Montessori
is a philosophy with the fundamental tenet that a child
learns best within a social environment which supports each
individual's unique development.
Dr.
Maria Montessori, the creator of what is called "The Montessori
Method of Education," based this new education on her scientific
observations of young children's behavior. As the first
woman physician to graduate from the University of Rome,
Montessori became involved with education as a doctor treating
children labeled as retarded. Then in 1907 she was invited
to open a child care center for the children of desperately
poor families in the San Lorenzo slums of Rome. She called
it a "A Children's House," and based the program on her
observations that young children learn best in a homelike
setting, filled with developmentally appropriate materials
that provide experiences contributing to the growth of self-motivated,
independent learners. Montessori's dynamic theories included
such revolutionary premises as:
Children
are to be respected as different from adults and as individuals
who are different from one another.
Children
create themselves through purposeful activity.
The
most important years for learning are from birth to age
six.
Children
possess unusual sensitivity and mental powers for absorbing
and learning from their environment, which includes people
as well as materials.
She carried
her message throughout the world, including the United
States as early as 1912.
How
is Montessori different from traditional schools?
There are
no desks in rows facing the teacher standing at the blackboard.
Indeed, there may not be a blackboard. Groups of children
ranging in ages are working on joint projects. Some are
more engrossed in their work than others. Some are sitting
at tables or desks grouped together, while others work
on the floor with multi-colored materials that draw their
attention like a game. The teacher's voice is rarely heard
above that of the children talking quietly to each other
as they work. There is a steady hum of activity throughout
the classroom.
The
Village Montessori School is not affiliated with any religious
organization. Although many private American Montessori
schools do have a religious orientation, Montessori itself
is not religiously oriented.
Why
are the classrooms so quiet, and the children so serious?
The Montessori
school day is divided into work periods and play periods.
Work periods usually last about two hours in the morning
for the youngest children, with another two hours in the
afternoon for those older students who stay a full day.
During these times, you are likely to see children intent
upon learning their alphabet using letters cut out of
sandpaper, or exploring music using a set of bells. One
may be studying basic math concepts using beads strung
together in groups of five, ten, etc., while another student
is painting or making a collage. This is a busy time for
the children, and that serious look you see is a focused
look. These children are choosing to do whatever it is
they are doing. They have many options, and are empowered
to do what interests them most, presumably, what is most
fun for them.
Although
the teacher is careful to make clear the specific purpose
of each material and to present activities in a clear,
step-by-step order, the child is free to choose from a
vast array of activities and to discover new possibilities.
I
have heard that children in Montessori classrooms have no
structure at all and are allowed to "do whatever they want."
How true is this?
Montessori
is based on the principle of free choice of purposeful
activity. If a child is being destructive or is using
materials in an aimless way, the teacher will intervene
and gently re-direct the child either to more appropriate
materials or to a more appropriate use of the material.
In the elementary classroom, teachers keep a daily log
of each student's progress and are able to redirect activities
very easily in order to meet curriculum requirements.
Do
Montessori classrooms push children too far too fast?
Central
to the Montessori philosophy is the idea of allowing each
child to develop at his or her own, individual pace. The
"miracle" stories of Montessori children far ahead of
traditional expectations for their age level reflect not
artificial acceleration but the possibilities open when
children are allowed to learn at their own pace in a scientifically
prepared environment.
The
"whole child" approach. The primary goal of a Montessori
program is to help each child reach full potential in all
areas of life. Activities promote the development of social
skills, emotional growth, and physical coordination as well
as cognitive preparation. The holistic curriculum, under
the direction of a specially prepared teacher, allows the
child to experience the joy of learning, time to enjoy the
process and insure the development of self-esteem, and provides
the experiences from which children create their knowledge.
The
"Prepared Environment." In order for self-directed learning
to take place, the whole learning environment room, materials
and social climate-must be supportive of the learner. The
teacher provides necessary resources, including opportunities
for children to function in a safe and positive climate.
The teacher thus gains the children's trust, which enables
them to try new things and build self-confidence.
The
Montessori materials. Dr. Montessori's observations of the
kinds of things which children enjoy and go back to repeatedly
led her to design a number of multi-sensory, sequential
and self-correcting materials which facilitate the learning
of skills and lead to learning of abstract ideas.
The
teacher. Originally called a "Directress," the Montessori
teacher functions as designer of the environment, resource
person, role model, demonstrator, record-keeper and meticulous
observer of each child's behavior and growth.
The teacher
acts as a facilitator of learning. Extensive training-a
minimum of a full year following the baccalaureate degree
is required for a full AMS credential, including a year's
student teaching under supervision-is specialized for
the age group with which a teacher will work, i.e., infant
and toddler, three to six year olds, elementary or secondary
level.
Each
Montessori class operates on the principle of freedom
within limits. Every program has its set of ground rules
which differs from age to age, but is always based on
core Montessori beliefs-respect for each other and for
the environment. Children are free to work at their own
pace with materials they have chosen, either alone or
with others.
The
teacher relies on his or her observations of the children
to determine which new activities and materials he may
introduce to an individual child or to a small or large
group. The aim is to encourage active, self-directed learning
and to strike a balance of individual mastery with small
group collaboration within the whole group community.
The
three-year-age span in each class provides a family-like
grouping where learning can take place naturally. More
experienced children share what they have learned while
reinforcing their own learning. Because this peer group
learning is intrinsic to Montessori, there is often more
conversation-language experiences-in the Montessori classroom
than in conventional early education settings.
Why
should you choose a Montessori education for your child?
Between
the ages of two and one-half and six is when most of your
child's intelligence and social characteristics are formed.
This is also when your child is most receptive, curious,
and excited about exploring the world around him or her.
A Montessori classroom nurtures that excitement and curiosity
by offering a variety of materials to stimulate and intrigue
your child.
The
Montessori teacher is trained to recognize when a child
is ready to learn a new skill, and to foster his or her
natural instincts and abilities. Your child is valued
as an independent thinker, and encouraged to make choices
on his own. A Montessori education provides students of
all ages with information in a way they can understand
it and enjoy it -- learning is fun, empowering, and custom-fit
to suit your child's individual learning style.
Montessori
was herself amazed at the abilities of young children
two and three years old. In her environments she discovered
that they were able to absorb concrete materials using
all their senses simultaneously, a unique ability soon
lost. She called these times of special absorption "Sensitive
Periods", and developed specific materials for that time.
As the child grows these periods change, yet the continuum
is set in motion for the rest of the child's life. Therefore,
the early years are the most important, yet most neglected
in many societies. Starting a child at 2 1/2 or 3 in a
good Montessori environment with well-trained directresses
can have results that will remain with the child all her
life.
Montessori
children are unusually adaptable. They have learned to work
independently and in groups. Since they've been encouraged
to make decisions from an early age, these children are
problem-solvers who can make choices and manage their time
well. They have also been encouraged to exchange ideas and
to discuss their work freely with others and good communication
skills ease the way in new settings. Research has shown
that the best predictor of future success is a sense of
self-esteem. Montessori programs, based on self-directed,
non-competitive activities, help children develop good self-images
and the confidence to face challenges and change with optimism.
