Montessori for infants

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:no offense but it is a load of crap. I have two kids in Montessori-one is in elementary school so I fully support it but I am not doing anything special for my 14 month old other than what I did for his siblings. As for setting up etc, yes our house is set up in what I guess is Montessori style-meaning easy access to items etc but would have done things the same regardless which is why Montessori is a good fit for us.

It's not a "load of crap", but you are right in that you only need to apply the philosophy to the environment of the younger child. "Montessori" refers to Maria Montessori's philosophy developed from her observations of children. She than developed materials and techniques. Her main goal was to create happy, peaceful children to turn into peaceful, self-confidant adults. Remember, she was a huge influence during WWII. She sought refuge with Ghandi from her home country, Italy when she did not agree with the regime. Her books, including: "The Formation of Man", "The World in the Palm of his Hand", and "Discovering the Child" deal more with her "goal" of a peaceful world. She was not so concerned with getting kids to read and do math. Those were really the indirect goals of the set up of her peaceful, inviting environment. Much of the "pressure" one may find in a Montessori classroom, has more to do with the parent of the children. "When will my child read?" blah, blah, blah....we all know how this area is with academics. In other areas where parents are not as stressed about academic performance, children will receive more of what Montessori intended, a peaceful education where a child will learn to trust his inner needs and thus, becomes a valuable member of society.

[Anonymous]

it most certainly is a load of crap-an infant needs a safe enviornment to explore and learn. That's it. Thanks for the info though I don't need it considering this is our 5th year in Montessori so I am familiar with where my kids go to school but thanks. I don't want parents to waste money on a bunch of bs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our Montessori school gave us this catalog www.forsmallhands.com

Also, I heard of a Montessori class in Bethesda for babies and parents, but I can't find the paperwork right now. If I find it, I'll post the info.

I just found the brochure for the Montessori Infant & Parent Class at Broad Branch Children's House. The class is for parents of babies ages 3-9 monthd. It's led by Denise Lanza Murtha on Saturday mornings. 202-232-2233, [e-mail]