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Kelly
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And to think, all this time I thought you all were growing trees in a greenhouse in your homes..! 
Having been raised High Episcopalian, a lot of what I see in described in the albums reminds me of my "old day" Sunday school classes---when I had an inspired teacher, that is. In fact, I noticed that first link was an Episcopal web-site. Is this approach something that is being used in all churches? It's very interesting. If I were to try this with my younger children (ages 3,6,8,10), would I begin with the 3-6 year phase and include everyone, or do different formats for each age? Hmmm.
Kelly in FL
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moira farrell
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Hello all,
I was invited by Elizabeth Foss to post some information regarding The Home Atrium, and some resources I have made available for purchase to those wanting assistance in developing their own. (This is my first posting on this channel so I hope I am doing this correctly!)
For starters, my name is Moira Farrell and I am a Catholic homeschooling mother of four children, ages 10 months to 8 years. I have been working for the last five years on resources and materials for The Home Atrium--the name I have given to my small cottage industry. This endeavor has been a process of translating the work of Sofia Cavalletti and Maria Montessori, into usable, practical, and meaningful curriculum that parentscan use with their children.
I have recently brought to the market a set of notebooks/albums containing scripted presentations with an easy to use Montessori-style approach. These are meant for parents who have no background or training in catechesis teaching or the Montessori methods. These notebooks focus in content on the spiritual sensitivities for each particular age group of children respectively: 3-6, 6-9. and 9-12.
It is not accidental that each age group seems to focus on a particular Person in the Blessed Trinity. Let me take a moment to describe breifly how this works.
The 3-6 notebook contains presentations introducing your child to the love of God the Father, primarily through the person of the Good Shepherd. This love is unconditional, perpetual, and initiating, inviting the child to cultivate a response--merely to receive and to delight in this treasured posession. Sensitive topics include smallest to greatest, Baptism, the infancy narratives, and beginning nomenclature for items used at Mass.
The 6-9 notebook contains presentations introducing your child to the love of God the Son, primarily through the events of the liturgical year, and their corresponding chronology in the life of Christ. This love builds on the love of the Father, but adds the moral dimension and the teachings of Christ, and crescendoes in the celebration of the liturgy and Eucharist. Organized by the events of the liturgical year, emphasis is given to linear time, the seasons of the Church, and deeper studies on the nomenclature of items and prayers of the Mass.
The 9-12 notebook (still a work in progress)introduces your child to the love of God the Holy Spirit, primarily through the mysterious and unifying work of salvation history, and the cosmic task of fulfillment of the New and Everlasting Covenant. Sensitive topics include the communion of saints, the heroic parables, and the typologies from the Old Testament covenants, shedding lignt on the New and Everlasting covenant in Christ.
Because my time is lmited (my daughter is just waking up) I cannot say more for now. Additional inforamtion can be viewed at the following site:
http://www.jmjpublishing.com/COGSshopping.htm
Any questions can also be directly sent to me at moira@farrellapparel.com I welcome any inquiries!
Thanks for the opportunity to share, and God Bless!
In Him,
Moira Farrell
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Bookswithtea
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Thank you so much for sharing! I appreciate your description of the albums.
Would you mind sharing a bit on what a home atrium might look like? I'm having a hard time visualizing this idea.
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moira farrell
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| Posted: Sept 11 2005 at 2:35pm | IP Logged
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What does a home atrium look like?
Where is the best place to start with different age children?
These questions have come up a few times so I'd like to spend a moment on how my family has worked with each of these.
What does a home atrium look like?--This question is a bit misleading I think, because it has the underlying assumption that an atrium space is primarily physical. This it is--but it is also quite a bit more. It is also a space on the schedule, an environment of quiet for work time and reflection, and it is a spontaneous response on the part of the mother, to foster and to promote those activities that particulary feed and nurture the spiritual growth of her children. Let me give some concrete examples of how this has worked in my family.
