The weekly “little of this, little of that” feature at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
We are giving away one of our favorites, a copy of The Holy Gospels of St. Luke and St. John, to a lucky reader! Details on how to enter at the end of the post.
It's now that season for First Holy Communions and Confirmations! Maybe you are that Godparent/Parent/Sponsor who just can't think of what to give your little-saint-in-the-making as a gift on this important occasion.
Well, let me suggest that you give the brilliant The Holy Gospels of St. Luke and St. John.
The idea is simple, and you wonder why it hasn't been done before.
You need a Gospel for your rapidly maturing young person that isn't Bible stories, retold you know, rather than the actual words of Scripture; but you also need one that isn't distracting, with study notes, verse numbers, and footnotes. All those are amazing in their place, but when you are praying with Holy Scripture, you just want to read and think and meditate on the actual words of the Bible.
Illustrated with many beautiful works of sacred art from the past, this volume from the Sacred Art Series supplies the need. Yes, it's good for children who can read, because the type is large and clear. And yes, pictures are helpful for kids, although I will say that it's good for adults too. I use mine in my prayer. The artwork lets your mind rest and pray.
There's a gold ribbon too, so you can keep your place.
Any child would benefit from this volume on a special occasion!*
This weeks links:
- The guide to email signoffs. XOXO, vs. XX… Rosie sent that one, and it reminded me of one on Christian closings which I've had bookmarked all these years. The comments are also so funny (my fave: “Continuing in sin so grace might abound” haha)
“The Whiggish view of scientific history is so dominant today that this possibility is spoken of only in hushed whispers, but ours is a world in which things once known can be lost and buried.”
- Related: A rousing, hilarious, and fairly profane (that is: language alert! but then again, one of the most popular sites on Facebook and widely shared, is called I F***ing Love Science, which what the heck) essay on enablers of the scientific regress: Neil deGrasse Tyson: pedantry in space.
- Not to open a can of worms, and maybe I will have to give this its own post, but a friend just sent me this post: A letter of Charlotte Mason to The New York Times on the subject of Maria Montessori's methods, of which she does not approve. (You can find a pdf of the letter here by scrolling down a bit.) And although I find, along with Miss Mason it should be noted, some good qualities in her system, particularly (for me) the calming sense of order and the trust in the child's seriousness in play, there has always been something which seems so artificial and needlessly complicated (not to say expensive) in her theory. Charlotte Mason explains exactly what this is.
From the archives:
- The secret to planning menus (it's maybe not quite what you think!)
- Should my kids play sports?
- Dating rules for teenagers in a crazy world.
To enter for the giveaway of The Holy Gospels of St. Luke and St. John, just leave a comment here! The giveaway will end Wednesday night.
*We have not received any compensation or consideration for this giveaway or review, as always. We provide it here for your benefit!
Elizabeth says
The gospel books is so beautiful, and such a wonderful idea, really. Thanks for offering the giveaway!
Erica says
I love the idea of the gospel as a first communion gift. Other ideas that I have seen aren’t things that can really grow with the child.
Toni Graham says
I would like to be considered for the giveaway! Thank you!
I love the LMLD blog. Please keep up the good work.
Sue K says
What a lovely volume!
Jennifer says
My 7 year old is making her first communion next month. She recently started following the text of the readings at Mass, and would really enjoy and be challenged by reading the illustrated gospels, I think! Thank you for the giveaway.
jennifer says
so beautiful! my kids are in that spot where they need the maturity of scripture, but the pictures are sure helpful!
thanks for offering!
Mary says
This is a lovely volume and would find a most welcome home here! Thank you and God bless.
Angelique says
The link about Montessori: I don’t really know much about that method, is it really short on ideas? Are the various activities like tangrams and sandpaper letters all there is to it, no read alouds of literature, no singing? What does this say about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (isn’t that based on Montessori?) that is becoming popular? Re: CGS, I felt about it what you felt about Montessori — it seemed unnecessarily artificial, also unnecessarily isolated from family and community — we ALL ought to be having a reverent, quiet, beauty rich experience — at Mass!
