This article describes a teacher in Vietnam being trained in and using process-oriented child monitoring (POM) in their classroom. POM is a child observation approach that can be used to determine students' levels of wellbeing and involvement in the classroom, which helps a teacher understand if deep-level learning is taking place. POM is an easy,…

In "Learning Without Lessons," David F. Lancy fills a rather large gap in the field of child development and education. Drawing on focused, empirical studies in cultural psychology, ethnographic accounts of childhood, and insights from archaeological studies, Lancy offers the first attempt to review the principles and practices for…

Joosten begins his article by telling us that love and knowledge together are the foundation for our work with children. This combination is at the heart of our observation. With this as the foundation, he goes on to offer practical advice to aid our practice of observation. He offers a "List of Objects of Observation" to help guide our…

This lecture discusses how the careful preparation of the observer, control of conditions, and precise use of materials will allow the child to "be free to manifest the phenomena which we wish to observe." This lecture was delivered at the International Training Course, London, 1921. [Reprinted from "AMI Communications" (2008).]

In order to achieve the goal of observation, preparation of the adult, the observer, is necessary. This preparation, says Hilla Patell, requires us to "have an appreciation of the significance of the child's spontaneous activities and a more thorough understanding of the child's needs." She discusses the growth of both the desire to…

The term "active learning" is used in a variety of educational contexts. As described in this guide, however, it refers to an instructional approach developed by Lilli Nielsen--a Danish psychologist--for promoting the learning and development of children who have significant support needs. Nielsen's Active Learning involves a range of…

Greg MacDonald leaves no stone unturned as he places the complexity of second-plane observation into one coherent vision that includes the fundamentals of self-construction, the essential field of observation (freedom of work within the prepared environment), the role of the human tendencies, the construction of developmental facets, and the…

In Nahuatl-speaking villages located in the north of the state of Puebla, family and community educational practices adhere to the Learning by Observing and Pitching In to family and community endeavours model (LOPI). Attentive observation is encouraged as children's principal method of learning. Co-presence is favoured by the adult educators as a…

Using examples from the animal world, Montessori speaks of the natural laws of life and the phases of childhood that are different than that of the adult. The child develops independently of the adult. Montessori says, "The child is the period when man is created," and "The child is a worker." Through work, the child can arrive…

Guided looking, even done informally, has a huge impact on early childhood preparation for elementary school and is an effective way to address learning inequities. Why, therefore, does it play such a small role in schooling'? This is a question that occupied Philip Yenawine during his long career working in art museums, where the adults, once…

"The Advanced Montessori Method, Volume 1" was published in 1918 in English and is considered a seminal work along with "The Montessori Method." In the foreword to this book, Mario Montessori writes: "...the refulgent figure of the child, Dr. Montessori pointed out, who had found his own path to mental health, who…

Montessori's idea of the child's nature and the teacher's perceptiveness begins with amazing simplicity, and when she speaks of "methods evolved," she is unveiling a methodological system for observation. She begins with the early childhood explosion into writing, which is a familiar child phenomenon that Montessori has written about…

This article exhorts the observer to take notice of the unconscious and conscious levels of the young child's absorbent mind (infant stare). Montessori notes the social awareness of young children and suggests that their amazing awareness of people, not merely their activities, is integral to observation. [Reprinted with permission from "AMI…

Grazia Honegger Fresco gives us direct observations of her daughter from birth to eight months, grouping her observations by age even further into birth to fourth month, fifth and sixth months, and seventh and eighth months. Within each age range, she focuses on Sara's sensory life and her relationships. Her observations are detailed and gentle as…

Montessori discusses the importance of the calm inner life (the soul) of the very young child. She stresses the importance of the soul's self-management, the child knowing what he needs to do, and of course, being allowed to do what he needs to do. The child can repeat the exercise or move ahead according to minimal clear and precise guidance from…