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Jordan
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| Posted: June 13 2007 at 3:35pm | IP Logged
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I am wondering how those of you who use Montessori combine it with other methods of learning? For example, if you wanted to do FIAR or any lilterature-based unit study, what would this look like in practice when combined with Montessori? I know that Montessori classrooms cover topics just like anyone else but it seems like it would take more time to do both the special topics (unit study or FIAR-type stuff) and the time spent with Montessori materials. I can see how you could bring in Montessori inspired materials to enrich a certain subject area. It would be nice to connect the learning approaches so they work together and compliment each other.
Am I making any sense? If you get what I'm asking, would you mind sharing how you incorporate Montessori into a day which also includes other types of learning?
My kids are so young and I just can't see doing schooly stuff for very long each day. My four year-old still naps for 2 or so hours per day so our days are relatively short. I'd really like a combined approach that is both Montessori and includes a lot of reading, but I don't want to go overboard.
What do you think? Thanks for any advice.
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Jordan
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Meredith
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| Posted: June 13 2007 at 4:44pm | IP Logged
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Well, I've been doing Montessori with Real Learning for some time now and it's been great! I am just now starting to add in the *real* Montessori materials along with all our homemade items, but it's a very natural fit and I will add very akin to a Charlotte Mason style of learning/teaching as well!! I think you'll find it all very compatible for your little ones!
BLessings!
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Meredith
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: June 13 2007 at 4:55pm | IP Logged
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I am a firm believer in starting our day with a read-aloud. It is such a gentle way to ease into the school day, and really gets the imagination stirring for the rest of the day. Our morning read-aloud is usually something aimed at the little ones, but often ds will sit in, as he enjoys the pictures and the memories old favorites invoke.
Then my plan is to get ds started on his math, which he can do independently while I do a presentation with dd to get her rolling for the day. Once she is working independently (on any subject she chooses)I will focus on ds and his science projects. DD will likely want to be in the science room with us, so she will probably wander in and do her botany cabinet, plant/animal puzzles, science trays, or other activities in there. Then I think we will do geography together, though certainly at different levels. My plan is to do not only Montessori activities for these subjects, but to bring in living books and projects as well. I will read to them from books about the countries we are studying,interspersed with more formal presentations, and lots of hands-on projects.
After lunch dd usually takes a nap, but at age almost 6 this will likely end soon. I have always reserved this time for read-alouds with ds, who has several going on at once, and ds likes to write for awhile in the afternoons as well. After nap we all do nature study together, usually outdoors. Sometimes this is me reading a nature story and us taking off on a rabbit trail inspired by that story, other times we set out with a plan in mind, or no plan at all! And then ds has some more time to work on his projects.
Now that dd will not be napping, I may adjust this a bit.
And when ds gets on a tangent I will certainly let him go full steam with whatever he is interested in. He goes on the most interesting rabbit trails, so dd may want to join him as well!
I also firmly believe in the CM idea of short lessons.So though the day may seem packed, there is really very little "instructional" time involved. Mostly I will read aloud for awhile, or do a short presentation, then sit back and let them go to it!
So, anyway, I think this is how I HOPE I will incorporate Montessori with Real Learning. Keeping in mind that the Montessori part is all new to me!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
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Meredith
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| Posted: June 13 2007 at 6:25pm | IP Logged
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lapazfarm wrote:
| I am a firm believer in starting our day with a read-aloud. It is such a gentle way to ease into the school day, and really gets the imagination stirring for the rest of the day. Our morning read-aloud is usually something aimed at the little ones, but often ds will sit in, as he enjoys the pictures and the memories old favorites invoke....Keeping in mind that the Montessori part is all new to me! |
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Theresa, I LOVE this, and have always thought about starting first thing with read-aloud, but have always feared that they won't want to move into Math afterward  . I'm going to give it a try as I find that sometimes our read-aloud gets pushed later in the day and then sometimes is missed because we got so involved with other *stuff*, and then it's bedtime stories only  .
