The Montessori Overview

The Montessori classrooms provide a prepared environment in where children can be driven naturally to work and learn. The children's inherent love of learning is encouraged by giving them the opportunity to be spontaneous, and engage in meaningful activities under the guidance of a trained instructor. Through their work children develop concentration, motivation, persistence, and discipline. Within this framework of order they progress at their pace and rhythm according to their individual capabilities.

Acquiring the love of learning and learn how to learn is our goal. With this in mind we have organized our curriculum, which is ahead of the traditional curriculum. We have based our curriculum on the Maria Montessori teachings. The curriculum presents lessons simple and concretely in the early years, and are introduced again in a more abstract and complex presentation during the subsequent years.

When did Montessori begin? Dr. Maria Montessori, the creator of what is called "The Montessori Method of Education," based this new education on her scientific observations of young children's behavior. As the first woman physician to graduate from the University of Rome, Montessori became involved with education as a doctor treating children labeled as retarded. Then in 1907 she was invited to open a child care center for the children of desperately poor families in the San Lorenzo slums of Rome.

She called it a "A Children's House," and based the program on her observations that young children learn best in a homelike setting, filled with developmentally appropriate materials that provide experiences contributing to the growth of self-motivated, independent learners.

Montessori's dynamic theories included such revolutionary premises as:

Children are to be respected as different from adults and as individuals who are different from one another.

Children create themselves through purposeful activity.

The most important years for learning are from birth to age six.

Children possess unusual sensitivity and mental powers for absorbing and learning from their environment, which includes people as well as materials.

She carried her message throughout the world, including the United States as early as 1912. After an enthusiastic first response, interest in the U.S. waned until a reintroduction of the method in the mid-1950's, followed by the organization of the American Montessori Society in 1960. ::TOP

What makes Montessori unique?

The "whole child" approach. The primary goal of a Montessori program is to help each child reach full potential in all areas of life. Activities promote the development of social skills, emotional growth, and physical coordination as well as cognitive preparation. The holistic curriculum, under the direction of a specially prepared teacher, allows the child to experience the joy of learning, time to enjoy the process and insure the development of self-esteem, and provides the experiences from which children create their knowledge.

The "Prepared Environment." In order for self-directed learning to take place, the whole learning environment room, materials and social climate-must be supportive of the learner. The teacher provides necessary resources, including opportunities for children to function in a safe and positive climate. The teacher thus gains the children's trust, which enables them to try new things and build self-confidence

The Montessori materials. Dr. Montessori's observations of the kinds of things which children enjoy and go back to repeatedly led her to design a number of multi-sensory, sequential and self-correcting materials which facilitate the learning of skills and lead to learning of abstract ideas.

The teacher. Originally called a "Directress," the Montessori teacher functions as designer of the environment, resource person, role model, demonstrator, record-keeper and meticulous observer of each child's behavior and growth.

The teacher acts as a facilitator of learning. Extensive training-a minimum of a full year following the baccalaureate degree is required for a full AMS credential, including a year's student teaching under supervision-is specialized for the age group with which a teacher will work, i.e., infant and toddler, three to six year olds, elementary or secondary level. ::TOP

How does Montessori work?

Each Montessori class, from toddlers through high school, operates on the principle of freedom within limits. Every program has its set of ground rules which differs from age to age, but is always based on core Montessori beliefs-respect for each other and for the environment.

Children are free to work at their own pace with materials they have chosen, either alone or with others. The teacher relies on his or her observations of the children to determine which new activities and materials he may introduce to an individual child or to a small or large group. The aim is to encourage active, self-directed learning and to strike a balance of individual mastery with small group collaboration within the whole group community

The three-year-age span in each class provides a family-like grouping where learning can take place naturally. More experienced children share what they have learned while reinforcing their own learning. Because this peer group learning is intrinsic to Montessori, there is often more conversation-language experiences-in the Montessori classroom than in conventional early education settings. ::TOP

How is creativity encouraged?

Creativity flourishes in an atmosphere of acceptance and trust. Montessorians recognize that each child, from toddler to teenager, learns and expresses himself in a very individual way.

Music, art, storytelling, movement and drama are part of every American Montessori program. But there are other things particular to the Montessori environment which encourage creative development: many materials which stimulate interest and involvement; an emphasis on the sensory aspect of experience; and the opportunity for both verbal and nonverbal modes of learning. ::TOP

How can a "real" Montessori classroom be identified?

