Quite a powerful perspective for a politician to consider!
by Bonnie McNett
Representative John Becker, Ohio House District 65, visited Children’s Meeting House Montessori School (CMH). Representative Becker toured the school and saw children working together, sharing ideas and answering questions about their work. He also observed children working independently on math, reading, and science projects, each one geared to the child’s particular needs and level.
A father to a college aged daughter, Rep. Becker had heard the term Montessori but was not aware of what it truly meant. With an MBA with a focus on taxation, the math curriculum was a great way for Rep. Becker to understand the Montessori Method and see the hands on materials. In the pre-school class, a 4 year old was working with the hands on math materials and let Mr. Becker share the sensorial experience of the difference between 1 and 1000. “Wow, that’s heavy!” declared Becker as he compared the weights of 1 vs. 1000 beads. As the tour moved into the elementary classrooms, Becker received a presentation from a 7 year old “teacher” – in mixed level Montessori classrooms it’s standard practice for the older students to present lessons to the younger ones. Becker was impressed with the children’s knowledge, poise, and mastery of mathematical concepts.
Knowing that there is a large push to remove cursive writing from the curriculum, he seemed surprised to see students writing in such beautiful handwriting. Becker asked, “Do the children learn to write in script?” A veteran teacher replied, “Yes, it is still a valuable tool to learn, if for no other reason than it is a significant part of our history. Our Constitution is written in cursive; we’d like our students to be able to read it”. Quite a powerful perspective for a politician to consider!
Offering programs for children age three through sixth grade, CMH is a non-profit institution that provides a rigorous academic curriculum, focuses on the development of the whole child, and fosters a lifelong love of learning. Children’s Meeting House has been providing excellent Montessori education for over 40 years. Montessori students attain a deep understanding of core academic subjects and acquire real-world life skills tailored to fit each child’s educational needs. Nestled on a sprawling eight acre campus, CMH is conveniently located less than a mile from downtown Loveland. To set up a tour or get more detailed information, please call CMH admissions at (513) 683-4757 or visit: www.cmhschool.com
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