I tend to spend a lot of time (probably way too much) surfing the internet looking at educational things that inspire me. I came across a homeschooling website, and it had some examples of self-directed work that children had done. This is not necessarily Montessori work, but I love the way it demonstrates how a child can really get their teeth into something they love and learn at the same time, without the constraints of a prescribed and timed curriculum. If they are given the freedom to learn, look what they can produce! Here is an example of Ella, aged 9, who undertook a year long study on foxes, completely her own choice, and produced so many wonderful things including a 30-page Fox Encyclopaedia which she word processed. Think of all the skills she has developed in that one year.
http://pbhkids.tumblr.com/post/55635090139/fox-encyclopedia-by-ella-age-9
The skills I can think of are:
Zoology - study of animals, their habitats, different types of foxes, lifecycles, habitats, endangered species (if you look closely she includes this information on her pages)
Geography - where animals come from, the biomes/continents they live in
Language skills - writing a table of contents, alphabetisation, the format of books, note taking etc
Practical skills - word processing, book binding, using a scanner, typing skills, referencing and citing references, research skills, sewing, decision making, presentation skills
Art - sewing, using clay, photography
There are probably loads more that haven't automatically come to mind, but how amazing is that? This is what is possible in Montessori elementary (primary in the UK, or ages 6-12 approx)... I can't wait for this time!
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