Since Montessori is a word in the public domain, it is possible for any individual or institution to claim to be Montessori. But, an authentic Montessori classroom must have these basic characteristics at all levels:

Teachers educated in the Montessori philosophy and methodology for the age level they are teaching, who have the ability and dedication to put the key concepts into practice. A partnership established with the family. The family is considered an integral part of the individual's total development.

A multi-aged, multi-graded heterogeneous grouping of students.

A diverse set of Montessori materials, activities and experiences which are designed to foster physical, intellectual, creative and social independence. A schedule which allows large blocks of time to problem solve, to see connections in knowledge and to create new ideas.

A classroom atmosphere which encourages social interaction for cooperative learning, peer teaching and emotional development.

The youngest children begin in the daily living area of the classroom. Here exercises such as polishing silver, washing dishes and tying bows increase both attention span and concentration. Additionally, these exercises develop both fine and motor coordination and enable each child to experience satisfaction over mastery of the exercise and completion of a task.

A child learns through his or her senses. By providing interrelated sensorial material, children are guided through a series of exercises involving discrimination. Initially, the comparisons are great but gradually they become more subtle. The pink tower blocks (above) simulation presents the child with two sets of blocks to choose from. One of the sets has the child stack the blocks from largest to smallest centering them. The other exercise involves stacking the blocks to one corner to demonstrate that there is a consistent size difference between them. These exercises help the child to develop visual discrimination skills using an incremental difference in the size of the blocks.

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The Montessori prepared environment expands the vocabulary and provides order, exactness and self confidence for the child. The child uses sandpaper letters to form phonetic sounds, then uses the movable alphabet to compose words. Each student progresses to writing, then spelling. Reading work begins with the synthesis of sounds to form words and progresses to grammar work which is the fruition of work in the Primary Class. ::TOP

The Montessori environment prepares the child for mathematics through exactness and order in Practical Life, Sensorial, and Language work. The child begins with 1-10 work, learning the quantity and symbol - each in isolation - then together.

Progression to the decimal system occurs easily because of the young child's enthusiasm for large numbers like 9999. The child continues through the formal process of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in the Primary Class.

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Montessori's method has its base in scientific observation. Observation and classification of plants and animals leads naturally to understanding the world through its environment. Briefly stated, Montessori's main science objectives include: development of an intelligent interest and an appreciation of the natural and physical world; development of a scientific attitude; helping the child acquire a scientific method of problem solving; and helping the child acquire a useful knowledge of scientific principles.

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A series of globes assist the children in distinguishing land and water areas, progressing to the continents and lands that make up our world. Studies of land forms provide an understanding of the geographic features that distinguish each country. ::TOP

A variety of media is available to encourage self-expression. Beginning with primary colors, the child explores secondary and tertiary colors and then hues. Historical paintings are used to give the child an appreciation of art. Individual and group projects are encouraged. ::TOP

The child is introduced to the computer by a series of fun, educational games. As he progresses, he uses the computer to reinforce other parts of the curriculum through interactive drills. ::TOP

Through participation in field trips and outside activities, children have frequent opportunities to experience and learn about nature. We also encourage parents to help their children discover the world outside the classroom. Exploring nature helps children to see themselves as part of the world. When children have experiences in nature, academic subjects such as science, geography, and mathematics become more real. Children need both indoor and outdoor activities to become healthy, capable individuals.

SOME SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE

MONTESSORI METHOD :

The schedule - "The Three-hour Work Period

In the three-six class there is one (sometimes two if it is a full-day schedule) 3-hour,

uninterrupted, work period each day not interrupted by group activity. The "3-hour Work

Period" is vital to the success of Montessori education and often misunderstood. It means that

children have three hours to choose and carry out their own work. It does NOT include any

required outside play, group story time "circle time," music, or any other activities which take

time away from the child's own choice of activity.

During this time adults and children alike respect a child's concentration and do not interrupt

one who is busy at a task. All of the traditional group activities spontaneously arise according

to the interest of the child or a group of children during the day, or are occasionally called by

the teacher if necessary. Note: For more information on the "three-hour work period" see the

chapter "My Contribution to Experimental Science" from The Advanced Montessori Method,

Volume I, by Dr. Maria Montessori, or contact the Michael Olaf Montessori Company at

michaelola@aol.com for reprint GB850

Multiage grouping

Children are grouped in mixed ages and abilities in three to six year spans: 0-3, 3-6, 6-12

(sometimes temporarily, but not ideally, 6-9 and 9-12), 12-15, 15-18. There is constant

interaction, problem solving, child to child teaching, and socialization. Children are

challenged according to their ability and never bored. The Montessori middle and high school

teacher ideally has taken all three training courses plus graduate work in an academic area or

areas.

