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Montessori in Action

More than Movement: Montessori Dance

By Emotional Wellbeing, FMS Values, Montessori in Action, Montessori Learning, Montessori Philosophy No Comments
This week at Forestville Montessori School, we invited the wonderful Kei from Montessori Dance to share insights about teaching dance in a Montessori environment. Movement at Montessori A key element that differentiates Montessori schools from the mainstream is our child-centred approach, emphasising the development of the whole child. Maria Montessori, the founder of the Montessori approach, believed that education should cater to all aspects of a child’s development—intellectual, physical, social,…
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Grace and courtesy for social development and relationships

By FMS Values, Montessori in Action, Montessori Learning, Montessori Philosophy No Comments
As we develop a new vision and mission for our school, we continually refer to the guiding principles of Montessori philosophy. What are the values we impart to our students and how can we, as educators, leaders and parents, cultivate these in our own lives? Two words regularly used in the Montessori classroom are grace and courtesy. To inspire grace and courtesy in our children, we need to model these…
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Staff Development: Cultivating Hope, Joy and Authenticity (with Dr Andrew Fuller)

By Emotional Wellbeing, Montessori Educators, Montessori in Action, Montessori Learning, Parenting No Comments
Last Friday, as part of the Combined Sydney Montessori Staff Development Day for 2024, FMS staff were treated to a live presentation from clinical psychologist, Dr. Andrew Fuller.  Dr Fuller is a psychologist, author and (very entertaining) speaker. He specialises mental health and wellbeing for young people and their families, working with schools, communities and individuals in Australia and around the world.   According to his website, Dr Fuller ‘puts the…
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Montessori Miniature Environment and Grammar Boxes

By Montessori in Action, Montessori Learning No Comments
After our recent parent education session on literacy at Forestville Montessori School, we wanted to introduce you to more of our in-class language materials. Montessori grammar materials are not only beautiful, they do a great job of engaging children to learn about something many of us dreaded when we were kids ourselves. Parents who attended our In Conversation Literacy session had a first-hand experience of some of the beautiful literacy…
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In Support of Spoken Language

By Montessori in Action, Montessori Learning No Comments
Our children’s early years are essential for developing strong language skills. So, in Montessori, we pay particular attention to how we support young children’s receptive and expressive language development.  The exercises we use to enhance children’s spoken language development don’t have a large physical presence on the classroom shelves because many are games or conversations. The integration of these spoken language games and activities are prominent in children’s daily experience…
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Creating and caring for community

By Montessori in Action, Montessori Philosophy, Our School No Comments
We talk a lot about community at FMS; parent community, school community and the wider community. Beyond being a part of a community, education at FMS is intended to prepare children as responsible, capable contributory community members. We have programs in place to do this for every child, at every stage of the FMS journey! In Montessori, we provide numerous ways for children to participate as community members. These include…
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Let’s Go Outside: Benefits for Our Children (and Ourselves!)

By Montessori Basics, Montessori in Action, Montessori Learning No Comments
Montessori advocates reconnecting with nature for emotional resilience, social skills, and environmental stewardship in children.Our world–and as a result our children’s world–is increasingly dominated by screens and schedules. As such, the importance of reconnecting with nature has become more important than ever. Dr. Maria Montessori believed in providing children with an environment that encourages exploration, independence, and self-discovery. Central to the  Montessori philosophy is the concept of the prepared environment,…
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The Absorbent Mind: The start to building intelligence

By Montessori Basics, Montessori in Action, Montessori Learning No Comments
Well before brain scans, Dr. Montessori discovered so much about how children’s brains function and she termed this special mental functioning, the Absorbent Mind. Her book, The Absorbent Mind, was one of the last books she compiled.The words Dr. Montessori used to describe the child’s Absorbent Mind were chosen deliberately. The word absorbent implies “taking in” and integrating into the whole. What is absorbed becomes a part of what is…
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Head 2 Head Principal’s Conference: A tour of Montessori innovation and inspiration

By Article, Montessori Educators, Montessori in Action No Comments
In a celebration of Montessori excellence, principals and leaders from across Australia, were hosted by their Perth colleagues for the MSCA Head 2 Head (H2H) conference.  This annual event, aims to build collegiality, share ideas and delve deeply into the world of leadership in a Montessori way.   The four day experience from Thursday 21 to Sunday 24 March 2024 was planned as an immersion to allow for new learning and reflection…
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Social Benefits of Montessori: The Primary Years

By Montessori Basics, Montessori in Action, Montessori Learning No Comments
With NAPLAN receiving so much attention this week, we want to highlight the importance of skills learned during primary school, other than academics. Social and emotional learning are hot topics in today's education world and Montessori primary schools have this built into their curriculum. Before moving on to social and emotional learning, let’s recollect the academic benefits of Montessori education. An August 2023 meta-analysis of 32 studies highlights how students in…
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