Business Leaders and Montessori

Business Leaders and Montessori

We recently came across a Wall Street Journal article from 2011 about business leaders who credit their Montessori educations for giving them a business advantage. These leaders include the founders of both Google and Amazon, who were both interviewed for the piece. The Wall Street Journal gave a tongue-in-cheek title to the story, “The Montessori Mafia.” Around the same time, the Harvard Business Review published “Montessori Builds Innovators,” a reflection on the WSJ article written by Andrew McAfee, a professor at MIT.  McAfee’s recollections of the Montessori math materials are especially interesting to read. Happy reading!  ...

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Honor the Birds

Honor the Birds

In our Montessori program, finding ways to honor the Earth and the life upon it are part of our Peace Curriculum. This year, we’ve chosen to celebrate International Migratory Bird Day at Winfield Children’s House. This day was designated as the second weekend in May and is celebrated worldwide. Many birds visit our school’s campus. During the winter we fill bird feeders. We eagerly await the return of the migratory robins and phoebes that nest on our grounds each year. To celebrate this international event, we’ve invited a children’s naturalist from the Maine Audubon to present a program to the children. Individual classrooms are celebrating with different activities and materials. We were excited to add some new book titles to our school library, as well. Feather Not Just for Flying and A Nest Is Noisy are a few of new picture books we’ve order. How is your family celebrating birds this May?      ...

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How the Young Child Masters Executive Function

How the Young Child Masters Executive Function

The staff who were able to attend the American Montessori Society Annual Conference in Philadelphia this past weekend are returning to school with a wealth of resources about teaching and learning. One term that was popular in workshops and keynotes was “executive function.” The latest research in neuroscience is giving educators a lot of insight into how the brain learns. A metaphor for executive function is the “air-traffic control” of the brain. In other words, the mechanisms that allow concentration, organization, flexibility and the ability to filter distractions. Research is showing these abilities are teachable. Montessori programs are able to provide an environment to let these skills unfold with the long, uninterrupted work time and age-appropriate materials that isolate skills and allow for independent discovery. Twin Parks Montessori in New York City shared this excellent video explaining more about executive function in young children. If you would like to learn more about how to support your child in developing executive function, you may wish to mark your calendar for an upcoming lecture sponsored by the Maine Montessori Association and North Yarmouth Academy. It’s offered by psychologist Stephen Hughes and entitled, “Building Better Brains.” The event will take place Friday, March 26, from 6:30-8pm at the North Yarmouth Academy Savage Middle School Gymnasium. The event is free and open to the public. If you aren’t able to make it to the lecture, you may wish to bookmark this video from Dr. Hughes website. Building Better Brains from Steve Hughes on...

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Teachers Attend AMS Conference: In-Service Friday

Teachers Attend AMS Conference: In-Service Friday

There will be no school for children on Friday, March 13, at Winfield Children’s House. A team of teachers and administrators will be traveling to Philadelphia for the American Montessori Society Annual Conference. There will be teachers from the infant, toddler, preschool and Kindergarten programs attended. This year’s conference theme is “Life, Liberty, Montessori” in honor of the history of Philadelphia. The conference is expected to draw 2,000+ Montessori educators from around the USA and internationally. Keynote speakers include author Jennifer Senior. Her recent book All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood has earned acclaim for its unique perspective on the challenges American parents face in the 21st century.  Julian Bond will give the Nancy McCormick Rambusch Lecture on Friday. He has been a leader in the Civil Rights movement for many years, including positions of political office in the state of Georgia and President Emeritus of the Southern Poverty Law Center. In addition, workshops, networking events and an exhibit hall will help teachers to gather new ideas and return to school full of inspiration.  ...

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