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Connections
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I am thinking about ways to apply the concept of freedom within limits to a more CM inspired curriculum for the elementary grades.
For example, read independently (or aloud to mom) for 30 minutes each day- the student can select any book from a pre-selected (twaddle-free) basket or shelf.
Going on a nature walk- the student decides what animal, plant, etc. to focus on- take pictures of, draw, observe.
What do you think? Do any of you do this? How is it working?
Any other ideas?
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Sarah M
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Connections wrote:
Going on a nature walk- the student decides what animal, plant, etc. to focus on- take pictures of, draw, observe.
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Tracey, I'm finding that this usually works better for us than my saying, "this week we are going to focus on birds", etc. As long as I'm available to help them further reserach (in the HONS, or another living book) whatever it is they are intrigued by, I think it works great! It gives a great opportunity for a child to feel ownership over what he/she is learning, I think.
This idea of "freedom within structure" is how I'm trying to approach our plans for next year. I hope to present a feast of great ideas/books/topics, and let the children choose from it however and whenever they wish. So...kind of like offering a CM-inspired menu, and then letting the children "eat" in an unschoolish way- at their own pace, as their interests drive them.
My dd7, for example, is given a wonderful selection of books to practice her reading from (and as you said, it's twaddle-free-- so it's Frog & Toad, Little Bear, etc)-- she can pick from it and practice reading as much or as little as she likes.
I'm eager to hear how others are using this freedom-within-limits idea in their homes.
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Erin
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Connections
We have done it this way for years it certainly works. Mmm some more ideas.
Let's see.
Dictation: Children choose what book I use. eg They often choose a current book they are reading, or they may choose the Bible.
Handwriting: I give them choices here to, Bible or Poetry, what poem, what part of the Bible, Psalms, Acts etc. They usually choose.
Poem Memorisation: They choose their own poems, although sometimes the younger ones need guidance.
Science/Geography/History: The children are involved in deciding which topic area we focus on next and have input in how we study these. They generally choose what books they will read, I just supply the piles.
Sarah's ideas are great, we do that too. A warning, when you children are so involved in directing their own education they develop very strong opinions. They also develop a questioning mind, "So why do I have to do this, what am I learning from this." is what I hear often. They are not being cheeky they just want to make sure they understand the process. If I answer to their satisfaction they are happy. No way am I allowed to be wasting their time. Sigh. Created my own 'monsters' 
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Sarah M
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Erin wrote:
| No way am I allowed to be wasting their time. Sigh. |
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Good thing they aren't in public school . They'd go nuts!
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AndieF
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I've done some of it this year, but my dd (9) needs to have some structure and direction. So she does get a choice, it is just a fairly limited choice. And no choice in Math. LOL
I will be homeschooling my 7 year old dd next year, and this type of learning would not work for her. She needs lots, and lots of structure, and lots of "Mom close by" type of learning.
Andie, mom to 3, homeschooling 2, and home-based Montessori teacher to 5!
Montgomery Academyhttp://montgomeryacad.blogspot.com
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Willa
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Fascinating topic. I find that for my kids "self-direction with limits" is a difficult concept. They don't mind some flexible direction, they like to have some input into how they learn, they often go on wonderful learning binges completely by themselves or as a side tangent of something we are studying -- but the middle ground of choosing between a few provided choices seems to be difficult for them.
I was just looking through old "school stuff" and noticed that almost every year I experimented with something like this -- obviously it appeals to ME but it never seemed to go anywhere with the kids. We'd end up completely freewheeling (unschooling) which of course did provide many learning opportunities but never quite as easy for me to categorize and keep a handle on as I hoped inititally.
Anyway, I'll be watching this topic because what you have described is certainly my dream method of hsing : ) and I think that if I could organize it a bit more, perhaps in a slightly more Montessorean way, I could pull it off.
I should add that my highschool age children usually DO get to the point where they can pull together their own curriculum more or less. They know basically what is important (having had it modelled through the years through my course designs) and they take the ideas in their own directions, though still usually with some guidance and course corrections depending on the teenager.
So I DO think the "freedom within limits" concept is very valuable and worth working towards even if it takes some time before you see results.
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Willa
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Connections
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Willa-
I was actually thinking one of your writing ideas was a wonderful example of freedom without limits- your family writing time.
