Presents the underlying assumptions for the Erdkinder concept of educating adolescents. Discusses the importance of independence and social life beyond the family, the necessary environmental awareness for youth in the context of civilization, the meaning behind social values of civilization, and the importance of social morals, social…

Presents information on the Hershey Montessori Farm School in Huntsburg, Ohio, after a year of operation. Includes beginning case studies, which represent individual change to a higher level of personal realization and social cooperation. Focuses on development of the farm community as the backdrop for personal change and healing, which…

Describes "occupation" as a Montessori term, which the Hershey Montessori Farm School, in Huntsburg, Ohio, has adopted for any task arising from the needs of the farm that then generates a scientific or historic study. Includes lists of occupations pursued during 2000-2001 and samples of record forms students used to manage their work.…

Offers specific rules for using humanities studies in Montessori schools to guide personality formation and social interest during adolescence, focusing on biography. Presents biography as a portrayal of mind connected with action, the success of individual struggle, self-awareness, balancing creativity with service, the importance of inner life,…

Describes the creation of a flexible and varied family-school partnership for second-language learning at a Montessori preschool. Highlights how the program provided students with an opportunity to participate in second-language learning in an optimal environment while providing parents access to home-based activities that were in concert with…

Details evaluation of effectiveness of the Montessori Movable Alphabet in successive exercises to build preschoolers' knowledge about written English. Describes preliminary activities, movable alphabet introduction, dictation, expanded usage, object/picture use, vowel addition, vowel combination, blends, phonetic phrases, H-digraphs, long vowels,…

Discusses the important influence of nursery school design on the learning experiences of preschool children, focusing on the design of the "Haus Der Kinder," an all-day Montessori preschool that operated in Vienna in the 1930s. Notes the importance of a homelike atmosphere and a variety of room layouts and furniture. (MDM)

This study compared the time use and perceptions of schools, teachers, and friends of approximately 290 demographically matched students in Montessori and traditional middle schools. We used the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) and questionnaires and conducted multivariate analyses showing that the Montessori students (a) reported more positive…

Compares the developmental characteristics of early and middle adolescents and identifies elements necessary to a Montessori secondary program. Describes implementation at middle and high school levels in one Texas school, with elements relating to community building and student leadership; responsibility for learning and assessment; academic…

Describes the benefits of including the ninth grade within the 3-year multi-age group setting within a Montessori farm school. Notes how seventh, eighth, and ninth grades work together in one family cluster, allowing 15-year-olds to avoid the pecking order of the high school freshman year while developing personal leadership, confidence, and a…

Examines educational resistance to nature study, focusing on the subtle resistance evident in the vicarious approach that limits nature study to books and videos, while ignoring the sensory richness and kinship developed through direct connection with the natural world. Suggests that environmental science, citizen education, inquiry learning,…

Discusses the role that full-day Montessori preschool programs play in providing preschoolers with much more than the term "day care" implies, focusing on the teaching methods and educational strategies that such programs employ with preschoolers and their parents. (MDM)

Examines reading, writing, and mathematics for older primary children within the Montessori setting. Emphasizes normalization and engaging links with the prepared environment, focusing on how discovery moments in reading and contexts for learning around culture create natural conditions for learning. Asserts that the guided discovery approach…

Gives a personalized account of the individual development of one school administrator/founder in relation to a Montessori school's evolution. Suggests that the school must consider stages of development in teachers and parents. Discusses the expansion of services to a second charter school, identifying how failures can lead to success. Suggests…

Presents ways adults in Montessori 6-to-9 classrooms can help students expand their vocabularies. Suggestions for building vocabulary and understanding include using Command Cards to teach a variety of verbs, providing opportunities to play with words and memorize poetry, and making classical literature available. Maintains that lack of concern…