Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer PR and Maria Montessori?

Was thumbing through a book today (no comments please) entitled Montessori: A Modern Approach by Paula Polk Lillard.

Anyway, I found the following quotes:

“Because the child’s mind is not yet formed, he must learn in a different way from the adult. The adult has knowledge of his environment on which to build, but the child must begin with nothing. It is the ABSORBANT MIND (I added emphasis) that accomplishes this seemingly impossible task. It permits an UNCONSCIOUS (me again) absorption of the environment by means of a special PRE-CONSCIOUS (me) state of mind . “

Further it says,

“An unconscious activity thus prepares the mind. It is ‘succeeded by a conscious process which slowly awakens and takes from the unconscious what it can offer.”

Conclusion? Maria Montessori could PhotoRead

Cheers - CS

Maria Montessori was brilliant. I highly encourage anyone with school age children to try and send them to a Montessori school.

The brightest people I've known in my life have all been Montessori students.

Montessori methods teach people to think different, outside the box. The methods might seem simple to someone unfamiliar, but in reality they are highly complex.

Tracey

Tracey - based on my daughter's first Montessori year, I would have to agree with you. She is thriving with her "community". I think many people under estimate what 3-4 year olds can do and, more importantly, want to do.

I thought the quote was very interesting. Clearly Paul's research overlapped with Maria's somewhere...the ideas, the language...very similar.

Cheers - CS

CS,

Can you comment further on Montessori? What were your determining factors to send you child there?

I'm struggling with this question, to send to public, catholic or montessori?

Theres a saying 'you can pay now or pay later'. Translated ... you can EDUCATE them properly NOW and they can lead successful lives or THEY can PAY later and struggle with life.

Success with life and Investing have alot in common. The earlier you begin to invest, the sooner you can reap the rewards.

Love Light and Laughter,

Michael

Michael:

The decision for our daughter was made more from recommendations for the specific Montessori "school" more than for our desire to expose her to the Montessori "method". She started last September and her mom and I have been piecing together what Montessori is all about since then. I don't feel that I can adequately compare the +/-'s of public vs. Montessori vs. God centered education, although in my heart, I believe all three can be exceptional.

What I can try yo communicate is why our daughter will continue at her school. First, she just turned 4 last Febuary. When you witness her class, there is no "lecturing". All 25 kids are busy either working independently or in small groups. You will see older kids helping the younger kids. My daughter is just as likely to ask an older child for help as she is to ask the teacher or the aid. There is a buzz in the class but it is not loud. The entire classroom is "pint" size...the room belongs to the kids and they care for it by keeping it clean and decorating with flowers and art.

My daughter is already reading and writing. In fact, she now like to read to my 2 year old son at bed time and I am constantly "binding" books that she has created - written and illustrated. And while I would love to boast that she is advanced and a product of amazing genes, the truth is, she is on par with the others in her class. Hence I attribute most of it to her school, which is Montessori based.

I could go on about basic math, art history, and spanish but I think you get the idea. It is absolutely amazing to me that children (3-6 yrs old) can assimilate all of these topics and in an informal presentation (to be read:"without lecture").

I hope this helps in some way. If I can be of further service.....

Cheers - CS

Michael, remember that success is MUCH more correlated with Emotional Quotiant than it is with Intellectual Quotiant. Raise happy confident balance children and they will succeed.

IAM2,

True. All so true!

Emotional and Intellectual Quotiant? I'm trying to remember what discipline I recall seeing these terms? Someone help me out here, it's driving me crazy!

Love Light and Laughter,

Michael