Fostering a child’s natural desire for independence is a core tenet of a Montessori education. That desire is fed by showing children (at every age) ways they can take care of themselves and giving them the opportunity to plan their work.
This process begins with our (3-6) students pouring their own milk, spreading butter on bread and learning to cut fruit and make toast safely. They learn the concepts of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division using hands-on materials. Building muscle strength by hand sewing with yarn and burlap gets them ready for writing. Some kindergartners build confidence and get some initial comfort with a sewing machine by resting a hand on the back of the teacher’s while fabric is steered through or by being guided to manage the foot pedal for the teacher. These simple introductions create an excitement for learning new and important skills.
As students progress through the 9 year experience at The New School Montessori (from age 3 to 12), their skills advance tremendously in complexity.
- Simple math concepts initiated in preprimary lead to algebra, geometry and even basic calculus.
- Making an announcement during lunch, or giving clues to your “Who Am I” character on Halloween progresses to sharing a 5-minute presentation of a yearlong research project to a crowded room of family and friends.
- Improving dexterity continues from painting with shaving cream to woodworking, keyboarding and learning to use an axe.
- Life skills that begin with squeezing orange juice in preprimary later include more advanced skills like learning to read a map, do laundry, pay for a meal at a restaurant and to understand public transportation as 6th graders take turns leading their chaperoned groups through various tourist sites in Washington, D.C.
Ann Baumgardner
