Presenting the Montessori tools of the Great Lessons highlights the power of storytelling in teaching. Carla Foster suggests that children should be aware of how their learning increases as wonder points them to the mystery of the unknown. Engaging in the dialect of wonder during presentations can bring participants to attention by suggesting that…

"The most essential component to offering the children an education for peace is the emphasis on that which unites us." With this focus, Elizabeth Henke presents a picture of how Montessori students progressively develop a sense of moral, civic, and social responsibility. The foundation is set during the elementary years when children…

Polli Soholt looks at grace and courtesy from the 3-6 classroom perspective with clear theory explanations as they pertain to the larger classroom culture. She discusses the link between older and young children and the presence of the teacher as a model for grace and takes a brief look to neural science for proof of the existence of social…

In this talk, Linda Davis discusses observation at the adolescent level. She explains that we must "adjust our approach for the third plane of development, for when they are becoming adults." Using examples, she discusses the characteristics of this plane, which are helpful to recall when thinking about what to expect when observing…

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…

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)…

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.…

This article is placed at the end of this journal for the spiritual discussion of grace and courtesy: the child's relationship with God. It is chapter three of Patricia Coulter's new book," Like Leaven," which touches on the highest order of grace, one that comes through the child and is expanded to the parent's spirituality as…

Baiba Krumins Grazzini has generously transformed her lecture, delivered at the AMI-USA Refresher Course in 2014, into a legacy article. This article establishes the role of storytelling in Cosmic Education while capturing both the whole and the detailed parts of Montessori Cosmic Education. Working from the early childhood transition into the…

Joen Bettmann's depiction of practical life exercises as character-building reveals how caring, careful, and independent work leads to higher self-esteem, more concern for others, better understanding for academic learning, and a self-nurturing, respectful classroom community. Particular aspects of movement and silence exercises bring out what…

"Our primary concern is not that the child learns to do something without mistakes. Our real concern is that the child does what he needs, with interest." The reaction of so many adults to the mistakes of children is to correct, immediately and directly, says Joosten. To truly aid the child in development, we must learn to control our…

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…

Through a strong Montessori orientation to the parameters of spoken language, Joen Bettmann makes the case for "materializing" spoken knowledge using the stimulation of real objects and real situations that promote mature discussion around the sensorial aspect of the prepared environment. She lists specific materials in the classroom…

Functional independence in toilet training involves muscle control, the awareness and desire to stay dry, and the child's ability to dress themselves. This is a natural and gradual process beginning at home, and Sarah Moudry gives clear and encouraging ideas for supporting this process at school once the child is walking. [This talk was presented…

In this article, Kay Baker sets out to answer the questions, "What is observation? What is the nature of observation in the elementary class? How can observation help the adult guide the development of children?" She responds by listing the areas that can be observed in the elementary class (the prepared environment, the work of the…