At the turn of this
century, Maria Montessori, an Italian physician, conceived and developed a
system of educating young children based on her observations and conclusions
about how children learn. She developed materials and methods based on her
belief that education involved the unfolding and development of the child's
innate abilities, talents and interests. Her approach was scientific and
humanistic. Her ideas rapidly spread around the globe resulting in training
programs and schools opening throughout the world. Montessori schools have been
in existence for 82 years in the United States. There are currently over 3,000
independent and 130 public school systems using the Montessori method.
The basic idea in the
Montessori Philosophy of education is that all children carry within "the
adult they will become". In order to develop their physical and
intellectual powers to the fullest, they must have freedom, a freedom to be
achieved through order and self-discipline. The world of the child is full of
sights and sounds, which at first appear chaotic. From this chaos, children
must gradually create order, and learn to distinguish among impressions that
assail their senses, slowly but surely gaining mastery of Self and the
environment.
Dr. Maria Montessori
developed what she called the "prepared" environment, which already
possesses a certain order and disposes children to develop at their own speed,
according to their own capabilities, and in a non-competitive atmosphere in the
first school years. "Never let the children risk failure, until
understanding the necessity for the acquisition of a basic skill before its use
in a competitive learning situation." The years can be constructively
devoted to "civilizing" children, freeing them through the acquisition
of good manners and habits, to take a place in our culture.
The Goals of Montessori education are to cultivate each child's natural desire to learn,
acquire and master skills, learn responsibility and cooperation and foster
strong, positive feelings about oneself and others. The method addresses the
total child developing social skills, emotional growth, physical coordination,
and cognitive preparation, within a thoughtfully designed environment.
The classroom is
prepared with a wealth of materials selected and designed to meet the needs of
the individuals it serves. There is a range of materials both in variety and
level of development to allow children to progress through the curriculum as
their skills develop. Typical areas of a Montessori Pre-school/Kindergarten
classroom include: Everyday Living, Math, Language, Art, Sensorial, Music,
Geography, Science, Movement, Nature Study, Animal Care.
Some of the
characteristics that distinguish a Montessori program are:
Mixed Age Groupings
Called family groupings, the classes are composed of a 3 year age span for both
elementary and pre-school programs. Each class includes children ages 0-2 ½, 2
½ -6, 6-9 or 9-12. This allows for peer teaching, broad social interactions,
individual differences in learning style and pace, and creates a social
community of family. It provides the youngest students with a graded series of
role models and the older students with peer teaching opportunities for
reinforcement of learning.
Individualized
Instruction Each child learns and develops at
her/his own pace through the use of materials and lessons introduced by trained
staff. The integrated curriculum is introduced sequentially and at the
developmental level of each individual child, allowing every child to work to
capacity and at their ability level.
Child Directed
Program Within the structure of the classroom
and curriculum, children are encouraged to pursue their interests, make
responsible choices for themselves and direct themselves to constructive
activities. Since children's interests vary, this opportunity results in an
independent, self-motivated learner.
Designed
Environment/Materials The school
environment is prepared with a variety of specially designed Montessori
materials - multi-sensory, sequential and self-correcting. Educational
materials are carefully selected to meet the needs of range of students in each
class and to meet the goals of the program.
Specialized Staff
In addition to background and experience in early childhood education, teachers
receive specialized training in the Montessori Method. Training programs
throughout the world prepare and certify teachers in the field. The course of
study includes educational philosophy, academic training in the curricula
areas, early childhood development, classroom management, and use of materials
for individual lessons.
Hands-on Approach To
Learning The use of materials for learning in
the Montessori classroom is an integral part of the program from pre-school
through the elementary years. Based on a belief that children learn by doing,
lessons for math, language and all subject areas include hands-on materials for
use by the student.
Integrated Curriculum
Especially at the elementary level, the curriculum integrates many subject
areas into the lesson at hand. This enables students to use their knowledge and
skills in context and to see the "whole" picture.
Whole Language
Approach to Reading There is a
concentration on writing and reading across the curriculum. Activities and
lessons are student generated according to ability and learning style. The
literature programs meets the child's individual needs.
"Children First, Always"
No comments:
Post a Comment