The Woman Behind the Method
Maria Montessori was born in Italy, in 1870. She was the first woman in Italy to receive a degree of Dr. of Medicine. She started her practice in a psychiatric clinic with children with special needs, using the works of Itard and Seguin. But then she realized that their problem was not mental, but pedagogical.
She observed the children and understood they need to move about, to establish contact with the world, and to develop their bodies, mind, personalities and soul. She developed educational toys/materials that proved to teach the special needs children so they scored as high as the "normal" children on achievement tests. With such results, she decided to apply her methods with the normal children, at the first Casa dei Bambini (Children's House). Children considered hopeless blossomed with her hands-on, individualized approach to teaching, shocking educational authorities. As a matter of fact, it was more than teaching - it was facilitating learning. Children are thirsty to learn and have absorbent minds, as Montessori would say.
The three different ages in the classroom serves a special purpose in the development of children. As the younger group of children explore the room, they are thirsty for everything but are not able to master anything yet. Children of the next age level have the opportunity to repeat exercises and master some skills. The older group can "teach" or show the younger ones how things work, therefore exercising leadership skills and interiorizing their own learning - one cannot teach that which one does not know!
With the success of the first Children's House, Dr. Montessori turned her attention to education and spent many years creating new materials and improving existing ones. Her methodology became known worldwide, and she also trained many to further her work.
The Montessori Education
The main purpose of the Montessori education is to instill in children a lifelong love of learning. This is accomplished in two ways. First of all, by allowing the child to choose what she wants to learn from the wide range of materials in the classroom, and by enhancing the perfection of the child's natural abilities. While doing that, the classroom materials also give specific information to the child, teaching her specific concepts.
Therefore, the Montessori classroom is set up in five main learning areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Mathematics and Culture. These meet the needs of children according to their sensitive periods - the time that is easiest for the child to learn a particular skill or concept.
Practical Life exercises are those that help develop self-help skills, independence, coordination, and concentration, through the satisfaction of the child's needs for meaningful activities and repetition. These include but are not limited to the use of : buttons, brushes, dishes, pitchers, tire pump, tongs, tweezers, gardening tools, whisks, hammers, etc.
Sensorial exercises help children meet the world and experience basic concepts through their senses, while developing large and fine motor skills, attention to details, vocabulary, and concentration.
Language exercises include oral and written activities, as well as phonics and reading. Word games, rhyming, opposites, story telling, singing, show & tell, etc. are opportunities to practice oral language. Pre-writing activities with the Metal Insets encourage the child to practice holding a pencil properly and tracing shapes. While tracing, the child uses hand movements that are similar to hand writing. The Sandpaper Letters are introductory material to the letters & sounds association. The repetition of these exercises enhances the muscular memory of the child - therefore building her pathway to reading. First letters & sounds. Then two or three letter-words with short vowels only. Longer words with short vowels. Digraphs. Long vowels. Phrases and sentences. The slow progression of difficulties encourage the child's success and the desire to go further.
Math concepts are introduced with concrete enjoyable manipulation of materials that enhance assimilation of facts and skills, without the boredom or tiredness of drills.
Culture exercises are the introduction to a broad curriculum that includes Bible stories (history) geography, cultures, nature, science, art & music appreciation, arts & crafts, music, dance, dramatization, etc.
Physical Education is part of everything that happens in a Montessori classroom. From developing large muscles by carrying the thick and heavy blocks from the Brown Stairs, to walking on the line keeping balance, to playing group games and riding on cars, to climbing and sliding; to refining fine motor skills with the practical life exercises, arts and crafts, etc.
She observed the children and understood they need to move about, to establish contact with the world, and to develop their bodies, mind, personalities and soul. She developed educational toys/materials that proved to teach the special needs children so they scored as high as the "normal" children on achievement tests. With such results, she decided to apply her methods with the normal children, at the first Casa dei Bambini (Children's House). Children considered hopeless blossomed with her hands-on, individualized approach to teaching, shocking educational authorities. As a matter of fact, it was more than teaching - it was facilitating learning. Children are thirsty to learn and have absorbent minds, as Montessori would say.
The three different ages in the classroom serves a special purpose in the development of children. As the younger group of children explore the room, they are thirsty for everything but are not able to master anything yet. Children of the next age level have the opportunity to repeat exercises and master some skills. The older group can "teach" or show the younger ones how things work, therefore exercising leadership skills and interiorizing their own learning - one cannot teach that which one does not know!
With the success of the first Children's House, Dr. Montessori turned her attention to education and spent many years creating new materials and improving existing ones. Her methodology became known worldwide, and she also trained many to further her work.
The Montessori Education
The main purpose of the Montessori education is to instill in children a lifelong love of learning. This is accomplished in two ways. First of all, by allowing the child to choose what she wants to learn from the wide range of materials in the classroom, and by enhancing the perfection of the child's natural abilities. While doing that, the classroom materials also give specific information to the child, teaching her specific concepts.
Therefore, the Montessori classroom is set up in five main learning areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Mathematics and Culture. These meet the needs of children according to their sensitive periods - the time that is easiest for the child to learn a particular skill or concept.
Practical Life exercises are those that help develop self-help skills, independence, coordination, and concentration, through the satisfaction of the child's needs for meaningful activities and repetition. These include but are not limited to the use of : buttons, brushes, dishes, pitchers, tire pump, tongs, tweezers, gardening tools, whisks, hammers, etc.
Sensorial exercises help children meet the world and experience basic concepts through their senses, while developing large and fine motor skills, attention to details, vocabulary, and concentration.
Language exercises include oral and written activities, as well as phonics and reading. Word games, rhyming, opposites, story telling, singing, show & tell, etc. are opportunities to practice oral language. Pre-writing activities with the Metal Insets encourage the child to practice holding a pencil properly and tracing shapes. While tracing, the child uses hand movements that are similar to hand writing. The Sandpaper Letters are introductory material to the letters & sounds association. The repetition of these exercises enhances the muscular memory of the child - therefore building her pathway to reading. First letters & sounds. Then two or three letter-words with short vowels only. Longer words with short vowels. Digraphs. Long vowels. Phrases and sentences. The slow progression of difficulties encourage the child's success and the desire to go further.
Math concepts are introduced with concrete enjoyable manipulation of materials that enhance assimilation of facts and skills, without the boredom or tiredness of drills.
Culture exercises are the introduction to a broad curriculum that includes Bible stories (history) geography, cultures, nature, science, art & music appreciation, arts & crafts, music, dance, dramatization, etc.
Physical Education is part of everything that happens in a Montessori classroom. From developing large muscles by carrying the thick and heavy blocks from the Brown Stairs, to walking on the line keeping balance, to playing group games and riding on cars, to climbing and sliding; to refining fine motor skills with the practical life exercises, arts and crafts, etc.
Montessori wrote, "A child's work is to create the man
he will become. An adult works to perfect the environment
but a child works to perfect himself."