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IMF 05 No.3, September, 2013
The Touch Board
A Newsletter of the Indian Montessori Foundation
Maria Montessori’s 143rd Birthday!
31st August
Did you know?
Maria Montessori was the first
woman physician of Italy.
Montessori became the director
of the Orthophrenic School for
developmentally challenged children in
1900. She initially worked with special
needs children.
Maria Montessori founded her
first “Casa dei Bambini” in Rome, Italy in
January 1907.
Supporters of Montessori Education included Alexander Graham Bell and his wife, Mabel,
Rabindranath Tagore, Thomas Edison and Helen Keller.
In 1949, 1950, and 1951 she was nominated for the Nobel
Peace Prize.
In 1929, she founded the Association Montessori
International in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Maria Montessori was almost eighty-two when she died in
Netherlands on May 6, 1952.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin (Founders of Google), Bill Clinton
and Francois Mitterand studied according to the Montessori
system.
Tatiana Suhotina-Tolstaya (Lev Tolstoy’s favourite daughter) and Princess Diana were Montessori-
pedagogues.
Photo: Courtesy Phyllis Wallbank, Principal, The Gatehouse School
Dr. Montessori with pupils at the Gatehouse school in London on her
last visit to England, in 1951, the year before her death.
Before the euro was introduced in Italy Maria Montessori’s portrait used to decorate the Italian 1000 lire note
Sadhana: Reflective Practice, Spontaneous Living 1 1
IN THIS
ISSUE ..
p 1 Maria Montessori’s Birthday p 9 Assistants to Infancy Course Course Inauguration
Thursday Talk
p 2 Montessori Congress p 10 Health & Hygiene
Book Corner
p 7 HMHCA workshop p 12 IMF Dispatch Team Poetry Corner
p 8 Parvarish
Field Trip
Montessori Congress 2013 Report by: Tara Kothari Mallam (AMI 3-6, 6-12 trained, USA)
The 27th International Montessori Congress was held in Portland, Oregon, USA from July 31st to August 4th.
There were over 2,500 registered attendees from 55 countries, making this the largest Congress in history.
From India, participants came from Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai*.
There are hundreds of Montessori schools in Oregon,
making it possible for all the registered attendees to
visit schools as part of the Congress’ school visits.
A Public Square:
After the school visits we were dropped off at Pioneers
Square, a central public square in Portland. Three
Montessori classrooms were set up with children
working. Passersby were able to observe working
Montessori Toddler, Primary and Elementary
classrooms.
Many passersby watching the primary environment
Toddler environment in session
*Shirley Madhavan Kutty, Zarin Malva, Beena Parekh, Sonali Parekh, Ami Bhuta, Vibuthi Jain, Kavita Rode, Pavan Goyal,
Amina Satyani, Chaithanya Yalamanchili, Rukmini Ramachandran and Ruby Lau.
MNW elementary class was moved to create an elementary class at the square.
Concordia Montessori
The Primary classroom consisted of many rooms of
the house and an outdoor space. They had a pet pig
besides a small organic farm that was part of the
property!
2 Sadhana: Reflective Practice, Spontaneous Living
Keynote
speakers:
People doing
great work in
their fields filled
the following 3
days with
inspirational
talks! Keeping
with the theme
for the Congress
– Guided by
Nature – we
heard stories
from Dr. Briann Swimme about how much we have learned in this century about the cosmos! Judith Snow
spoke to us about including children in our class, observing them and recognizing their gifts to humanity.
Paul Hawken gave us insights into the environment, ecology and how many organizations are working to
maintain a balance on Earth, while Dr. Vandana Shiva, speaking on behalf of the farmers in India, discussed
our duty to become stewards of the Earth, working to save it!
On Montessori and children, Lynne Lawrence, Molly O’Shaughnessy, Rukmini Ramachandran and Eduardo
Cuevas spoke about the environment, the child, and indoor and outdoor spaces merging into one to create
an ideal space for a child to grow up and learn.
