Children in Montessori classrooms are granted many freedoms.
They have the freedom to move about the classroom with purpose, to speak with
each other, to choose their work, and to choose with whom they work. Lessons
are given to the child, suggestions are made. The child has the responsibility
to be working and to meet the expectations of society. Such expectations
include the ability to read, write and do math. The teacher guides the child
through observing his interests, preparing the environment, and following the
Montessori curriculum in each subject area.
In addition to following the Montessori curriculum, emphasis
is placed on practicing the interpersonal skills of compassion and respectful
communication. Every minute of their school day students are exposed to lessons
of grace and courtesy, and conflict resolution. Children 15 months “young”
learn to use their words, rather than action. The students in the Primary
classes discuss issues as they occur and make suggestions of how they could
have resolved them better. Once the children are in the Elementary and
Adolescent programs they have learned how to navigate many sticky situations
that arise inside and outside of the classrooms, and they have learned to show
kindness and respect to each other. The adults in a Montessori setting strive
to set the example by being positive role models.
What does all this have to do with homework? Montessori
Schools do not typically assign daily homework. Dr. Montessori believed that if
we do not dictate the work of the child in class, then it does not make sense
to dictate the work they choose at home. Therefore, traditional homework is
kept to a minimum. Montessorians feel that children spend all day in the
classroom learning and need their afternoons and evenings to pursue their
personal interests, interact with their families and relax.
Parents know that we encourage activities which
constructively direct a child’s pursuits during home hours, while nurturing
their interests and building family bonds. A fundamental truth permeates
Montessori’s work: children are desperate to learn. In a Montessori class,
children are motivated to discover why and how things work. Therefore,
homework, in a Montessori sense, is work that the child does at home, as an
extension of his or her educational exploration.
Many activities may constitute homework, including household
chores. Responsibilities at home help the child develop language skills and
cultural awareness. Making math a real part of the home environment (pairing
socks and counting by twos; dividing a pizza into equal pieces; shopping and
making change) and giving the child a voice in family decisions are important
to the child’s perception of math concepts and economic geography. Reading with
and to your children every day will result in quality family time and
confidence building.
The quality of education has become a charged topic of late,
with several recent films and documentaries addressing the educational system.
The question remains: Will more homework raise academic achievement and test
scores? Much has been said about overly programmed after-school schedules; too
much homework that steals family time; and an approach to learning that
emphasizes memorization and test scores over real understanding and critical
thinking. Let’s consider spending quality time with our children, inspiring
their natural curiosity and love for learning.
Having said that I am happy to provide your child with additional work that they can do at home if you see fit. Also, I have sent logins to Moby Max for most students. Moby Max is great site that tests your child and places them right where they need to be. They will also be accessing Moby Max weekly in the classroom as well.
I totally agree with a fact that more homework assignment can only create additional stress for a student when all he might be doing is seeking for answers online or cramming and remembering things until he or she retells the information to the teacher. Since there are too many hometasks, researches and other assignments, students prefer to use a site to order essay online and get away with their homework in the easiest way. Hopefully, it’s a workable option that saves many students from failing their classes. So if you’re also willing to improve the quality of your assignments, such service would be right in handy.
ReplyDeleteI remember myself in the same situation. I hated doing my homework because it's very boring and takes a lot of time. I usually preferred to buy book reports if I had to write any kind of paper. Anyway thanks a lof for sharing your experience.
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