The Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu, India) Experience, an Interview of Mario Montessori by David Kahn
(This blog post is being shared with the permission of David Kahn)
The Kodaikanal years were a period of internment for Maria Montessori against her will in India. Yet in these remote hills, a training course emerged, and so did the inspiration for an in-depth unification principle for the elementary program which we now loosely call Cosmic Education. Continue reading
Romania: Third Consultation
In October 2023 I returned to Romania as a consultant for the Montessori School of Iași. Five of my books have been translated into Romanian and as a result our communication is deep and successful. There is so much to learn in an AMI diploma course and the observation, creation of the environment, observation and meeting the needs of each individual, goes on forever. Some of what we focused on in the last two visits was protecting concentration by more work being done on the floor (less eye contact), having only one chair per table (less interruption), and abolishing “trained” afternoon napping, allowing sleep only when needed and the possibility of a full day of Montessori work. The improvement at all levels was obvious.
Infant Community, Age 1-2.5
In this environment an order of the day must be kept unchanged so the children know where everything is and what comes next. And, just as with the older children, individual presentations and freedom to choose an activity that meets a need allows for more and more intelligent choice, independent work, and concentration. I watched this little girl approach the music shelves, place a floor mat and a small xylophone on the mat, and play as she hummed along. Continue reading
Montessori in the San Francisco Bay Area, September 2023
As I am stopping over for two days on the way to the Netherlands and Romania, my good friend Helen Wills Brown and I were graciously hosted for a day by the staff of Marin Montessori School north of the city.
Here is a picture taken by Helen: Sam Shapiro, head of school; Siri Panday director for the infant communities and primary classes, who I have known for years due to our work in Nepal; and Minnie Wales, the director of education for the elementary classes. Continue reading