Btw, the Gospels are lovely, would love to win it for my dd making her first Communion tjis year.
Dixie says
I disagree about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, but I think it probably really just depends on how you think about it. I wouldn’t think of the Atrium as a replacement for Mass or family prayer, and the catechists at our CGS also certainly don’t. What it does, though, is allow children to approach and become familiar with the far-off parts of Mass, like the chalice, paten, vestments, etc., without dimishing reverence for the mystery. It helps them see themselves what is happening.
It also develops in the child, I hope, an intuitive sense of the crucial truths such as the Real Presence by presenting different stories from the Bible in a particular rhythm: through this program, the child actually makes the connection between the Last Supper “work” and the Eucharist on his or her own. This type of discovery seems to me a very good root for a growing faith. It can also be really imaginative and help children understand that these are not fictional stories, but very real.
I see CGS as an alternative to CCD or other Sunday School, and I think it can work really beautifully in planting a deep, personal knowledge in the child of who Christ really is. It’s my hope that it will help that knowledge stick with them.
Angelique says
Okay, when you put it like that it makes more sense. I think the biggest disconnect for me is that the priest who is promoting it locally jokes around during Mass, allows some really hokey showtune music, etc. My area is really lousy in general in regards to reverent Mass, so it seems really off thatpeople would be excited about giving children an experience of reverence separate from family, community, and most importantly, Our Lord in the Eucharist. Why not put that energy into the Mass, kwim?
Dixie says
Ugh, that’s too bad, Angelique. I’m sure that, like anything, it can be done well or it can be done poorly. I hope the desire for reverence will show itself in one way or another and the parish will be renewed! Maybe it’s really there but it’s just coming out in the wrong way, since the leadership is not there…
Angelique says
Though, in all fairness, maybe the priest is just playing the long game. Easier to get kindergarteners to be reverent than pry the tambourines and trapsets out of the hands of grownups. 😉
Carol Kennedy says
I have wondered the same thing about CGS which is why I was so interested in the CM article. When I first heard about CGS (back when I was studying theology and catechesis, before I had kids) and I read “The Religious Potential of the Child.” I loved the way Sophia Cavaletti took seriously the child’s spiritual life and I loved the little works (pouring the wine in the chalice; learning the gestures of the Mass; handling real things that had weight and value (child sized chalice, paten, etc). I loved the focus on parables and especially the Good Shepherd. But then later, as I had my own kids, I read some of the other materials and encountered the idea of training to be a CGS teacher and it all seemed overly complicated. You got the impression that in order to introduce your child to the real Good Shepherd you had to have beautiful handmade wooden materials as well as going through some involved extended certification (and at that time I already had an MA in Theology with certification in Catechetics). It seemed way too complicated both in the practical sense of the teacher’s/parent’s training and in the theology presented. While my kids have had some materials (tiny Mass set) and we have done a few of the presentations over the years, they have been far better served by frequent visits to beautiful (or at least slightly beautiful) churches, chapels, etc.; praying together, talking about the Liturgy, the Story of Salvation, and life in general, and, now that they are older, encounters with the Catechism of the Catholic Church in small bites and related to things already discussed (and of course, eventually, a deeper study of the Liturgy, the Bible and the Catechism). In my opinion, CGS, while nice if you have it at your parish when your kids are young, is similar to other institutional approaches to education: helpful in certain situations, but not necessary to the development of children. It has the danger of feeding into the “cult of the experts” that we (modern parents) fall prey to so easily.
Kaitlin @ More Like Mary says
Thank you for this Carol! You have out into words something I have been feeling and didn’t realize. I DON’T need to be “certified” to introduce my children to Jesus. Really, thank you. What a weight you lifted off my shoulders.
Rain says
I always love your bits and pieces links. The book is beautiful! I’d love a copy for myself.
Laura Jeanne says
I would love to win the giveaway.
Also, that letter from Charlotte Mason was very interesting, thank you! I am a Charlotte Mason devotee but had never seen that before.
