Congratulations to Julia Ballesteros Senties, the first person in Mexico to earn an AMI Practitioner Certification in Montessori for Dementia and Aging. Julia took the workshop with Jennifer Brush in Minneapolis and then studied with Jennifer for 6 months in the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) Certificate Program. Julia is a speech and language therapist who…
I am very excited to announce a new collaboration between The National Certification Council for Activity Professionals (NCCAP) and Brush Development Company. We have have partnered to offer health care professionals a Montessori for Dementia Engagement Certification. The Montessori for Dementia Engagement Certification curriculum provides a thorough introduction to using Montessori with elders and people…
Roles Help to Give our Lives Meaning A role is the purpose that someone has in a situation, organization, society, or relationship. Every day in our lives we play a variety of roles. We may be a mother, father, spouse, teacher, manager, child, neighbor, care partner, volunteer, etc. Each of the roles we play have…
This year I collaborated on a wonderful story written and illustrated especially for elders with dementia called A Day on the Wind Seeker. People living with dementia are able to and enjoy reading a loud, but many of the books available in large print with high contrast graphics are childish and not designed for adults. …
I am excited to be traveling to Ireland in Spring 2018 to teach my From Can’t to Can Do! Montessori for Aging and Dementia workshop. All interested in Montessori for aging are invited to attend. Below is the announcement recently released by Saint Nicholas Montessori College of Ireland. Saint Nicholas Montessori College Ireland (SNMCI) and…
A Note From Jennifer Last week I taught at the internationally recognized Montessori Center of Minnesota (MCM). The center has offered high-quality, hands-on training in Dr. Montessori’s proven method of education to the world’s leading Montessori teachers for more than 40 years. Located in a beautiful state-of-the-art facility in St. Paul, MN, MCM provides teacher…
The Life Enrichment staff at Clark Retirement in Grand Rapids has been working step by step to implement the Montessori philosophy of life. A big part of that process has involved collaborating the with residents and their families to identify meaningful roles that give individuals a chance to contribute to the community and help others. …
It takes a team to implement Montessori for Aging and Dementia, but so often leadership send their staff to training related to new programs or skills, but don’t attend the training themselves. For successful Montessori program implementation, leaders should lead by example and attend the “From Can’t to Can Do!” workshop. Leadership can support staff…
As part of my work with Montessori for Dementia, I have encouraged care communities to provide large print reading material for people with dementia and to establish daily reading groups. Reading Groups are a great way to give people an opportunity to socialize, take turns and contribute to a group without putting pressure on the…
A Montessori environment has different activities and work sitting out on tables and shelves and encourages individuals to decide what to work on each day. This provides structure, but also gives the person independence, self-esteem and the knowledge that they are respected. The Montessori for Aging and Dementia philosophy believes that people with dementia should…
Last week, Association Montessori International held the first European Symposium on Montessori for Aging and Dementia in Prague. I was honored to be one of the featured speakers and chose to speak about making the connection between the Montessori classroom and a Montessori community for elders. I shared with the audience the difference and similarities…
Adapted from Getting Started with Montessori Volume 1 by Brush & Norris ((c) 2017 Brush Development Company) Dr. Montessori developed practical life activities to help children develop coordination, order, independence, and concentration. By developing those qualities, the child is able to get the most out of the learning experience. There are four main areas of practical…
