montessori ed

Literacy and Communication: The Language of Montessori
2010 AMI/USA Public School Forum

The Montessori Public School Forum is designed for AMI public school programs and those aspiring to AMI standards. This year’s forum will focus on the language that is offered by an AMI Montessori program and how this literacy supports the child in his or her achievements from the early years through high school. Participants will be immersed into the redesign of public education offered by Montessori.

Teachers, administrators, and superintendents will all gain a greater understanding of how language is implemented from the beginning and how it culminates in high school. The venue is Milwaukee, the first district to introduce AMI Montessori, over twenty years ago.

AMI/USA invites you to register now on our website:

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The conference will be featuring many speakers including  2 of my personal favorites,  Dr Steve Hughes and Molly O’Shaughnessy, so I know it will be worthwhile.

I am always on the look out for any area where Montessori Education can take root and crowd out mainstream education, because I believe Montessori education is the best support for children’s development.

So when I heard that one room school houses still exist I was intrigued.  Growing up in rural Iowa, attending a school with hundreds of students I assumed one room school houses were only to be found in history books and the stories of my elders.

The truth is that a few one room schoolhouses continue to exist today, even in the United States and Canada.

A one room schools house is by definition a multi-age classroom requiring students to complete some tasks independently while the teacher works with other children.

This sounds to me like a niche custom made for Montessori Education.

A common solution for rural school districts troubled by shrinking enrollments is to consolidate with other neighboring school districts to create a mainstream school with children bused in over ever increasing distances.  Consolidation is necessary in a mainstream model school with classrooms of same-age children because a large population pool is needed to have enough 8 year olds to fill a single 3rd grade class., not to mention the 1st grade class, 2nd grade class, etc…

Montessori classrooms on the other hand are self-contained and accept children across a wide range of ages, requiring a smaller population pool.  Rather than needing thirty 8 year olds, a Montessori classroom simply needs thirty children between the ages of 6 and 9, or even 6 and 12.  Children could attend a Montessori classroom closer to home and spend less time on school buses.

Less populated states such as Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas, Utah, Idaho, and others might have a fiscal and geographical interest in exploring Montessori education.  Village and Missionary schools in developing countries might also benefit greatly from a Montessori one-room school house.  I wonder if the Peace Corps would be interested in the Montessori  Method?