About Montesorri

More about Montessori

Dr Maria Montessori was born in Italy in 1870. She began her profession not as an educator, but as a doctor of medicine. After extensive experience in private practice, hospital work and research she undertook further studies in education, philosophy, psychology and anthropology, as a basis for her growing commitment to education.

At the age of 37 she took responsibility for a group of underprivileged children in the San Lorenzo district of Rome - founding her first Children's House (Casa dei Bambini). Her unique approach to these children lead to surprising results.

She observed that when previously unruly children were provided with experiences which corresponded to their stage of development, they easily become absorbed in purposeful activities. Challenging activities engendered greater interest than toys. The children generally wished to do things for themselves and were less interested in rewards given for working than in the activity itself. This seemed to her an inherent characteristic of the child. She came to believe that the child's education should proceed in such a way as to provide an environment in which the spontaneous activity of the child would be left free to manifest itself.

The Montessori Method

Montessori herself regarded the term "method" as misleading. Perhaps it is inevitable that she be commonly identified with equipment, exercises and children reading,

writing and calculating at a very early age. More important, however, was her profound understanding of the development of the child's personality and innate capabilities; the need to achieve balance, orientation and competence in an increasingly demanding environment.

Dr Montessori recognized the pervasive influence of the environment on the development of the child. For the most part, she observed a hostile environment, which repressed the child's natural development and led to confusion, maladjustment and discontent.

Given the miracle of growth, the tendency for the child to unfold and flower, she believed that the environment should aid and foster the child's development - not just in a nursery school but from birth onwards. Nor was her approach limited to the school environment. Her message was for parents, administrators and mankind in general. The nursery school was but the most meaningful and obvious place to start.

Fundamental to Montessori's approach was a great respect for the child as an individual. To help the personality towards independence and an awareness of his real position in history appears to be a lofty aim, but it is inherent in all that is done on the practical level of everyday activity.

The path to this aim is through providing a supportive, yet challenging environment; rich in experience and mindful of the child's needs. Leading the child towards mastering his environment is the formidable task which is attempted.

Success requires an understanding of each child as an individual and an ordering of his specific environment in such a way that the child progressively develops an understanding in refinement of his senses, an appreciation of his role as part of a group and, above all, an independence and sense of internal motivation which will sustain his desire to explore and wonder.

Montessori nursery schools provide children with an environment in which they may gain experience through activities and movement. We know that movement and activity are natural functions of childhood and that learning comes through them. To this end the Montessori environment is arranged to allow the child to move and work in freedom. Freedom, however, within these limits being determined by the need to help the child to see himself as one of a group, "the liberty of the child should have as its limit the collective interest".

The role of the Directress in a Montessori classroom is vital. She does not teach in the traditional sense, but guides each child's progress, helping him to help himself. She is especially trained to observe, to respond to the needs of individual children and to direct the whole group. She is concerned with the total development of the child on all levels — physical, social, emotional and intellectual. She will recognize a child's readiness to move on and in this way acts as a link between the environment and the child's needs. She is responsible for the content and order of the environment. Her authority is exercised mainly by her example.

PARENTS

The parents’ role is fundamental. Harmony must exist between the child's experiences at home and at school. It is important therefore that parents have a basic understanding and acceptance of the Montessori philosophy. Prior to enrolling their child, parents should visit and observe their local Montessori School.

Maria Montessori placed a great deal of emphasis on the child's absorbent mind. She believed the first six years to be absolutely the most vital in the child's development. The role of the parent therefore is not to be underestimated.

You should also create a stimulating environment to bring about early learning, which begins from the moment of birth and occurs most easily during the early years, help him build a rich and rewarding inner life and, last but not least, help him assimilate his own culture and develop respect for other cultures.

You must also provide the daily care to ensure a healthy and safe life. Another role is to help your child construct his unique personality you must be flexibly enough not to impose your own personality and wil upon him. Yet another is to encourage the development of independence, to allow freedom within clearly defined limits and to promote the child's good self-image and feeling of security.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ON THE MONTESSORI METHOD

WHAT IS IT?

It is a system of education in both a philosophy of child growth and a rationale for guiding such growth. It is based on the child's developmental needs for freedom within limits and on a carefully prepared environment that guarantees exposure to materials and experiences through which to develop intelligence as well as physical and psychological abilities. It is designed to take full advantage of the self—motivation and unique ability of young children to develop their own capabilities. Children need adults to expose them to the possibilities of their lives, but the children themselves must direct their responses to those possibilities.