Breakout Sessions:
The breakout sessions consisted of hands-on sessions ranging from workshops to inspirational videos, talks
and walks. It was a very difficult decision to choose which session to attend. We learned about music and
movement – Bridges to Nature, from Sanford and Judy Jones. Michael Gurian discussed the differences in
the brains of boys and girls, and that allowing boys to move and fidget more during the work cycle helps
them focus on their work. Priscilla Spears spoke about cultivating children’s interest in plants through
accurate identification and knowledge of the plant species.
From left to right: Dr. Vandana Shiva, Molly O’Shaughnessy, Dr. Briann Swimme, Judith Snow, Paul Hawken,
Lynne Lawrence, Rukmini Ramachandran and Eduardo Cuevas
The Congress officially began with children walking down the aisle of the auditorium, holding flags
representing the 55 participating countries and singing “A Peaceful World”.
Sadhana: Reflective Practice, Spontaneous Living 3 1
Aid to Life is a wonderful
resource and website
presented by Lousie
Livingston. Its aim is to
help parents learn exactly
what to do when their
children are young. Trevor
Eissler shared all the video
entries from the
Montessori contest he had
held. Walks were
organized into Portland’s
Hoyt Arboretum as well as
to see the training
institute. The Congress had
wonderful stalls from
material manufacturers
and art displays from schools. There were movies and a Guided by Nature exhibit presented by NAMTA.
There was so much to learn and do! Every participant took home many ideas, as well as the vision and
enthusiasm to include nature in the lives of the children around them.
This is what they had to say…
An AMI trainers’ meeting was held before the Congress and this was a marvellous event. There were
presentations and discussions on many aspects of running AMI courses in various parts of the world. At the
gathering, various levels of training were represented. The AMI Auxiliary trainers also had a short meeting
in which much was shared. – Rukmini Ramachandran
Pavan Goyal, Blue Blocks Montessori School,
Hyderabad - It was an amazing experience to be
in the International Montessori Congress in
Portland. One of the keynote speakers, Dr. Brian
Swimme, who is an evolutionary cosmologist,
was amazing. My view of the earth and our
galaxy has altered. Dr. Adele Diamond's session
on the latest neuroscience research was good
and got a lot of insights into a young child's mind.
This conference gave an opportunity to
understand the kind of Montessori work
happening across the world including countries like Thailand, where the government has taken up
transforming the whole of the pre-primary education in that country. It was a great experience to connect
with people from various parts of the world, and experience how children all over the world learn in the
same way.
Natural Playscapes and lunch room
Pavan Goyal, Jai singh, Ginni Sackett (Primary trainer at MNIW,
Portland), Gloria Singh, Amina Satyani, Tara Kothari
4 Sadhana: Reflective Practice, Spontaneous Living
Beena Parekh, Harmony Montessori
School, Mumbai - The theme of this
Congress was “Guided by Nature". We
got a lot of guidance about how to
include nature in our environments.
What I learnt from this Congress is
"our focus must be on the positives
and our strengths". On our school
tour we visited Sellwood Montessori,
Whole Child Montessori and
Franciscan Montessori Earth School /
St. Francis Academy and feel very
fortunate to have seen these three
schools. The 4 days were so packed,
with key note speakers, lots of
breakout sessions, and lots of stalls. The one stall which we kept visiting was the Montessori Services. This
one had most of our practical life materials in one place. We take pride in the fact that this Congress had 2
Indian keynote speakers, Rukmini Ramchandran and Dr. Vandana Shiva.
Vibhuti Jain, Harmony Montessori School,
Mumbai - The beauty of the Congress was the
excellent blending of Montessori education and
Nature. The Congress began with an
outstanding performance of a band of
musicians comprising of children and adults.