Sophie says
I just learned about these gospels and think they are beautiful. Thank you for a chance to win!
Rain says
Link problems-
The link for dating rules and the article about Sybil Ludington aren’t linking to the correct article. Thanks Leila!
Leila says
Thanks, Rain, I fixed them. Refresh your page 🙂
I always think I’m double-checking the links but I’m not. What is wrong with me??
Rain says
Thank you. ; )
mary says
A beautiful little book–thanks for offering the giveaway!
Diane says
What a beautiful book! I love sacred art and have often wondered if there is something that brings together these pieces with the Scripture that inspires them. A coffee table book of sacred art, though beautiful, is not easily accessible for prayer.
Thank you for the links to start the weekend.
Nicole says
Your posts always make me think and I often leave your bookmarks open for longer than I’d like to admit! I know it’s a lot of work to link to so many things, but many of your links are off this week. I’m sure a little googling could remedy that for the reader, but thought you’d like to know.
Leila says
Nicole, I fixed the ones that were off — I hope that’s all that’s wrong there. I will check again, and you refresh your page and see if you can get to them.
Corry says
That Charlotte Mason letter was fascinating! Thanks for all of the links.
Taryn B says
The Gosepl is beautiful! And I always love the links on Saturdays: they’re perfect to follow when I’m feeding my babe.
Leah says
My seven year old son is making his First Holy Communion next month and he would love something like this for all the reasons you mentioned.
Chere Mama says
I would like to receive the beautiful Gospel book!
I have never really been a fan of Maria Montessori’s method. From what I see in our time, It has seemed somewhat affected to me – rather like a fad. But to give Mrs. Montessori her due, she was working with poor children initially who did not have steady home lives where they would learn the skills needed to make an ordered life. When put in that context, I think her plan of structured play and order can be better understood.
But in homes where there is already a steady home life, I think these skills can be taught without her method and in a more realistic, less overly “child centered” environment.
Katie says
This book is lovely … Thanks for the opportunity to win it.
Lori says
I found the Charlotte Mason / Montessori article very interesting. I have dabbled in Montessori. I love her methods for math, but ultimately I am left cold when it comes to the Montessori attitude toward literature, science, and history. I love Charlotte Mason’s approach more and more, especially in those areas – this article helps me see why.
The giveaway is also so lovely. I would love to have this volume for my son, who will be preparing for his first Communion in a year. Thank you! 🙂
Stephanie in Germany says
The book of Gospels looks lovely. Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy!
Shannon says
Would love a post on Montessori and Mason from you! Thanks for the link!
priest's wife @byzcathwife says
I hear you about the expense of Montessori….(the Gospel is beautiful)
Piper says
What a lovely book! Thank you for the giveaway! It would make such a beautiful gift for more than one person in my life.
June says
Thank you for posting about this book of the Gospels , often times I feel very hesitant to buy religious material, not knowing what potentially can be in it, or NOT in it.
I appreciate the recommendation!
Thank you,
June
Amanda says
I’d love that for my son. Thanks for doing the giveaway.
Cristina says
I would love the gospel for my son’s first communion. And I would really love more of your thoughts on Montessori and Charlotte Mason!
Caitlin says
As someone who worked (briefly) in a Montesorri school, I always appreciate a good Montesorri-bashing 😉 (just kidding. Mostly!)
I agree with the previous commenter about appreciating MM in her own context. And a Montesorri classroom is refreshing at first glance, especially when compared to the obnoxious, noisy, primary-colored preschools of sensory overload. I loved the emphasis on teaching very young children to try to make their motions deliberate and using real objects, not a lot of plastic. But there is a cultish aspect to many Montesorri schools… And, despite the founder’s Catholicism, they almost always have a weirdly new-age vibe, in my experience.
Robin says
The book looks wonderful! I’ve got a little gal here that would eat it up! Thank you for all you write here ladies! It is an oasis in a howling desert to me!
Kristi says
Wow, my godson’s first Communion is next month — I would love to win this for him! Thank you for holding the giveaway. 🙂
Kristi says
Beautiful book! Yes, pick me!
