MONTESSORI EDUCATION AT VMS
A Montessori Education is to assist the child
in becoming a complete integrated
human being by the time they
reach adulthood. It is not about intellectual,
academic excellence though that
may occur. It is about being a caring member of
the planet earth.
We believe that our responsibility to our
students is to provide them with the
necessary tools and environment to
experience and discover the joy of learning.
Dr. Montessori taught “no human being is
educated by anyone else—the learner
must do his own learning,
inspired from within.”
The Montessori Method is not for the
exceptional child but for all children. The
prepared environment for learning
meets the physiological and spiritual aspect of
learning discovered by Montessori’s
scientific investigations. Children, very young
children, have a love of work and
need to succeed at what they put their hands to.
They need order, learn through their senses,
can develop self discipline and a
strong foundation in language
skills and math.
We believe that children need freedom within
the guidelines established for them in
a properly prepared
environment. We believe that there should not be pressure
placed on the young child to
perform and achieve. It is the process not the product
that is important for young
children.
Our philosophy is simply stated by this old
Chinese proverb:
When I hear, I forget.
When I see, I remember.
When I do, I learn.
In accordance with Dr. Montessori’s
philosophy, scientific studies, and
observations, we believe the first six
years of life to be the foundation upon which
the life of each human being
constructs themselves. During this all important time
of life, a children’s powers
of observation, their ability to absorb and retain, explore
and discover, present
themselves as sensitive periods. A sensitive period allows
effortless growth in an area which
at another time would require massive effort.
During these absorbent periods a thing will
captivate the mind and heart of the
young child. They will become
totally engrossed in acquiring the skill or information
which has captivated them. When
this sensitive period passes so does the ease
with which the child learns
and the intensity of interest.
We believe that environment is stronger then
will, which is why the environment
must be carefully prepared and
ordered. This prepared environment allows optimal
learning on every level (social,
emotional, physical, cognitive, and spiritual).
Montessori was the originator of the prepared
environment.
The role of the Montessori Guide is to
prepare the environment and monitor and
guide each child toward
individual exploration, self-discipline, independence of
thought, self-acceptance, and
acceptance of others.
The Environment/ Curriculum
The Montessori Environment and Curriculum
present to young children an orderly
organized integrated web of
exercises which move the children from the concrete
to the abstract. It is not a
compartmentalized curriculum but flows naturally from
one area of the classroom to
the other, as the children experience success. These
exercises, which we call ‘work’ are
organized into categories.
Practical Life:
This area is arranged ideally by a source of water easily
accessible to the
smallest child. Contained in practical life are exercises to help gain the
mastery
necessary for the child to function as independently as possible. Life
skills are
the main event. Here the children will experience a great deal of
success as
they develop social skills, eye hand coordination, a sense of mastery
and self
confidence.
Sensorial:
The beautiful and precise Montessori Sensorial Materials were
developed to
help children ‘make sense’ of the random pieces of information that
come to
them through their senses.
See it…Touch it…Smell it…Taste it…Hear it
These 5 senses are the way in which children acquire the necessary
information to go on to more abstract forms of learning.
Math:
The math materials begin with the hands on, concrete acquisition
of quantity. It
moves from the concrete to the symbolic and abstract. Montessori builds
upon
what was acquired in the earlier sensorial preparation to help young
children
refine and integrate the world of mathematics. The Materials are
sequential
starting with quantity and move from the simple concept of oneness to the
complex functions of addition, multiplication, subtraction and division
of
numbers that go into the thousands.
Language:
It starts with our senses. Touch the sandpaper letter and make the
sound. The
approach to writing and reading are phonetic. We do not push we let the
desire
to learn to write and read direct the child through the well thought
out and
concrete approach to the acquisition of the necessary skills.
Cultural:
The cultural area of the classroom is arranged to introduce
children to the world
in which they live. It includes exercises and lessons from subject
matter
contained in curriculums of Geography, History, Natural Science, Botany,
Zoology, foreign language, music and art, & the Garden.