The Montessori Method
What is
Montessori?
Montessori is a method of education named after Dr. Maria Montessori a century ago. The Montessori Method is an innovative, child-centered approach to education. All children have “absorbent” minds.
The absorbent mind acts as a sponge and enables the young children to take in information without effort through the use of the five senses. The absorbent mind is highly active from two and half to six years old which is called “sensitive period”. They develop intense interest in learning particular skills and concepts.
Principles of Montessori
Child-centered Learning
In Montessori classroom, children are free to move around and explore, and choose their own work based on their interests and needs. This leads to engagement, self-motivation and sustained attention. The classroom community is child-centered rather than adult-centered.
Montessori Materials
The use of hands-on and self-correcting materials allows children to manipulate and explore at their own pace and experience satisfaction and develop self-confidence with success.
Prepared Environment
The Montessori classroom is purposefully designed with materials that support exploration, discovery, and independence.
Multi-age Classroom
Multi-age groupings enable younger children to learn from older children and experience new challenges through observation. Older children reinforce their own learning by teaching concepts they have already mastered while developing leadership skills and serving as role models.
Trained Montessori Teachers
The Montessori teachers are well versed in Montessori philosophy and in the appropriate use of Montessori materials. They have an observation skill of the child that reveals the proper timing for the presentation of new activities and materials academically, socially and personally.
Who is Maria Montessori?
Dr. Maria Montessori, the first woman physician in Italy, revolutionized education in the early part of the 20th century. Her influence continues to this day all over the world.
Through her research about early childhood and education, followed by her pedagogy degree, Dr. Maria Montessori evolved the Montessori Method. She designed learning materials and a classroom that fostered the children’s natural desire to learn and provided freedom for them to choose their own materials.
The Montessori Method’s approach develops a love for learning within the child and fosters their independence, confidence and values. The goal of early childhood education is to help each child reach his/her full potential and to cultivate a natural desire to learn.
The first North American Montessori school was opened in October 1911, in Tarrytown, New York.
To learn more about Dr. Maria Montessori and the Montessori method, visit the American Montessori Society (AMS).
