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Montessori Birthday Ritual  

post #1 of 15
5/26/02 at 9:00pm
Thread Starter 
Hi-
I was in Montessori school in the early 70's, up until 3rd grade.
I remember for birthdays we would get in a cirlce, and the birthday child would carry a candle around the kids- or the world, and the kids would recite something about the world, and a year. You would go around for the amount of your birthday years (None to grow on.)

Anyhow, I am a bit hazy, obviously, but would like to start doing this with my daughters birthdays. I ahvent found any info on it with the Montessori books I have.

Do you know anyhting about it?

Was it a Montessori thing, or a 70's thing?

thanks
b
post #2 of 15
5/27/02 at 11:45pm

It's not just a seventies thing . . .

They do this at my daughter's Montessori school as well -- they discuss each year of the child's life as the child walks around the sun however many years they've been alive.

Parents come in on this day and show pictures from each year that the child describes. That's pretty much it, though.
post #3 of 15
6/11/02 at 11:25pm
They do this at my ds's Montessori school too...I think it's a beautiful ritual...
post #4 of 15
11/10/08 at 3:32am

are you looking for this?

Birthday Song

(Sung to tune of "The Farmer in the Dell") After we tell the Birthday Story we sing a song about how the year passes and the child adds information about themselves:

The earth goes round the sun

The earth goes round the sun

The earth goes round the sun

And __________ is (age)

We continue the song until we have gone through each year until the year they are now. Then they blow out a candle and get a small gift.
post #5 of 15
11/10/08 at 8:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SquirelNutkin View Post


Was it a Montessori thing, or a 70's thing?

thanks
b
It's not a Montessori thing, but I've seen it in many Montessori schools. The song above is suitable for it. We usually have children bring in pictures of when they were growing up and the parents write down what they were like at that age.

Matt
post #6 of 15
11/10/08 at 3:21pm
Our school does this as well, plus the child holds up a picture of them self from each year as they circle around (a picture of them when they were 1 for the first circle, then holding a picture of themselves at 2 for the second lap, etc.)
post #7 of 15
11/10/08 at 3:29pm
My daughter has been at her school for 3 years and I haven't heard of them doing this!
I'm sure it makes the children feel so special, I'm going to ask today when I pick her up if they do something similar. I wasn't invited if they did though lol!
post #8 of 15
11/10/08 at 5:35pm
My daughter's school does it too!
post #9 of 15
11/10/08 at 6:00pm
I've heard of this, but I don't know if ds's school does it. That sounds neat!
post #10 of 15
11/10/08 at 11:24pm
Wow! Really old thread....

I have no idea if they sing at my son's school, but do know they encourage bringing in a photo of your child at each age for them to make a timeline of...
post #11 of 15
11/10/08 at 11:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by wrzos View Post
Wow! Really old thread....

I have no idea if they sing at my son's school, but do know they encourage bringing in a photo of your child at each age for them to make a timeline of...
Oh wow! I didn't even look at the original date! I hadn't seen it before, so I just assumed it was new.
post #12 of 15
11/11/08 at 12:05am
I love this ritual, too. It seems very straightforward and meaningful for the child. I don't remember if it's an official Montessori thing or not. At our school, at the child circled the "sun" (symbolized by a candle or a yellow sphere) and they carried a globe. As they walked around the candle once for each year of their life, the teacher would tell the story of their life, which started out the same for each child. "When ____ was born, his parents were so excited and happy to meet their new baby. They could not wait to hold ___ in their arms. (Then talk about how grandparents, brother, sister, etc, was so excited.) When ____ was a newborn baby, he couldn't walk, he couldn't talk... he couldn't even hold his head up!" You get the idea... then chronicle the basic acheivements of each age, then as you get up to the child's current age, cite the things the child can do that are specific to him or her. The story always had many of the same elements to it, to the point that the other children could chant along with the familiar parts. It was sweet how it was both universal and special to the birthday child. We also had parents bring in a board with pictures on it of the child at various ages.
post #13 of 15
11/12/08 at 4:16am
same at my dd's school. it's actually kind of neat and take the focus of material things and focuses on child's life year by year.
post #14 of 15
11/12/08 at 2:31pm
This is done at my kids school also, but the parents are not invited. We send in a pic of them at each yr of life. They walk around the sun candle once for each yr as the picture is shown and I think the song mentioned above is sung. Then the class sings Happy Birthday to them and they are given a homemade crown made by parent volunteers.
post #15 of 15
11/14/08 at 12:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by wrzos View Post
Wow! Really old thread....

I have no idea if they sing at my son's school, but do know they encourage bringing in a photo of your child at each age for them to make a timeline of...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rose-Roget View Post
Oh wow! I didn't even look at the original date! I hadn't seen it before, so I just assumed it was new.
I think that is my falt

It was late, my son is about to turn 3, and well this is what we get.... YAY
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