What is Montessori education?

 

The Montessori method of education is named after Italian doctor Maria Montessori who founded the method in 1906.  She believed that children learn best when they are able to discover things for themselves using their hands in an environment especially prepared for them.  She spent much time observing and working with small children under the age of 6 and made the following conclusions, which form the basis of our work with children.

 

Dr Montessori believed that there are two principles basic to child development from 3-6 years.

 

The first principle is that of the absorbent mind.  Montessori believed that an infant possesses the capacity to absorb his environment simply by being in it.  She uses the way he learns to speak as an example of this.  She believes that the first three years are those of unconscious absorption.  We don’t know that the child has been absorbing things from the environment until he brings them to a conscious level, or says his first word.  All of a baby’s impressions are registered by his senses.  The child touches everything, examines  it minutely and puts it in his mouth.  From about the age of three the child brings what he has already and continues to absorb to a conscious level.  He now begins to classify and sort impressions eg the color red into shades of red.  This sub stage, which lasts until about the age of six, is characterized by the acquisition of language and the mastery of physical movements.  The toddler becomes a sprinter capable of challenging any Olympic athlete.  The babbler conducts meaningful conversations and indulges in reality based pretend play!

 

The second principle is that of sensitive periods for learning.  Montessori believed that there are sensitive periods for learning things in which the child will learn effortlessly.  Once they have passed the learning can still be done but it is with effort only.  These are known as windows of opportunity and her observations are backed up by recent brain research findings.  From zero to six years the child is sensitive to order, acquiring language, walking and the social aspects of life, small objects and learning through the senses.
 

Montessori concluded from her observations that the child wants to learn and has an innate tendency to explore.  He wants to choose it and do it for himself.  His hand is the instrument of his brain and he wants to do what we do and use the same things we use.  Small objects fascinate him and he likes things to be orderly and beautiful.  He wants a chance to practice things and do it right.  He is interested in his social group and has an intense desire to communicate and is particularly receptive to language.
 

The Montessori classroom has 5 major curriculum areas.
 

  • Practical life – Independent life skills.  The exercises here assist the child in gaining the skills he needs to adapt to his culture and include care of shelf, the inside and outside environment and social skills.
  • Educate the senses.  The sensorial materials provide opportunities for the child to explore and refine all 5 senses.  Activities include sorting, classifying and sequencing.
  • Early literacy.  The children explore language sensorially, and then progress onto simple phonetic reading and basic grammar.
  • Early numeracy.  Introduction to numeracy is sensorial with progression to familiarity of concepts of quantity and numeral recognition and concept within 10.  There are special materials for children to discover the teens and tens, and larger quantities.
  • Cultural studies.  There are unique Montessori materials and activities for art, music, history, geography, biology, botany, zoology and the physical sciences.