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Bookswithtea
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I've picked up from reading old posts that some of you are modifying Montessori's ideas and using them in the home. I'm a little bit familiar with Montessori...the idea of using trays and real items that are sized for the child and letting the child explore he trays at the their own pace.
But I have this feeling there's more to it than that. It also sounds like y'all are using the ideas with children much older than preschool.
I'd love to hear more about this idea, please?
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Elizabeth
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An atrium is a place set apart for a child to encounter and fall in love with God. Montessori had such a place in her Children's Houses and Sofia Cavaletti has taken the idea into this century. Works in the atrium introduce children to the Good Shepherd and teach them parables and prophecies and the history of the salvation of man, using hands-on materials and a respect for the silence necessary for the child to encounter God. It's rooted liturgy. Moira Farrell has captured the essence of the atrium for mothers teaching their children at home. Her albums are a great beginning, though not exactly what you find in an atrium. It's a double-edged sword. Montessori education was designed for groups of children. That was Dr. Montessori's premise and she played off the effects of children on each other. When we bring it home, we gain and we lose. We lose some of the peer consort group influence. But we also gain because we experience the presentations as a family. And, in many instances, parish atria are crippled by the "afer school" culture. Remember, Montessori's students were in her Children's Houses all day. They were well-trained and well practiced in the disciplines of silence.
Moira's albums and the training and discussion available at the Catholiclearning yahoogroup are sometimes the best we can do to come close to creating an atrium at home.
Here's a column I wrote about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd last spring to give you just a little more detail:
A young child enters the atrium and carefully unrolls a mat on the floor. He takes a green wooden circle with fencing around it from the shelf and places it on the mat. Then, he retrieves a basket of sheep and a shepherd. For the next few minutes, he deliberately arranges the sheep and shepherd within the sheepfold. Pleased with his work, he leans back on his hands to survey the scene. After a few moments of contemplation, he moves one sheep from the fold. Under the child’s control, the shepherd goes to recover his sheep. The child sits back once again to just think about the scene before him. Satisfied, he gathers sheep and shepherd and returns them to the shelf. He is only three and he will repeat this process many times over the next few years, each time furthering his relationship with the Good Shepherd.
Later in the day, an older child comes into the same space. She too, chooses the sheep and the shepherd for her work. She also chooses a miniature table, a collection of wooden people, and a tiny chalice, paten, and host. She arranges the sheep carefully as the child who preceded her. Then, one by one, she moves them from the paddock and places them around the table. On the tabletop, the shepherd figure surveys his sheep. The child stops; she ponders the scene she’s created. After a few minutes, she removes each sheep individually, replacing it with a person, until there are people of every color, age and gender gathered around the table. Gently, the shepherd is removed and in his place, the chalice, paten and host are reverently arranged. With every movement and in the pauses between the movements, the girl understands more deeply the meaning of the Eucharistic Presence. Because her time in the atrium began when she was only three, she has a forged a living relationship with the Good Shepherd. She knows Him intimately. This new dimension, this understanding that He left Himself for all the world in a real and present way, is within her grasp. The environment is carefully prepared to support her understanding; she is helped to know God all by herself.
This is the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd—so much more than a religious education program, this is a living spirituality entered into by children and adults. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was developed by Dr. Sophia Cavaletti, a Hebrew Scripture scholar, who is a devoted follower of Maria Montessori. Unlike a book-based program, The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is very contemplative and endeavors to provide an environment (influenced by Montessori principles) that allows the child to enter into a deep personal relationship with God. Through the use of teaching manipulatives and guided reflections on scripture, the child learns to know and love God intimately and personally. This environment—this place set apart for contemplation—is called an atrium.
The younger child (ages 3-6), who is eager to know Love, is presented “works” (Montessori –influenced materials) which help him to discover for himself God’s infinite and unconditional love. Together with the directress, the children hear about, pray about, and play with materials which teach first the parable of the Good Shepherd and then the kingdom parables and the infancy narratives. They also learn about the gestures and symbols of the liturgy, the articles of the altar and prayer table, and the liturgical calendar.
The child from ages to 6 - 9 is ready to understand the morality of Christianity, so she is introduced to moral parables, parables of mercy, and Christ’s maxims. These are the years of preparation for First Reconciliation and First Communion, so the child grows closer to Christ in the sacraments. By the time she reaches the table of the Lord, she has a genuine hunger for Him. A reverence for the Universal Church and for Christ as He is revealed and worshipped in liturgy permeates the atmosphere of the 6-9 atrium.
In the 9-12 atrium, children who are just coming into an awareness of their place in time are introduced to the plan of God. As they work with timelines, they see salvation history unfold and they recognize that God has had a deliberate plan for all of mankind, as well as a personal and particular plan for each of them.
