Exceptional Learners: What Can Montessorians Do?By George S. MorrisonI've been doing a lot of thinking about Montessori lately. My thinking is prompted by a number of events involving the education of exceptional learners. One of my former students invited me to visit her school and observe their inclusive education programs up close and personal. I was impressed by the professionalism of the teachers and how they are skilled at meeting the wide range of disabilities in their programs. During my classroom visits, I observed many of the 13 disabilities identified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): autism, deafness, deaf-blindness, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, mental retardation, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment including blindness. I thought how fortunate all of these children were to have the teachers, the inclusive environment, and the school district resources that provides them with a high-quality education. I couldn't help but wonder about the progress of all the 6 million students ages 3-21 across America with disabilities who don't have such privileged circumstances. This led me to think about Montessori and her work with addressing the needs of exceptional learners of her time and how many Montessorians today are continuing this tradition of service. A week after my school visit, I attended the convention of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). I talked with a wide range of professionals, attended many seminars and meetings, and literally got lost in the vast exhibition hall which displayed the latest in curriculum and technology. I came away from the CEC Convention with a renewed sense of purpose and dedication to be in service to exceptional learners. I also realized I needed to include in my writing and teaching more about the needs of exceptional learners and how to best meet their needs. In the weeks since the CEC convention, I have identified six themes I believe have particular meaning for all who teach, especially Montessorians. Theme One: Transitions There is a great deal of emphasis on helping exceptional learners transition from one setting to another and from one program to another. These transitions begin whenever children enter a program and continue through their educational experiences. Thus, children transition from home to a Montessori program, to elementary school, to high school, to college and vocational education, and to the workplace. We take it for granted that children will leave our programs and adjust well to another program or classroom. This is not necessarily the case. Many children and their families have difficulties with school transitions. We must consider and plan for these transitions. We must work with parents, agencies, schools, and children to assure that transitions are seamless, non-interruptive, and are pleasant and educational experiences. The ease with which children make the transition from one program to another is as important as their classroom instruction. Transitions and their successÑor lack thereofÑprofoundly impact achievement and emotional state. Montessorians can help assure that all children transition with the least amount of difficulty. Theme Two: Multisensory Education There is a renewed emphasis in exceptional learner education on how to use all of children's sensory capacities to help them learn and achieve at high levels. Montessorians have always known that multisensory education is the best kind of education. However, Montessorians might not always do the best they can to help others learn the psychological and developmental foundation of multisensory approaches and how to apply them to exceptional learners. This rediscovery of the importance of the multisensory as a pathway to achievement and success provides Montessorians an ideal opportunity to collaborate with other professionals about how to teach the multisensory way. Theme Three: Reading/Literacy It comes as no surprise that literacy education is in the forefront of discussions about educating all children. However, exceptional student educators are very much interested in trying to identify and use "best practices" with their students. This process of identifying best practices and applying those practices to individual students is a challenge that has always faced good teachers. Individualizing instruction and matching children to appropriate practices are cornerstones of good teaching. Again, these are techniques Montessorians know well. In addition, Montessorians can work toward having the Montessori system validated as a "best practice" to use in promoting early literacy experiences. Theme Four: Differentiated Instruction The theme of differentiated instruction ties in closely with the theme of identifying best practices for exceptional learners. Providing for the needs of all children is a hallmark of early childhood education. However, meeting the needs of all children, particularly in inclusive classrooms, is a goal that is elusive for many teachers. Differentiated instruction is one method more teachers are using in order to meet the needs of all children. In differentiated instruction, teachers use a variety of methods materials, and activities to make the curriculum more responsive to the abilities, challenges, learning styles and interests of students. Through differentiated instruction, children of all backgrounds stand a better chance of reaching their potential, achieving at high levels, and becoming successful in school and life. Montessorians have a lot to share with others about how to differentiate! Theme Five: Data-Driven Instruction As a result of the No Child Left Behind Education Act of 2001, data has assumed a high value in educational settings. Data is one of the gold standards of the classroom. (Achievement is another.) Data, in the form of test results, teachersÕ observations and assessments, and analysis of children's work, are used to determine how to best teach children so that they achieve to high standards. Data-driven instruction also helps assure that children achieve the standards identified by each state for their particular grade level. Today, data drives instruction. Again, Montessorians can help. They are experts at using observational data to guide children's learning. Theme Six: Small Learning Communities "Smaller is better" is a general theme running through much of education today. There is a huge emphasis on having children work together in small learning communities. The "smaller is better" theme also applies to teacher-child classroom ratios and to schools in general. Many school districts are trying to determine how to create smaller schools and reduce class size. However, implementing small learning communities is easier said than done. Smaller schools and smaller teacher-child ratios cost a lot of money, as the citizens of Florida and other states are finding out. In addition, how to implement small learning communities is difficult for some teachers and next to impossible for others. This helps account for why there is also an emphasis on small professional development learning communities. These small professional development communities are designed to give teachers and others opportunities to come together and develop strategies for implementing not only small learning communities, but all the themes we have discussed. A number of other themes from my CEC experience are worth mentioning. These include: alternative assessments to state standardized tests; how to provide behavioral support for exceptional learners; how to close the achievement gap between exceptional learners and their normal-developing classmates; and how to use assistive technology to help exceptional learners achieve. So what does all of this mean for Montessorians? I think that Maria Montessori, at one time or another, addressed all of these issues, in one way or another. Montessorians have ideas for how to apply Montessori practice to all the themes I have discussed. What is needed, however, is a concerted effort on the part of Montessorians to follow in the steps of Maria and help assure that all children, including exceptional learners, get the education they deserve and need. This means that Montessorians will have to become more involved in exceptional learner education and that they will become participants and leaders in small professional development learning communities designed to apply Montessori practices to inclusive settings. Montessorians must also continue to be strong advocates for the education of all children, including exceptional learners. There is much work for Montessorians to do to help all professionals meet the educational challenges of the times. But this work comes with the turf. After all, it's part of what being a Montessorian is all about. George S. Morrison is the author of Early Childhood Education Today and is the Velma E. Schmidt Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of North Texas. |
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