Testing and Intelligence

Children don't get smarter because you test them more. Standardized testing, unless used by the teacher as a diagnostic tool to help guide teaching and learning, could be a waste of time. I understand the desire to hold teachers and schools accountable for certain aspects of "learning" and that there is a lot of government money tied up in it, but here's a Montessori brainwave: what if the child is given the opportunity to show what he knows when he is ready to show that he knows it? In essence, give the test when the child is ready to show mastery of those skills.

There was an article in my local free self-congratulating magazine that attributes steadily climbing test scores to the steadily climbing smartness of the kids in the local school district. Not only are the students not actually getting smarter (except for the normal development that you would expect to see from year to year from a child in school), but there is nothing that he or anyone else can do speed up childhood brain development. They are just getting better at taking the tests.

Some number of years ago, some tests were changed. The baseline data that was collected showed that students did okay. But the test format stayed similar the next year and the teachers knew what to expect. The teachers knew how to better prepare. The teachers, whether they meant to or not, began to teach to the test. Who wouldn't? I would want my students to do well if it meant I could win some money for my school (or myself for that matter because you know the only way to get teachers to do a good job is to pay them extra for good test scores, right?!).

So, obviously, as time goes on, the kids get "smarter" at taking the test. Does that mean that the test is actually measuring intelligence or academic success? I argue that it measures how well the students (and teachers) have learned how to take a test.

Is this useful? Well, yes and no. Here's the good part-- test taking is a life skill. Students need to learn how to do it. Being good at taking tests is a good thing. Learning how to navigate bubble sheets, multiple choice questions and essay responses is something everyone needs to know. That said, why does someone out there think it is necessary to collect all this data at frequent intervals and not give the information back to the teachers in a timely fashion so they can use the data to teach? I'm not saying I have a solution for accountability, but I am saying that teachers should focus on testing as a life skill and move onto more important matters like teaching and learning at each child's own level.

Wouldn't it be so weird to have an entire class on the same chapter at the same time every year? Montessori knew that learning in groups can be useful, but that each child benefits most from working at his own pace. I'm pretty sure most anyone can see that this is true. So then why are they all tested at the same time? Is it such a stretch to say that testing should also be at a child's own pace? It's a disconnect between "learning" and learning that drives me mad!

This post was written with absolutely no consultation to any scholarly literature whatsoever.

Extrinsic Rewards and Motivation

Giving a grade causes students to learn to be teacher-pleasers. They find out what the teachers want, do exactly that, and get nothing out of the experience. Call me a hypocrite, but that is how I got through elementary, middle and high school... and most of one graduate degree. My transcripts are impeccable. Did I do the learning I was supposed to be doing? Absolutely not. I just wanted the A, the meaningless prize for doing what the teacher liked.

From the Target 'Take Charge of Education' Campaign

Have you ever had a teacher tell you that what you are doing isn't going to be on the test? Did you still study it? Your answer will tell you whether or not you have suffered the ill-effects of an extrinsic reward system. Have you ever studied or researched something just for fun? Why is that? Which things make you smarter, the ones that get you the A or the ones you studied because you want to?

The student with the A isn't necessarily smarter, just as the child who is forced to say "sorry" isn't always sorry. Just because the child has gone through the motions doesn't mean they have gained anything from the experience.

Students who learn for the sake of learning don't always get the best grades. Their work might look different from the next child's work. They do the work because it satisfies something that their brains need to do to learn. In addition, a student who is able to choose how to right a wrong will better be able to express genuine regret and compassion for others. There doesn't really need to be an extrinsic reward or punishment to instill these values.

"The prize and the punishment are incentives towards unnatural of forced effort, and therefore we certainly cannot speak of the natural development of the child in connection with them." --Maria Montessori in The Montessori Method

Read! Win Pizza!

Why on Earth are students given pizza parties for learning? Why are teachers given bonuses for high test scores? Is it because students and teachers hate school and can't be motivated in another way? Whatever happened to personal satisfaction and internal motivation?