I believe you set the timer for 20 minutes and everyone wrote. Each person decided what to write (or to draw pictures with captions) and whether or not to share it.
The limits being the requirement to write (BTW- would you enforce the time?) The freedom obviously in what they wrote.
This seems like a wonderful balance.
_____________
Blessings,
Tracey
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Connections
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What about the Research Guides from Montessori For Everyone?
Would these provide freedom within limits compatible with CM?
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Blessings,
Tracey
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Meredith
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Absolutely Tracey, my children really like the openendedness these have to offer, they can delve deep or simply just answer the questions. Sometimes I have them do these orally and share with others if they like 
Blessings!
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Mackfam
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I have longed to get to this thread...but have been lacking in time. Maybe soon. 
I did want to answer your question very briefly, Tracey.
Maria Montessori is actually the originator of the idea of "freedom within limits". It is the basis for the entire Montessori philosophy.
From Maria Montessori, Education for a New World
Quote:
| Scientific observation has established that education is not what the teacher gives; education is a natural process spontaneously carried out by the human individual, and is acquired not by listening to words but by experiences upon the environment. The task of the teacher becomes that of preparing a series of motives of cultural activity, spread over a specially prepared environment, and then refraining from obtrusive interference. |
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So then, yes...
...all of Lori's offerings at Montessori for Everyone and all Montessori work fosters a freedom within limits - an exploration of the environment beautifully and thoughtfully arranged in order to nurture connections of noble thoughts and ideas.
Hope to get back here...I love the beauty of freedom within limits and the joy it brings to our learning spaces and experiences.
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Jen Mackintosh
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lapazfarm
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I think what you describe sounds great,very gentle,very workable. It seems to work for us, though we trend more toward the "freedom" than the "limits" end of the spectrum.
I do think it is more work in some ways and less in others. Less planning of particulars for you, but more being willing/prepared to dive into whatever dc choose.
Your nature walk idea is a good example. You are spared the chore of planning out which plant/animal/whatever you will be studying each and every week. But you will need to be prepared with info on a wider variety of plants/critters/etc in order to address whatever dc might stumble upon, so that every discovery doesn't have to wait until library day to dig deeper, kwim?
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Willa
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Connections wrote:
I was actually thinking one of your writing ideas was a wonderful example of freedom without limits- your family writing time.
....
The limits being the requirement to write (BTW- would you enforce the time?) The freedom obviously in what they wrote. |
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I see what you mean! Thank you for helping me realize I do this more than I had thought.
I did SORT OF enforce the time. Younger kids could stop after 15 minutes (it was hard for my active 9 year old to sit still that long). The older kids had to stick out the 20 minutes. But I wouldn't have made it into a pitched battle. Thankfully they were all pretty OK about it. Often they wrote beyond the time.
I suppose we do nature study this way too. I will send them out of the house especially if they are getting into an indoor rut, or sometimes I will make a habit of going out with them to informally observe what's going on outside. I've even written on their checklist "go outside for at least 30 minutes."
So I guess I do this more than I was thinking I did. I usually find it most helpful when it's something that only needs a LITTLE push but something they are not quite getting to on their own.
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Willa
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Sarah M
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lapazfarm wrote:
I do think it is more work in some ways and less in others. Less planning of particulars for you, but more being willing/prepared to dive into whatever dc choose.
Your nature walk idea is a good example. You are spared the chore of planning out which plant/animal/whatever you will be studying each and every week. But you will need to be prepared with info on a wider variety of plants/critters/etc in order to address whatever dc might stumble upon, so that every discovery doesn't have to wait until library day to dig deeper, kwim? |
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I am totally seeing this in our home, Theresa. It's not enough for me to just set out the feast and let them go at it. I need to be available with time and energy to help them dig deeper...and it's most successful if we can "strike when the iron is hot." So that means that when someone makes a discovery or wants to follow a line of inquiry, I don't respond with, "okay, we'll look that up later", but instead respond with "let's find out more about that!" That takes a different kind of self-discipline and it means I need to have large swaths of time in my day that have nothing scheduled into them- so that I am available in this capacity.
It also means I need to be constantly learning myself. Reading (at my own level) about the things that interest my kids, so that I am able to answer their questions when they arise. This alone is largely replacing what used to be my "lesson planning time." Instead of writing detailed lessons, with learning objectives, etc, I'm using that time to read up on a variety of subjects that interest my dc so that I can be a valuable resource to them.
