Infant Community (age 1-2.5) Video
+ Maria and Mario Montessori
A VIEW OF THE POTENTIAL OF THE CHILD FROM 1-3
The DVD “The Wonderful Two’s” has sold for $40-$45 for years. Now it is available free on YouTube.
Seeing these children in action reveals the potential of the human being, from a very young age, to focus and concentrate, to act and think independently, and to respect and care for each other and the environment—changing the “terrible two’s” into the “wonderful two’s.”
Dr. Montessori began the 0-3 Assistants to Infancy (A to I) program in Rome, Italy in 1947. My good friend Judi Orion directed the first course in Japan in 1994-1995. I was in Japan both to help with the training, and to meet with Dr. and Mrs. Suzuki of the Suzuki Music Talent Education method, about the Suzuki early childhood program. I borrowed a camera and, never having filmed before, captured the progress of the children and the teachers-in-training in the Osaka school where the course was being held. Amazed, Mrs. Suzuki asked me to show it at the next international Suzuki Conference.
In preparation for this conference presentation I filmed a bit of the Montessori infant community at the 0-3 Montessori training center in Denver, Colorado and created this video.
Over the years it has inspired parents, grandparents, A to I teachers, teachers of older children, and child development professionals around the world. When I was first exposed to this program I had already been teaching children from ages 2-13 based on my own AMI 3-6 and 6-12 training. It showed me how much we underestimate the abilities of younger children. I have seen many changes in 3-6 class after Montessori teachers watch this video.
CLICK: INFANT COMMUNITY VIDEO
(Please IGNORE the ad at the beginning of the video, and any videos that follow it, NONE of which I recommend. When a video is popular this is just what happens.)
HELP FOR AMI TEACHER TRAINING OBSERVATION HOURS
I already know of one Montessori 3-6 course where this video is being used as part of the observation hours requirement because the students are in “lockdown.”
VIDEOS OF MARIA AND HER SON MARIO
It is so lovely to see this very short interview of Dr. Montessori, her peaceful face, her words in Italian, and her brief interaction with children. There are subtitles in English.
The interview of her son Mario was held in the United States, at the 1981 international study conference based on the study of adolescence, when the movement to develop the ideal program for adolescents, called the Erdkinder, was just beginning. In this interview Mario also speaks of the death of his mother that occurred just as she was making plans for her first work in Africa.
One of the ideas he talked about, which is often overlooked, is the similarity—physical, mental, psychological, and spiritual—between the very young child and the adolescent.
I think it is more important than ever that we understand this correlation if we are going to be able to support young adults as they make their way in a rapidly-changing—and sometimes frightening—future on planet Earth, with confidence, happiness, and compassion toward self and others.
Maria Montessori interview
CLICK: MARIA
Mario Montessori 1982 USA interview
CLICK: MARIO
HELPING THE WORLD BEGINNING WITH THE VERY YOUNG
As we learn more and more about the development of the human being we begin to understand how important, how formative, are the first three years. Montessori education at this age is not about buying a lot of materials, or trying to replicate the Montessori school environment in the home. It is about learning to observe, and to understand that a very young child wants to imitate the rest of the family members, do do what they are doing, and to participate in the daily life according to each child’s individual pace of rapidly developing skills.
In my years of international work, I have seen Montessori get started on a good foundation in several countries with an understanding of the need of the very young child. My second book, The Joyful Child: Montessori, Global Wisdom from Birth to Three has been the first book translated in several countries and here is some of the feedback:
This book is so clear and simple, yet deep and profound, that my husband read it and now we are working together instead of his being left out of our using Montessori ideas at home.
After reading this book I can finally understand the books written by Montessori herself.
My adolescent students want to understand who they are and where they came from. This book creates an atmosphere of respect for children which these future parents can carry with them.
The Joyful Child has always been part of the parent education program at my school and now that I am a teacher trainer I recommend it on every course.
Here is the cover of the most recent translation of this book, from Serbia. I am sharing it because I think it so interesting that in the Serbian language foreign words are spelled phonetically, the way they sound. So this might one of the few places where I might work in the future where my names (Mayclin – pronounced mac’lyn; Stephenson – pronounced steve’en.son) are pronounced correctly. Notice even Montessori is phonetic.
TRANSLATIONS
Here is the link to all translations so far and others are being created.
CLICK: JOYFUL CHILD TRANSLATIONS
Take care,
Susan
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