Maria Montessori knew that motivation to learn could easily be stoked by allowing choice and making learning interesting. Though extrinsic rewards work in the short term, the long-term result is disinterest in learning. Angeline Stoll Lillard argues, in Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius, that rewards cause learners to lose motivation for learning because they encourage more shallow thinking. In an open-ended opportunity, it is harder to know what the teacher is looking for in order to earn the reward and the student loses motivation (p. 157). Graded students across the globe are doing as little as possible to get the desired grade. You know what I'm talking about because you have done it.

All is not lost. Good people can do better if they are striving to earn that reward. The valedictorian of the high school class is no doubt working hard and is motivated by something. But, Lillard argues that the better students would do their best if the reward wasn't ever even there (p. 160). What if students weren't told exactly what to do? What if they were just expected to follow their own paths and be great at what they are interested in? Wouldn't this increase their idea of their own self-worth? Take pride in their own amazing talents? Too crazy? Montessori has been doing it for 104 years.

Am I being a Pollyanna again? I don't think so. I would just like to merely suggest that rewards and punishments may be one way in which the widely accepted method of education is broken.

I think that grades are an often unavoidable aspect of the education system. So are suspensions. So, the best way for teachers and parents to combat this is to make sure that students get some kind of helpful feedback on what they have done. Notice the areas of strength. Notice how it could have been made better. Give them an opportunity to fix it or develop the needed skills. Montessori believed in mastery learning, not "you got an 82 percent and that ain't bad" learning. She gave students an opportunity to go back and try it again, maybe in a different way, so they could learn the foundations of an idea before moving onto more difficult concepts. Students with learning goals do better than students with performance goals (Lillard, p. 170). So how do you reconcile this with grades? You might be thinking, does everyone work until they all get an A?

Well here's my last question: Why do you care about the A?

How Do I Choose a Montessori School?

I had my first official blog email question, and by someone other than one of my seven official followers! This must be why I am doing this. :)

Question: "I heard that any school can call itself Montessori. Is that true? How do I know it's a good school?"
Answer: Yes! It's true! Any school can call themselves Montessori. Scary! You can evaluate a school pretty effectively through observation and discussion with the director and other parents.


OBSERVATION
You MUST observe in the classroom while students are present. If you are not allowed to observe, be concerned. What are they trying to hide? You should be expected to sit quietly and inconspicuously and not talk to the students or teacher unless approached. Look for teaching style, student behavior, and classroom layout/materials.

Movement: You should see the teacher moving around the room meeting with small groups or individuals. You should see students helping each other and helping themselves to work on the shelves and supplies. There will be work and students on the floor. It may look chaotic and messy, so try to focus your attention on one or two students at first to see what they are doing. Everyone will be working on something different.

Range of Ages: There will be a range of ages present in the classroom: 0-3, 3-6, 6-9, etc. If there is only one age present, be concerned. A range of ages provides leadership for older students and community for all. It also lends itself to the division of the planes of development. I could keep going, but that's another post.

Inviting Decor: The classroom should look inviting and the furniture arranged so it is easy for children to work in small groups or alone. Materials are organized neatly by subject and by level on the shelves. Artwork is hung at the child's eye level. You should not see several rows of desks facing the front of the classroom or lots of brightly colored "educational" crap on the walls (a little is okay, but the classroom should ideally look like as inviting as someone's house).

Behavior: Do the children know what to do? They should be self-directed. They should know where things are and what to do with them. They will look to the teacher and each other for support at times, but they should not be relying on the teacher for constant direction. Older students will definitely have their own work plan or schedule to guide them (self-made is even better!).


DISCUSSION
Membership: Find out if the teachers are AMS or AMI trained (or something else), and if their training center is recognized by the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE). MACTE spans all of the ways you can become a Montessori teacher including AMS and AMI (and even stranger, smaller independent means of training). You can ask where the teachers were trained and look it up easily on the MACTE website. MACTE has standards, and your school should too!
Further, is the school a member of some sort of Montessori organization such as AMS? If not, why not? My local Montessori is not concerned with affiliation or accreditation due to the high cost and the lack of interest of parents which leads me to my next point...