Last year I embarked on the 9-12 curriculum with my daughter, and two other children. We met once a week in my home. I prepared Scripture text readings, small props inside what I call "story boxes" and created display environments for the stories we covered. These props were used, played with for the afternoon, and eventually went back up to my craftroom later in the day. The atrium work took place on my livingroom floor, and sometimes occupied a wall space for the remaining weeks (a display map for example). The follow-up work took us to my dining table where the children worked on their covenant circles from patterns that I had drafted beforehand. I remember one particular day we met this summer on a very hot afternoon. It was later in the day than usual for our class, and the end of the session came up around three o'clock. I told the children they could play outside and save the follow-up work for another time since we were all rather wilted. They protested that they wanted to work anyway, so despite the sunshine, we stayed indoors and painted the base patterns for the covenant with Moses afterall. It struck me profoundly that this work is truly a labor of love, and not an assignment, and the children's response remimded me of this.
It is also a condition in my family, that I do not exclude the younger ones from the work, if they wish to participate; this practice is particularly unique to the home atrium, since in the traditional atrium mixed ages do not occur (i.e. 3-6, 6-9, or 9-12's are grouped together). I defend this idea of mixed ages, not as an acceptable adaptation, but as the ideal God intended, in giving us mixed age children. It is much like setting a table with various food. Each child takes accordingly to what feeds him, and not all children have the same appetite. My job is to put forth a healthy and bountiful banquet, not to require so much the portions of each child.
In practical terms, I have 3 and 5 year old boys, the older of whom is very artistic and patient. His younger is drastically opposite. Both have participated in the work at varying levels, each responding in his own way. ONe day, my 5 year old built a large mound of dirt in the back yard, and exclaimed proudly, "Look mom, I built Mount Ararat!" For those of you who aren't familiar with Biblical geography, Mt. Ararat is the place Noah's ark came to rest, after the waters of the flood began to recede. We had covered this story in the previous year, and my son had incorporated the geography into his play, as naturtally as boys build sandcastles.
I tell you this story because I have had many moments like these, where my children bubble forth with some little nugget they remembered from a presentation. They are never quizzed for memorizing things, or required to do a work if they are not interested, but if it is going on in my home, and it is somewhat of an event, they are usually drawn irresistably to want to be a part of it.
This is also true for preparation. I have made the mistake in the past, of trying to keep all my preparations secret. While I am sewing, cutting, or gluing my children come to my elbow and start asking questions, about what I am making. Those of you who understand the Charlotte Mason method of education may realize immediately that this is a ripe teaching moment! My child is captive audience--he is looking at my work, and wants me to tell him about what it means. I have learned to seize these moments, describing characters from the Bible, the geography of the HOly Land, and the events in timeline history as my child is interested to know. I think it is a loss to think that every presentation must be "staged" and kept away from the children's notice until the moment the curtain is drawn back for it to begin. Knowing this now, I have changed my habits where I used to prepare my materials at night-- now I use the daytime, knowing my children will begin to question me, and that will be a part of the learning process.
I do give particular emphasis to the visual access of materials and work for my children. I will do this both with the work I have made for them, and with the work they do in response to it. For example, my son became particularly intested in the continents and mapping them out at the tender age of 4--because I was sewing a felt creation timeline that used silhouettes of the continents. He had me draw a map for him to trace, again and again. Seeing how important this was to him, when he completed a timeline of his own, I hung it up in a prominent place in our home for several weeks. AS a result, my son was extremely pleased. This prompted him to other work, and to eventually begin a book for his collected works, which he continues to show to guests that come to my home, as one of his most treasured posessions.
YOu begin to see them, that the atrium is really the air in our homes that we breathe each day. It is limliting to think it is only a part of your house, like architecture. It is the activities that make the space of the atrium, and it is whatever space you can give it. In this sense,
the atrium is like the womb of a mother, that nurtures, protects, and receives life. It is the pro-life attitude that embraces life, as much as, if not more so, than the physical characteristics of a woman's body.
I will try to get to the second question this afternoon, of where to begin. I have few thoughts to share, but my time has run out for now.
Ih Him,
Moira Farrell
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Bookswithtea
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Oh thank you! This is so helpful to me. I am especially encouraged that activities need not be so age graded. My 5 children are all closer to 3 yrs apart and it discourages me to think that we can't find things to do together. One day it dawned on me that the Mass is for *everyone*...it doesn't matter how old or young we are, what level of understanding we have, or whatever. There is still something for everyone. This struck me as very very right (I had an evangelical background where services were geared for adults and children were shuffled into classes through high school). My plan this year for religion is to find things that are meaningful for all of us, me included, knowing that we will get different things out of it all, in imitation of the way of the Mass.
