Woods Hudson Elementary - Montessori Homeschool "Never let schooling get in the way of your education." Mark Twain

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Montessori The Montessori Method The Montessori method is an educational method for children, based on theories of child development originated by Italian educator Maria Montessori in the late 19th and early 20th century. The method is characterized by an emphasis on self-directed activity on the part of the child and clinical observation on the part of the teacher (often called a "director", "directress", or "guide"). It stresses the importance of adapting the child's learning environment to his developmental level, and of the role of physical activity in absorbing academic concepts and practical skills. It seems to me that the Montessori method and homeschooling go hand-in-hand. I am sure that many homeschool parents use elements of the Montessori method as it just comes naturally in a homeschool environment. Are You Smarter than a Fifth-Grader? I was greatly disturbed by this popular TV show. I realized that despite my education which includes a Masters Degree, I am not smarter than a fifth grader on a multitude of topics. Unfortunately, these are the topics that I am expected to homeschool my son in. So I decided that I had to do something about that. I enrolled in the North American Montessori Center (NAMC) MontessoriUpper Elementary Teacher Training Diploma Program. I don't suggest for all people who decide to homeschool their children. Everything that I have read indicates that you don't have to be a certified teacher to teach your children and do an excellent job at it. In fact, homeschoolers who were taught by a certified teacher tended to do only slightly better on standardized tests and the difference was so small as to be considered not significant (source page 3). The reason why I chose to take the teacher training is because I want to be at least as smart as a fifth grader. The entire curriculum including textbooks and blacklines are included in the NAMC teacher training program. It was more a question of convience. Also, in my case, the idea that someone else is going to make sure that I know the material beore I teach it to my son is a comfort to me . I am basically lazy and bone-idle. If I don't have the presure of somebody looking over my shoulder, I will tend to take shortcuts and skim over things.

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