[Dr. Maria Montessori] [Montessori Education] [FAQs] [Montessori/Traditional Comparison]
Dr. Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori was
born in Italy on August 31, 1870. She was born to a well-respected
family and
was expected to grow up to fulfill the traditional role for the Italian
woman. Instead, she pursued an advanced degree at the University
of Rome and became the first woman physician to graduate in Italy.
Her interests drew her to work with children, initially those who were
disadvantaged and had special needs.
Because of her training as an anthropologist,
Montessori's decisions about working with children were made by
observing them first. She was not trained as an educator and thus
her decisions were based upon watching what children did and what they
were to attracted to. Through her observations and trial and
error, she developed what became known as the Montessori Method of
Education. It was a radical departure in Montessori's own time.
She did not place Children in restricting environments, but instead
designed the environment to reflect the children. Tables and
chairs were child-sized and materials were placed on low shelves to be
readily accessible to the students. In addition, many of the
activities were designed to teach children how to become more
independent and do things for themselves.
Montessori continued throughout her life to work for
the betterment of the lives of children, founding training centers for
teachers and dispersing this method of education throughout the world.
During her later years, her focus became centered on educating children
to promote the principles of peace. Her legacy has been the
establishment of Montessori schools around the world, which promote the
cause of the child as a citizen of the world.
Montessori education is a
system for the education of children from birth through age 18. It
is based upon the principles developed by Dr. Maria Montessori through
her observations of children throughout her life.
The focus of this system is the development of
materials, educational techniques, and observations that support the
natural development of children. The teacher in a Montessori
classroom serves less as an "instructor" and more as a guide and
facilitator. Children are encouraged to "learn how to learn," thus
gaining independence and self-confidence. Because the method is
based is based upon developmentally appropriate activities, the child
often learns through the process of education-by doing.
The Montessori school is designed to accommodate
various stages of development in children that occur in roughly 3-year
cycles. From birth to three years of age, the child is absorbing
directly from the environment, almost like a sponge. It is during
this phase that many language and motor skills are acquired without
formal instruction.
During the second phase, from three to six years of
age, the child reaches a different stage in which repetition and
manipulation of the environment are critical to the development of
concentration, coordination, independence, and a sense of order.
The child learns skills for everyday living, sorting, grading,
classifying-all of which lead to the development of writing, reading and
a mathematical mind
When the child reaches the next phase of development,
ages six to nine, the imagination of the child is the key to learning.
At this age, there is an increasing awareness of the world and an
interest in its wonders. The classroom can now excite the child by
using this increased imagination to explore the universe. During
this phase the child is presented with "the big picture," an overview of
the interrelatedness of things. The curriculum works from the
large concept to the more refined. Concepts are introduced through
hands-on materials that encourage the child and assist in an
understanding of concepts before they are committed to memory.
As the child enters the next phase, from nine to
twelve, the world is an ever-expanding place. The horizons of the
imagination increase and concepts may be presented and abstracted with
fewer manipulative materials. The students' hands on activities
broaden in scope and include practical application outside the
classroom. Projects become more involved and diverse in nature.
Because the child goes through these various stages,
Montessori classrooms are organized into 3-year age groupings.
This allows a greater flexibility in meeting each child's individual
needs and permits the child to develop with fewer social transitions.
The environment becomes the "teacher," with the child as the initiator
of his/her own education. The multi-age classroom also creates a
community in which children of different ages cooperate instead of
competing with each other. This inevitably leads to feelings of
respect for each other and a productive work environment.
The Montessori approach to education regained
popularity in the United states around 1960. Today there are more
than, 4,800 Montessori school in the country, serving more than 400,000
children from infancy through secondary levels, in both public and
private settings.
Special training is required for becoming a Montessori
teacher. Montessori teacher education is available in almost 100
institutions located throughout the U.S and an additional number in
other countries of the world, in both special-purpose institutions and
college/university settings. An organization formed in 1991, the
Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE), offers
an accreditation process for Montessori teacher preparation courses and
is supported by nine Montessori professional organizations and a group
of independent training programs.
What is the key concept of Montessori Education?
Montessori is a philosophy with the fundamental tenet that a child
learns best within a social environment that supports each individual's
development. What makes Montessori education unique is 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 cognitive skills, social skills, emotional
growth, and physical coordination. The holistic curriculum under
the guidance of a specially prepared teacher, provides children with the
opportunity to enjoy the process of learning as they create their
knowledge and develop their personalities
What is the curriculum?
The program generally extends of a nine-year period beginning with
three to six years olds in pre-kindergarten and extending in elementary
through fifth grade. Classes are designed with mixed age groups:
primary (three to six years old), lower elementary (six to nine year
olds), and upper elementary (9 to 12 year olds.) There are
Montessori programs that continue through middle and high school, but
they are less common. Hands-on didactic materials are available in
learning areas such as practical life, sensorial, language, math (which
includes geometry and algebra), and the content areas of biology,
geography, history, and science.
Why does a Montessori classroom have three age
groups?
Most educators agree that younger children learn well form older
children. In a Montessori classroom students are given the
opportunity to teach and be taught by other students. Each student
benefits from the example of the older student, and he or she will soon
be the "leader" of the class, setting the example for others to follow.
Older children learn, in part, by teaching the younger ones. A
lesson is perfected when a student is able to give that lesson to a
peer. Upon completion of the Montessori three year cycle, the
child has experienced being the oldest, the middle child, and the
youngest child. In our position in or family, we remain in on
position for our entire life, In our Montessori classroom family,
we experience all positions.
How will my child later adjust to a traditional
classroom?
Montessori students have a love of learning. This will
transfer to any school setting that is stimulating and challenging.
There will be some adjustments to the learning environment; however, the
desire to explore new academic avenues can be met within the traditional
classroom if the teacher is enthusiastic and provides the opportunity
for learning. The sense or discovery will differ when lessons are
presented to a whole group instead of allowing students the joy of
discovering new information through their own research.
Montessori/Traditional Comparison
| Montessori | Conventional |
| Start School Early (2-3 years) | Start School Late (5-6 years) |
| Three year age range in a classroom | One age (grade) in a classroom |
| Freedom to move around the room | Seated at desks |
| Family atmosphere | Little socialization |
| Individual and small group lessons | Large group lessons |
| Self correcting materials | Teacher as source of answers |
| Natural & logical consequences | Rewards & Punishments |
| Child-centered schedule and environment | Teacher/school centered schedule and environment |
| Long, free work periods | Planned activities |
| Enhanced curriculum | Grade level curriculum |
| Progress of student and mastery of concepts as evaluation | Peer comparison as test |
| Emphasis on learning | Emphasis on grades |
| Emphasis on individuality | Emphasis on conformity |
| Progress at individual rate | Annual promotion |
| Emphasis on "self" control | Teacher as disciplinarian |
| Peace in education | Punishment |
| Strong school/home ties | Little parent involvement |
| Observation based progress report and mastery of materials | Graded report cards |
| Freedom within limits | Controlling environment |