THE MONTESSORI APPROACH TO EDUCATION

WHAT IS THE MONTESSORI "METHOD"

BENEFITS OF THE MONTESSORI EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY ("METHOD")
WHAT MAKES MONTESSORI EDUCATION UNIQUE
GOALS OF A MONTESSORI ENVIRONEMNT
DISCIPLINE
MOTIVATION OF THE CHILDREN
INTRODUCTION OF THE MATERIALS
THE COMMUNITY OF CHILDREN
THE MONTESSORI "ENVIRONMENTS"
TODDLER ENVIRONMENT (14 to 36 months)
THE PRE-PRIMARY ENVIRONMENT (Three to six years)
THE PRIMARY/SECONDARY ENVIRONMENT (Six to 12 years)
Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.
Socrates
THE MONTESSORI APPROACH TO EDUCATION
The Montessori philosophy of education depends on:
1. A strong interest in the child and sound knowledge of their development.
2. An ability to observe the child's behaviour and relate the behaviour to the
philosophy/theory and create an environment to support the child's development.
3. The intent by the adult to spiritually prepare her/himself to guide and aid the child
in her/his education.
4. An interest by the adult to prepare and provide an environment that best answers
the needs of the child in each of his/her development stages as well as sensitive
periods.
WHAT IS THE MONTESSORI "METHOD"
This method of education is both a philosophy of child development as well a
underlying principle for guiding such growth. It is founded on the child's
developmental needs for freedom with guided limits and is facilitated within a
carefully prepared environment, which ensures exposure to materials and
experiences. Through the experiences, the child develops intelligence as well as
physical and psychological abilities. The environment is prepared to take full
advantage of the child's desire to learn and her or his unique ability to develop
their own capabilities. The child needs "adults" to expose her or himself to the
possibilities of her or his life, but the child herself or himself must determine the
response to those possibilities.
The main premises of Montessori education are:
Children are to be respected as different from adults and as individuals who differ
from each other.
The child possesses an unusual sensitivity and intellectual ability to absorb and
learn from his environment that is unlike those of the adult both in quality and
capacity.
The most important years of a child's growth are the first six years of life when
unconscious learning is gradually brought to the conscious level.
The child has a deep love and need for purposeful work. S/He works, however, not
as an adult for completion of a job, but the sake of an activity itself. It is this
activity, which enables her/him to accomplish her/his most important goal: the
development of her/himself – her/his mental, physical, and psychological powers.
BENEFITS OF THE MONTESSORI EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY ("METHOD")
Maria Montessori saw much need for reform in the educational system of her day and
this need just is still valid in our educational system today. Her goal was to develop
the whole personality of the child, and her system is based on a strong belief in the
spontaneous working of the human intellect. Her 3 primary principles are
observation, individual liberty, and preparation of the environment.
Such principles and their various practical expressions with children are gradually
becoming part of today's educational system. Modern child care and school
environments use the child sized furniture and didactic materials first introduced by
Montessori, such as individualized learning and readiness programs, manipulative
learning, ungraded classes, combined age groups, team teaching, and open
classrooms. Parents of young children today want to feel safe and secure in leaving
their children in an environment that provides for all of their academic, social and
emotional needs. A Montessori environment will meet such needs, but it also shows
children an "I can do it" attitude, which ensures their future success in all aspects of
their life. "Help me do it myself."
Below are some characteristics and benefits of the Montessori method:
Three year age span of children within the classroom - Older children teaching
younger children, sense of community, builds self esteem.
Self correcting materials within the environment - Children learn through their own
errors to make the correct decision versus having the teacher point it out to them.
Individual learning takes place within the environment - Montessori recognises that
each child learns at a different pace and allows that growth to take place.
Children are quiet by choice and out of respect for others within the environment -
The Montessori classroom allows children to return to the "inner peace" that is a
natural part of their personalities.
There is an emphasis on concrete learning rather than on abstract learning - Children
need to experience concepts in concrete "hands on" ways.
It is a child-centred environment - All the materials are easily within the child's
reach, placed on shelves at their levels. The tables and chairs are small enough for
the children to sit comfortably while the pictures and decorations are placed at the
children's eye level.
The children work for the joy of working and the sense of discovery - Children are
natural leaders , absorb information at an incredible rate and have great joy in
learning new tasks. Their interests lie in the task itself rather than in the end
product.
The environment provides a natural sense of discipline - The "ground rules" or
expectations of the child are clearly stated and are enforced by the children and the
teachers.
The environment is "prepared" for the children - Everything in the room has a
specific place on the shelf. Children are orderly by nature and having the room set
this way allows them to grow in an ordered and positive way.