I really like the idea of moving right into Math and a presentation after some lovely read aloud time!! Thanks for sharing your Real Learning style, it always shines through in all you do 
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Angel
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| Posted: June 13 2007 at 6:58pm | IP Logged
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We also read aloud first thing. Our routine for a long time was to read a little from the Bible or a Catholic Mosaic book, a picture book (the Catholic Mosaic book counts as a picture book when we read them), and then maybe a chapter of a longer book for the older kids. (At the beginning of the year I tried reading at lunchtime, but then I never had a chance to eat!) Everybody usually draws while I read. The older kids' routine is then to do chores, and after chores to do math. But I'm going to have to mess around with the schedule in order to get our "choice time" (what we call Montessori work around here) in. Reading aloud in the morning isn't working so well anymore because the babies have so much energy then.
When my two oldest were small and I didn't have any other kids, we always got up and got going in the morning, and then read right before naptime and at bedtime. If you did that, you'd have a whole morning for Montessori work.
I have no idea how this is going to work out with a new baby, so I hesitate to make any plans now. And during the summer the kids really, really need to be outside (considering how loooong winter lasts here!). So I doubt we will get to a longer work period until cooler weather. But the most likely schedule will be to read aloud first thing, followed by a Montessori work period (in which I will probably give my 10 yo some sort of checklist), then lunch and outside, followed by quiet time where the 10 yo and 8 yo will finish up some work, read, do art, that kind of thing. I imagine I will read to the little ones while I nurse at some points during the day, and of course everyone is read to at bedtime.
You know, you could make trays with materials for lapbooks or notebooks, if your kids liked that sort of thing, and art/craft trays can always be related to the books you're reading, feast days, seasons, or holidays. Nature study for us is very informal, too, and usually happens as we play outside -- or go to parks or on field trips.
--Angela
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SeaStar
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| Posted: June 13 2007 at 7:01pm | IP Logged
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Oh, man- can you guys send some nap vibes over to my house? Both mine gave up napping shortly after turning two- not that either of them ever napped more than 45 minutes, anyway- and dd only if she was being held.
But, OTOH, we then have plenty of time for both Montessori and Real Learning and anything else we want to throw in 
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acystay
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| Posted: June 13 2007 at 7:41pm | IP Logged
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To be honest, I haven't read Real learning so I don't know the pedagogy it is perscribing. Being a former middle school teacher, I have my own teaching beliefs. I really try to follow my children's own insticts and desires and match that with what we need to learn. I love many Montessori approaches to math and phonics so I'm doing those. I also love the sensorial and practical life skills. I like that I can teach order to my children and still have room open for the things we want to do.
I encompase Waldorf as well into many of our learning lessons. I love the calming and arts they do. I am going to be doing watercolors with DD this fall as part of her art lessons and more with wax crayons and beeswax molding. She is knitting now with 2 neddles and will have her creating some felted projects for Christmas. I love the natural side to Waldorf. I think many things do fit with Waldorf from Montessori for the natural and practical life, but it stops there IMO. Academics are a much different story...sorry for the tangent but I thought I should offer what else I like to do with them.
I am doing FIAR and HWT both which we love and do on our own pace. I just go with her flow and ask what she'd like to do that day. Some days she doesn't say anything so I give her a few choices (FIAR book, HWT, clock, knitting, etc.). I just can't see committing myself to one philosophy and style of teaching. So that is why I guess I do a little of everything :)
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AndreaG
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Great question- this is sort of my summer project to figure out how these two great philosophies work together! I haven't read Real Learning, but from what I read on these boards montessori fits right in or at least overlaps substantially with a real learning approach. I have read some Charlotte Mason which seems very compatible with montessori. Charlotte Mason advocated short lessons in the morning and afternoons to pursue interests and emphasized good literature to spark children's interest and imaginations, and the child keeps a notebook to keep track of it all. To me this is similar to montessori elementary where a child will have a workplan with some things that must be accomplished but lots of room for free choice too, and Great Lessons to introduce them to the topics of study, and keep a journal of their work.
One difference between the two is CM uses books, where montessori has the cards and other materials. Of course montessori also uses books, so maybe this isn't really a difference? I think Theresa's approach of using books and projects to reinforce the montessori materials is pretty close to what happens in montessori classrooms.
