Discusses principles of Montessori music education, examining the fundamental characteristics of childhood and the role that music plays in development. Explores the inner satisfaction that comes from experiencing movement with music through compositions and folk music. Emphasizes the Montessori practices of meeting sensorimotor needs of children…

Describes a personal artistic struggle against heroin addiction, advising teachers of the difficulty of working to discover and express one's developing self. Considers the effect of poetry and philosophy on the developing creative process. Provides samples of the author's own poetry to demonstrate creative development, as an example to Montessori…

Discusses the concept of teacher as coach for 11- to 14-year-old Montessori students writing poetry. Notes the children's need for nurturing at this sensitive age and the coach's process of acknowledging the universal and poetic in them. Presents samples of children's poetry to show how development and self-expression are fundamental partners in…

Discusses the role of Montessori education in developing lifelong skills for creativity. Considers self-expression the key to recovering human authenticity and spirit. Urges teachers and parents to develop this inner self in themselves and their children as a barrier against contemporary materialism, hurried life, and alienation caused by…

Discusses the connections between Montessori pedagogy and Brian Swimme's ideas of a human authorship of a connection with the evolution of the universe and a need to reestablish a connection with the natural world. Describes the ways the art of 11- and 12-year-old students demonstrates an awareness of these issues and a connection with the natural…

Presents a developmental view of the creative process based on Montessori principles. Discusses the preschool child's need for activity, exploration at an individual pace, and connection between the self and the universe. Considers ways to nurture a child's self-actualizing creativity. (JPB)

Argues that a high priority should be placed on creative expression in early childhood settings, including the visual arts, music, dance, poetry, and drama. Stresses that creative potential must be nurtured and carefully cultivated, and argues that there can be no true artistic expression without freedom, and there can be no true freedom without…