The director (teacher) plays a very unobtrusive role in the classroom - The children
are not motivated by the teacher, but by the need for self-development. The teacher
is the facilitator between the environment and the child. The director is the custodian
of this environment.
The items found on the shelves in the classroom are "materials" that have a
"playfuleducational"
purpose. This gives the children a sense of worth - the same sense of worth
adults experience when they do their "work".
WHAT MAKES MONTESSORI EDUCATION UNIQUE
The whole child approach - The primary goal of a Montessori program is to help
each child reach his/her full potential in all areas of life. Activities promote the
development of social skills, emotional growth, and physical coordination as well as
cognitive preparation for future intellectual academic endeavours. The holistic
curriculum, under the direction of a specifically prepared teacher, allows the child to
experience the joy of learning, the time to enjoy the process, and ensures the
development of self-esteem. It provides the experiences from which children create
their knowledge. The discoveries of Maria Montessori are valuable for anyone living
and working with children in any situation.
The Human Tendencies: The practical application of the Montessori method is
based on human tendencies—which Dr. Montessori studied in detail— tendencies to
explore, move, share with a group, to be independent and make decisions, create
order, develop selfcontrol, abstract ideas from experience, use the creative
imagination, work hard, repeat, concentrate, and perfect one's efforts and creations.
The Process of Learning: There are three stages of learning:
(Stage 1) introduction to a concept by means of a lecture, lesson, something read in
a book, etc.
(Stage 2) processing the information, developing an understanding of the concept
through work, experimentation, and creation.
(Stage 3) "knowing", to possessing an understanding of, demonstrated by the ability
to pass a test with confidence, to teach another, or to express with ease.
Stage two is the most important and the longest with its emphasis on developing,
working, experimenting, creating, transforming. This enables the child to really learn
and remember what he learned.
Indirect Preparation: The steps of learning any concept is so well analysed by the
adult and are systematically offered to the child. A child is always learning something
that is indirectly preparing him to learn something else, making education a joyful
discovery instead of drudgery.
The Prepared Environment: In order for self-directed learning to take place, the
whole -learning environment - classroom, materials, and social setting/atmosphere -
must be supportive of the child. Since information passes from the environment
directly to the child, not through the teacher, the preparation of this environment is
vital. It is the role of the teacher to prepare and continue to adapt the environment,
to link the child to it through well-thought-out lessons, and to facilitate the child's
exploration and creativity. Children often surpass the level of knowledge of the
teacher in all areas and learn to find answers.
Observation: Scientific observations of the child's development are constantly
carried out and recorded by the teacher. These observations are made on the level of
concentration of each child, the introduction to and mastery of each piece of
material, the social development, physical health, etc. on.
Work Areas: The environment is arranged according to subject area, and children
always free to move around the room, and to continue to work on a piece of material
with no time limit.
Education Method: Children learn directly from the environment, and from other
children, more than from the Directress/Director (teacher). The Directress/Director is
trained to "teach" one child at a time, with a few small groups and almost no lessons
given to the whole class. S/he is facilitator in the basic lessons of math, language,
the arts and sciences, and in guiding a child's research and exploration, capitalising
on his/her interest in and excitement about a subject. Large groups occur only in the
beginning of a new class, or in the beginning of the school year, and are phased out
as the children gain independence.
Class Size: The most successful 3-6 or 6-12 classes are of 30-35 children to one
Directress/Director, with one non-teaching assistant (aid), this number reached
gradually over 1-3 years. This provides the most variety of personalities, learning
styles, and work being done at one time. This class size is possible because the
children stay with the same Directress/Director for three to six years.
Basic Lessons: A well-trained Montessori Directress/Director spends a lot of time
during his/her training, practicing the many basic lessons with materials in all areas.
She/he must pass a written and oral exam on all these lessons in order to be
certified. S/he is trained to recognise a child's readiness—according to age, ability,
and interest (development and sensitive period) — for a specific lesson, and is
prepared to guide individual progress.
Although the Directress/Director plans lessons for each child for each day (prepared
environment), she will "bow" to the interests of a child following a passion.
ALL SUBJECTS AREAS ARE INTERWOVEN. For example history, art, music, math,
astronomy, biology, geology, physics, and chemistry are not isolated from each other
and a child studies them in any order s/he chooses, moving through all in a unique
way, according to the child's own urge and development period (interest). At any
one time in a day all subjects—math, language, science, history, geography, art,
music, etc.—will be being studied, at all levels.
The Schedule: Ideally, there are two 3-hour, uninterrupted, work periods each day,
not broken up by required group lessons or lessons by specialists. Adults and
children respect concentration and do not interrupt someone who is busy at a task.
