Dr. Maria Montessori was the first female Italian physician. She was deeply interested in child development and educational theory. She based her theories of child education on many years of close observation of children. The first Montessori classroom opened nearly a century ago. Since then, Montessori education has become well established throughout the world. The Montessori Method fosters independent, self-motivated and goal-directed children with a life-long love of learning. The Montessori Method is based on strong respect for the child and Maria Montessori is regarded as one of the pioneers of early childhood education.
Montessori education is a balanced program that addresses all aspects of a child’s development: intellectual, social, moral, physical and aesthetic. Montessori education is highly individualised, which is why it works so well for such a wide variety of children; from typical or gifted learners, through to children with learning disabilities.
The Montessori materials are key to the Montessori approach to education. They are different from traditional “teaching aids” because their purpose is to give the child the chance to discover and learn for him-or herself (rather than being told what he/she should know). The materials are “self-correcting” which means that the child can use them and learn from them without constantly checking back in with the teacher to see if they “got it right”. Exploring the materials (learning how to learn) is as important as “getting the answer right”.
The materials are designed so that children can learn academic subjects (like math, for example, or geography or writing) in a concrete or physical way, before progressing to an abstract understanding. This has many benefits:
1) Children can grasp concepts concretely before they could get them abstractly, so they progress more quickly;
2) Children enjoy working with the materials, so they associate learning with pleasure;
3) When children are ready to move onto more abstract thinking, they have a solid base of understanding on which to build.
It is because the Montessori materials are self-correcting that the children can progress at their own rate. No child is held back while the whole class learns something that that one child already understands. And no child suffers through a group lesson that is way above their head. Children are excited, motivated, interested. Self-esteem is high.
In a true Montessori school you will find independent children who are encouraged not only to do things for themselves but also to think for themselves. You will find children who have learnt how to explore and solve problems for themselves. Most importantly you will see small children who are often perceived as only being aware of their own needs helping each other and who, without being asked to, will put things away and perform acts of kindness purely to benefit the group as a whole.
Maria Montessori observed that children under six absorb limitlessly and effortlessly from the world around hem and in so doing lay down all the foundations for later life - they become adults with all the characteristics and language of the culture into which they have been born simply by living. In this huge task, however, they have some help. They have a special kind of mind that she called an absorbent mind - a strong desire to explore everything around them using their senses and a drive to become independent. She identified certain windows of opportunity for the child that she called ’sensitive periods’ during which the child is irresistibly drawn to the things he needs to help him develop his full human potential.
Everything in the classroom is designed to support these windows of opportunity. The Montessori ‘nursery school’ is called the Children’s House because everything in it is designed to allow the child to become independent - the materials are child sized and the equipment is laid out in an orderly fashion on low shelves that are easily accessible for the children.
The equipment is aesthetically pleasing and is meticulously cared for (and handled with respect) which encourages the children to take care of it too. Children between the ages of 3 and 6 are grouped together in their own mini society. The younger children learn from watching the older children and the older ones benefit by helping the younger children. The mixed age group allows the children to develop socially, intellectually and emotionally - it is an essential part of any Montessori school.
The curriculum is divided into four main areas. Practical life not only gives the children the opportunity to practise the skills of everyday life but also helps them to develop concentration and develop co-ordination of mind and body. The sensorial materials capitalise on the fact that children use their senses to learn. Through these materials they are encouraged to order and classify the physical properties of the world they live in. The materials for mathematics help the children to learn and really understand mathematical concepts because they are presented using concrete materials. Children are prepared for language (to write and read) from the minute they come into the class through a series of activities that gradually build all the individual skills required so that when they are ready it is just a natural progression.
Geography, history, biology, botany, zoology, art and music are covered with a hands-on approach that is based on the fact that children learn most effectively from their own experiences. Many childrens houses will include nature tables, plants, animals (children are taught how to care for them to encourage development of a sense of responsibility)
In a Montessori school you will see children choosing their activities independently and moving from one activity to the next - always returning things to the shelf after they have used them. You will experience an atmosphere of natural calm and see young children concentrating for surprising periods of time. Children work individually, in a group or with a friend. The morning should last for a minimum of three hours - three hours in which there is no fixed ‘timetable’. Groups arise spontaneously rather than at a fixed time every day. Maria Montessori observed that this unfettered period of time was essential for the children to develop the kind of concentration that you see when a child becomes involved with something that is essential for his development. There are no time limits for the child - he may work with whatever he chooses for as long as he likes and as his workspace is defined he can be sure nobody will disturb his work/remove the materials.
In a Montessori school the child is guided by a trained adult who will show him how to do the things that he is ready for (by demonstrating), after which he can work with them independently. The adult observes the child and will not interfere so long as the child is working with the material productively.
When a difficulty arises she is able to step in and give help but is always careful never to give more help than is needed. Each child’s individual needs are assessed through observation so that he is shown new things when he is developmentally ready and new knowledge is always built on what he already knows.
The ‘directress’ is not teaching the child she is putting him in charge of his own learning through his own exploration. This may seem a subtle distinction but it is a key part of the Montessori approach. He/she constantly role models the behaviour they would like the children to demonstrate, from how to handle equipment to speaking/socialising with others.
Some people believe that because Montessori nurtures life skills and emotional/psychological development as well as academic development, “academic results” must suffer compared to mainstream/Independent education. In fact the converse is true; OFSTEAD state Montessori leads to better outcome and research supports this claim.
One example of many was a study undertaken by Virginia University psychology professor Dr Angline LiIlard and former Wisconsin University graduate student Dr Nicole Else-Quest. They compared the outcomes of children at a public inner-city Montessori school with children at traditional schools and found Montessori educated children had better social and academic skills.
“We found significant advantages for the Montessori students in these tests for both age groups,”
Lillard said.
“Particularly remarkable are the positive social effects of Montessori education. Typically the home environment overwhelms all other influences in that area.”
Among the 5-year-olds, Montessori students proved to be significantly better prepared for primary school in reading and maths skills than the non-Montessori children. They also tested better on “executive function”, the ability to adapt to changing and more complex problems; an indicator of future school and life success.
Montessori children also displayed better abilities on the social and behavioural tests, demonstrating a greater sense of justice and fairness. And on the playground they were much more likely to engage in emotionally positive play with peers, and less likely to engage in rough play.
Among the 12-year-olds from both groups, the Montessori children, in cognitive and academic measures, produced essays that were rated as “significantly more creative” and using “significantly more sophisticated sentence structures”. The Montessori and non-Montessori students scored similarly on spelling, punctuation and grammar. This parity occurred despite the Montessori children not being regularly tested and graded.
There are now moves within the UK to adopt more Montessori techniques into mainstream education. A pilot scheme within several deprived inner city London schools has demonstrated startling results, improving behaviour and academic outcome; regardless of social background. In Essex one School which has implemented Montessori philosophies had a dramatic effect on the behaviour of pupils within a very short space of time. (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article1290561.ece)
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I have to date not been able to uncover any evidence demonstrating mainstream practices as the most effective way for a child to learn. If you aware aware of such evidence please contact us.
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May 3rd, 2008