What is Montessori?
The Montessori Method is based on the principle that every child is born with an innate desire and ability to develop and learn.
Walking into a Montessori classroom, you will be immediately struck by how quiet the students are as they work their way around the room. With specialized sections with a variety of certified Montessori materials, students chose what they would like to spend their time learning. The materials and classroom are all designed to foster each child's innate curiosity and independence as it is all accessible to them. Children work in groups or alone with the materials as our educators move amongst them to support as needed.
Montessori History
The Montessori Method was first developed in the 1900s by Maria Montessori, one of Italy's first female physicians while she studied the innate learning behaviours in children.
This method believes that children learn best through physical activity and their senses when given freedom and encouragement to discover, explore, and create in an enriched environment.
It includes mixed ages of student within classrooms allow for collaborative learning and development of leadership skills.
The Montessori Method focuses on nurturing the "Whole Child" including their emotional, spiritual, and physical, and academic needs, while fostering an enduring love of learning along with the physical and mental skills needed.
Montessori Principles
Principle 1: Respect for the Child
Respect for the Child is the major principle underlying the entire Montessori method. Montessori believed children should be respected. Respect is shown for children by not interrupting their concentration. Respect is also shown by giving pupils the freedom to make choices, to do things for themselves, and to learn for themselves. Teachers model respect for all students as well as peaceful conflict resolution, and must learn to observe without judgement.
Principle 2: The Absorbent Mind
Montessori education is based on the principle that, simply by living, children are constantly learning from the world around them. Through their senses children constantly absorb information from their world. They then make sense of it because they are thinking beings.
Principle 3: Sensitive Periods
Montessori pedagogy believes there are certain periods during which children are more ready to learn certain skills. These are known as sensitive periods, and last only as long as is necessary for the child to acquire the skills. The order in which sensitive periods occur (i.e. a sensitive period for writing) as well as the timing of the period varies for each child. Through observation, Montessori teachers must identify sensitive periods in their students and provide the resources for children to flourish during this time.
Principle 4: The Prepared Environment
The Montessori method suggests that children learn best in an environment that has been prepared to enable them to do things for themselves. Always child-centred, the learning environment should promote freedom for children to explore materials of their choice. Teachers should prepare the learning environment by making materials and experiences available to children in an orderly and independent way.
Principle 5: Auto education
Auto education, or self-education, is the concept that children are capable of educating themselves. This is one of the most important beliefs in the Montessori method. Montessori teachers provide the environment, the inspiration, the guidance and the encouragement for children to educate themselves.