I find it much more enjoyable than traditional lesson planning, but it is certainly not "easier"-- nor does it take less time!
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lapazfarm
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Sarah M wrote:
It also means I need to be constantly learning myself. Reading (at my own level) about the things that interest my kids, so that I am able to answer their questions when they arise. This alone is largely replacing what used to be my "lesson planning time." Instead of writing detailed lessons, with learning objectives, etc, I'm using that time to read up on a variety of subjects that interest my dc so that I can be a valuable resource to them.
I find it much more enjoyable than traditional lesson planning, but it is certainly not "easier"-- nor does it take less time! |
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Yes, that's it exactly!!!
I have replaced planning time with study/project time of my own. That way not only can I be a source of information to my dc, but a source of inspiration as well. I like them to see that learning never ends and is enjoyable, even for old folks like me!LOL!
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Angel
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Totally missed this thread till now, and "freedom within limits" is hands-down the most useful concept I have ever borrowed from any educational philosophy.
What evolved in my house was Choice Time, which was a way to provide some structure (limits) without the use of extensive elementary Montessori shelves. It works pretty well, in general, but we do run into problems now and again. For instance, sometimes the kids jump around and become too dependent on the limits; in other words, they don't finish anything they start and rely too much on me to put new choices on the board for them. And probably the biggest problem this year... enough time has to be devoted to allowing choice for good choices to be made.
But really, I guess I exercise the "freedom within limits" principle throughout the day. Even on the subjects that we do fairly traditionally -- math, for instance -- I ask the kids' opinions on the resources I plan for them before buying anything. When we read aloud, I usually provide 2 or 3 books to choose from on any given topic, and the topics I'm reading about have all been negotiated in advance. For instance, we spent a really long time on the Civil War last year because the kids were interested, went faster through the 20th century, and then ended on Communism because the kids decided they wanted to "start over" and do ancient history... Over the course of this year, our ancient history has been somewhat casually sorted into geographical areas, and I have left the order up to the kids. So we started with Mesopotamia, then jumped over to the Greeks, then to ancient India, ancient Africa, ancient China, and now we are on to Rome... So on Monday I told them I wanted to read from Augustus Caesar's World and we sort of negotiated through the remaining 3 or so other books I had to decide that I would read the Julius Caesar parts of The Children's Plutarch along with the beginning of the book.
To be honest, though, I don't really read ahead (on my own level) as much as other people seem to. If a kid seems interested in something and I don't know about it, I'm usually learning right along with the kid (or kids). With 6 kids I can't really read enough to anticipate even half of what might pique their interests -- although knowing them, I might be able to anticipate what's going to be interesting to them some of the time -- but I am saved by a LARGE personal library. To take the nature walk example again, if I am as stumped as the kids by something we see, when we get home I can direct them to doing their own research. The learning environment is still key to making this work, even if it's not the "perfect" Montessori set up.
Planning for more enduring interests *is* up to me, though, and what I find is that I can't do it too far in advance. So I think if you are going to allow your kids freedom at all in anything, planning in smaller periods of time (weeks vs the whole year, for example) might be easier... although I do have yearly goals and I know people who do plan more precisely for the whole year and yet allow their children "freedom within limits", too. (Actually, one of the more helpful ideas about planning I found while reading about Reggio Emilia. Reggio educators make large flow charts to brainstorm where an interest of the children might lead. While they may follow the children down those paths, they may also guide the children as well -- using the project approach -- in directions which they believe would be fruitful. Those limits may be a little looser than the limits of other's -- and certainly Reggio is a lot looser than Montessori -- but it seems to me that "freedom within limits" is a continuum concept. There is no one right way to do it; instead every family must find how it should play out within the context of the personalities and abilities of the people in that particular family.)
Hmmm. Long post. I hope it wasn't too rambly. But I am considering this concept anew as my oldest enters his teen years. How much freedom? How many limits? What kind of limits? Lots of thinking!
