Montessori

What is the Montessori Method?

The Montessori Method is a method of education founded by Dr. Maria Montessori who first formulated the method for children with learning and developmental disabilities. She later adapted her method for children with normal cognition and development. The Montessori Method creates a well-planned and structured environment where children can pursue areas of study of their interest.

Child-directed learning takes advantage of a child’s potential for learning because it is always easier to learn a subject we are interested in. When a child is focussed on learning a task of his own choosing, the process for learning takes place seemingly without effort because he is in an absorbent state of mind. Wikipedia gives a good explanation of this:

“That there are numerous “sensitive periods” of development (periods of a few weeks or even months), during which a child’s mind is particularly open to learning specific skills or knowledge such as crawling, sitting, walking, talking, reading, counting, and various levels of social interaction. These skills are learned effortlessly and joyfully. Learning one of these skills outside of its corresponding sensitive period is certainly possible, but can be difficult and frustrating.”

Montessori Environment

A typical Montessori environment encompasses the following:

freedom of movement and freedom of choice for the children
structure and order in the arrangement and sequence of the materials
an atmosphere that is attractive, warm and inviting
materials that provide active learning experiences
vertical grouping (in the age ranges 2½ to 6 years, 6 to 9 years, 9 to 12 years, 12 to 15 years)
a closeness to nature and the natural world and activities and materials that reflect the reality of life, not fantasy

Montessori Curriculum

The Montessori Curriculum is broken down into the following categories:

Practical Life
Sensorial
Mathematics
Language and Literacy
Cultural Subjects (which include Geography, History, Natural Sciences, Experimental Sciences)
Creative Subjects (Art and Craft, Music and Movement, Drama)