Celebrating Peace

"If we are to teach real peace in this world... we shall have to begin with the children."
—Mahatma Gandhi

Montessori education has often been referred to as "peace education" and Maria Montessori herself was at the forefront of global peace advocacy and education, recognized during her time and throughout history as a spokesperson of the power of peace. In fact, she was thrice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

A wise believer in the power of the child, Montessori advocated for the creation of “… an environment that will promote the development of peaceful individuals.”[i]  Montessori environments are thus characterized by a special emphasis on living in harmony and respecting the rights of others.

Anyone who has visited a Montessori classroom has discovered the magical way that peace and harmony prevail in a classroom bustling with dozens of little hearts and minds of varying ages and at various stages of development. And for those who have pondered how this is possible, Montessori lends her insight: when work and concentration on activities appropriate for the child's stage of development are protected, the potential for optimum development is seen in ways previously not thought possible. Montessori herself referred to this development process in children as “normalization through work”[ii] – a process marked by “a love of work or activity, concentration, self-discipline and joy in accomplishment.”[iii]  

These characteristics are not imposed by anyone or anything—they are derived by the child through his own efforts when the environment is conducive to and fosters such an experience. The result is joyful learning and a certain inner peace at its heart, filled with self-actualization that comes from the child’s own self-discipline and accomplishments.

September 21 is the International Day of Peace. Today we celebrated Peace at The Westmont Montessori School by talking about why and how we practice peace and kindness and by singing songs together that remind us about how we all live together in harmony. Many children shared what peace means to them: “friendship”, “being kind to others”, “sharing”, and “a dove”.

At Westmont, we practice peace everyday through modeling peaceful behavior and through lessons that expound on the fact that all living creatures are important and interconnected. Today we celebrate the peace that burns brightly within each child and the peace that prevails in our community.  How did you celebrate peace today?

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[i] http://montessoritraining.blogspot.com/2007/06/peace-education-in-montessori-classroom.html#.VdEF6hNViko

[ii] E. M. Standing, Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work, p. 173

[iii] http://amshq.org/Family-Resources/Montessori-Terminology

What’s in a Montessori Lunch?

Healthy foods are a hallmark of Montessori philosophy. Dr. Montessori was one of the first educators to recognize the connection between nutrition and the developing brain. One of the best ways to encourage a child to eat healthily is to get them involved in preparing their own food.

Parents are often astounded when they see their young child ready and able to peel and cut his own apples or carrots. In the Montessori classroom, children beam when it is their turn to enjoy snack with a friend. This means they can practice: gracefully inviting a peer to join them for snack, as well as preparing, serving and cleaning up after snack. And they quickly become very adept at all of these skills.

Helping the child develop this type of independence is at the very heart of the Montessori environment. What could be more meaningful to a young child who is developing independence than to master a few basic skills that can help him meet the fundamental human need of nutrition?  What’s more, food preparation also builds concentration and the very motor skills needed for writing.

So back to packing a healthy lunch…here are a few handy tips:

• Make a shopping list before you go to the supermarket.
• Try to avoid artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives or hydrogenated fats (if you can’t read the list of ingredients, it’s best to avoid that product).
• If you are in a pinch and sending in a pre-packaged lunch, make sure to check the sodium level. Many “Lunchables” are extremely high in sodium.
• Get your child involved in prepping (peeling, washing) the fresh ingredients that will make part of his/her lunch like fruits and veggies.
• Keep your child’s small tummy in mind; provide a variety of smaller foods instead of an adult-sized portion like a sandwich. The same sandwich ingredients in small containers are more likely to be consumed. You can trim bread down into cracker-sized pieces and then get creative with the rest of the ingredients that s/he can mix and match.
• Think of simple dips for veggies that start with plain yogurt or cottage cheese.
• Try to provide a balanced meal, including some protein.
• Watch the sugar content of things that appear to be healthy, like flavored yogurts.
• Water is always available at school so there is no need to send juice boxes; children usually fill up on their juice box and then have no room left for lunch.
• More ideas on healthy lunches here.
• Have fun!

Montessori classrooms support growth during first days of school

A Montessori classroom is carefully prepared to “follow each child” as he engages in joyful learning while building independence and confidence.

The first few days of school are very important toward helping children acclimate to new routines, new friends and new teachers.

Reviewing a few basic principles will help, such as;

* Pushing in a chair when you leave the table

* Walking around rugs and work

* Rolling a rug

* Sitting in a circle

* Using the right voice in the classroom

* Washing hands

* Stopping when the bell rings (or a signal is given)

And the teachers do just that!  In addition to the carefully prepared environment, Montessori classrooms have another special feature that support a cohesive beginning: multi-age communities of children. One of the benefits of a Montessori multi-age classroom is that the returning, older friends can make the back-to-school transition easier for everyone by becoming role models for their younger friends. Younger or new friends can look to the older, returning friends for cues on how to interact with the environment and each other.

As it is customary for children to stay in the same classroom for multiple years, it means that the returning students will already know the basic ebbs and flow of the classroom. These children have an opportunity to build and hone their leadership skills vis-à-vis their younger friends. The peer cooperation that is established helps build self-esteem for both the younger and the older child.

Dr. Montessori’s vision was to create a closely-knit community in each classroom—one where each child becomes a contributing, sharing member of their school family. A multi-age classroom provides a natural environment where students learn to care for and trust one another. This strong, naturally forming bond is what helps create the peaceful, industrious hum of the Montessori classroom.

We look forward to building great communities this year!

Learn more about Montessori education.

New Child Passenger Safety Laws

Beginning September 1, New Jersey will begin enforcing a new set of car restraint laws. The most significant change to the law includes having all children under the age of 2 and 30 pounds secured in rear-facing car seats. The law also more specifically lays out the progression of moving from a car seat to a booster to a seatbelt.

The legislation includes these stages of carseat usage:

	a. A child under the age of 2 years and weighing less than 30 pounds shall be secured in a rear-facing seat equipped with a 5-point harness. b. A child under the age of 4 years and weighing less than 40 pounds shall be secured as described in (a) until they reach the upper limits of the rear-facing seat, then in a forward-facing child restraint equipped with a 5-point harness. c. A child under the age of 8 and a height of 57 inches shall be secured as described in (a) or (b) until they reach the upper limits of the rear-facing or forward-facing seat, then in a belt positioning booster seat. d. A child over 8 years of age or 57 inches in height must be properly secured by a seat belt.
	If there are no rear seats, the child shall be secured as described above in the front seat except that no child shall be secured in a rear-facing seat in the front seat of any vehicle that is equipped with an active passenger-side airbag. The aforementioned is acceptable if the airbag is de-activated.

When... Then... Contingencies

A big part of teaching children to be responsible and self-directed is in the delivery of directions. There are many things that children may not want to do... pick up their toys, put their shoes on, brush their teeth... and having children do these things without getting into a power struggle can be one of the most challenging parts of raising children.

With the use of when...then statements though, many of the potential power struggles can be completely averted. By keeping directions positive, children can keep their sense of control in the situation without the adult losing theirs. Here is how some of these statements may sound:

• When your coat is on, you may go outside.
• When your hands are washed, you may have a snack.
• When your blocks are put away, you may play with your trains.

These contingency statements almost always begin with the word WHEN to show that you trust and expect your child to cooperate. The second part of the statement tells the child that she will have what she wants after she meets the expectation. As with all limit-setting strategies, a contingency should be stated in a neutral, non-punitive way, but with a firm expectation of cooperation.