• Home
  • About Us
    • Welcome
    • Mission
    • Blog
    • Board / CBOC
      • CBOC Committee
        • Agenda and Minutes
        • Financial Reports
    • Governing Board
      • Agenda and Minutes
      • Board Members
      • Bylaws
      • Contact the Board
    • Staff
    • Location
      • Upper School
      • Lower School
    • FAQs
  • Enrollment
    • Guidelines
    • FAQs
    • Lottery Logistics
    • Enrollment Materials
  • Giving / Support
    • Online Payment System
    • Annual Fund
    • Leaf Donation
  • Employment
  • Current Families
    • Procedures
      • Family Handbook
      • Bullying Reporting
      • Anticipated Absences
      • Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
      • Birthday Celebrations
    • Policies
      • Family Handbook
      • Federal Policies
      • General Operating Policies
      • Distribution of Materials Policy
      • Bullying Reporting
      • Social Media Policy
      • Grievance/Appeal Policy
      • Student-Led Clubs Policy
      • “Healthy Homework” Policy
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • FSMA Yearbook
    • Online Payments
      • Make A Payment
      • Refund Policy
    • Food Services
      • Menus
      • Online Payment Information
      • Free & Reduced Meals
    • Student Forms
    • Library
    • Responsive Classroom
    • Videos
  • Programs
    • Odyssey of the Mind
    • Open House
    • Middle School
    • Sports
      • DIAA Physical Form
      • Middle School Basketball
      • Middle School Soccer
      • Middle School Volleyball
      • Club Basketball
      • Club Soccer
    • Afterschool Clubs
    • Electives
    • Summer Camps
  • Calendar
  • FAQs
  • Forms
  • Payments
First State Montessori Academy
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Welcome
    • Mission
    • Blog
    • Board / CBOC
      • CBOC Committee
        • Agenda and Minutes
        • Financial Reports
    • Governing Board
      • Agenda and Minutes
      • Board Members
      • Bylaws
      • Contact the Board
    • Staff
    • Location
      • Upper School
      • Lower School
    • FAQs
  • Enrollment
    • Guidelines
    • FAQs
    • Lottery Logistics
    • Enrollment Materials
  • Giving / Support
    • Online Payment System
    • Annual Fund
    • Leaf Donation
  • Employment
  • Current Families
    • Procedures
      • Family Handbook
      • Bullying Reporting
      • Anticipated Absences
      • Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
      • Birthday Celebrations
    • Policies
      • Family Handbook
      • Federal Policies
      • General Operating Policies
      • Distribution of Materials Policy
      • Bullying Reporting
      • Social Media Policy
      • Grievance/Appeal Policy
      • Student-Led Clubs Policy
      • “Healthy Homework” Policy
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • FSMA Yearbook
    • Online Payments
      • Make A Payment
      • Refund Policy
    • Food Services
      • Menus
      • Online Payment Information
      • Free & Reduced Meals
    • Student Forms
    • Library
    • Responsive Classroom
    • Videos
  • Programs
    • Odyssey of the Mind
    • Open House
    • Middle School
    • Sports
      • DIAA Physical Form
      • Middle School Basketball
      • Middle School Soccer
      • Middle School Volleyball
      • Club Basketball
      • Club Soccer
    • Afterschool Clubs
    • Electives
    • Summer Camps
  • Calendar

Uncategorized

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Uncategorized
  • The Whole Child

The Whole Child

  • Categories Uncategorized
  • Date October 30, 2013

2630_81237859125_7596739_n - Version 2Written by Montessori Educator, Maryann Younger

We hear a lot of talk these days about the whole child, and that schools should be focusing on the needs of the entire child and not just test scores and classroom achievement as the only measures of success.  A child can’t come to school hungry or scared and be expected to learn. They should be engaged and challenged and supported by the adults in their lives. All of this is great news for our children, because there are many expert voices advocating this approach.

The part that amazes me, though, is that in some corners, this is viewed as breaking news, a shiny new revolutionary approach to education.

Montessori education has been about the whole child since 1907.

Wholeness in a Montessori classroom means that the whole child is engaged: movement is encouraged and exploration through all of the senses is recognized as essential to learning; emotions are recognized and heard; the child is seen as whole and not broken.

It starts with an engagement of all of the senses. Babies do this naturally. Remember when your young one put everything in his or her mouth? When those small hands reached to touch everything in their path? All of those experiences were learning moments. When you added language to describe what your child was doing, feeling, tasting or smelling, it all came together in an understanding of the world.

The Montessori classroom does the same thing. Through specifically designed materials and by utilizing all of the child’s innate internal resources, they learn. The whole child is engaged in their education.

Wholeness is about how we feel, too. One of the most essential aspects of a Montessori education is the right and expectation of kindness, dignity and respect. Each child is treated as the intelligent human being that they are, and each child is expected to treat others the same way. When adults show respect to children, it means they listen to them and value their emotions and experiences. It means they never talk down to them or demean or embarrass in any way.

This attentiveness towards the needs or feelings of the child doesn’t mean that kids get to do whatever they want or run around willy-nilly because they feel like it. It means that there are conduct guidelines for how we treat each other and our materials. The great part is that we don’t preach those rules from the front of the room by stating and enforcing classroom lists; each child learns by experiencing respect from others. It is so much easier to respect others when valued and appreciated first.

Montessori looks at the child as whole, not broken. Each individual is seen as creative, resourceful and whole. I marvel at the advances in diagnostic tools to evaluate, identify and fix what is wrong with our kids. However, I think everyone carrying around those deficiency labels like identity badges has gone too far. Let’s shift our focus on what’s right. The Montessori classroom accepts the child as a unique individual who has the full capacity to learn, and provides experiences and skills to develop his full potential. Regardless of any label or diagnosis, the child is regarded and treated as complete and competent.

Montessori education recognizes, engages and supports the inherent goodness and wholeness of each child. Come see for yourself what it can do for your child.

About the Author: Maryann Younger first entered a Montessori classroom when she was 2 years old. In addition to exploring the classroom and learning to read with her own small hands, she taught children, mentored teachers, championed the approach, parented her own Montessori children to adulthood, and counseled countless other parents. The teaching of Dr. Montessori has been a faithful guide through her life’s work in schools, education and non-profit leadership. 

  • Share:
FSMA Staff

Previous post

The Power of Laughter
October 30, 2013

Next post

November FSMA Information Session
November 5, 2013

You may also like

HappyHearts
Happy Hearts 2020
3 February, 2020
IMG_6240
How Cold is Too Cold?
19 December, 2019
Image-2
Thinking Outside of the Box!
16 September, 2019

Latest Posts

Getting Ready for the First Day!
13Aug2022
Kindness Month
05Nov2021
Counselor’s Corner
09Sep2021

School Calendar

FIRST STATE MONTESSORI ACADEMY

Deep Roots, New Branches

Delivering a child-centered, research-based, and time-tested approach to education.

  • (302) 576-1500
  • info@firststatemontessori.org
  • 1000 N French Street, Wilmington, DE 19801
  • Contact Us!
© 2023 • Site by