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Maria Montessori discovered that children were better learners in the years up to the age of
six than they ever will be again and that they can learn almost anything, provided the right
techniques are used. In a Montessori classroom children are encouraged to choose every
activity they wish to work with and to complete it in their own time. Montessori found that once
children are accustomed to making their own choices, they are naturally attracted to what will
best serve their educational needs.
A child in a Montessori school will be given the opportunity to learn the simple practical tasks
that busy parents cannot always teach. They are encouraged to know and respect their
surrounding environment and to care for themselves and others in their everyday routine.
The Montessori classroom always aims to promote a calm, relaxed and harmonious
atmosphere. Emphasis is very much on children doing things for themselves, learning to take
care of their own needs and using the concentration they have acquired from being allowed to
work without interruption at a chosen task.
Once children become familiar with the classroom, they are ready for the next stage in their
education. These foundations begin with the development and refining of their senses with
special 'sensorial' tactile and hands on materials. As with all Montessori materials, the main
focus of the exercise is working from a 'concrete to abstract' concept so that the child can
see, feel and experience the idea in the most simple terms before considering the same area
of learning as a much bigger picture.
Reading and number work are also taught with especially designed materials, with particular
emphasis on shape and form in conjunction with the sound or quantity as a separate, parallel
learning area before combining the two. In this way the child understands both areas of
learning before he or she has to consider the concept as a whole.
An important factor of the Montessori teaching method is that all equipment has an in-built
'control of error' factor which allows the child to discover and correct his or her own mistakes
without having to ask for help. Problem solving then becomes the child's responsibility and
awareness and confidence are greatly enhanced by the inclusion of this factor. In addition
Montessori teaching tries to teach with kindness, using the positive incentives of pride in
achievement, craftsmanship or a job well done. It avoids any approach which uses
punishment or prize, blackmail and bribery. Maria Montessori discovered that children are well
aware of the value of their achievements and can see through lavish praise, especially when
a mistake is obvious. Likewise, because punishment usually humiliates and often causes a
child to stop trying rather than to try and improve, it does not feature in a Montessori nursery.
Discipline within the Montessori classroom is all important but this is always applied with care
and consideration to the situation of the child. Montessori teachers are trained to be
consistent but not to ask for behaviour which is beyond the child's capability. No child is
allowed to behave dangerously, but the teacher exercises control by focusing on the problem,
not on the child. For example, if a child is jumping on a chair the teacher would remove the
chair without comment and lead the child to a place where he or she could jump in safety. The
problem is solved practically and simply with the minimum attention on the unacceptable
behaviour, which may have reinforced it, or on the child personally.
Maria Montessori did much of her work in the period between the wars when many dedicated
themselves to building a world where war would not be possible again. Her particular cause
was to help children to learn to live together in harmony and was dedicated to her belief that
although adult behaviour cannot be changed through mere teaching, her way of nurturing
children and helping them to develop could be a positive force which would last into
adulthood. Now, eighty years after founding the first Montessori school, the approach is
spreading rapidly as parents seek a middle way between rigid teaching methods and undue
permissiveness.
(Included in the above is information from an article by Helen Wheatley in the Montessori
Child magazine)
Maria Montessori was born in Italy in 1870 and became the
first woman in the country to earn her doctorate degree. After
working with mentally-challenged children she developed a
system of education based on scientific observation. She
designed a system of materials that would challenge and
honor their growing capabilities.
first woman in the country to earn her doctorate degree. After
working with mentally-challenged children she developed a
system of education based on scientific observation. She
designed a system of materials that would challenge and
honor their growing capabilities.
Maria Montessori
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Pinole
Hercules
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