Kristin says
What a lovely giveaway! The book would be a wonderful present for my son.
Laureen says
What a wonderful gift idea! We have both Confirmation & First Communion in our family this year. Thank you for the give-away.
Maddy says
Beautiful suggested gift – will use this a lot in the coming year!
Denise says
Thanks for sharing all the links. The gospel book looks lovely.
Jennifer says
The gospel looks so lovely!
Stefani W says
I would love to win the illustrated Gospels.
MerMer says
I would like to point out that Maria Montessori was a Catholic, and even wrote a book about the Mass for children. Charlotte Mason was Protestant. Perhaps that accounts, at least in some part, for her antipathy towards Montessori.
Elizabeth says
I feel like that is a very unfair criticism. CM didn’t even allude to MM’s faith in her critique, and she raised very reasonable concerns.
Claire Rebecca says
The book looks lovely!
Dianna says
A lovely book – I had originally typed lively and that seems to suit it too! Thank you!
CMerie says
Thanks for the links. I’d love to win.
Robin says
J.M.J.
What a beautiful bible! I know my grandchildren would just love it, especially as my almost 5 year old granddaughter has been asking for a more grown up bible:)
Mary says
I don’t know much about Charlotte Mason, although I like what I’ve learned about her… until now – I think she really misunderstands the principles of Maria Montessori (and there ARE principles, even though CM says she can’t find any. 🙂 ) So many of her criticisms are simply not accurate, and the examples she gives of better alternatives are actually what Maria Montessori advocates!
There are hundreds examples (in schools and in homes) of Montessori-gone-wrong, or at least not practiced in a way that’s true to what Montessori herself wrote and taught. The expense of the equipment is not an essential part of the method. I was a Montessori teacher until my children were born, and I’ve done most of her method with them at home without spending very much. And yes, many Montessori schools in this country are very new-age-ish, and completely ignore the “religious potential of the child.” But like MerMer mentioned, Montessori was Catholic, and she believed that the spiritual development of the child was of supreme importance!
I find it telling that CM doesn’t quote MM at all in this letter. I’d encourage folks to read Montessori’s actual writings. The Child in The Church would be a great place to start.
In sum, I think Charlotte and Maria actually have a lot in common.
Audrey says
I totally agree with this comment. That article made me pretty unimpressed with Charlotte Mason, as far as her level of understanding of Montessori.
Amy says
I found CM’s critique of the MM to be really off base as well. The way she describes the method and her critiques are nothing like what I have read and seen. There is also something about her tone that I don’t like. This paragraph stuck out to me the most “We know that the use of hypnotic suggestion is helping to advance education in some Continental schools. This might be a clue as to why children seem to suddenly and spontaneously have the ability to write…”. Wow. The Montessori method puts kids in a hypnotic state? Her while letter seems like a lot of mud slinging to me.
Angela F says
Thank you for your generosity in giving away a copy. It looks lovely.
Cary S. says
Thank you for the giveaway. I have two Godsons making their Firsr Communion in a month.
Janette says
Would love to have this book for the kids and my husband and me 🙂
Heather says
I love love love these Gospels! We have both a first communicant and a confirmand in the house this year, and they will both be receiving the sacraments the last week of April. These are a great gift idea!!!
Margaret says
What a lovely little book.
Emily M says
Thanks for the giveaway!
Raquel says
I will definitely put this Gospel on my wish list for my son! Thanks for offering the giveaway!
Mary K. says
Thank you for offering this lovely gift.
Kate says
Would love to win this book.
Suzanne says
Beautiful book. Thanks for the giveaway!
Megan says
That’s lovely! Thanks for the giveaway!
Danielle says
I’d love to win the Gospels for my children. We’re considering purchasing one for our goddaughter who’s receiving her 1st Communion. Thanks for the idea!
Kaitlin @ More Like Mary says
That letter is fascinating! Thanks for sharing. And thank you, also, for the giveaway. 🙂
Justina says
What lovely editions for the Gospels! Would love to win (baring on the chance I don’t, I will have to make sure to line up some copies for my children)!