BTW, I appreciate your comments on hiding things and staging lessons! I have done that before, too. :-)
I am looking forward to hearing more, especially to hear about "where to begin."
Thanks again!
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moira farrell
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Where should I begin with catechesis?....
I'm going to steal a few more moments and share some thoughts about the above question.
My recommendation if you are new to the atrium idea and to catechesis in the particular style of the atrium, is to start at the beginning. Here are a few reasons why:
The catechesis levels build on one another. The first notebook is probably the most dense, rich, and foundational. It contains the essentials in a concentrated form, yet in the simplest language possible. This in no way implies that it is too basic for an older child, or even for a parent. Since the content is always pulled from scripture and/or liturgy, the depth can never be exhausted. It is as if to say, after making one's First Communion, that the repeated reception of the sacrament is not valuable, since it has been tasted once. Our HOly Mother Church shows us how valuabe repetition is, and so we again and again, go down on our knees for the Stations of the Cross each year, to rise up again to receive Christ our Light at Easter, and we never tire or require something new simly because we have done this for prior years before.
My second reason is one of practicality. I do not think that anyone starting out, would be able easily, to plow through two notebooks of presentations, with all the material gathering and preparations necesaary, without some amount of hair-pulling and stress. I have dialogued with catechists who are trained in the CGS methods, who have made thier own materials, composed thier own albums, and who admittedly reveal that the process "is not for the faint of heart." There is a very real "earthy" element to using this method which cannot be gotten around--it demands investment of your time and resources, as well as creativity. I aim for one presentation a week myself, with follow-up and repetition as the child desires. If there was a circumstance where parents were working toegther, and the work could be shared, it could probably work, but I still wouldn't skip into a second level notebook for the sake of a child's benefitting by starting from the beginning.
For what it's worth, there's my two cents. Of course this is not a science, and I have only given my opinion. Someone else may have some valid ideas to share that works differently than this, and I'm sure we are all open to hearing them.
In Him,
MOira
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Elizabeth
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I really appreciate Moira's above posts. When I was new at home education, the Montessori question was the most difficult one for me. I had had the privelige of teaching in an excellent Montessori school. I had such an appreciation for the materials and the order and the classroom dynamic. I had also had it drilled into me that this was as system, as science if you will, not to be tinkered with. You had to do it just so or it wasn't authentic Montessori.
I knew I wanted to educate my children at home. I knew that Montessori at school wasn't an option anyway since we couldn't afford it. My children would never have that Montessori environment. I'd also been told by women I'd gone to school with and taught with that it simply could not be done at home with homemade materials. And it can't. Even more than any traditional classroom, the Montessori classroom can't be replicated at home. Eventually, I made peace with that, knowing that I'd sacrificed somethig very good for something better, the whole of home education.
Then, when my second child was not quite three, I was privileged to spend a good bit of time in the most amazing atrium I have ever seen. It was beautiful and I learned so much from the very holy woman who was its directress. Again, I wanted this for my children. Again, the Montessori expert told me it was impossible at home. And again, money issues prevented me from obtaining it. God closed the door and I had to trust that there was something differen He wanted for me. Different, but not inferior, because He always wants what's best. I went about establishing what I considered a "pseudo atrium" in my home.
Then, I met and became very good friends with an exceptional Montessori teacher who had just established a school in her home. All those beautiful materials were there. She invited my children to come once a week for free. Why? Because my children behaved well and they set an example for the other children. The Montessori classroom dynamic depends on "normalized" children setting such an example.
We belonged to the same parish and together we enrolled our children in the parish atrium. Since we had both known the atrium I wrote about above, we were a bit disappointed by the parish program, but it was still much, much better than book-based CCD. Not perfect, but very good.I kind of gave up on the whole MOntessori atrium at home idea. I was overwhelmed by parish activities and my children were learning good things in the parish atrium setting.And all the materials were there. I just didn't have time to make them at home and replicate what I saw there.
