Thursday, July 26, 2012

The Harvard Business Review thinks businesses should be run like a Montessori school:




     Company Mu Sigma models development on Montessori principals which include  " an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits and respect for a child's natural psychological development, as well as technological advancements in society."  Intrinsic motivation - an employee's love for what she does - is better than money and promotions. 


Thursday, July 19, 2012

Making Good Decisions

Learning to Make Good Decisions

Maren Stark Schmidt has a wonderful way of giving parents and teachers words of wisdom in small manageable doses. She reminds us that we are doing more than raising children, we are in fact building humanity. It is easy to get stuck in the daily toils and challenges of parenting and teaching and miss the big picture. Her collection of essays "Building Cathedrals not Walls" reminds us to look beyond the mundane and appreciate that we are part of  something magnificent.

   
At http://www.kidstalknews.com/Schmidt reminds us that we need to allow children to make mistakes, so that they can learn from their environment and develop a base of knowledge for good decision making.

Kids Talk is an award-winning newspaper column dealing with early childhood development issues written by Maren Stark Schmidt








Wednesday, July 4, 2012

"Mind in the Making -The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs" by Ellen Galinsky

Mind-Making-Seven-Essential-Skills
If I had to select my top ten books  that help me understand children's brains and how I can facilitate learning, growth, and creativity Ellen Galinsky's book would be high on the list. 
This book doesn't promote a formulaic ways of parenting - children aren't robots; they're individuals. It is a book about children for thinking parents


Galinsky identifies "essential life skills" that children need most and shows parents what they can do to build these skills in their children for today and for the future. They don't cost money, and it's never too late to begin.
 They are the skills that give children the ability to focus on their goals so that they can learn more easily and communicate what they've learned. These are the skills that prepare children for the pressures of modern life, skills that they will draw on now and for years to come


Find out more about Ellen Galinsky at
http://mindinthemaking.org/meet_ellen_galinsky/

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Montessori Education and Brain Development: New research validates 100-year-old method

Dr. Steven Hughes: Montessori and the Future of Education
VIDEO:Dr. Steve Hughes: "Montessori and the Future of Education
"Maria Montessori really got everything right..." reflects Dr. Steven Hughes in the video."She anticipated so much of what we know about neuroscience, brain development, and optimum models of education."
A pediatric neurologist and Montessori parent, Hughes has been spreading the word for years. Take time to watch more  of his videos for some fascinating insights and recent findings.
Dr. Steven Hughes' Website "Good at Doing Things".
"If we decided that the purpose of education should be to help every child's brain reach its highest developmental potential, we would have to radically rethink school. The task seems insurmountable, yet this work has already been done. In fact, it was done over a hundred years ago."
-Dr. Steve Hughes, Ph.D, President, American Academy of Pediatric Neuropsychology