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The Five Great Lessons are thought to be the catalyst of the Montessori elementary cultural curriculum. From the origins of the universe to the story of human communication, the Five Great Lessons provide the keys to learning about science, history, geography, and economics in the Montessori elementary environment. If these lessons are so important, why then, do we often rush to get through them? A Case of Semantics Perhaps a name means more than we think. In modern educational terms, a lesson is finite. It has a beginning and end, with the purpose of instructing. In short, a lesson is the amount of learning done at one time. If this is our definition of a lesson, then it is logical to think that the Five Great Lessons should be told quickly so that we can move on to more important activities. Some Montessorians call all presentations “lessons.” NAMC intentionally uses the term “activities” instead, to indicate that children are actively participating in their learning rather than pass...

“Oh, I know you!” Those were the very first words I said to my newborn son, just moments after giving birth to him almost 22 years ago. I held him in my arms, looked him in the eye, and realized that I really did already know this beautiful tiny baby. Throughout our two days in the hospital, I found myself talking to him: asking if he was hungry, singing a nonsense made-up on the spot song when I changed his diaper, telling him how his little clothes were presents from his grandpa and grandma, and reassuring him that I was there with him when he was crying. Talking to him just came naturally. He had heard the sound of my voice for nine months, so I knew that he knew me, too. When and How to Talk to Babies Some people wonder when and how to talk to babies. The answer is simply to talk to babies as you would talk to anyone else. Even if the conversation is one sided, your baby is listening and absorbing your words, your actions, and your tone of voice. There are everyday tasks such as fe...