Kay Baker offers a look at the needs and manifestations (observed characteristics) of the developing human being, specifically of the second-plane child. She outlines key ideas in thinking about these needs and manifestations and discerns the pedagogy associated with each. She emphasizes that the pedagogy/practice must meet the needs of the child.…

Using the water molecule as a metaphor, Marilyn Doerr presents a study of a Montessori high school that combines the elements of Montessori with International Baccalaureate (IB) and other institutions in the surrounding community that enrich the experience of the students. The pedagogy of the high school, she explains, must be based on an…

Laurie Ewert-Krocker emphasizes the teacher's role in nature's prepared environment. Without directing or controlling the child's work, learning spaces can be maximized for concentration by connecting the adolescent's intrinsic learning to the beauty and order of the natural world. The most artful balance is the global understanding of the…

Judi Orion, a Montessori expert on the birth-to-six plane of development, delivers a no-nonsense call to arms about the vital importance of the right beginning to set the stage for all that follows. Although we often hear and read about the period from birth to two-and-a-half years, Orion communicates the urgency of responding to the developmental…

Polli Soholt points to normalization in the first plane as leading to the successful realization of the human personality, which is the basis of social development. Children who have cultivated concentration and purposeful work at an early age develop the virtues to become world citizens. Normalization can be assisted by certain practices: 1)…

Defines "normalized school" and claims that faith in the child and courage to see the truth provide a firm foundation for any Montessori school community. Claims that in order for normalization to truly occur, adults in the community must be as concerned with the value and vitality of their own growth as they are for those of their…

Discusses how orienting a student to a Primary Montessori program is influenced by the child's experience in an Assistants to Infancy program. Maintains that introducing the zero-to-three sub plane changes the overall character of a school, requiring a new theory-practice framework for parent education, the role of the school in all-day programs,…

Examines results of a survey documenting the current state of adolescent programs in the Montessori schools of North America. Includes information on the students, adults, and physical environment of such programs, as well as the programs' enrollment, grouping, activities, and materials. (HTH)

Discusses specific teaching strategies to nurture creativity in young children that guide choice, highlight human potential, and distinguish those activities that help children from those that are more impulsive and less developmental. Suggests that teachers need to encourage a love of work, concentration, self-discipline, and sociability. (MDM)