Montessori News

Lately I have become extremely interested in the early childhood model of Montessori school. I never really had much experience with the model when I was younger and know few people who have. However, after taking a curriculums and models class this semester, I learned a lot about it and have developed a great taste for it.

Play is a child’s work. This is the essence of the Montessori model of early childhood education. Started in Italy by Maria Montessori, this model has grown in popularity over the past few decades. It is based on the universal stages of child development, and the fact that children have highly “absorbent” minds. There are great benefits in placing a child in a Montessori classroom, especially if they are the type of child who would take to such an environment.

First of all, the role of the child intersects with the role of the teacher in that children are their own teachers. As they enter the classroom and begin to interact with the Montessori-specific toys and manipulatives, children are expected to master the movement of their own body as they choose, explore and discover. Interference from adults, whether it is a teacher or an adult, is kept at a minimum. Finally, the parent is seen as a huge part of learning and is known to be a second teacher in the home.

The basic environment of a Montessori classroom is somewhat different from other classrooms. Firstly, the classrooms are mixed in age, from three to five. This allows each teacher to have the same students for three years. The benefit of this practice, which I greatly support, is that the teachers get to know and understand their students very well. The environment is also child-sized to maximize potential for learning and exploring. And, all learning is done in connection to real life and to other skills learned, never in isolation. I have learned in many of my other classes the importance of teaching students new skills in a context that allows them to relate to it and make it their own – this early childhood model builds on this idea as their students learn.

Some of the areas you may see in such a classroom are a practical life area, which includes cutting, mixing, trimming and stirring, an integrated art and music area, an outdoor work area and math tools that move the child from concrete concepts to abstract ideas. All of the areas and resources within the classroom are based on a child’s inner motivation and the teacher’s observation of the child’s needs and wants.

I have interacted with many children and after learning about this model wish that I could direct some of them into this model. Although there are surely benefits to any child that would be placed in a Montessori classroom, I definitely feel that there are certain types of curious, independent and partially introverted students who would benefit the most.

If any of you experienced a Montessori education I would love to hear about it! Comment!