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
The Kodaikanal Experience (Montessori in India during WWII)
– David Kahn Interviews Lena Wikramaratne
(This blog post has been created with the permission of David Kahn.)
Being asked about how/when I began to lecture on Montessori I remembered that the first time was in the fall of 1971 at the AMI training center in Northern California. I was so very nervous that I had to sit outside the lecture room and breathe deeply for some time to garner the courage. I had been asked by Miss Lena to share the primary language lessons from the AMI training center in London (where I had studied the previous year) that were different than in training centers in the USA.
Miss Lena was one of the teacher trainers who actually worked with Dr. Montessori, so, with David’s permission, I share this interview. Continue reading