Andre Robreford, the President of the AMI
announced the Congress open. Lynne
Lawrence, the executive director of the AMI
gave an enticing lecture. Every day, the pair of
keynote speakers comprised of one
Montessorian and one expert in another field.
The final day had a presentation by the children followed
by an announcement of the venue of the next Congress at
Prague in 2017. ‘The Gala’ in the evening was enchanting
with local musicians performing and with fresh organic
produce available.
I felt refreshed and renewed in my commitment to work
for spread of Montessori education in my community.
Montessori delegate from Norway, Vibhuti, Ami, Jean Miller, Sonali, Beena,
Maxine (Australia), Shirley Madhavan Kutty, Kavita Rode
Musicians playing during the Congress opening ceremony
Zarin Malva and Kavita Rode
Sadhana: Reflective Practice, Spontaneous Living 5 1
Andre Robreford, Glenn Goodfellow and Jennifer Davidson
Glenn Goodfellow, Congress Administrator shares his experience with us…
Dr. Maria Montessori established the International Congress in 1929 to raise the awareness and understanding of Montessori education. Since then, 25 subsequent Congresses have followed around the world, with one held approximately every four years. It has been nearly 40 years since the Congress was last held in the United States, and its return built much excitement. Portland, Oregon, nestled within the American Pacific Northwest, is a region known for both its rich biodiversity and vibrant Montessori community. Here the study of volcanoes and old growth trees runs in tandem with Dr. Montessori’s teachings of a child’s capacity to explore and study nature.
It’s difficult for me, as the Administrator of this event, to believe that the 27th International Montessori Congress has concluded. For the past three years I’ve been the Montessori Northwest employee with the task of helping organize the Congress. Now that the conference is over, I find myself as one of many people invigorated and inspired by the process. Back nearly four years ago when the preparations for the Congress began, I doubt anyone at Montessori Northwest, an AMI Teacher Training Center, could have foreseen how different life would be now. Many of those differences relate to expansion. We’ve moved into our new beautiful facility on SE Grand, we’ve more than doubled the total number of employees at MNW, our name has changed slightly, the scope of our work has broadened, and we’ve graduated our first Elementary course. The changes that excite me the most, I think, are a little more difficult to categorize. Montessorians from around the world, many from diverse backgrounds and trainings, came together at the Congress and shared their commonalities with each other. That spirit of unity and empowerment is still in the air. Leaders from various national Montessori organizations now regularly meet to move our movement forward in order to offer high-quality education to more children. Closer to home, we here at Montessori Northwest have an increased awareness of our ability to achieve great goals together and with community support. In a way, my memories of the Congress proper are a bit of a dreamscape. With so many moving pieces, it was impossible to witness every component. My mind recalls the thrill of seeing busloads of colleagues from Japan and Thailand arrive, hearing the applause for our fabulous keynote speakers, the smell of Earth filling the massive exhibit halls from the interactive nature displays, the delicious food at the closing Gala Portlandia, on and on and on… Many thanks to all the people to who helped make the 27th International Montessori Congress a great success (humbly typed), —your hard work continues to be appreciated by attendee and organizer alike. It’s been a real treat to be part of this momentous event and I look forward to seeing where the spirit of the Congress takes us all next.
6 Sadhana: Reflective Practice, Spontaneous Living
HMHCA – Workshop, Hyderabad
HMHCA organized a workshop titled “Primary, the Stepping Stones...for the
Future Child” on 27th July, 2013 at Samagna Montessori House of Children.
In every stage of development the creation and consolidation in a child are so
important, this program was planned to help the Primary Directresses and
Elementary Teachers understand that the work done in Primary and
Elementary complement each other and lead the child to be an integrated
person.
In the workshop, the Directresses who hold Primary and Elementary
Diplomas (Ms. Uma of Samagna, Ms. Tulja of Bhavishya, Ms. Madhavi of Medha, Ms. Madhavi Latha of
Little Scholars) presented different
subjects and discussed the materials
in each area of Primary and showed
the Directresses how the right help
takes the child into exploration in
Elementary and how his second
plane characteristics are helped in
the right direction. The AMI
Hyderabad Trainer, Ms. Lakshmi
Krishnakumar concluded the
workshop with the characteristics of
the child in the second plane.
