Honoring the Light of the Child
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Sonnie McFarland published the book, Honoring the light of the Child, Activities to Nurture Peaceful Living Skills in Young Children in 2004, she and her husband, both Montessorians, from Colorado published this book to help early childhood educators and teachers across the globe provide lessons and curriculum on manifesting the greater self within, represented by one's love-light.
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The book contains 22 lessons focused on the need to educate for a culture of peace with a focus on the flower peace model, the nature of young children, creating environments to nurture peace, and the playful adult.
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Four stages of development according to Montessori
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birth to 6​
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6-12
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12-18
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18-24
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The flower of peace model according to McFarland
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Spirit of love​
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Basic needs and human rights
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Self-awareness
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Community awareness
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cultural awareness
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environmental awareness
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Activities include chapters for learning about peace
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See my love
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Every person is special, unique & different.​
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Every person has a love-light within
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When we feel happy & loved, our love-lights shine brightly.
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When we feel sad, mad or afraid, our love-lights are dim.
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We can breathe slowly & deeply to make our love-lights shine brightly again.
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Awareness of the LoveLight through silence
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Everyone has a love-light
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Black Elk's medicine wheel vision of peace
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Black Elk (1863-1950) belonged to the tribe Oglala Lakota - Once upon a time, over 100 years ago, a 9 year-old, Native American boy, named Black Elk, lived with his family and villagers on the plains of North America in South Dakota. At that time there were no houses, stores or cars, like we have today. Instead they lived in tepees, rode horses ad depended on the buffalo for their food, clothing and shelter. It was a very difficult time for Black Elk and his family because many other people wanted their land. When Black Elk was 9 he became very ill, with a high fever and his family was afraid he would not live. During that time of illness Black Elk had a vision, that he was floating, above the clouds and closer to the sun, as he looked down he saw a great circle, where all of life' creations came together within that circle all was good, healthy, and happy. He saw the sun, the moon, the stars, the planets, the earth, the water, the air and the soil and in harmony. He saw all of the plants, animals, including the four legged, the two legged, the fish, birds and even the creepy crawlies. He saw everying was good and important to earth's existence.​
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Black Elk's vision of peace revisited
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Good kind deeds tree
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Making peaceful choices
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Resoling conflict peacefully
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Circles of self awareness
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Body- breath awareness
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Body-muscle awareness
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Body-spinal column and nerves
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Mind- the five sense as messengers
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Mind- positive negative aspects
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Mind- making positive or negative choices
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Mind- the powers of imagination and concentration
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Emotions- identifying and expressing feelings
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Emotions- empathy expanded
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Emotions- changing feelings
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Spirit- appreciating differences in people
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Spirit- the web of life
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Spirit- the web of love