Groups form spontaneously.
Assessment: There are no grades, or other forms of reward or punishment, subtle
or overt. Assessment is by portfolio and the Directress/Director observation and
record keeping.
The "test" of whether or not the system is working lies in the accomplishment and
behaviour of the children, their happiness, maturity, kindness, and love of learning
and work –outcome is based on the individual child's development and not
curriculum based.
Requirements for Age 0-6: There are no academic requirements for this age, but
children are exposed to amazing amounts of knowledge and often learn to read,
write and calculate beyond what is usually thought possible for a child of this age.
Requirements for Ages 6-18: There are no curriculum requirements except those
set by the state, or college entrance requirements, for specific grades and these take
a minimum amount of time. Students design 1-2 week "contracts" with the
Directress/Director to balance their work, and to become responsible for their own
time management and education. The work of the 6-12 class includes subjects
usually not introduced until high school.
Learning Styles: All intelligences and styles of learning—musical, bodily
kinaesthetic, spatial, interpersonal, interpersonal, intuitive, and the traditional
linguistic and logicalmathematical —are nurtured.
Character Education: Education of character is considered as important as
academic education. Children learn to take care of themselves, their environment,
each other— cooking, cleaning, building, gardening, moving gracefully, speaking
politely, being considerate and helpful, doing social work in the community, etc.
Dr. Montessori speaks of the first Casa dei Bambini (Children's House) in Rome,
illustrating the important discovery, and the core of all Montessori work today—when
the environment meets all of the needs of children they become, without any
manipulation by the adult, physically healthy, mentally and psychologically fulfilled,
extremely well-educated, and brimming over with joy and kindness toward each
other.
GOALS OF A MONTESSORI ENVIRONEMNT
The main purpose of a Montessori environment is to provide a carefully planned,
stimulating environment, which will help the child develop an excellent foundation for
creative learning.
The specific goals for the children who attend a Montessori environment are:
Developing a positive attitude towards school - Most of the learning activities
are individualised: i.e., each child engages in a learning task that particularly appeals
to him.or her because s/he finds the activities geared to his/her needs and level of
readiness. Consequently, s/he works at her/his own rate, repeating the task as often
as s/he likes, thus experiencing a series of successful achievement. In this manner,
s/he builds a positive attitude toward learning itself.
Helping each child develop self confidence - In the Montessori environment,
tasks are designed so that each new step is built upon what the child has already
mastered, thus removing the negative experience of frequent failure. A carefully
planned series of successes builds upon inner confidence in the child assuring him
that he can learn by himself. These confidence-building activities likewise contribute
to the child's healthy emotional development.
Assisting each child in building a habit of concentration - Effective learning
presupposes the ability to listen carefully and to attend to what is said or
demonstrated. Through a series of absorbing experiences, the child forms habits of
extended attention, thus increasing his ability to concentrate.
Fostering enduring curiosity - In a rapidly changing society, we will all be
students at some time in our lives. A deep, persistent and abiding curiosity is a
prerequisite for creative learning. By providing the child with opportunities to
discover qualities, dimensions, and relationships amidst a rich variety of stimulating
learning situations, curiosity is developed and an essential element in creative
learning has been established.
Developing habits of initiative and persistence - By surrounding the child with
appealing materials and learning activities geared to his/her inner needs, s/he
becomes accustomed to engaging in activities on his/her own. Gradually, this results
in a habit of initiative - an essential quality in leadership. "Ground rules" call for
completing a task once begun and gradually results in a habit of persistence and
perseverance for replacing materials after the task is accomplished. This "completion
expectation" gradually results in a habit of persistence and perseverance.
Fostering inner security and sense of order in the child - Through a well
ordered, enriched but simplified environment, the child's need for order and security
is intensely satisfied. This is noticed in the calming effect the environment has on the
child. Since every item in the Montessori classroom has a place and the ground rules
call for everything in its place, the child's inner need for order is directly satisfied.
DISCIPLINE
Ground rules protect the rights and liberty of each individual child and the group as a
whole. They promote the internalisation of pro social behaviours and values including
self-control of impulses, consideration of others, and a sense of responsibility for
one's self and the welfare of the group. Ground rules can help to make life at school
easier, make the days run more smoothly, enable children to be more independent,
and help to develop responsibility. The number of ground rules is generally kept to a
minimum, stated and presented in a positive manner with an emphasis on safety,
respect for others / environment, and the results benefits all members of the group.
Here is a list of some typical, often automatic, ground rules used in most Montessori
environments:
The child selects a material to use from the shelf and takes it to a suitable table,
floor and/or other designated workspace.