Practically speaking you could probably combine approaches a number of ways - ie put out montessori materials to correspond to FIAR topics, have FIAR units presented as a choice among all the other montessori materials, or have a special time of day or week aside to just do FIAR (or other curriculum) aside from montessori time.
I really don't know how I am going to do it yet, I'd love to hear everyone's schedules/plans for next year once we get them formulated.
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Jordan
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| Posted: June 14 2007 at 4:34pm | IP Logged
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Thank you all so much for sharing.  You all have such great ideas.
I agree that Montessori and Real Learning are very compatible in many ways. I think my uncertainties have to do with time management--doing both without going against one of the fundamentals of Real Learning by doing too much. Maybe this will just take trial and error on my part.
Angela, I really like that you call your Montessori time your "choice time." I may have to borrow that.
Theresa, I like your description of incorporating your reading, projects, and Montessori activities together. It all sounds so fun and interesting. I so wish I'd been educated this way. 
This is such a great group. You all are so helpful and sweet.
Jordan
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saintanneshs
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| Posted: June 15 2007 at 12:06am | IP Logged
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I'm so glad you asked this question, Jordan!!
I'm thinking on the same thing as I'm soaking all this great Montessori info in. I came to these boards looking for a few activities to enhance my "tactile learner" 4yo's upcoming school year and have come away with whole notebooks of amazing lessons and ideas! I'm really going to have to just absorb it all over the summer before I even begin to draw up a plan that interweaves Montessori, CM and unit studies. Dare I even attempt it? I think it sounds harder than it will actually be...at least I HOPE so! It sounds like the moms here have the whole integration concept together. I think I'll just hang around here for a while and bookmark threads like this one!
Jordan wrote:
| I think my uncertainties have to do with time management--doing both without going against one of the fundamentals of Real Learning by doing too much. |
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I have such a hard time with this. I'm starting to think that planning (for my group) is an exercise in futility. I think it's because whenever I try to give the 5 and 7yo something to do independently so that I can work with the 4yo and 2yo, the older two almost always want to do what we're doing and fuss when they're left out! (and vice versa) Lots of, "Mommy, why can't we do that with you too?" And it's going to become even more so if I try to direct different Montessori presentations for different kids, especially in the beginning. I know we'll work toward individualized presentations and I'm really looking forward to working on the concept of mats and individual learning parameters for anything other than seatwork. This will really be good for my kids who just always want to be together whenever I'm doing anything that looks like fun!...Now if only I can remember not to do too much! ...I think maybe I'll just start out by jotting a few ideas down on a weekly plan (versus day-by-day) and then journal what we actually accomplish, since we seem to accomplish much, just not always what I plan! I figure whatever we do, be it CM or Montessori-inspired or unit study or all 3, it will definitely be 4Real and it will definitely be with lots of togetherness!
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Meredith
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| Posted: June 15 2007 at 10:32am | IP Logged
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Also, ladies, keep in mind here than many of us have been Real Learning for a long time with varying ages of children and for many of us we have been slowly integrating the Montessori concepts into our Real Learning lifestyle. It didn't happen overnight (thankfully). You'll find your nitch, the key is to make sure to not try and do it all. Just bits and pieces here and there and see if it sticks
The encouragement and resourcefulnes of everyone here has been huge in my decisions to go forward with MORE Montessori, but not taking away from our Real Learning!
Blessings!
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Meredith
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Elizabeth
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acystay wrote:
| To be honest, I haven't read Real learning so I don't know the pedagogy it is perscribing. ... I just can't see committing myself to one philosophy and style of teaching. So that is why I guess I do a little of everything :) |
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Yeah, I can't see committing myself to one philosophy either. I have read Real Learning a few times, though . And it's all about using a bit of this and a lot of that and making it work in your real life. Sounds like you're doing that!
I use a bit of Montessori, a bit of Waldorf, all the FIAR storybooks (mostly at bedtime), Catholic Mosaic, rabbit trails of our own interests, a little CHC, and a lot of prayer...
and I can call it "Real Learning" with some degree of confidence, 'though I'm awaiting the day when someone will tell me it's not.
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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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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Montessori and Real Learning
