Today the world is becoming a small community and the attitudes toward those people who have different skin color, language, religions, foods, lifestyles and beliefs are more important than ever. These attitudes begin to be formed in the first few years of life as the child absorbs the feelings and impressions in the home or community around him/her.
This is the time of the “absorbent mind,” the age when a child literally ‘becomes’ all of the impressions taken in from the environment.
Children can be casually introduced to these experiences not with lessons or lectures, but experientially and sensorially.
We must ‘live’ the qualities of respect for diversity, appreciation of different beliefs and celebration of life together.
The staff of Sugar Creek Montessori School tries to foster healthy and loving awareness of different cultures of the world by introducing a variety of artifacts,music, songs, dances, food and clothing etc.
Children must first learn to love and appreciate the world they live in and then take care of it by maintaining harmony and peace on earth. As Maria Montessori said,
“Peace is what every human being is craving for, and it can be brought about by humanity through the child.”