The Montessori Method
Children are encouraged to make decisions from an early age, which enables them to make appropriate choices and to manage their time well. Children are also encouraged to exchange ideas and to discuss their work with others. These communication skills help ease the child’s way into new settings.
Emphasis is on cognitive structures and social development. The child is an active participant in learning. Group and individual instruction adapt to each student's learning style. The Montessori method believes in mixed age grouping. This means that there is a three-year age span in each classroom. The children learn from each other.
The child chooses his/her own work from their interests and abilities. The child works as long as he/she wishes on a chosen project. The child spots their own errors through feedback on the material and the child uses multi-sensory materials for physical exploration.
Maria Montessori
In 1896, Dr. Maria Montessori became the first female physician in Italy. She soon shifted her focus from her medical practice to her desire to understand children and their learning process.
Shortly after the turn of the century, she founded Casa dei Bambini, or “Children’s House”. It was here that the Montessori Method was developed based upon Montessori’s clinical observations of children and the ease at which they learn by absorbing knowledge “like a sponge”, and manipulating materials in their environment.
Montessori found that children have a profound ability and desire to teach themselves and dedicated her life-long work to the pursuit of educational reform and teacher training. During her lifetime, she was renowned by parents, teachers and governments around the world.
The primary purpose of Montessori’s work was to bring about a better world by nurturing the spirit of the child.
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