Kimberly says
I would love for my children to have this gospel book!
Jamilyn says
My rule of thumb for gifting books is, It is always a good idea. Also, it is my personal secret mission to get good quality Bibles for children who usually are victims of horrible “art” and dumbed down truths. This looks like a beautiful rendition of God’s holy words, how thoughtful and kind of you to give away a copy!
Julia R. says
Beautiful Scripture offering. I would use it on our newly inaugurated children’s prayer table.
Erica says
I would love give one to my niece for her First Holy Communion coming up May 1st. Thank you for the recommendation.
Elizabeth Diaz says
Thank you for the giveaway! I would love to win for my son who will be confirmed in two weeks.
Ashley says
What a perfect idea for First Communion! I’ve been struggling with what to get my daughter, but not any more! I just ordered her one. That being said, I’d still like to be considered in the drawing so that I may have my own copy!
Christine C. says
Would love to win this beautiful book.
Jacki Weishaar says
What a lovely book. Thanks for the giveaway! I’d also love to hear your thoughts on CM v. Montessori.
Jenny says
I have a First Communicant this year and she’d love a copy of the Gospels.
Katharine says
Me for the book, I’d use it for our morning time, it’s lovely!
Masha says
Wow! Lovely Gospel! It would be ideal for our breakfast reading..my daughter is just learning to read and she adores the Bible.
Annalisa says
Aww, man! But sometimes I really just need to convey that sense of “We’re-in-this-unholy-world-together-and-trying-our-darndest-to-be-holy” without trying to SOUND holy. Is it really that humorous? Okay, maybe in emails.
That is a beautiful volume of the Gospels.
Further up and further in,
Caitlin says
Good one 🙂
Adele says
Our eldest is going to have her first communion this summer and she loves art. I’m sure she would treasure a book like that one. She has been praying the rosary on her own since we got her the rosary books from Peanut Butter and Grace.
Jennifer says
Thanks for the link about Sybil Ludington. I plan to share it with my daughter who loves history, particularly in regards to the women who were there. I found this link in the article to which you linked. It tells her story and has a photo of a statue of her. Don’t know if you saw that part.
http://www.revolutionary-war.net/sybil-ludington.html
Jennifer says
When I shared this with my ten year old daughter, she already knew about her!!! “Read it in a book” she says.
(Comes from that CM influence I suppose…) 😉
Chloe Sasagawa says
Our family would love to receive something so beautiful and life-giving!
Lisa Roder says
What a gorgeous idea for our ds confirmation. Would love to win!
Jennifer Gregory Miller says
I’d love to win the book of the Gospels. I quite agree with Sofia Cavalletti and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd that Bible “stories” are a weak substitute for God’s living Word.
Wow, the piece by Charlotte Mason criticizing Montessori — where to begin? My first comment would be CM really doesn’t have a true understanding of the Montessori Method. I find the article beneath her dignity, because there are way too many over-generalizations and mistaken ideas. There is another article that AO posts, http://www.amblesideonline.org/PR/PR27p202ImaginationinChildhood.shtml which is similar in anti-Montessori thoughts.
In both articles, CM seems to only touch on the approach of the younger years in Montessori, and makes sweeping generalizations that these continue to apply for all ages. While Montessori has basic principles throughout all ages, it really does look different in the different planes (ages 0-3, 3-6, 6-9, and 9-12). The use of manipulatives and less fantasy really applies to the primary level, 3-6. Charlotte Mason barely touches on that stage of development except for her emphasis on time outdoors and Masterly Inactivity, and the bulk of her method applies to children at the “second plane” or elementary stage for Montessori, so comparing her method for elementary children to Montessori’s primary method is comparing apples to oranges.
