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About Montessori Method of education
The Montessori Method of education, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, is a child-centered educational approach based on scientific observations of children from birth to adulthood. Dr. Montessori’s Method has been time-tested, with over 100 years of success in diverse cultures throughout the world.
It is a view of the child as one who is naturally eager for knowledge and is capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared learning environment. It is an approach that values the human spirit and the development of the whole child—physical, social, emotional, and cognitive.
Hallmark of Montessori
Components necessary for a program to be considered authentically Montessori include multi-age groupings that foster peer learning, uninterrupted blocks of work time, and guided choice of work activity. In addition, a full complement of specially designed Montessori learning materials are meticulously arranged and available for use in an aesthetically pleasing environment.
The teacher, child, and environment create a learning triangle. The classroom is prepared by the teacher to encourage independence, freedom within limits, and a sense of order. The child, through individual choice, makes use of what the environment offers to develop himself, interacting with the teacher when support and/or guidance is needed.
Multi-age groupings are a hallmark of the Montessori Method: younger children learn from older children; older children reinforce their learning by teaching concepts they have already mastered. This arrangement also mirrors the real world, where individuals work and socialize with people of all ages and dispositions.
Dr. Montessori observed that children experience sensitive periods, or windows of opportunity, as they grow. As their students develop, Montessori teachers match appropriate lessons and materials to these sensitive periods when learning is most naturally absorbed and internalized.
In early childhood, Montessori students learn through sensory-motor activities, working with materials that develop their cognitive powers through direct experience: seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching, and movement.
In the elementary years, the child continues to organize his thinking through work with the Montessori learning materials and an interdisciplinary curriculum as he passes from the concrete to the abstract. He begins the application of his knowledge to real-world experiences.
Areas of learning in Montessori method
Montessori environments generally include five distinct areas that children can move between as they please. These five areas cover essential skills and learning experiences that will give children a foundational basis in gathering knowledge, understanding the world, and learning to explore their environment. These five areas are generally divided as follows:
- Practical Life Skills: In Dr. Montessori's initial research, children were encouraged to help clean their environment (by dusting and sweeping) before starting their school day. However, this practical aspect of the method is an essential factor in Montessori's overall style of learning. Practical tasks are not separated from academic ones or seen as less important but are viewed as a crucial way for children to learn to interact with the world and their environment. Therefore, Montessori classrooms contain a practical area where children can use child-sized versions of tools for everyday activities. These can vary but often include materials for cleaning or tasks which involve hand-eye coordination. These tasks help children develop fine motor skills and dexterity. They are also useful for improving children's concentration and focusing on a practical task, rather than rushing through it to get to the next thing.
- Language: Language is an essential foundational skill that children are encouraged to play with and develop in their own time in a Montessori classroom. Language areas vary by age and often focus on phonetic learning for younger pupils. Tools, such as wooden letters or movable alphabet boards, help incorporate a sensory experience into language learning. For older students, the focus can be on reading and literary exploration.
- Sensory Skills: Sensory learning is an important aspect of play for children and helps them develop problem-solving and perception skills. In the sensory area, children have an opportunity to play with objects and tools that engage their five senses. This open-ended learning style leads to more creative thinking, as children do not have a prescribed way that they must interact with objects. Instead, they are free to make links and associations as they like, improving their ability to think for themselves.
- Mathematics: In this area, children will find supportive materials to help them grasp numerical thinking at their own pace. Children can experiment with number puzzles, bead chains, or microeconomics. Having a good foundation in mathematics allows them to engage with real-world skills while also improving their intellectual faculties and problem-solving abilities.
- Cultural: Montessori schools encourage diverse learning and support children's need to explore topics on various cultural topics. These topics include geography, science, artistic subjects, and more. This ensures that learning is never a chore and always an educational journey for your child, with few limits on which subjects they explore.