You’ve heard about the Montessori Method of Education and are now wondering what is meant by it? We’re here to tell you all you need to know about thee method, its founder and what age it is for.
What Is The Montessori Method?
Montessori education is a method of teaching that prepares children in their earliest years to live in a complex world through sensory exploration and positive social interaction. It began with Dr. Maria Montessori, who believed in the idea that children learn best when they’re allowed to explore and discover things at their own pace. In her experiences as an educator she developed her famous philosophy of the Montessori Method. She believed that adults should not control the learning environment, but instead, students themselves should direct their own discovery of knowledge.
Help Me Do It Myself!
In Montessori schools that follow this approach, adults do not help and do things for the child if they can and think they can do it themselves. Children are assisted to learn to do things by themselves, which gives them great confidence and independence from an early age.
Children learn through doing and experiencing materials with all five senses. This makes an individual connection between a child and a subject area. The child naturally sees how what they are doing fits into the world around them. They become self-motivated learners as they develop mastery over subjects that appeal to them more than others. In order to satisfy their natural sense for learning they must follow their interests as well as use critical thinking skills in exploring those interests.
Montessori classrooms, other than traditional classrooms, do not have grades as well as they have mixed age classrooms. Older and younger children learn and can play together in the classrooms and help each other.
Who Was Maria Montessori?
Montessori is a system of education aimed at developing the intellectual, physical, social and creative potential of children. It was developed by Dr Maria Montessori, an Italian physician.
Maria Montessori had some extraordinary experiences with young children during her training as a medical doctor that led to her developing an educational philosophy based on observations of how children learn naturally. Montessori observed that every child has the ability to master skills if they are taught using natural methods which respect their readiness and abilities.
Montessori is well known for her innovative teaching materials, which are often made from natural materials like sandpaper or solid wooden blocks colored using non-toxic paints.
What is Montessori Practical Life (and how does it look like)?
Montessori practical life activities are a set of skills which your child needs to develop in order to be independent in the real world. It’s all about working with ones hands and learning how to care for themselves.
A Montessori environment means that you keep your child’s environment simple, with minimal distractions. As a result, they can focus on what is most important to them right now. They have time and space to explore different materials without interruption and in comfort.
In a playroom this usually looks like having low shelves with few toys to choose from. Toy rotation is another big thing to keep options small at a given time but still offer different kinds of materials. Fewer options mean less distractions and more focus.
Things like a learning tower or having a Montessori playroom are great for practical life lessons. We want our children to be able to use their skills to do things themselves like putting on their jacket and hanging it back on a hanger. They might want to help in the kitchen or simply observe.
To sum up, the Montessori education is a style of education that focuses on independent learning through hands-on activities. It focuses on your child becoming independent and gaining self confidence by doing things themselves