The workshop was attended by 40
AMI Diploma Holders who found it
very interesting and informative.
The Wind
Christina Rossetti
Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you;
But when the leaves hang trembling
The wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I;
But when the trees bow down their heads
The wind is passing by.
HMHCA (Hyderabad Montessori House of Children Association)
is formed by a group of Montessori Houses in Hyderabad, with
every Montessori House putting in their individual effort to
spread Montessori philosophy in and around their locality.
HMHCA is dedicated to spread Montessori philosophy in
Hyderabad, to help schools with regards to functioning of the
environments, getting in touch with Diploma holders, and
making materials together.
Each year HMHCA tries to conduct workshops for the
Directresses, awareness programs for parents and other schools
and their staff. They also organize workshops for children of
different ages. The schools in this group together plan, fund and
execute various programs related to Montessori in Hyderabad
under the guidance of our resource person Ms. Lakshmi
Krishnakumar.
Sadhana: Reflective Practice, Spontaneous Living 7 1
“Pebble Creek has been organizing the Montessori Awareness week for the last four years, this year being the fifth. MAW has been a very fulfilling experience for each one of us associated with Pebble Creek. Each year we have got extremely good speakers who totally believe in our cause and they wholeheartedly support the Montessori Cause.
During the Montessori Awareness Week this year we had speakers from varied backgrounds, experiences and educational qualification and yet they all have great conviction in the child and the Montessori Philosophy.”
– Moiza Rafath, Founder Director Pebble Creek Life and Montessori Schools
Parvarish 2013
‘Parvarish’, an awareness programme, organized by Pebble Creek was
held on 31st August 2013, at Anupuram Community Hall, Hyderabad for
parents, teachers, principals and professionals working directly or
indirectly with children. Over the last five years, Pebble Creek has
worked on making parents and teachers aware of various issues that
concern the child and to promote and strengthen parent-teacher
partnership. Each year, as part of the "Montessori
Awareness Week", they bring to the society, talks
which are enriching and informative. The
Montessori Awareness Week is organized to
commemorate the Birth anniversary of Dr. Maria
Montessori.
Eminent speakers spoke about parenting and
education panning topics like Child Development
and Impact of TV and junk food, Parenthood and the
Inner Child, Montessori – a Life Skills based
Education, Understanding the Child as the Face of
Change, How children arrive at self-discipline? and
other interesting breakout sessions.
The event brought together parents and teachers
from all streams of education to address the real
issues concerning the child and society at large. It was an
effort to bring a change in the way education is perceived by a majority of parents and
teachers today. It also beckons parents who feel they have the potential to work with children and to come
out of their comfort zone and deliver their responsibility towards our society.
Trip to the Crocodile Bank
The Toddler and Primary children of Redwood Montessori School, Chennai paid a visit to the Crocodile
Bank in Chennai this August. The hour-long bus journey, which was some children’s favourite part, built the
excitement for the trip! Once inside the park, the children, accompanied by their parents were taken on a
Nature Trail where they spotted millipedes, spiders, butterflies, snails and baby turtles. The children
collected dried leaves of different shapes for an art activity involving shading the print of the leaf on to
paper. The children were excited to see the shape of the leaf appear on the paper with just a few strokes
of a pencil! They were taken on a tour of the park as well, where they had a good time spotting the
crocodiles and alligators in their enclosures. The highlight of the trip
was the “show and tell” session of a baby crocodile. The children were
told about the behaviour and diet of the crocodile after which the
Crocodile Bank volunteer showed them all the parts of the crocodile. At the
end of the busy morning, the parents set up a delicious lunch for everyone after which everybody
made their way back to the city. The children enjoyed themselves, spending time with their parents and
friends as well.
