Montessori Children's House of Lincoln hosts workshop

[May 09, 2011]  On Saturday, Bethany Vickers, director of the Montessori Children's House of Lincoln, conducted the second session of a two-part workshop for teachers and directors from Montessori schools in the Illinois communities of Manhattan and Mahomet. The group spent two Saturdays at the local Montessori school to learn methods that can be implemented in their classrooms. The workshops focused on pre-K and kindergarten-level activity.

"The Montessori teaching philosophy is not traditional but is a proven way of teaching," said Sarah Stoliker, director at the First School of Manhattan. Stoliker's school has been open for 18 months. It has children from infancy to 12 years old. Her mother, Jane Stubblefield, is the director of the First School of Mahomet, a Montessori school that opened in 1995. It accepts infants through kindergarten-age children and conducts an after-school program for children up to 12 years old.

"The preschool level is more child-directed," Ms. Vickers explained. "Teachers are less obvious, mingling with the children and allowing them to explore and discover. In elementary, the teacher is a leader, but the children are not instructed the way public school students are. A lot of the process is how the classroom is handled. Different children can do different things at the same time."

"It has been said that Montessori schools take only the smart kids, that we don't take all children," Ms. Stubblefield said. "Some people are not aware that all children learn, but in different ways and in their own time. With the Montessori methods, all children can learn and excel."

The Montessori Children's House of Lincoln has been open for six years. Director Bethany Vickers is a certified as a Master Teacher by the Pan American Montessori Society and has 30 years of Montessori teaching experience. The Lincoln site accepts children entering kindergarten through third grade. A website exhibits classroom activity and shares the Montessori history and philosophy. Visit www.lincolnilmontessori.org for information. The school is also accepting applications for enrollment. Contact Bethany Vickers at 732-6104.

[By MARLA BLAIR]