The adults who are privileged to be in the atrium environment and to present the work to the children are all changed by what they see and do there. With the child, they grow to understand the faith and to meditate upon its truths in a new way. And they find it very meaningful. This is not a program where the teacher can read the teacher’s manual a few minutes before the lesson and then direct the filling of blanks in a workbook. Teachers participate in rich, living, personal formation. The lessons which the children will learn are presented to the teachers in a time set apart for them. They have the same opportunities for contemplation and meditation. And that teacher’s manual? It is an album lovingly created by the teacher herself for her own use and reflection.
This is much more than a typical CCD program. It is a spirituality . It is a way of looking at, relating with, and loving God. Children and adults alike learn to know Him and love Him better through a profound and personal experience with Him. If there is an atrium available to you, I urge you to go there and learn how you and your children can be a part of the experience there. Both childhood and adulthood can be forever changed in this place--this beautiful place—where, together, we can fall in love with God.
*************
Incidentally, Jerome Berryman, who is not Catholic, was a colleaue of Sofia Cavalletti. He has taken the principles of the atrium and created GOdly Play. Godly Play's Website is a good place to start if you want to acquire some materials that can be used to present some of the Cahtolic atrium lessons. And then you can round it out with materials like a miniatrue Mass kit found at Our Father's House. Julia Fogarty, who runs Our Father's HOuse is a Montessori teacher and is the mother of Moira Farrel. To learn more about ordering albums and the Catholiclearning egroup, go to Catholiclearning.
I'd love to see more discussion of the atrium here, too!
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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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Bookswithtea
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Somewhere in cyberspace is one response to the original thread here that defined an atrium as a garden type space and asked for a clarification as to what I was talking about.
I pulled this sentence from one of Elizabeth's posts (CHC again thread):
***I'll FIAR-plus it for my little ones and I've added to our atrium quite a bit so I look forward to spending lots of time there.***
I've noticed the word "Atrium" in threads regarding Montessori and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. My impression is that its not related to nature study in particular, but I could be wrong. :-)
I'm hoping someone can enlighten me as to what a Montessori driven education looks like with older children?
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Bookswithtea
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Wow. I'm glad I asked. I will look up the links you provided and do some research. In the meantime, I have a question...are you setting up separate Atriums for each age group within your home? Is all the guided learning done within these age groups, or is it possible to do this as a family with a wide spread of ages (oops, I guess that was more than one question!)?
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Bookswithtea
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another question?
Is the book From Creative Chaos to Livable Learning the best place to start to learn more?
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Elizabeth
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No, Creative Chaos isn't any help with creating atria at all. You want Moira Farrell's albums, I think. The catholiclearning list is a good place to glean. And maybe we can keep talking so we can help each other create beautiful places of retreat where children can fall in love with God. I'll ask Moira if she can join us.
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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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Bookswithtea
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OK, thanks for the information. I'd love to read more discussion about it.
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Marybeth
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My ds went to an atrium all last year. It was such a blessing in our lives. We truly are so enriched by all that he learned and the ways the Holy Spirit moved his young life. We are setting up an atrium here in our home b/c his teacher is expecting triplets and can't continue with the atrium.
I am in the midst of putting together a holy card album for us and need to get some linens very soon!!
Marybeth
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Genevieve
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That would be great if Moira joins in.... perfect timing since I'm preparing to start CGS with my eldest.
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Elizabeth
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Moira is more than happy to join us. She read this thread last night and plans to post soon  .
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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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Genevieve
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Wonderful! This would help us all prepare a more spiritual home particularly suited for our younger ones.
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JennGM
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Elizabeth wrote:
| Moira is more than happy to join us. She read this thread last night and plans to post soon . |
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Yippee!!! I'm so excited!! Her albums are the next item I plan on purchasing. I look forward to *meeting* her.
Her albums have been discussed on many other lists. I found one post VERY helpful from MaterAmabilisTTF where the mother made the materials with the children. She presented to her children and found such ease in doing it, and such acceptance from the children. She explained that the program is not what you would find in an Atrium of CoGS, but that's the way she wants it because the home is a "domestic church" and the perfect place to teach the Faith to the children. That was the best endorsement for me!
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Cay Gibson
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jenngm67 wrote:
| She explained that the program is not what you would find in an Atrium of CoGS, |
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I have heard this repeatedly and it has me curious. I'd really like to read a *specific* explanation. Perhaps Moira can share that with us. 
With is it that makes Montessori and CoGS program so much *better* than anything we can hope to do at home?
Also, I'm using Moira's albums with our hs group and look forward to her sharing her thoughts of it being used in a group setting.