I’d also say we need to look at Maria Montessori in her true teachings, not versions interpreted and reinvented by others. I’ve often heard people say they are practicing Charlotte Mason method because they are doing art study, nature walks and sketchbooks and reading living books. This is more CM-inspired, and not true CM. Same with Montessori approaches. AMI training claims to keep the true essence of Montessori, as compared to AMS which seems to get the most press of Montessori gone wrong: anything goes for the child. To have a truly fruitful discussion both methods need to be presented in a complete and honest way.
I have been using mostly CM in my home, but I am trained in CGS and familiar with Montessori. I don’t think one needs to be pitted against another, especially in the home, because we can choose what is good and works for our own family. I see similarities in CM and Montessori in the basic understanding of the child and the understanding and respect of the child as an individual and a child of God.
As to the above commenters on CGS. At first I found the training burdensome, but I came to see it as spiritual formation for myself. I don’t think CGS is required for a child, but I have found such richness. It’s all based on the Bible and the Liturgy and the purpose is help a child have a personal relationship with Christ — something so often missed with the accumulation of memory work. I think there is a movement to make more formation geared to personal development instead of the emphasis on method, and more available for the parents.
For years I never did anything formal in CGS, but various aspects we did incorporate informally at home. The formation helped me to see my faith and grow with my children. CGS is meant to work in conjunction with the family’s faith life, not a substitute for it. We are blessed to have a good foundation and living faith at home. CGS can enhance it. But it also helps greatly those who have less or nothing. The great good the Missionaries of Charity do with CGS (required by all the sisters to take Level I maybe II?) formation before profession, no matter where they will be working shows to me they recognize the spiritual benefits.
Leila says
Thanks for your comments, Jennifer. As always, I appreciate your insight!
Anamaria says
Thank you for this comment- my oldest is two, so I have dabbled in Montessori for the youngest children and have not gotten into Charlotte Mason at all. The only thing I have to add is that Charlotte Mason says MM’s concern with matter means she’s not concerned with the spirit- very protestant! MM, like a good Catholic, thinks we can get to know the infinite through the finite.
Kathy Jardine says
Love your blog ladies…I’m a long time reader from NewBrunswick, Canada.
KB says
Lovely book! Hopefully they will publish all 4 Gospels someday!
Natalie says
Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
Rae says
Such a beautiful copy. Thank you for the giveaway!
Lauren says
This would be a beautiful first communion gift for my niece! I may have to pick one up to aid my distracted prayer time too. Thank you!
Kansas Mom says
The Gospel book looks beautiful!
Rachel Nicholson says
I would love to give this book to my son, Jack, for his 14th birthday! It looks just beautiful <3
Laurel says
How lovely! This would be an excellent First Communion gift, indeed. Thanks for the giveaway!
BetsyM says
So lovely! Thanks for the chance to win.
Catherine says
Both my son and godson are receiving First Communion in the next 2 months and my son is also receiving Confirmation. This would be a good gift for both of them. I would love to win the copy!
Mary says
Thank you for the opportunity to win this beautiful book.
Mary says
Thanks for the lovely giveaway. I’ve had my eye on these Gospels for some time …
Interesting conversation about CM vs MM. My own reading of MM’s writing had me very inspired–the idea of freedom & responsibility as essential elements of a child’s education. Very Catholic indeed! I think both have a lot of wisdom, and perhaps the most important to recognize is that there is no one educational method that has all the answers, or that will be best for every child.
My children are in CGS at our parish, and it is a truly beautiful means of teaching the faith & helping them to develop a real relationship with Christ, even from a young age. We see it as a wonderful complement to what we are doing at home.
And as for scientific regress, yikes! Much to contemplate there, especially as to how we can develop a healthy sense of scepticism in ourselves (and a better understanding of statistics!)
Teresa gallagher says
I’m a little relieved to read your comment about Montessori… It has always seemed like one of those things I should be doing but that was too overwhelming to really entertain!
Would love to win this giveaway 🙂
Amanda says
What a beautiful book that we would love to have in our home library! Thank you!
Ona says
What a lovely book this is. Thanks very much for the opportunity to win a copy.
