On Monday, our Upper Elementary students presented their work and research on the United States of America. At first glance this might seem to be a mere sharing of projects they have worked on. In reality though it is a long worked on and practiced skill as well as a valuable assessment tool. Even our young children present to us every day. Often times you will hear a Montessori teacher say to a child, "Tell me about"... or "Show me..." or even "Can you create...?" In a child's response to these questions a secret power is revealed. When a child presents to us they are owning their own learning and solidifying what they know both in depth and in scope. It is true for us as adults also. When we present something, we become more expert at it. The same is true for kids. Presenting also serves as an assessment tool. Through observing and evaluating the children's presentations we are able to discover not only what they know, but also if they can apply their knowledge, draw conclusions from it and connect it to other learning they have acquired. With this in mind, I invite you all to have your child (young or old) present something to you.
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