Slowly though, I began to recognize that many of the things I wanted to avoid with school were creeping into the parish religious education experience. I pulled my school-aged kids from the program. At the same time, I recognized that the liturgy at our parish didn't really square up with the traditional liturgy in which MOntessori atria are really rooted. We started go to Mass elsewhere. Finally, I learned that if we weren't going to Mass there and my older ones weren't in the book-based CCD, my little ones couldn't be in the primary atrium. This hurt. That atrium is led by one of my best friends. She was crushed. I was crushed.God was closing a door.
But, my friend, the teacher of the wee ones' atrium, sat with the introduction to Moira's 6-9 manual last week. And we read about sign and gesture and reverence. And we talked about why I educate at home at all.Her children are grown and hindsight has made her one of homeschooling's biggest proponents. What she said was almost exactly what Moira said here:
Moira wrote:
YOu begin to see then, that the atrium is really the air in our homes that we breathe each day. It is limiting to think it is only a part of your house, like architecture. It is the activities that make the space of the atrium, and it is whatever space you can give it. In this sense,
the atrium is like the womb of a mother, that nurtures, protects, and receives life. It is the pro-life attitude that embraces life, as much as, if not more so, than the physical characteristics of a woman's body. |
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It's hard sometimes, when you want the comfort of a group, the ease of an environment already there for you, to walk away and take it upone yourself to create that nurturing womb. And sometimes we doubt that everything our children need can be found within that maternal, domestic space. You have to leave the very good for the better. And sometimes, God closes doors to make it so. It's futile to attempt to recreate a Montessori classroom or an institutional atrium at home. It can't be done unless you have a very fat wallet and even then you won't have the dynamic of many children in the same age group.
But that's okay, because we know, since we educate at home, that there can be something even deeper, even holier in the domestic Church.No educational system is superior to God's design for the family. So when we adapt Montessori or Charlotte Mason or Ignatius, we need to remember that if it honors God and it respects the Magesterium and it takes place prayerfully within the heart of the Domestic Church, it is, indeed, the very best.
__________________
Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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cathhomeschool
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Beautifully said, Elizabeth! And so encouraging. Thank you!
__________________
Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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JennGM
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Doing some catch-up intensive reading on this thread. It pains me that during my travel times I'm missing all the good conversations! Hope you don't mind a few points from all the posts.
Thanks, Moira for answering the questions. You explained things so well. I loved your description of "What is an atrium?":
Moira wrote:
| It is also a space on the schedule, an environment of quiet for work time and reflection, and it is a spontaneous response on the part of the mother, to foster and to promote those activities that particularly feed and nurture the spiritual growth of her children. |
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Wow! That is so beautiful.
Moira wrote:
| I think it is a loss to think that every presentation must be "staged" and kept away from the children's notice until the moment the curtain is drawn back for it to begin. Knowing this now, I have changed my habits where I used to prepare my materials at night--now I use the daytime, knowing my children will begin to question me, and that will be a part of the learning process. |
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That makes so much sense to me, also. In preparing anything is a teaching opportunity. Even though my son is only two, it is doing the act of preparation that so many discussions and questions happen. Then it's also seeing the example.
Would you say that seeing Mommy make things that there is more reverence for the material than something storebought? Or even a difference in seeing just "show up" rather than being part of the process? I can remember my awe when I would see things that my mother or grandmother made. My temperament has always appreciate even more the handmade with love materials...even at a young age.
Moira wrote:
| YOu begin to see them, that the atrium is really the air in our homes that we breathe each day. It is limliting to think it is only a part of your house, like architecture. It is the activities that make the space of the atrium, and it is whatever space you can give it. In this sense, the atrium is like the womb of a mother, that nurtures, protects, and receives life. It is the pro-life attitude that embraces life, as much as, if not more so, than the physical characteristics of a woman's body. |
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Reading this thread, particularly this quote, just brings tears to my eyes. This is what teaching the faith should bring!
Moira wrote:
| Since the content is always pulled from scripture and/or liturgy, the depth can never be exhausted. |
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This makes so much sense!!! I can now understand the differences of the albums, plus I love that you said that you can mix the ages. That seems to make sense in a home environment. When we attend Mass or the sacraments it's there for all of us, we just take in what level we are.
