todo so before August 15th. We only order asmall number of extra issues, and this firstissue is one that your families won’t want tomiss..

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101: What Every Montessori Parent Should Know and A Guided Tour of the MontessoriClassroom. 72 pages with more than 200 pictures.

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TThhee MMoonntteessssoorriiFFoouunnddaattiioonn© 2009

Why would youstart your three-year -old inschool?

TThheeMMoonntteessssoorriiFFoouunnddaattiioonn© 2009

Montessori Nurtures Curiosity, Creativity & Imagination

The Importance ofMontessori for theKindergarten Year

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Announcing 3 NEW titles for our popular

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What canMontessori offer our infants & toddlers?

Ever wish for something tohand out at communityevents or open houses thateasily explained or visuallyshowed some aspect ofMontessori that didn’t over-whelm the reader? Who bet-ter than the people whowrote the book, TheMontessori Way, to intro-duce such a product!

NINE Montessori pamphletsnow available. Use the formbelow to order.

Each pamphlet bundle contains 50 of the same title and is incredibly affordable at $15 USD per bundle plus postage. The items are in stock and readyto ship. They may be purchased the following ways:1. Through our online publication center located at the Foundation’s website: www.montessori.org (go to ‘Publications,’ then to ‘bookstore’)

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5. Creating a Culture of Partnership, Kindness, Respect & Peace _____#of bundles @$15 Total due $_______

6. The Importance of Montessori for the Kindergarten Year _____#of bundles @$15 Total due $______

7. Joyful Scholars: Montessori for the Elementary Years _____#of bundles @$15 Total due $______

8. Research & Montessori _____#of bundles @$15 Total due $______

9. Montessori in the Home _____#of bundles @$15 Total due $______

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Tomorrow’s ChildA Publication of The Montessori Foundation19600 E State Road 64 • Bradenton, FL 34212-8921

Non-Profit OrgU. S. Postage

PAIDSt. Petersburg, FLPERMIT # 597

Tomorrow Child sample issue

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Transcript of Tomorrow Child sample issue