Teacher and Parent Education: What opportunities are available for continuing teacher education? Do they attend conferences or have opportunities for additional training? Do they have degrees in something education- or child-development-related? Is there a parent's association of sorts and is there a piece within that that seeks to educate parents and families about the Montessori method? Do administrators and teachers regularly communicate with parents? Do the seek community involvement? And lastly, do they want your help? I hope the answer to all of these questions is yes! If no, something may be lacking.

What Parents Are Saying: I leave this a bit open-ended because parents can give you details about how bullying is handled to which bar your child's teacher frequents. At my daughter's Montessori preschool, I heard from two separate sources beforehand that it wasn't "real Montessori" and now I am left wondering... what is "real Montessori?"

Is it real Montessori?
Montessori can only be as authentic as is desired-- by the school, the families who have children there, and the community. This may be a good question to bring up-- what parts of the program are they most proud? What adjustments have they had to make to the Montessori model to fit the needs of the current student population? And (you knew this was coming): What can you do to help?

It's your job to be involved in your child's education, so be a critic and a supporter. They can do it without you, but it will work much better with your help! It's really hard to pinpoint what makes a good school. If you're committed to Montessori, you know that test scores is not necessarily an indicator of learning. In the end, go with your gut and don't be afraid to change your decision if it doesn't work. Montessori isn't the only answer to a good education, but I believe it's the best way we have.

I bet I missed something. What else?

How to Speak to Children

Children are perceptive.

There is a vast difference between communicating with respect and treating the child like an idiot. Even "idiots" deserve to be treated with respect (just ask Maria Montessori). They are all perceptive.

I witnessed the way two different people talked to my three-and-a-half year old daughter this week. The first was a brilliant experience. The adult in question greeted her and told her name. Then she asked my daughter's name by bending over really far and speaking directly to her. She asked a few other questions to get the conversation going such as, "How old are you?" and "What is your favorite color?" Then we began our meeting, which was all about her.

When the adult wanted her to pay attention, she said, "Watch" and then pointed to where she wanted her eyes. She made good eye contact. She did everything deliberately and slowly to make sure she understood, since this was her first time there. The adult showed her first, then let her try. Even when she messed up, the adult waited until she was finished, then said, "Watch" and showed her again. We had all the time in the world.

The second adult in question never introduced herself. She asked me what my daughter's name is and I turned to my daughter and asked her to tell the woman her name. She hid behind my leg. The adult shouted directions and became louder and more frustrated and shouted faster as my daughter became confused. This adult had no concept of processing speed. I tried to slow it down and reassure her that she was doing the right thing, but it was a frustrating experience.

Kids know when you aren't acting from a place of love. "Of all things love is the most potent," said Maria Montessori in The Absorbent Mind. It was clear that the first adult loves children. She showed an incredible respect for my daughter's process of learning. The second adult was trying to get the job done as fast as possible without regard to the child. Both adults had the opportunity to teach something and help my daughter build confidence in herself.

Luckily, I was able to witness both of these situations and I have the opportunity to choose the first adult as someone who will interact with my daughter regularly. I am thrilled that there is an adult who will treat her with patience and respect and above all, act from a place of love.

Happy Birthday, Maria Montessori

In honor of Maria Montessori's birthday today, I wanted to share a link to the Deb Frasier's website of my favorite birthday book On the Day You Were Born. The webpage also includes a curriculum guide for teachers and a play that you can do with a large or small group of people.
This book is a great one to use for Montessori birthday celebrations because it talks about the scientific celestial happenings in a person's life (such as moon phases, Earth's travel around the sun, and tides) as well as many of nature's amazing occurrences (like gravity, photosynthesis, and the variety of animal species).