Elizabeth wrote:
| You have to leave the very good for the better. And sometimes, God closes doors to make it so. It's futile to attempt to recreate a Montessori classroom or an institutional atrium at home. It can't be done unless you have a very fat wallet and even then you won't have the dynamic of many children in the same age group. |
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I'm so sorry you have to go through this pain, Elizabeth. I appreciate you sharing your experience and disappointment so we can learn from it, too.
I'm also glad to hear you say that it's futile to duplicate. I always want everything precise, organized, fully equipped before I start something and was struggling because I knew if I was going to do Montessori in the home it just COULDN'T BE THE SAME!
Elizabeth wrote:
| But that's okay, because we know, since we educate at home, that there can be something even deeper, even holier in the domestic Church. No educational system is superior to God's design for the family. So when we adapt Montessori or Charlotte Mason or Ignatius, we need to remember that if it honors God and it respects the Magesterium and it takes place prayerfully within the heart of the Domestic Church, it is, indeed, the very best. |
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Just beautiful! It's a little reminder to me that the first place to work on is myself. If I'm not reflecting God's life within me, whatever space or time I do give to teach my son isn't goind to happen. Our domestic church starts with the faith and spiritual life of the parents!
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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JennGM
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About the Mass kit. At what age do you find it suitable? Is 3 too young?
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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JennGM
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One more question...anyone start introducing atrium at a younger age, say age 2?
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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moira farrell
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About the Mass kit. At what age do you find it suitable? Is 3 too young?
I have used the Mass kit as early as three. At this time, my two-year-old sat in my lap while my older one did the altar work. This resulted in some unexpected responses from my two-year-old'which I will explain briefly.
For background, let me state first that my older son Liam is extremely sensitive, and socially very sharp. In the first altar work, the child preps the altar with altar cloth, candles, and crucifix. Each of these items suggests getting ready for someone coming. When it came to the crucifix, I explained that this reminded us who is our guest at the altar. My son Liam didn't want to place the crucifix facing him. I noted this was interesting, because he sometimes has diffuculty meeting the eyes of people, tending to shy away. Knowing this about my child, I explained as tenderly as i could, that all the preparations we made for Jesus to come were ready, and now we show our readiness to receive Him by meeting His look. "We come face to face with Jesus at the altar," I explained. "And Jesus wants so much for us to be with Him there. Just to sit and look at Jesus is a little prayer, and Jesus loves us to look at Him."
My son accepted this answer, yet seemed mildly uncomfortable with the "confrontation" of meeting Jesus. I noted this in my journaling that night.
A week later, we repeated the work. This time my son Colin, aged two, sat again in my lap, listening. He wasn't content though to only be audience. So I considered how to work with him--I gave him the crucifix to hold to keep him quiet, telling him this piece was his job when it was time. This contented him, so we continued.
When it came time for the crucifix placement, he stood up, and placed it a little awkwardly between the candles. Sadly Jesus was sideways. Without a word Colin reached to correct this, turning Jesus forward, and said, "So we can look at Him."
I had not expected this response, but it was there. Again, the mixed ages resulted in a fruitful response that was neither my intention nor my target. I find this is not infrequent, that even sometimes our "targets" seem to be missed, and unexpected seeds are planted and spring into fruition before our very eyes.
I have not tried the altar work my two-year-old alone. My two-year-old is now three, and loving this series of work. I think the folding work involved (altar cloth and corporal) are a challenge even to a three-yr-old, but with assistance, even 2's can benefit.
Moira
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Tina P.
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moira farrell wrote:
| The atrium work took place on my livingroom floor, and sometimes occupied a wall space for the remaining weeks (a display map for example). The follow-up work took us to my dining table where the children worked on their covenant circles from patterns that I had drafted |
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OK. So let's just say that everyone wants to get involved (including the 2 yo). I'm not the world's greatest juggler. I know the first two kids I could leave work on their own, but what about juggling the other four (not to mention the baby I'm working on as we speak)? Like others have said before me, a 2 yo ... even a 4 to 6 yo can really muck up the works when it comes to silence, reverence, and crafts. Any ideas?
