Other // Lamplighters Yeshivah Parent Handbook
thing!?
Your child might be an observer-- don’t worry-- they
are absorbing! These children are typically the ones
who end up knowing exactly what to do when they
chose to actually do the work.
children to the bathrooms. The Montessori classroom
is set up in a way that the children are able to do all of
these on their own-- everything is accessible to the
children and they can independently do these tasks on
their own.
6. Why is my child doing the exact same thing
over and over again! I want her to learn more
things!
Your child may pick 3 things and do them a thousand
times and that’s ok. They are mastering the works!
Think about the skill they are building up in being able
to concentrate on one thing, and not be distracted!
Once they have mastered the work, they will move on
naturally. Also, don’t worry, the teachers are keeping
track and will notice if the repetitive work is becom-
ing excessive-- that’s when they will step in and gently
guide and motivate the child to try something new!
In addition, children crave routine and repetition.
3-year old children may repeat pouring, spooning and
grating soap. Later, that translates into repeating ker-
iyah for mastery, reviewing spelling words multiple
times or practicing a pasuk of chumash again and again.
7. There are so many children in the classroom
and only 3 Morahs? How will my child get the
attention he deserves?
More Morahs is not necessarily
better. A Montessori classroom
has this ratio for a reason. Let’s
look at the bigger picture here:
Montessori children are more
independent
In a traditional classroom,
more teachers are needed to
perform regular tasks like hand
washing, putting shoes on, serving food, and taking
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Teachers are not the only ones who teach!
“If you know alef, teach alef!” This truly happens in
multi age classrooms. The older children in the class-
room are real leaders. It is not unusual to see an older
child teaching the younger child how to do a particular
work or to see children testing each other on Kriah.
Control of Error
In addition, Montessori works are designed so that
children can have control of error, and see where they
are going wrong without an adult. (See more in the sec-
tion describing Montessori materials).
Children gain so much from this set up.
After they have had a lesson, they are able to do the
works on their own independently. If they have never
had a lesson on the work and they need the assistance
of a teacher, and she is not available immediately, they
know that they can go to a friend for help-- So many les-
sons in independence problem solving, and patience.