Work centers

The environment is arranged according to subject area, and children are always free to move

around the room instead of staying at desks. There is no limit to how long a child can work

with a piece of material. At any one time in a day all subjects -- math, language, science,

history, geography, art, music, etc., will be being studied, at all levels.

Teaching method - "Teach by teaching, not by correcting"

There are no papers turned back with red marks and corrections. Instead the child's effort and

work is respected as it is. The teacher, through extensive observation and record-keeping,

plans individual projects to enable each child to learn what he needs in order to improve.

Teaching Ratio - 1:1 and 1:30+

Except for infant/toddler groups (Ratio dictated by local social service regulations), the

teaching ratio is one trained Montessori teacher and one non-teaching aide to 30+ children.

Rather than lecturing to large or small groups of children, the teacher is trained to teach one

child at a time, and to oversee thirty or more children working on a broad array of tasks. She is

facile in the basic lessons of math, language, the arts and sciences, and in guiding a child's

research and exploration, capitalizing on his interest in and excitement about a subject. The

teacher does not make assignments or dictate what to study or read, nor does she set a limit

as to how far a child follows an interest.

Basic lessons

The Montessori teacher spends a lot of time during teacher training practicing the many

lessons with materials in all areas. She must pass a written and oral exam on these lessons in

order to be certified. She is trained to recognize a child's readiness according to age, ability,

and interest in a specific lesson, and is prepared to guide individual progress.

Areas of study

All subjects are interwoven, not taught in isolation, the teacher modeling a "Renaissance"

person of broad interests for the children. A child can work on any material he understands at

any time.

Class size

Except for infant/toddler groups, the most successful classes are of 30-35 children to one

teacher (who is very well trained for the level she is teaching), with one non-teaching

assistant. This is possible because the children stay in the same group for three to six years

and much of the teaching comes from the children and the environment.

Learning styles

All kinds of intelligences and styles of learning are nurtured: musical, bodily-kinesthetic,

spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, intuitive, and the traditional linguistic and logical-

mathematical (reading, writing, and math). This particular model is backed up by Harvard

psychologist Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences.

Assessment

There are no grades, or other forms of reward or punishment, subtle or overt. Assessment is by

portfolio and the teacher's observation and record keeping. The test of whether or not the

system is working lies in the accomplishment and behavior of the children, their happiness,

maturity, kindness, and love of learning and level of work.

Requirements for age 0-6

There are no academic requirements for this age, but children are exposed to amazing amounts

of knowledge and often learn to read, write and calculate beyond what is usually thought

interesting to a child of this age.

Requirements for ages 6-18

The teacher remains alert to the interests of each child and facilitates individual research in

following interests. There are no curriculum requirements except those set by the state, or

college entrance requirements, for specific grade levels. These take a minimum amount of

time. From age six on, students design contracts with the teacher to guide their required work,

to balance their general work, and to teach them to become responsible for their own time

management and education. The work of the 6+ class includes subjects usually not introduced

until high school or college.

Character education:

Education of character is considered equally with academic education, children learning to

take care of themselves, their environment, each other - cooking, cleaning, building,

gardening, moving gracefully, speaking politely, being considerate and helpful, doing social

work in the community, etc.

THE OUTCOME OF THE METHOD

When the environment meets all of the needs of children they become, without any manipulation by the

adult, physically healthy, mentally and psychologically fulfilled, extremely well-educated, and

brimming over with joy and kindness toward each other. In the following quote Dr. Montessori, speaks

of the first Casa dei Bambini (Children's House) in Rome, illustrating the important discovery, and the

core of all Montessori work today:

When the children had completed an absorbing bit of work, they appeared rested and deeply pleased. It

almost seemed as if a road had opened up within their souls that led to all their latent powers,

revealing the better part of themselves. They exhibited a great affability to everyone, put themselves out

to help others and seemed full of good will.

Today there are research projects of all kinds being carried out on the results of a Montessori

education. As children progress through true (as opposed to those schools who use the name, but have

no certified Montessori teachers) Montessori preschools (3-6), elementary (k-6), middle, and high

schools, they become progressively more independent and responsible in action and thought. They

carry out original research of all kinds and quickly outgrow a teacher's expertise in many areas. They

move out into society and become thoughtful and responsible citizens much earlier than we previously

thought possible, arranging field trips, social and ecological projects and movements, and

apprenticeships. They develop such excellent study habits that they far surpass the level of the

curriculum of traditional schools.

Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.

- Socrates