Loose Leaf Notes

-The following first appeared in The Floyd Press on December 21, 2017.

“We come from a proven framework,” said Floyd Montessori’s Anna Berck, referring to the work of Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and early 1900s educator and innovator, acclaimed for her educational method of building on the way children naturally learn.

Berck, who has a master’s degree in elementary education and has worked as a Waldorf teacher and public school teacher, is currently the Head of School at the Floyd Montessori School, located on the Floyd Center for the Arts campus.  She was a parent for four years when the school was known as Rising Sun Community School.  During that time, the school was under the direction of Susan Saunders, who stepped down primarily because of health issues.

“We have been “Floyd Montessori” since May 1,” said Berck, who still has a child enrolled in the school.   “We went from sole ownership to a Board of Directors, and we’re now a non-profit.” She noted that Saunders is a gifted lead teacher who created a solid foundation for the school’s new entity to grow from.

“Maria Montessori spent most of her life observing children and studying how they grow and develop,” said Ella Zander, the school’s certified lead teacher of the eight primary class students (ages 3 – 6).  “Before her research, pre-schools did not have child-size furniture.  Nobody had even considered it.”

Both Zander and Berck described the philosophy of Montessori schools as being based on respect for the child.  “We meet the children where they are in designing a curriculum,” said Berck, who cited a Montessori motto of helping kids help themselves.  “We want them to be independent, and they want to be independent.”  She described “zipper work, “pouring work” and other practical and purposeful life skills lessons that are incorporated into the curriculum.

Learning at the Montessori school is hands-on. Materials are appealing and allow children to explore the world through their senses. “They are learning even though they don’t know they are,” said Zeller.  She held up an alphabet letter card with the cursive letter cut out from sandpaper and spoke of bringing the physical aspect into learning. “The children feel and trace the letters, engaging more than one part of their brain.”

“Everything is concrete.  They use the same materials – like the bead bar – from the age of three and keep learning with each new step,” Zander explained.  “One of my kindergarteners is doing 4-digit dynamic multiplication.  He has no idea how difficult it should be for him.”

“Academics is strong,” Berck agreed. She described areas of learning for Math, Geography, Science, Language and Culture. The school day also includes arts, choir and plenty of outdoor recess.  “They really get a chance to study things they are interested in and there is no better way to engage children.”

Alison Prudner, a certified Montessori elementary class teacher, co-teaches with Izzy Thomas, who is pursuing her certification.  Thomas started working at the school as an aide and “fell in love with the philosophy,” she said.

Currently, Floyd Montessori offers primary and lower elementary classes and is planning a toddler class beginning in January.  The children all have a daily work plan.  Classrooms are mixed-aged and students work individually or in groups.  “Older children help give lessons to the younger children and act as role models,” Berck said.  She reported that the school plans to expand into upper elementary classes in the future.  “And summer camp will be back in 2018.”

“Montessori is one of the fastest growing educational movement in the world,” Berck said.  From a Montessori foundation children transition well into other educational systems, she added.  “We teach children how to learn.” – Our World Tuesday