God bless,
__________________
Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
Mary's Muse
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Elizabeth
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Tina,
I presented a lesson today with children exactly the ages of your Anna-Jacob, with an 2000 guy thrown in. The lesson was only new to my 3 year old and the toddler. The toddler toddled off...
The ('02) who will be three at the end of the week was totally captivated. The four-year-old enjoyed being reminded and the older two were proud assistants. I will end up doing Level 2 with the two of them this year, because they've had all of Level 1. Actually my '96 has had Level 2 as well, but I'm waiting for Moira and Level 3. If the space is appropriate, it works. One thing not really mentioned much in MOira's albums is the Practical Life works that Montessori made available. Things like bean spooning and preparing the cruets and polishing brass and arranging flowers are all worthwhile activities and they really lend themselves to your mixed ages.
__________________
Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Tina P.
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I have absolutely *no* experience with atriums and would love (as someone else on this long thread) to see what I might be getting into before I take the plunge. Is there a website that explains the lessons in detail? How are Moira's albums different than CGS? I have an inkling from the other discussion of how CGS is managed level by level.
I have lots more questions, but I also have a crying baby and can't concentrate.
__________________
Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
Mary's Muse
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moira farrell
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Teaching under the circumstances of busy family life:
(otherwise known as)“The Chaos Factor”…and my two cents about it.
Sitting at my child’s writing table in my home, I was practicing letter work with my five-year-old as usual. My fourth-grader sat behind us at the big table, working on her math equations. The baby in my arms tried hard to grab and crumple the phonogram cards, and shrieked when I wouldn’t let her, so I set her at my feet, when my three-year-old son, nicknamed the “Colin-ator” came to her growling like a wolf, and began to practice his boa constrictor imitation on her midriff, which caused her to shriek even more. The subtle difference between "ah" and "i" can hardly be heard when family life is this busy, and I wondered if it was fair to my five-year-old to try to learn his letter sounds under such conditions. To top it off, my older daughter began to scream, "I can't concentrate with all the noise in here!"
Someone posted a question recently that struck a sympathetic chord in me, asking for some practical advice about this very struggle—which I have endearingly named “the chaos factor.” More gently put, this factor is really about the multi-tasking aspect of home schooling, and mom’s delicately coordinated efforts of balancing several children’s curricula, amid the additional regular tasks of maintaining domestic order and mothering the babe-in-arms. While some mothers may juggle these tasks better than others, I personally believe that all mothers face moments where the careful balance of these items gets off kilter, and a minor domestic avalanche occurs. It is no joke, but a true and sometimes harrowing reality, that the environment of home schooling with multiples is sometimes stressful, and sometimes downright chaotic.
The trouble is, I feel partly responsible for encouraging so many mothers to develop and build their home atrium, and it has bothered me that I did not have an answer at the ready to respond to this problem, because I think this issue is such a key piece in making any home atrium successful. On that note, I must be truthful in saying the most difficult part of home schooling and home catechesis is not the curriculum, or the teaching itself. I've taught many subjects over the last several years, from step aerobics to Suzuki violin, and teaching is almost second nature to me now, but teaching under the circumstances of busy family life is a different thing entirely, and probably the greater challenge.
But I am not daunted by the fact that I struggle-- God is so good to let us struggle sometimes!--because if I did not face the same struggle as other mothers, I could not identify, sympathize and relate to their difficulties. It is precisely BECAUSE I know these struggles myself, and because I have been praying and reflecting through them, and because I have already torn my hair out several times in failure over this or that endeavor, that I think I might have something to say on the subject. For those who are interested to hear it, these are my two cents about it.
My first cent is about honesty. We must ruthlessly identify all sources of dishonesty in our minds, in our mouths, and even in our prayers. Dishonesty comes from the devil, and it comes in many disguises. It comes as discouragement: “I can’t do this one more day.” It comes as rejection: “This is so painful it can’t possibly be productive.” It comes as deception: “It’s not fair to the children, to be asking them to work in these circumstances.”
