“With man, the life of the body, depends on the life of the spirit.” ~ Dr. Maria Montessori
DATES TO REMEMBER:
“Enriching Family Time” Dec. 4, 9:30-11am — led by Megan, Laura and Sharon
Fundraising Committee Meeting, Dec. 6, 7:30pm — planning for our 2nd Annual Casino Night, coming Feb. 4th
Annual Holiday Giving, Dec. 5-16 — once again SafePlace shelter for families is our recipient, donation box is in the lobby
Holiday Teacher Appreciaton — a) cash collection Dec. 7-16; b) pot luck luncheon hosted by parents Dec. 19 [information letters for both coming soon]
Trumpet Demo, Dec. 9 — Erik Telford, dad to Eliza, will share his talent
CPR and First Aid, Dec. 14, 6:60-9pm — only $25, sign up in lobby
Hannukah Traditions, Dec. 21 — Jordan Bookey, mom to Cassius, will share songs, stories and games with us
Ornament Decorating With Grandparents, Dec. 22, 3-5pm — grandparents or any beloved adult will join your child in their classroom to create a unique treasure
SCHOOL CLOSED FOR WINTER HOLIDAY, Dec. 23-30 (back Jan. 2)
Body and Soul
As the holidays approach there is much to do. It is a time for shopping, cooking, baking and gathering together to enjoy family and to reflect on the year that is ending. For many it is also a time to reflect on our spiritual nature even as we live in a physical body.
In my Montessori training course we learned that the development and growth of both the spirit and the physical must always be considered as we prepare the environment and choose the objects that go in it.
Starting with the beds on the floor in the infant room, and the push wagon in the toddler room right on through to the materials and furniture in the Children’s House (3-6) the Montessori environment sends the message that the child is a welcome member of the community, free to move and explore at will (within the limits of safety etc). This freedom to move and explore is what moves the supine infant onto his tummy, then onto his knees and then his feet. It’s what moves a supported walker to an independent one and a child who needs assistance to one who offers it to others.
One thing that is often challenging to give, though it is free and priceless, is time. The gift of time to move, explore and repeat shows the reverence, awe and respect due the child in the midst of such big work.
Stepping back and allowing time to be taken (as the gift it truly is), we are in the gentlest way giving the message that the struggle/work is recognized and it is worthy of the effort.
This is as true for the infant working on body control as it is for the child working on buttoning or tying.
Dr Montessori description of the child from 0-3 as a ‘spiritual embryo’ underscores the call to consider how we care for the physical body. For instance, during diapering, bathing, dressing, feeding, are we making eye contact, are we speaking slowly and clearly naming the body, the bath items and the food? Do we wait until the baby/child signals readiness or do we forge ahead? Do we show respect to his process or do we impose our wishes on him?
Addressing both his physical needs and the growth of his spirit is one of the things Dr Montessori succeeded in doing with the design of materials that are self-correcting, encourage repetition, are beautiful to look at and a joy to touch. The “aim” of any given material may be to master some ability, but it is also to build self-confidence and self-esteem. (“I did it!” … oh, what joy!)
When the physical and spiritual are in easy harmony all is happiness, but when on the verge of a new capability there can be some struggle and frustration. What are we to do? As adults, we often take it upon ourselves to “help” young children reach physical abilities they may not be ready to reach on their own. This push takes them, and us, out of the present moment as though it is not good enough. There are any number of commercially available devices encouraging us to put the non-walking child into a walking stance, or to put a child not ready to sit up on his own into a seated position. These are not what we would consider “aids” to his development.
It would be better to offer a ball to the not-yet- crawling child that engages his interest but doesn’t roll so far out of reach that his effort is frustrated rather than encouraged. An example of an “aid to crawling” might be a slow moving knitted ball. (see www.michaelolaf.net) An “aid to walking,” for instance, the push wagon by Radio Flyer, in the environment of a child ready to pull himself up and walk, serves as an invitation that he will gladly accept when ready. When well-meaning adults place the child in a position he can’t reach on his own we are undermining his struggle to accomplish the task at hand. This is all a very fine balance; we do not abandon the child, but we do allow him to struggle, because there is no greater feeling than that of accomplishment after hard work. Remember it’s “process not product.”
One of the best things we can do is provide an environment in which the child can safely explore through his freedom of movement, and place in that space objects that are true “aids” to the development of those movements, not just to the movement/position itself.
From The Joyful Child, this quotation:
“Children who have freedom of movement feel they can pursue their own ideas and interests. The repeated experience of seeing an object, reaching for it and exploring it with the hands and mouth, produces the reassuring sensation that when we want something we can move and go and get it. This is how a healthy ego develops, a human being capable of dealing successfully with the problems of life.
Self-confidence is an internal feeling of being able to rely on one’s own resources, which comes from the experience of active work done in the environment using free movement. It is the sensation of personal power in solving problems, and this feeling of power remains in a person forever. In the future, the aims will change (from reaching an interesting object, such as a colored ball, to doing school homework, and so on) but the psychological situation remains the same; something interests you, you need to do something to satisfy this interest, and you are confident that you have the ability to do so.
Active movements in the first months of life provide the overall mind-body experience from which self-confidence is derived, and with this very valuable instrument, it is possible to face all the challenges of life.”
-Dr. Silvana Montanaro, MD, Montessori 0-3 teacher trainer
We support the child’s desire to learn from his own actions by providing a space for his safe movement and materials that are beautiful and complete for his repeated use. In this way the child receives those things that speak with respect for his spiritual self (materials that are worthy of his exploration) and his physical self (materials that aid in his mastery of a skill). Together, in harmony all is happiness.