The child is free to use the material as long as they like as long as it is treated with
respect.
After using the material, the child returns it to its place on the shelf, in the same
condition in which it was found, for the next person to use.
The children restore the environment, clean up spills and messes, put rugs away in
proper order, and push chairs in etc., after each activity.
The child is free to work alone - no child is forced to share with another materials
they have first chosen for activity.
The child has the right not to choose any materials or activity.
Many other common ground rules are established to insure safety if special
equipment is used, when travelling as a group, or when staying within supervised
areas.
MOTIVATION OF THE CHILDREN
Montessori children are unusually adaptable. They have learned to work
independently and in groups. Since they've been encouraged to make decisions at 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. To facilitate the transfer, good communication between the Montessori
school and the traditional schools in a community must be maintained. Montessori
parents and teachers can visit the traditional schools and prepare the child for
whatever will be different. Teachers from traditional schools are encouraged to visit
the Montessori classes to observe the level of academic work.
Any good "teacher(carer)" will meet a child at that child's own level of development
and make the necessary allowances for what has already been achieved. It is
important for parents to monitor their child's work in the new academic situation and
to keep in close contact with their child's teachers. Parent and teachers(carers)
working together can ensure that the child will continue the love of learning acquired
in Montessori. The habits and skills, which a child develops in a Montessori
environment , are good for a lifetime. They will help her/him to work more
efficiently, to observe more carefully and to concentrate more effectively, no matter
where s/he goes. If s/he is in a stimulating environment, whether at home or at
school, her/his self-education - which is the only real education – will continue.
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 confidences to face challenges and
change with optimism.
INTRODUCTION OF THE MATERIALS
The main way children are introduced to the materials in the room is through careful
presentation. A presentation is a time when the directress/director slowly and
precisely uses the material in its intended way while an individual or small group of
children observe. During such a presentation unnecessary words and movements are
avoided and actions are broken into visible and distinct steps in order to increase
understanding and the chance for success when the child uses the materials
her/himself later. A particular point of interest may also be shown to attract the child
to the materials. At times it is appropriate and desirable for the directress/director to
offer some instruction to the child. This usually occurs at a separate occasion after
times of repeated concentrated work with the materials has been observed. The
directress/director may then re-present the exercise in order to show variations or
extensions or to help the child learn the terminology involved.
THE COMMUNITY OF CHILDREN
An essential part of the learning environment is the other children in it. The
Montessori classroom provides ample opportunities for making friends, interacting
with others, developing consideration for others, learning how to cooperate and
fostering a sense of interdependence.
In the prepared environment, cooperation and a sense of community are stressed.
Individual differences are easily accepted and appreciated while each child is treated
and taught as an individual. Children of different ages are together in the same
group. This provides abundant opportunities for learning and helps to create a sense
of family while everyone contributes and takes responsibility for the functioning and
maintenance of the environment.
Because of the multi-aged group, the classroom has a heritage. The older children
provide leadership, guidance, and act as models for the younger children. The older
children also benefit by helping younger children, reinforcing previous skills, and
knowledge and benefiting from the satisfaction of helping others. The mix of ages
also provides opportunities for a variety of safe, lasting, and meaningful friendships.
The social life of the children is a vital aspect of the Montessori classroom and
curriculum. Assisting the social skills, development, and abilities of children is vital to
the implementation of an effective Montessori program. It is important that the
complexities and ups I downs of relationships are supported and enhanced by adults
sensitive to the needs and social development of children.
THE MONTESSORI "ENVIRONMENTS"
Montessori stated that children have a natural tendency to learning, that stages of
learning exist for which there should be corresponding educational environments and
appropriately trained directress's/directors to "prepare the environment". The child
learns independently using the components of the environment: the teacher guides
and observes the child who chooses his activities. The teacher is the link between the
child and the environment.
The learning environment cultivates:
individualisation, problem solving abilities,
freedom of choice, social interaction,
concentration, interdisciplinary breadth, and
independence, competency in basic skills.
INFANT CLASSROOM (TWO TO FOURTEEN MONTHS)
The Nido is an Italian word meaning "nest". The Nido protects and provides learning
experiences for babies from two to fourteen A Montessori infant-environment can be
considered an adapting continuum between two basic needs of the developing infant.
At one pole is the bonded relationship between adult and child, while at the other is
support for a growing sense of self and independence. The prepared environment is
characterised by order, simplicity and beauty, which meet the needs of the child.
The Nido is divided into five areas:
movement,
eating,
sleeping,
physical care, and
outside.
