AMS is pleased to welcome parents to the American Montessori Society 2010 Annual Conference with a special program of selected events on Thursday, March 25, 8:30 am–5 pm. Parents Program workshops include a diverse range of topics relevant to raising children in today’s world.

The program will take place at the Boston Marriott Copley Place, 110 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02116.

To download a flyer about the Parents Program, click here.

To download a press release, click here.

Links for workshop handouts, as available, are included with the workshop descriptions lower down on this page.

Special, Reduced Registration Fee for Thursday Parents Program: $95
Parents wishing to register for Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or the Full Conference may do so at the AMS members or nonmembers rate, as applicable.

Event Details

8:30–10 AM    Workshop 1

Chaos to Calm: Five Steps to Happier Children
Beth A. Grosshans

Despite all their good intentions, parents can find themselves struggling to establish effective authority and allowing family life to be controlled by unruly, demanding, and anxious children. The imbalance of family power leaves everyone—children and parents alike—feeling unmoored and in turmoil. As a society, why have we allowed this to happen, and what can we do about it in our own families? Join renowned child psychologist Beth A. Grosshans for an examination of a five-step plan to help you regain authority and a respectful, balanced relationship with your children; learn to trade chaos and confusion for self-control and cooperation.

Beth A. Grosshans, PhD, is a child psychologist in private practice in Princeton, NJ, and a child development instructor at Princeton Center for Teacher Education. She is the author of Beyond Time-Out: From Chaos to Calm, written in collaboration with Janet H. Burton, LCSW.

10–10:30 AM     Morning Break

10:30 AM–NOON    Workshop 2

Conversational Reading: Read a Book. Ask a Question. Start a Conversation.
Diane W. Frankenstein
Handouts
Reading Together: General Handout
Hunter's Best Friend
Reading Together (book image)

Conversational Readingis a methodology that creates a cohesive partnership between home and school to help children acquire a love of reading. Learn more about Conversational Reading,and discover how to get the most out of books by talking to your children about the stories they read and helping them to express their own thoughts and ideas through language. Discover how to build comprehension skills that enhance confidence and, subsequently, pleasure in reading. Whether your child is just beginning to read or emerging as a competent reader, find out how to feed his or her curiosity by selecting books that are matched to his or her emotional maturity and interests. This workshop will give you ideas for collaboration between children, parents, and teachers to enable kids to become the readers they deserve to be.

Diane W. Frankenstein, MA,is an international educational consultant in private practice in San Francisco, CA. Over the course of her 20 years working with children, parents, and teachers, she has developed the Conversational Reading method to help children discover the pleasure of reading. She is the author of Reading Together: Everything You Need to Know to Raise a Child Who Loves to Read. In addition to her work with over 150 school communities, she has consulted for numerous organizations, including the American Association of University Women, California Association of Independent Schools, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., Young Presidents’ Organization, Young Men’s Christian Association, and United Nations Association.

NOON–1:30 PM    Lunch Break
Sit-down dining and à la carte options are available in the hotel.

1:30–3 PM    Workshop 3
 
Cyber Savvy
Gwen D. Shangle
Handouts
Internet handout/10
Family Pledge sample
Topics for a Family Pledge

Do you rely on your elementary-, middle-, and high-school-aged children to show you the latest technology? Do they find out about popular Websites before you do? This is the nature of technology today: many parents are playing a constant game of catch-up instead of leading the charge. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to work with your children to keep them safe as they navigate the Internet, e-mail, and social-networking sites. Explore common pitfalls and dangers, and learn how to balance privacy with a family contract for safe computer use both in school and at home. You’ll leave with a wealth of resources and the know-how to monitor computer usage and utilize safety features on popular sites.

Gwen D. Shangle, MEd, is director of elementary programs and an upper elementary teacher at Princeton Montessori School in Princeton, NJ. She is also a Montessori teacher educator. AMS-credentialed (EI-II).

3–3:30 PM    Afternoon Break
Enjoy this opportunity to visit the Exhibit Hall, hyperlink to Exhibit Hall on This & That page featuring wonderful wares to enhance Montessori classrooms and homes, and the AMS Hub, hyperink to Hub on This & That page where books of relevance to parents, as well as conference souvenirs and gift items, will be on sale.

3:30–5 PM    Workshop 4 (select one)

The Teacher–Parent Partnership  
Dolores Morra, Paul Szkotak

Do you want to know how teachers interact with and motivate your child? What you can do at home to enhance your child’s classroom experience? Join a parent and a veteran teacher for a discussion about the benefits of proactive partnering between parents and teachers and explore appropriate, helpful ideas to enhance your relationship and foster meaningful dialogue with your child’s teacher.

Dolores Morra is a lead early childhood teacher at Wilmington Montessori School in Wilmington, DE. MACTE-credentialed (EC).

Paul Szkotak is a Montessori parent and a commercial loan officer at FedFirst Commercial Capital in Cherry Hill, NJ.

The Underage Drinking Epidemic: How Classrooms and Communities Can Respond
Patty Drieslein

Alcohol is the number one drug of choice among youths, killing more children than all other illegal drugs combined. This eye-opening workshop will review the latest scientific research on alcohol’s long-term, sometimes permanent effects on the brain as well as discoveries about genetic and environmental factors that can create a predisposition to alcoholism. Confront the realities about the declining average age of first use, the uncomfortable truths about parents’ and other adults’ roles in creating access to alcohol, and entrenched cultural norms and inescapable media messages that promote underage drinking. Now, take action. In this workshop, learn how to educate the elementary student on the risks of underage drinking, counteract the cultural and media messages your child receives, and engage children as advocates for family, school, and community prevention policies. The realities are sobering, but you will leave inspired and empowered to protect your children and community from problems of underage drinking.

Patty Drieslein is a certified alcohol and drug counselor, owner of Priority Montessori Learning Materials in Gold Canyon, AZ, and a Montessori parent. She provided expert testimony at the first congressional hearings on underage drinking in her previous work as associate director of the San Diego County (CA) Alcohol Policy Panel.

5–6 PM 
Please enjoy this second opportunity to visit the Exhibit Hall or AMS Hub.