Montessori Tip of the Day

Does your child have selective hearing?

Do they hear you better the louder you yell?
Then yell louder!
Did they hear you then?
Well surely their ears must be filled with cotton....
So go an remove the cotton, then yell very loudly so the neighbors hear you!
Hum.. still didn't work?

Ah *shacking my head*
but have you tried this? ....

WHISPER.......

"WHAT?" You say.
Here let me remove the cotton from your ear....

Yes, WHISPER.....that is right.
Look your child in the eye and move your mouth as quietly as you can. You will be amazed at how well they hear you.

For stubborn kids try adding an open armed hug like come to me gesture with your arms and shacking those fingers, with a smile.
No back flips are necessary in this exercise...

Why does it work? Perhaps....

Maria Montessori once did an experiment. She notice the children working on language and making great progress, but she wondered were they understanding the concept. That spelling out the words using the movable alphabet really meant something.

So she stood at the blackboard and wrote "If you love me, come to me"

One child who was so engrossed in his work just happened to look up. Puzzled he saw the letters on the board. Soon his face lite so quickly and so brightly, he jumped up and walked to her giving her a big hug. He then returned to his work. Soon the children came to her one by one. She never said a word, only smiled and hugged.

So as you whisper think of the story and see if your children "hear" you better. You'll be surprised.....

Montessori Quote For Today

The child becomes a person through work. Bring the child to the consciousness of his own dignity and he will feel free.

-M Montessori

Sensitive Periods

Language 0 - 6yrs
Order 2 - 4yrs
Interest in small objects 2 1/2 - 6yrs
Social behavior 2 1/2 - 7yrs
Training of Senses 3 - 6 yrs
Cultural subject 3 - 6 yrs

Misunderstood Minds

As Educators it is important to understand our children. With ADHD reaching epidemic proportions, most of which are misdiagnosed Learning Differences.

Before running off to the Doctor, please educate yourself with the different types of LD's that many children experience daily.

Facts about LD's that I have learned along my path:

1. LD's happen more often in gifted learners.
2. Up to 80% of incarcerated inmates cannot read above a fourth grade level. Of those, up to 50% are undiagnosed learning Disabled children.
3. The brain naturally reads from right to left.
4. Children naturally spell first, then write, then read.
5. The perpetrators of the shootings at Thurston High school, Oregon, Virginia Tech and Columbine had been diagnosed with learning disabilities but had not been treated.
6. Drop out rates are 35% in learning disabled children.
7. Learning disabilities do not go away without treatment and result in low self esteem.
8. It is very hard to get learning disabilities diagnosed and treated unless you have large finances to back you.
9. Insurance does not cover it because it is the schools problem and the schools only allow a very small number to "qualify" for treatment and there is much more to this crisis that plagues our society......


EXPERIENCE FIRSTHAND what children go through.......

Visual Activity Reading with Distractions try it
Auditory Activity Listening to Directions try it
Reading Video Remembering What is Read view it

Visit Misunderstood minds for more first hand interaction of the frustrations Learning Disabled children experience by walking a mile in their shoes....