I really don’t understand the “Montessori doesn’t cost anything” perspective. Everything in this article is assuming middle class- having shelves you can lower with baskets and stools (free). Poor people don’t have this. Attention isn’t free either if you must work nearly all the time. Making things beautiful looking is harder in poverty. Space to modify the environment is harder to come by. Workbooks and videos are cheaper than real materials and experiences outside of cleaning and cooking. Broken dishes are a hard sell when you can’t replace them. Public schools are almost never Montessori. For the middle-class reader of this you’re absolutely right it’s not much money, but to someone truly living in poverty it’s more difficult.
Remember that just because her students were poor themselves says NOTHING about the resources Maria Montessori herself had to give these poor children or whether Montessori demands these resources.
We’ve made it very very hard in our country in 2024 for poor people to access time with their kids or quality education of any kind, especially Montessori and this deserves more attention.
Fortunately, most families in the US are not truly living in poverty. Regardless, the rationale would apply to every facet of a "poor" famlies' consumption of goods and services, including education. Do "poor" families not purchase XBOXs their kids, or replace the iPhone screen after an inadvertent drop?
Guidepoint is trying to show easy ways to be more present with their child, regardless of income. If one can't apply any of their recommendations, the parent(s) can also work with their public schools to integrate more Montesorri-like curriculum, and that should be encouraged!
There are forms of poverty, in the USA, that are a result of things besides mismanaging an income and wasting money on iPhones and Xboxes. There are forms of poverty that don’t require quotations around poor, and right now with rent prices etc they are not as rare as you think. I think it’s hard to implement Montessori without resources to modify an environment. Once Montessori is no cost, it loses many intentions such as variety, beauty, and designated spaces. Without any of these things I can’t differentiate “Montessori” from traditional child rearing in tribal communities outside of the western world.
As for public schools, I haven’t a clue why they won’t implement Montessori principles but as someone who has worked in a school good luck with that to the parents. Teachers right now don’t even hardly get a say.
I just want people to stop bringing up the poor kids she taught to suggest there’s no resources required honestly. That’s really all. Thanks for listening to my Ted talk.
I find it fascinating how Maria Montessori's principles can be applied by parents everywhere. Observing your child's behavior and letting them explore their interests can be so liberating for both of you. Excellent work! 👏🏼🌟
Absolutely true! That’s one of the beauties of Montessori that often gets overlooked, that it’s a life philosophy and not an educational philosophy.
I feel my son naturally gravitates towards a Montessori mindset at home. He’s still too young for preschool but I can’t wait to see how he thrives.
I really don’t understand the “Montessori doesn’t cost anything” perspective. Everything in this article is assuming middle class- having shelves you can lower with baskets and stools (free). Poor people don’t have this. Attention isn’t free either if you must work nearly all the time. Making things beautiful looking is harder in poverty. Space to modify the environment is harder to come by. Workbooks and videos are cheaper than real materials and experiences outside of cleaning and cooking. Broken dishes are a hard sell when you can’t replace them. Public schools are almost never Montessori. For the middle-class reader of this you’re absolutely right it’s not much money, but to someone truly living in poverty it’s more difficult.
Remember that just because her students were poor themselves says NOTHING about the resources Maria Montessori herself had to give these poor children or whether Montessori demands these resources.
We’ve made it very very hard in our country in 2024 for poor people to access time with their kids or quality education of any kind, especially Montessori and this deserves more attention.
Fortunately, most families in the US are not truly living in poverty. Regardless, the rationale would apply to every facet of a "poor" famlies' consumption of goods and services, including education. Do "poor" families not purchase XBOXs their kids, or replace the iPhone screen after an inadvertent drop?
Guidepoint is trying to show easy ways to be more present with their child, regardless of income. If one can't apply any of their recommendations, the parent(s) can also work with their public schools to integrate more Montesorri-like curriculum, and that should be encouraged!
There are forms of poverty, in the USA, that are a result of things besides mismanaging an income and wasting money on iPhones and Xboxes. There are forms of poverty that don’t require quotations around poor, and right now with rent prices etc they are not as rare as you think. I think it’s hard to implement Montessori without resources to modify an environment. Once Montessori is no cost, it loses many intentions such as variety, beauty, and designated spaces. Without any of these things I can’t differentiate “Montessori” from traditional child rearing in tribal communities outside of the western world.
As for public schools, I haven’t a clue why they won’t implement Montessori principles but as someone who has worked in a school good luck with that to the parents. Teachers right now don’t even hardly get a say.
I just want people to stop bringing up the poor kids she taught to suggest there’s no resources required honestly. That’s really all. Thanks for listening to my Ted talk.
I find it fascinating how Maria Montessori's principles can be applied by parents everywhere. Observing your child's behavior and letting them explore their interests can be so liberating for both of you. Excellent work! 👏🏼🌟