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The Montessori Method is a comprehensive system of childhood education named after its founder Dr. Maria Montessori, (b. 1870). She was the first woman to qualify as a doctor in Italy and then became a pioneer in pre-school education.
She believed that no human being is educated by another person. He must do it himself or it will never be done. The Montessori goal is to free the individual's own potential for constructive self development by building self confidence and self motivation.
"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"
from "The Absorbent Mind" (Maria Montessori)
Dr. Montessori observed that the child
- has great sensitivity and mental powers for absorbing and learning from the environment and a strong inner urge to learn. (She often compared the young mind to a sponge).
- needs purposeful activity and through activity can develop mentally, physically and socially.
- has a strong desire to be independent.
- has a strong sense of order and personal dignity.
- needs freedom to explore and learn at his own pace, as well as the structure of sensible rules and limits.
The Montessori classroom is a prepared and ordered environment which the child is free to explore. Each child works uninterrupted at the task he has chosen for as long as he wishes. In every task hand and mind work together making the experience one of doing rather than simply observing.
The Montessori materials, which aim to capture the child's attention, cover the following areas:
- Practical Life Exercises such as washing, cleaning, polishing, pouring, doing up buttons, zips and buckles etc. help the child to become independent.
- the Sensorial Materials, which provide the child with concrete experiences to help him classify the impressions he receives from his senses. The exercises are designed to isolate, compare and classify perceptions of sound, colour, texture, size and shape.
- the Academic and Cultural Materials, which are a natural progression from the sensorial materials and include language, maths, geography, history, art and music.
The Montessori approach emphasises reality and nature. Much of the equipment is self- correcting so the children can enjoy a feeling of success. The activities foster independence and an orderly approach to problem solving from an early age. The Montessori teacher, called a Directress, guides each child's progress, helping him to help himself.
Click here for further Montessori information.
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