The focus of the infant environment is on fostering basic trust in the child. Foremost
in the environment is the adult whose caring, respectful response to the infant's
needs, both physical and psychological, conveys the message of unconditional love
and acceptance.
TODDLER ENVIRONMENT (14 to 36 months)
The toddler environment offers very young children a unique year of self-
development in a tender atmosphere of special understanding, respect, and support.
They are unique in that they provide a very specific structure; which fulfils the social,
physical, emotional, and psychological needs of each child.
In these environments, there is space for movement, space for individual work, and
space for group activities. The eating area and the sleeping area are separate from
the other areas. Everything in the environment is proportionate to the child's size
and is designed to be safe and aesthetically pleasing for children. The toddler
classroom is simpler and slower paced than the early childhood (three to six year
old) classroom. Toddlers are given opportunities to work in the development of
language skill, art, music sensorial, and practical life. The practical life area is
particularly emphasized as the activities in this area give children the chance to
develop skills to care for themselves and their environment in the following areas:
control of movement, and grace and courtesy Practical Life Exercises/Activities are
simple and can be accomplished by each child. They offer repetitive cycle, which
helps the child establish patterns of order and sequencing. Due the fact that these
are very real activities, each child becomes grounded in reality, building the
child's self esteem is the ultimate goal and this is accomplished through repeated
successes with these activities.
Through song and dance, and freedom of choice, the toddlers have access to a
variety of large muscle activities that offer them opportunities to jump, climb,
balance, crawl, or skip. These exercises as well as creative art activities are offered
for each child to choose. This freedom in a safe space is crucial to the toddler
program. However, it is always tempered by two important limits that will be
beneficial for a lifetime, respect for others and respect for the environment.
THE PRE-PRIMARY ENVIRONMENT (Three to six years)
The Montessori environment is a "living room" for children. Children choose their
activities from open shelves with self-correcting materials and work in distinct work
areas - on tables or on rugs on the floor. Over a period of time, the children develop
into a "normalized community" working with high concentration and few
interruptions. The classroom includes the following components:
The practical life exercises enhance the development of task organisation and
cognitive order through care of self, care of the environment, exercises of grace and
courtesy, and refinement of physical movement and coordination. The sensorial
materials enable the child to order, classify, and describe sensory impressions in
relation, length, width, temperature, mass, colour, etc. The Montessori math
materials, through concrete manipulative materials, allow the child to internalise the
concepts of number, symbol, sequence, operations, and memorisation of basic facts.
The language work includes oral language development, written expression, reading,
study of grammar, creative dramatics, and children's literature. Basic skills in writing
and reading are developed through the use of sandpaper letters (loose alphabet
letters), and various presentations allowing children to effortlessly link sounds and
symbols and to express their thoughts in writing. The child is also presented with
geography, history, life sciences, music, art, and movement education.
Virtually every environment will also have an elliptical line on the floor. This is
generally used for "walking on the line" activities that help children develop
gracefulness and for the "silence game" where children can practice sitting without
making a sound. The line is also frequently used for a large group meeting area. It is
here, or in some other designated area, where the class meets as a whole. Often a
class will have on or two large group meetings each day. One will usually serve as an
opening meeting and precede a more individualised work period, and another will
serve as a closing or transitional group time preceding the next activity (i.e., time
out doors, lunch, dismissal, etc.). The group meetings may be used for large group
presentations of materials, movement, and music activities, group celebrations,
snacks, games, and discussions.
THE PRIMARY/SECONDARY ENVIRONMENT (Six to 12 years)
The environment builds on the pre-primary experience, reflects a new stage of
development, and offers the following:
An integration of the arts, sciences, geography, history, and language that evokes
the imagination and abstraction of the elementary child.
The presentation of knowledge as a part of a large-scale narrative which unfolds the
origins of the earth, of life, of human communities (agricultural and urban), of
empires, and of modem history, always in the context of the inter-relatedness of life.
The presentation of the formal scientific language of zoology, botany, anthropology,
geography, geology, etc., exposes the child to accurate, organised information,
which reflects the child's intelligence and interests.
The use of time lines, picture charts, and other visual aids provides a linguistic and
visual overview of the first principles of zoology, anthropology, geography, and
geology.
The math curriculum is presented with concrete materials, which simultaneously
reveal the arithmetic, geometric, and algebraic concepts.
Montessori trained adults are able to integrate the teaching of all subjects, not a:
isolated disciplines, but as a part of a whole intellectual tradition. The emphasis on
open ended research and in depth study uses primary and secondary sources
(books) as well as other materials.
"Going out" entails the ongoing use of community resources that extend beyond the
four walls of the classroom.
I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in
which they can learn. Albert Einstein