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Elizabeth
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I think, for me, the draw to an established atrium is practical. The materials are there. They are made, often beautifully made. It is the same as the draw to a well-equipped Montessori classroom. This method is material-intense and very time-consuming should we endeavor to do it on our own. Often we don't *know* we want an atrium until we are busy with several children and time for researching and making materials is scarce. Money is even scarcer. I think it can be done, though. This year, our home atrium will be the priority: making materials, presenting lessons, and then narrating and scrapbooking those presentations are going to be a huge part of life here. I look forward to Moira's input. And I remain firmly convinced that this is the very best we can do for our young children and, quite possibly, for ourselves.
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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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MEBarrett
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I'm really interested in this post. Could someone give me an idea of what your atrium space looks like? Is it a corner of the house specifically devoted to that? I am a little dopey about visualizing things. Is how the space looks important? Do the albums help with this? I loved the websites Elizabeth posted. Do you have to have certain things in the atrium depending on the ages of the children. Please forgive me if these questions are redundant but I am drawn to this but am having a hard time seeing in my head how it looks/works.
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Mary G
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Maybe all you "experts" can give me some advice -- I have a 2.5, a 5, and a 6 that I would like to do with artium with this year -- we've already got the Mass kit which has already helped the kids immensely in tuning into the consecration during Mass.
My question is which of the book would be better for us -- the book 1 (which is 3-6) or the book 2 (for 7-9) -- is it better to go to the older book? What is the difference? I ask as $40, sight-unseen is hard to spend and I'd hate to make an error (at least one that was an uneducated error).....
Thanks for any advice
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Mary Chris
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Here are some pictures of a church atrium. The pictures on the lessons page show the lesson of the Good Shepherd.
I do not have an atruim in my home, just a small montessori area and a Mass kit. I would like to have more.
What I love most about CGS is that it is all about nurturing the God child relationship. For many children, CCD is just about filling in the blanks. My dd's First Holy Communion prep was like that. 
My children joined an atrium at our parish last January right after we moved here. The first day they came home and told dad...purple is preparation, white is celebration. red is Pentecost and green is ordered time. We were impressed, my dd did not know that after two years of Catholic school.
I am going to teach a 3-6 year old class, I'm a little nervous but excited. I will have a child in each level this year. The training to become a teacher is long, one Saturday a month from 9-3, July through May. I have learned so much about our faith since I started training  .
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Cay Gibson
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MEBarrett wrote:
| Could someone give me an idea of what your atrium space looks like? Is it a corner of the house specifically devoted to that? |
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I hope Elizabeth will send a picture of her atrium. 
We don't have an atrium yet. But we do have an altar. Our altar has been in our hallway for years. I finally realized after seeing Marcia's at Catholic Montessori that ours needed to be in the light more and not in such a dark area.
Of course, the light and airy space reminds me more Protestanism than the darkness sacristy of Catholic churches.  Anyway...
We remodeled our bedroom this summer and it's all pale coffee-milk walls and white trim. It's light and airy and beautiful. So I bought a simple white two-shelf bookshelf and set it in front of one of my windows. That way the dc can have an open lighted space where they will want to go, versus a dark hallway. That's where the girls handle their atrium materials for now...and we don't have near-enough.  But I'm working on that. 
We have just up-graded our electrical system here and once the electrician finishes the outside and dhubby gets my wall back up in the back of the living room, I plan to turn that area into an atrium. Only thing is it won't be closed off space.  BUt, it's all I have...
...and, to tell you the truth...right now I'm feeling awfully blessed to have this house right now in Louisiana. 
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
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Bookswithtea
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Cay, I loved the pictures in your home (from the Catholic Montessori site)! It looked to me like the idea of "learning centers" scattered around the house. One of your centers is a prayer area, as opposed to a whole room that has different religious centers?? Am I understanding correctly?
I have three more questions. First, how do you find room in your homes for this kind of thing in and among hsing stuff and plain old living?
What if your 18 month old or 2 yr old gets into everything and trashes it? It would be expensive to replace. I'm not sure that children this young can make the transition from the busy family kitchen to a "quiet respectful space" the way they would the transition from home to an established Atrium. Do you keep the centers off limits to children younger than 3? I can't imagine my 2 1/2 yr old not wanting to touch and play with all of this stuff, and I'm sure it would be good for her soul, too. I'm just worried about her wrecking it for the older children.
Finally, what about older children? Is the child over 12 not a part of the centers, but following a more traditional learning pattern?
Thank you all so much for tolerating my questions! I'm fascinated by the whole idea of this.
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Mary G
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Does anyone know an online site where I can see Moira's albums and possibly look at a few pages of them -- I'm just not comfortable spending $40 sight-unseen.
Thanks!
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MaryG
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: what is an Atrium?