Identifying such thoughts and ideas as coming from Satan is a powerful weapon, for we crush his head before he can enter into the holy place of our homes. We women have a God-given calling to be receivers of life, but part and parcel to that call is to protect the space and place that nurtures and grows this life. Yes, our homes are an extension of our wombs, and like the holy of holies, Satan is desperately trying to invade this space with any trickery he knows how. Discouragement is his nasty little seed, and if we do not pluck it out early, it can lead us to despair.
My second cent is for discernment. This is a fruit of honesty, because only when we see the real picture—with ourselves, our children, and our curriculum--in the light of truth, can we make correct and appropriate judgments in response to it. After sufficient prayer and reflection, what each of us discerns is not like rocket science that we can pass on to every other family that experiences difficulty in this regard. God wants us to do our own discerning because it is part of our spiritual journey. If this process keeps us on our knees our whole lives, perpetually petitioning God for His assistance and grace, well that’s not such a bad thing then, is it?
Although I do not have all the answers, I do have one cent of wisdom about discernment, and it happens to employ a very root Montessori principle called isolation of difficulty. God wants us to come to Him with our burdens one problem at a time, one child at a time, one subject at a time. Be specific in your prayers. This comes from St. Teresa of Avila, and it is solid wisdom. So you might be asking, “Which thing do I pray about first?” Well… there's the prayer to start with.
After prayer, we wait. A priest emphasized to me once, that 95% of the fruit of prayer comes after the prayer. His answer will come, perhaps in a place and time you least expect it. I am convinced it was a grace from prayer, because out of the blue today, and hardly realizing what I was saying, I turned and responded to my daughter complaining about the noisy distractions while she was trying to do her math-- "Sweetheart, I know it's difficult, but you need to do your best to concentrate. Having to focus on your work amid the busy noises of life is God's way of preparing you to live a Christian life, in a world full of distractions and temptations you must resist later on."
Oddly enough, it’s a Suzuki technique I already know about, to introduce distractions to a student as a mature test of thier abilities. A teacher will play random notes during a student’s playing, talk out loud, even touch the student’s body gently, or move about the room while the student is expected to continue playing. Horse trainers use this technique to teach horses to tolerate disturbances without running off, bucking, or becoming agitated. This may seem counter to the practice of a “prepared environment” but it’s not contrary, it’s just a later step in the progression of the three-period lesson, and for this reason it should not be exercised prematurely. Life will provide you and your children with plenty of these opportunities, such as asking your child to continue doing arithmetic when her younger brother is “snaking” her younger sister, for example. But discernment will tell you when to press on, and when you should alter the situation instead.
It is not every occasion of difficulty that calls for pressing on. I have realized that curriculum is sometimes my own attachment, and that I simply feel better when we get it all done, so naturally I press for this outcome. This is the hardest discernment for me to make, and I sometimes don't know until after it is too late, that I have made the wrong choice. If I do not discern carefully, I press into melt-down, I lose my temper or someone else does, and the result is damage instead of progress.
For this purpose, there are times when I need to close the math book, put away the letter cards, loose the shrieking baby at my feet from the grip of the Colin-ator, and invite my children to some activity that restores all of us to a peaceful harmony once again; this is an opportunity to build our family’s culture, and to model to our children how to respond when the stresses and the struggles of life become too much. It’s an opportunity to let go of getting things done, and to build our family’s dynamic as a community of love, as we focus on relating to one another. Choosing the activities that restore us is a matter of prudence. They should be simple, accessible, and uncomplicated. A walk outside to discover the mushrooms popping up after the rain, a leaf hunt to compare palmate and pinnate vein patterns, a trip to the library for new books, an indoor tea with mom's special china where the children set and serve, and last but not least, a moment of turning to prayer to say the Angelus or a decade of the rosary are all possibilities. It’s not the activity alone that will make these occasions successful, but how well we are able to relate to each other, that will determine their restorative value. Once again, if no ideas come to mind, this is a good occasion for prayer: What activities will restore and build our family culture, when we need it most?