Key premises of Montessori education are:

Children are to be respected as different from adults and as individuals who differ from each other. Children possess unusual sensitivity and mental powers for absorbing and learning from their environment that are unlike those of adults, both in quantity and capacity. The most important years of growth are the first six years of life, when unconscious learning is gradually brought to the conscious level. Children have a deep love and need of purposeful work. The child works, however, not as an adult for profit and completion of a job, but for the sake of the activity itself. It is this activity which accomplishes the most important goal for the child, the development of his or her mental, physical and psychological powers.

HOW DID IT BEGIN?

Dr Maria Montessori, the first woman to graduate from the University Of Rome Medical School, became interested in education as a doctor treating retarded children. After returning to the University for further study, she began her work with normal children in 1907, when she was invited to organize schools in the reconstructed slum area of San Lorenzo, Italy. Later, she travelled all over the world lecturing about her discoveries and founding schools. She has written approximately fifteen volumes and numerous articles on education. She died in 1952.

IS IT FOR ALL CHILDREN?

The Montessori system has been used successfully with children from age two-and-a-half, from all socio-economic levels, representing those in regular classes as well as the gifted, the retarded, the emotionally disturbed and the physically handicapped.

It is also appropriate for classes in which the student-teacher ratio is high, because the children learn at an early age to work independently.

IS THE CHILD FREE TO DO WHAT HE CHOOSES IN THE CLASSROOM?

The child is free to move about the classroom at will, to talk to other children, to work with any equipment he or she understands, or to ask the teacher to introduce new material to him or her. The child is not free to disturb other children at work or to abuse the equipment that is so important to the child’s development.

WHAT DOES THE TEACHER DO?

The teacher works with individual children, introducing materials and giving guidance where needed.

A primary task is careful observation of each child in order to determine his or her needs and to gain the knowledge needed in preparing the environment to aid each child's growth.

The method of teaching is indirect, in that it neither imposes upon the child as in direct teaching, nor abandons the child as in a non-directive permissive approach. Rather, the teacher is constantly alert to the direction in which the child has indicated he or she wishes to go, and actively works to help the child achieve his or her goals.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CHILDREN GO FROM A MONTESSORI CLASS TO A TRADITIONAL CLASS?

Most children appear to adjust readily to new classroom situations. In all likelihood this is because they have developed a high degree of self-discipline and independence in the Montessori environment, and because of the adaptability of young children in general.

HOW CAN PARENTS HELP THE CHILD AT HOME?

To give a child the best opportunity for development, the Montessori principles and philosophy should be implemented in the home from birth. Parents need to read books as well as attend workshops, lectures and courses if possible, on implementing the Montessori Philosophy in the home. If the home and school environments complement each other, the child will receive the maximum benefit.

Encourage a positive attitude to learning. If you have a positive attitude towards your child when he is trying to learn something he will be encouraged and in turn, will be positive too.
Help him develop memory skills. It is thought that there are several kinds of memory; some children are able to learn by rote more easily than others; some appear to have good visual memory; others appear to have good auditory memory: while yet others have a good memory for movement. Montessori devised several games to help visual and auditory memory.

They will give your child practice in these particular skills and it will be especially enjoyable for him as they are done in the context of games.
Encourage language development. Montessori wrote a great deal about the importance of language development during the first six years of life while he is in a sensitive period - and research since her time, has drawn attention to the relationship between language and learning; and language and thought. She was the forerunner of one important theory that maintains that the child is born with the natural capacity for language and communication because we, as human beings, possess inborn structures that enable us to make sense of the sounds and words we hear.

It isn't difficult to see why you should be aware of the importance of language development and its connection with intelligence. From early on - even before speech is developed communication between your baby and you is child driven. He likes to hear your voice, watch your face and focus on your eyes right from the moment of birth, and his response is to smile.

Yours is to talk more, so that he smiles more, and so the process continues. As a parent you will be called upon to play many roles in your child's life. First and foremost you must create a loving environment so that your child grows up forming intimate relationships within the family group. This gives a sound foundation and enables him to form meaningful relationships with others outside the family.