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Sarah M wrote:
| I am totally seeing this in our home, Theresa. It's not enough for me to just set out the feast and let them go at it. I need to be available with time and energy to help them dig deeper...and it's most successful if we can "strike when the iron is hot." So that means that when someone makes a discovery or wants to follow a line of inquiry, I don't respond with, "okay, we'll look that up later", but instead respond with "let's find out more about that!" That takes a different kind of self-discipline and it means I need to have large swaths of time in my day that have nothing scheduled into them- so that I am available in this capacity. |
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This I find the hardest thing to do, the self-discipline needed to be in the moment is imperative. It can be a challenge with a number of children. They can all have different ideas. Often we steamline and tend to follow the interest of one or two children and the other children may have to research on their own. We can't do it all.
Angel wrote:
| For instance, sometimes the kids jump around and become too dependent on the limits; in other words, they don't finish anything they start and rely too much on me to put new choices on the board for them. |
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This is a major problem here that we are trying to tackle, everyone seems to be great at having ideas, and certainly starting but never finishing. I am trying to set limits such as "make a 'mangonel' and notebook two pages of information about Medieval Weapons, include diagrams and pictures." (They have made the mangonel )
Angel wrote:
| But really, I guess I exercise the "freedom within limits" principle throughout the day. Even on the subjects that we do fairly traditionally -- math, for instance -- I ask the kids' opinions on the resources I plan for them before buying anything. |
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Beware they will continue to become very opinionated. Ask me how I know
Angel wrote:
| So I think if you are going to allow your kids freedom at all in anything, planning in smaller periods of time (weeks vs the whole year, for example) might be easier... |
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We plan in five to ten week blocks. I do an overview for ten weeks with the children and then have a more detailed plan for five weeks.
But my detailed plan is nothing like I have seen of other peoples. I have never managed that level of detail. I never seem to make it past the reading lists.
Freedom within Limits is about having a goal but realising there are many ways of achieving it. You as the parent may have one idea of achieving it but your child may have a different idea. This is the opportunity for freedom, allowing choices, allowing negotiaton.
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Connections
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OK- I should be doing a hundred other things right now but my mind is racing with this topic.
I am brainstorming some more ideas. Please help me.
One idea is "Visiting with the Past". I would select a topic such as Inventors, Astronauts, Explorers, Presidents, Kings, Queens, etc. I would provide idea books to get them started. We will all select someone to research. Then we will go to the library/use our home library and each select a couple books to read. Over 1-2 weeks we will research and decide how we want to present the information. Here, almost anything will be game- a report, creative narration (like writing a letter as the person, a journal entry, etc.), dressing up (this is big here) as the person and acting like them, making up a game, etc.
The thing is that one DS already does this on his own. He reads and then he creates a whole world based on what he read. I want to build off of that and get my other DS involved more in the decision making and the presentation/directing.
I am also trying to strike a balance between keeping us working together and supporting independence/research.
Right now I end up going from one end of the spectrum to the other. From "now we are going to do this" to free wheeling.
Thoughts?
____________
Blessings,
Tracey
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Connections
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Theresa- I recently read on your blog about the wonderful way you provided freedom within limits with science (something you do SO well that I want a "how to" manual from you). The freedom was also the problem solving itself. I love that. You didn't tell them how to devise an experiment to answer the question, you posed the questions and they experimented to find the solutions.
Any tips on devising that in my own home?
______________
Blessings,
Tracey
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lapazfarm
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Connections wrote:
Theresa-
Any tips on devising that in my own home?
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Well,I'm not sure what works for us will work for others,but here are a few pointers I think might help:
1. Start slowly. If I had thrown a big challenge like that out to my kids a few years ago they would have been overwhelmed.Begin by giving them small problem-solving challenges such as the fun ones on the Kids Who Think blog.Then build up to more complex ones.Children who are used to being told step-by-step what to do will often feel lost when left to think/plan on their own. Praise little steps.
2. Be available for support, ideas, advice, encouragement.Help them problem solve.Younger children will need more support than older children and you may have to lead them through their thinking process at first.
3.But avoid the temptation to step in and supply the answers.(this can be really hard sometimes).
4. Praise effort and creative thinking, not results.Remind them that even the best scientists fail often, and it is just as important to find out what doesn't work.
5. Encourage experimentation. Sometimes it is not enough just to think things through--we have to get our hands dirty to find answers.
I hope this helps.
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Theresa
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Connections
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Theresa-
Thanks! Great things to remind myself of!
Blessings,
Tracey
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4Real Forums : Philosophy of Education
Topic: Freedom within limits and CM
