Faith, Language, and Heritage: A Montessori-Based Religious Programme in the Romanian Diaspora in North America
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24193/subbto.2025.2.08Keywords:
religious education, religious curriculum, Montessori approach, pilot programme, Romanian as a heritage languageAbstract
The present study analyses the role of the Montessori approach as a complementary instrument for developing the Sunday School curriculum in the Romanian Orthodox community in Chicago, as part of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas. The conceptual framework is centred on Orthodox faith and the religious formation of children. Core universal principles focus on religious content, teacher training, and parental formation. The assessment of the pilot programme Let the Children Come to Me included two surveys, addressed to parents and church teachers, to collect and interpret results, use the outcomes to improve and further develop the pedagogical process, and improve the programme overall.
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