As I nursed my infant to sleep in my bedroom after lunch today, the words I spoke to my daughter came back to haunt me, and I was profoundly humbled. Hadn’t I been asking God to remove the very thorn that I was now beginning to see was of the most precious value? I have thought again and again, that the chaos factor is an injustice to my children’s education, that it is something occasionally we tolerate, but never something we should embrace. Could it be that this busy environment is more perfect than anything I could have planned, for the spiritual maturation of my children? The answer came to me as an astounding and absolute “Yes!” Let’s face it, our home atriums are indeed places for prayer, silence, reflection, and labors of love, but for our older children particularly, they can also be a spiritual boot camp. If I condition my children to work only in environments that are quiet, peaceful, and void of distractions, they will never be safe beyond my front door. As beautiful as the atrium setting is, we must never forget that its purpose in the end, is to prepare our children to continue to live out Christian lives of virtue, after they have stepped out of our homes, into the greater world outside. If my daughter learns this lesson well, I am sure it’s fruit will be more valuable to her than anything arithmetic may have to teach her. If she succeeds in walking the straight and narrow, in keeping her baptismal garment bright with God’s grace, and shines with the light of Christ in the darkest places in the world, then even despite the chaos factor, I have not failed to be a good teacher.
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JennGM
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Moira,
Thank you so much for sharing this! This is so helpful to me and so rich. It's an answer to MY prayers, really!
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Mary G
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Moira:
I second Jenn's -- this is a beautifully, heart-written, message and I thank you so much for sharing it with us all.
Thanks for helping remember the whole point of all of this ---
Blessings!
__________________
MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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Cheryl
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Last night was my birthday and I really indulged in computer time. I read all the posts on atriums that I somehow missed. I want to say that I appreciate Moira's (and others') answers to the questions on atriums. I also appreciate all the questions people posted because they are the same ones that I have. I am going to order the 3-6 album. Is there anything I should have on hand to get started when it arrives? Are there other books I should read on the subject or should I just keep it simple and get the album?
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Cheryl
Wife to Bob ('97)
Mom to Matthew 13, Joseph 11, Sarah 10, Rachel 6, Hannah almost 4 and Mary 1
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Cay Gibson
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Jenn's question about The Catechesis of the Good Sheperhd in a Parish Setting by Tina Lillig sent me rummaging around a bit. I can't seem to stop with one quote and wanted to share this insight from Dr. Maria Montessori herself:
"I like this answer by Dr. Montessori herself:
QUESTION: "Might not this idea of having a separate room for the teaching of religion be looked upon as rather unnecessary and newfangled?"
Dr. Montessori: "People might think it was a new idea, but, as a matter of fact, it is a very old idea --- almost as old as the church itself. In the early church there was, indeed, a special room called the atrium, generally adjoining the church, which was used for the training and instruction of catechumens. It was, as you might say, a sort of anteroom to the church, both in a literal and a metaphorical sense. Here, as in so many cases, we can with great profit take a 'leaf out of the book' of the early church.
This room then, which one might call the atrium, would be set apart for the preparation of little children for their full participation in the life of the church. It would not simply be a question of teaching them their catechism, but something much broader and deeper. This room would be a place where the religious sentiment would be born and nurtured, where the children would be free in the expression of their religious instincts."
Such a beautiful, rich heritage Holy Mother the Church has!
I believe the quote I shared from Tina Lillig's book binds well to what Moira shared here:
moira farrell wrote:
| YOu begin to see them, that the atrium is really the air in our homes that we breathe each day. It is limliting to think it is only a part of your house, like architecture. It is the activities that make the space of the atrium, and it is whatever space you can give it. |
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"Through the various activities of the atrium, children are helped to know 'the great realities of life as a Christian.' They listen to stories of events in Jesus' life; they meditate on his parables while moving figures of sheep or holding a mustard seed; they paste cut-out shapes of Galilee, Samaria, Judea and Perea to form maps; they cut and arrange flowers for the prayer corner; they clean candles; they set the altar; they pour macaroni, then lentils and finally water and wine; they mix yeast and water with flour and watch it rise; they hold up the plate and cup in the eucharistic gesture of offering; they write out Jesus' maxims; and they make drawings, such as the one a five-yr-old made of a baby in a manger on an altar table. They do these things and many more, as well as pray, sing and wonder. The atrium is full of life and well worth the effort of inaugurating it." ~ Excerpt pg. 40-41 The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in a Parish Setting
But Dr. Montessori's answer gives us reason to seek the atrium within our domestic church.
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: what is an Atrium?