Did your school go on an excursion too? Write to us at [email protected] and tell us all about it!
8 Sadhana: Reflective Practice, Spontaneous Living
Assistants to Infancy (0-3) course
Kavitha Sundaram completed the Assistants to Infancy (0-3)
course from ‘The Montessori Institute’, Denver, USA and shares
her experience with us.
I am associated with Bluebell Montessori Preschool as Teacher in
3-6 primary environment at Thrissur, Kerala and was blessed to be
nominated by Bluebell who sponsored me for this course. Bluebell
Montessori Preschool has 5 Primary environments and one
Elementary environment managed by AMI trained teachers.
Bluebell Preschool plans to start the Infancy program soon.
The Assistants to Infancy, or A to I training is the foundation of the
Montessori curriculum, as it encompasses child development from
birth to three years. A to I courses are two summers long, with
assignments in the intervening academic year.
The course provides a detailed understanding of Montessori
Pedagogy, Child Neuropsychiatry, Preparation of the NIDO and IC
environment (prepared environment for children under three years
of age). As a part of the course, I had the opportunity to visit
schools with the NIDO and IC environment at Denver which gave
me the insight of its operation.
This journey of exploration and realization has made me more
confident and given me a better understanding of the
developmental needs of the infants. I am grateful to Judi A. Orion
(Director of Training) and Karey M. Lontz (Auxiliary Trainer) who
made this learning very comfortable, lively and informative.
Course Inauguration
Chennai
The AMI Elementary Diploma Course at
Navadisha Montessori Foundation will
commence on 16th October, 2013. The
Foundation Course started with an
inauguration ceremony on 29th August
and will end on 8th October.
Bangalore
The first AMI Primary Diploma Course in
Bangalore opened with an inauguration
program on 31st August at Head Start
Education Trust.
The Indian Montessori Foundation and
The Touch Board team wish all the
trainers and students the very best for
both the Elementary and Primary
courses.
Thursday Talk
Indian Montessori Foundation organizes
the Thursday Talk series wherein experts
serving various capacities are invited to
deliver a talk on important topics related
to children.
The Thursday Talk for the month of
August was held on the 29th at Srishti
Montessori School, Chennai.
The talk titled “Opportunity for
Movement for Young Children” was
delivered by Ms. Ruby Lau, AMI Trainer
and educational consultant. She
currently works in many parts of South
Asia, lecturing, offering workshops and
refresher courses.
Students of the
A to I Course
with Susan
Stephenson
signing her
book on 0-3
titled, ‘The
Joyful Child:
Montessori,
Global Wisdom
for Birth to
Three’
Sadhana: Reflective Practice, Spontaneous Living 9 1
Report on Talk, “Health and Hygiene” by Christina Dias
Amidst heavy downpours, the talk on ‘Health and Hygiene’ drew 37 guests together on Friday, 26th July at
Activity High School, Gamadia Road, Mumbai.
Our key speaker, Dr. Vaishali Ravi Gandhi, a Paediatrician and Neonatologist brought to the dais more than
eleven years of her experience with healthcare and nutrition. She encapsulated in an hour the do’s and
don’ts surrounding nutrition of young children.
The talk brought to the fore the fears parents face, when their children don’t
eat sufficient greens. Dr. Gandhi, who is also medical advisor to many
schools, was prompt to suggest simple and resourceful ways to blend
nutritious vegetables and food items in home cooked recipes. She equally
laid emphasis on home cooked meals as opposed to junk or ready to eat
foods.
