Montessori Inspired
“The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.”
~Maria Montessori
Fostering Independence and Order
The Montessori method works wonderfully for children who love having a part in choosing their learning work for the day. The teacher picks several different works to offer for each child’s learning ability and developmental stage. Then, during “shelf work” time, the child can choose what type of work they would like to work on. The works all vary between reading, writing, and math. In addition to academics, the routines and practical life skills taught to each child are very intentional to help ensure order and independence for every learner. Some things you can look forward to seeing at Organic Roots Schoolhouse:
Children taking out their own learning materials and putting them away
A rotational “jobs” list for each of the students to partake in cooking, cleaning, watering plants, tending to the garden, chicken egg collection…etc.
When a child makes a mess, they are taught how to clean it up and will work towards doing it independently. (For example, a glass of water gets spilled-the child should get a towel, and clean it up.)
Encouragement in handcrafts like, weaving, sewing, crocheting, woodwork, and quilting.
Grace and Courtesy lessons to help the children learn their manors and appropriate and respectful ways to handle certain situations.
Individualized
Teaching with Montessori inspiration allows me to be much more individualized to each learner’s needs. Organic Roots Schoolhouse is a one room classroom with many learners in different areas of learning. This means, it is not dependent on what AGE or GRADE a child is at, but, what they have MASTERED. I will offer standards and a scope of sequence for learners that they are ready for. To gather information about what type of work your child is ready for, I will collect data about your child’s skills in reading, math, and writing from pre-testing (written and one on one formats) and formal and informal observations. The “shelf work” will change for your child as they complete and master the skills that are offered to them and will change on a weekly or monthly basis depending on the skills and theme we are working on as a group. For example, some students may be pulling multiplication and division boards from the shelf, while others are still working on number rods. Some students may be still be working on building their site words or phonics, while others are conducting and guiding their own book club discussion about a chapter book they are reading together. During our “sacred learning time”, each child will CHOOSE a work from their shelf area (it could be in the order they want for the day as long as it is completed) and I will be using this time to work with each student individually. Each day your child will get one on one time working with me twice a day. During this time, I can gather my observations, have opportunity for reteaching, challenge their thinking, or give them assessments to see if they have mastered a standard. There are ample opportunities where I can make sure that the learning your child will be receiving is individualized and that they can be getting valuable skills that they need to progress their learning to the next level.
Community
One of the most amazing things that Organic Roots Schoolhouse offers children is the comfort of a close-knit family-like classroom. Due to a one-room classroom , children are able to feel connected with from their peers and their teacher all day. The teacher is able to have more opportunities for more one on one attention to each child on a daily basis. This one-room schoolhouse also gives the students the opportunity to become mentors to each other and offer a more rewarding experience with their skills. Not to mention, my Mama heart is so warmed to know that my boys might have the opportunity to get to know your child or children and grow with them over their schooling years.
“The goal of (early) childhood education is to activate the child’s own natural desire to learn.”
~Maria Montessori