Teach42

A thought just occurred to me. It is incredible just how similar this program is to Montessori! The S.M.A.R.T. program has an incredible amount of maniuplaitves that are used in very specific ways. It’s never just practicing scissors, it’s using scissors to cut out rainbows from right to left. It’s a set of clothespins to sort or play with, you use two specific fingers to attach the clothespins to a bowl, and then you use two other fingers, continuing until you have used every finger to do it.

Someone in the class just pointed out a Montessori activity that was similar to the one on the screen. It isn’t just me that noticed how similar some aspects of the programs are.

The main difference is that Montessori tools have been carefully defined over time and are all created to address very specific needs. This program is using every day tools as suggestions, but you can always substitute your own manipulatives or create your own variations. So far as I know, Montessori schools don’t believe in substitutions under any circumstances!

I’ll be really curious to revisit this program in five years and see if they have standardized any of their activates for the sake of effectiveness and consistency, to ensure that teachers are doing it appropriately in a manner that promoters optimal development. I’m still surprised that they aren’t offering us the opportunity to buy official “S.M.A.R.T.” gear, manipulatives and gross motor equipment that have been created in accordance to S.M.A.R.T.’s rigorous standards for excellence. Something like that Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad they aren’t trying to push their own branded items off on us. The fact that they aren’t doing it lends just a touch of credence to their program. (Side note: I really wanted to double check to see if credence was the right word there and couldn’t get to Google: Definitions. This lack of Wifi is really cramping my style. Thank goodness for Word’s thesaurus.) If they were just trying to make a buck, there would be a sales pitch during every session.

So kudos to S.M.A.R.T. on that front. We’ll have to revisit this one in a few years!

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