Elizabeth says
I always love your bits and pieces links. And, would love to win a copy of this beautiful book as I am always looking for ideas for gifts for special little people in my life. Thanks for the opportunity!
jennifer says
What a lovely book! I would love to have it for my son.
Donna M Swindells says
I am entering your contest for the beautiful Gospel books of St. Luke & St. John.
This edition is a feast for the eyes & a delight for your soul.
Continued blessings,
Donna
Donna L. says
I would love to win one of these! Thank you!
Rosalie says
Thank you for the idea. Have one next month doing FHC.
Lindsey says
Intersting conversation about Charlotte Mason and Montessori. I have read a lot about CM, but not Montessori. I’d love to hear some more homeschooling wisdom from Auntie Leila! We are just getting started with a CM approach.
And the gospels are beautiful! Thanks for the giveaway.
Andrea says
What a beautiful book!
Cami says
Consider me entered for the giveaway. The hard part would be deciding to keep it or give to husband’s godson for 1st communion. Well, we already got him gifts so perhaps we would just soak it up in our family. 🙂
Sara says
For shame, Auntie Leila, trolling the Montessori fans among your readers! 🙂 I second Jennifer Miller’s comments above. This letter reflects some basic misunderstandings of the specifics of Montessori method (the sandpaper letters, for example, are more about helping children learn to write than read, although obviously those are related processes!) and also the principles behind it.
Mason seems primarily concerned that Montessori’s emphasis on the concrete and sensorial (partially, as Jennifer notes, a result of the developmental stage Montessori thought about the most) betrays a materialist conception of man: “Is man a material being whose brain secretes thought as his liver secretes bile, or is Brother Body the material and spiritually informed organ of of a non-material being… there is no middle way.” This seems to me to also fall into dualism, just on the idealist side – perhaps a less common error today, but no less an error.
Nothing is in the intellect that was not first in the senses, and the education of the senses is not ultimately a separate concern from the education of the mind. The best preparation for the world of ideas includes a rich sensorial experience of the world of things – even better if it also refines the senses and gives the child a good vocabulary for describing his experience, as Montessori’s sensorial education is meant to do.
My other favorite writer on education from this period, Ella Frances Lynch, put it this way: “Looking at things does not always signify seeing them. Many people go through life without a clear idea of the simplest subjects, unable to reason clearly because they lack the definite knowledge of particular things in the concrete on which reasoning must be based. Knowledge is based on something that precedes knowledge and depends upon the clearness and completeness of our impressions… Sense training opens the gates of the mind, sharpens the desire for knowledge, and leads to the love of good books.”
Montessori also criticized the contemporary science of education for treating man as only a material, determined being. She said it was not scientific enough because it denied and could not account for obvious realities – freedom, attention, joy, love! To paraphrase Walker Percy, it’s enough to give science and pedagogy a bad name.
All that being said, I don’t really think the specifics of Montessori’s method make sense applied in the home. After all, the materials were developed for use in a different sort of environment. But as far as principles go, at least based on this letter and to the extend that they contradict each other, I’m not convinced that Mason’s are superior.
Jennifer Gregory Miller says
I enjoyed your comment, Sara!
Anamaria says
Should have read this before I commented- yes! Want to write more but nursing the baby right now…
Mrs. C. says
That book looks just lovely for my daughter’s First Holy Communion. Please enter me in the giveaway and thank you for bringing to my attention.
Ellie says
How lovely! Thanks.
Maria K says
What a beautiful book! One can never have too much beauty in life.
Toni says
I’ve just recently discovered your blog and I’m enjoying it very much! Such great insight. I have four kids 10 and under, and have already put into practice some of your helpful tips. Thanks!
Ellen says
I’ve just recently discovered your blog and I’m enjoying it very much! Such great insight. I have four kids 10 and under, and have already put into practice some of your helpful tips. Thanks!
Carly says
This would be a wonderful first communion gift for my daughter! Thanks for the giveaway!
Steve says
Thanks for the giveaway! I would give it as a First Communion present for my daughter.
Anne in NC says
This book would benefit our whole family — thanks for the generous giveaway!