She very tactfully busted the myths about concepts of nutritive foods, for e.g. children beyond three years
don’t necessarily need to drink milk at all times, it does not quantify as complete food for them. Instead
items like curds or milk blended with certain fruits/ dry fruits can provide fair nourishment. The talk was a
healthy dialogue between parents, teachers and Dr. Gandhi who reminded all present that along with
nutrition, it is important to concentrate on the overall wellbeing of the child, whether it’s spending quality
time, be it at meals, reading or even if it means keeping away techno gadgets like mobiles, iPads and
computers at bay both for parents and children alike. A recurrent example was using the TV/ iPad/mobile
phone to distract or babysit children while eating meals.
She also focused on insightful tips on how we can follow facile methods to maintain a desired level of
overall hygiene and health for children at home and while being outdoors.
Book Corner The Child in the Family
Full of anecdotes, this book offers a sharp observation of society and families.
Despite the changed world we live in, the relationship between child and adult is
still fraught with difficulties. The questions raised in the book are amazingly as
relevant today as when it was first published. Maria Montessori stresses the
importance of the respect we must have for the young. Montessori principles are
presented practically by critically examining the situations described. It is a book
suitable for parents, teachers and anyone involved in childcare and education.
Price: Rs. 320
10 Sadhana: Reflective Practice, Spontaneous Living
Education for a New World This book captures the essence of the spirit of a great educationist in her time.
Interspersed with moving accounts of her observation of the children who led
her towards a deeper understanding of humanity, Dr. Montessori explains the
child’s journey on the path of development. Many of the ideas later elaborated in
her important work The Absorbent Mind find an early place. Drawing on a wealth
of contemporary ideas she discusses her educational philosophy practically and
yet simply.
Price: Rs. 320
From Childhood to Adolescence
Dr. Montessori's early work with little children is well known. What is perhaps not
so well known is the fact that Dr. Montessori was interested in the whole journey
of a human being from birth to maturity. Her vision includes not only the sensorial
infant who absorbs all that is in his environment, but also the intellectual being
who emerges like a butterfly, and who eventually matures into the sensitive
empathetic teenager. The human individual needs support all through his journey
to adulthood. In this book Dr. Montessori clearly sets out an educational plan for
older children. The techniques she describes, the materials she recommends and
the wonder with she explores the world are as fresh in scope today as they were
in her time.
Price: Rs. 380 You can get the books at:
Bluebell Education Services India Pvt Ltd
TMC-37/1826 Dilkush Road
Near Vijaya Sree Eye Hospital
Kottapuram
Trichur-680004
0487-6537811 / 09446571839
www.bluebellmontessori.in
[email protected] / [email protected]
Are you in Chennai? Then you can find the books here:
Neal & Nikki Duraisamy Complex 2/3, 100 feet by-pass road Velachery Chennai – 600042 Phone: 044-2259 3244, 2259 3245 Timings: 9:30 am to 9:30 pm Open on all days including Sunday
Sadhana: Reflective Practice, Spontaneous Living 11 1
Trustees
Shirley Madhavan Kutty
Kamini Sundaram
Leela Samson
Zarin Malva
Lakshmi Krishnakumar
Rukmini Ramachandran
IMF Dispatch Team
The elementary children of
Navadisha Montessori School,
Chennai have graciously taken over
the dispatch of “The Touch Board”
newsletter, which is now required
to be sent using envelopes.
Creating a plan of work, they
started by making an inventory of
the number of newsletters,
envelopes, subscribers and the
host’s mailing list labels. Then they
worked in an assembly line fashion
– the child who was first in line
folded the newsletter, put it inside
the envelope and passed it on. Children down the line pasted the ‘From Address’, ‘To Address’ each time
passing it on to the next child. At the end the finished product is again checked for accuracy and handed
over for posting.
Children were both efficient and professional in their approach. The Editorial Board of “The Touch Board”
and IMF extends their gratitude for the timely support of the children.
Editorial Team
The Touch Board
Archana Narayanan
Khyati Shah
Ponnu Elsa Mathew
Roopa Sundar
Tarunya Gouthaman
Rukmini Ramachandran
Email ID:
12 Sadhana: Reflective Practice, Spontaneous Living
