Montessori Education

 “Education is not what the teacher gives. Education is

a natural process spontaneously carried out by

the human individual, and is acquired not

by listening to words.”

(Maria Montessori)

 

    The Montessori education philosophy was founded by Maria Montessori. Maria Montessori was the first female in Italy to graduate from the University of Rome as a physician. It was during her work as a doctor, caring for children with special needs, her interest in the education of children began. Maria Montessori acknowledged that children learnt best by doing; from this she built her philosophy on “both child development and a rationale for such growth.” (IntelleQuest Education Company), her aim was to unfold the potential of each child in order for them to develop.  Since the success of the first children’s house which opened in Rome in 1907,and the opening of more Montessori schools; at present there are “7,000 schools estimated worldwide,” (Montessori Teacher Training). Maria Montessori is one of the most important known educators of early years education from the twentieth century.

    The Montessori method deploys an independent and holistic learning environment for children. It was designed to encourage children’s natural desire to learn and to support their own learning and development. Maria Montessori recognised that for children to further their own development they needed the freedom to explore (within limits). Maria Montessori saw that the environment acted as a key factor in children’s development and learning. The environment was specifically designed in order to nurture each child to help them reach their full capability. Being outdoors is also important to Montessori education as practical life experiences are important to a child’s learning.

    In a Montessori classroom the teacher acts as a facilitator; he/she would only intervene when the child needs help or if they can see that the child needs to be guided in order to complete their task. By having the teacher act as a ‘facilitator’ encourages children to think for themselves, and also helps develop their independence and confidence. The Montessori method has exercises for the children which were developed to help prepare them for skills needed for later life; these include reading and writing. These exercises are very different from those of a primary school, the Montessori exercises encourage children to think and to improve their skills independently.

    The Montessori education method is one that is very centred around children’s independent learning. I think that this approach to children’s learning is beneficial to the child allowing them to become independent and reach their full potential. Montessori education gives children a sense of importance of their own self-expression. It encourages children to learn from their own experiences as well as that of their peers and their ‘facilitator’. Although I think children need to have independent learning, this method can sometimes be too independent. The children don’t have a lot of interaction with their peers, with does not help with their social development. This method also means that children have to use correcting methods to check their own work to see if they are correct.

References

1.      Bruton, P. and Thornton, L. (2002) Understanding the Montessori approach: Early years education in practice (2^nd edition) London: Routledge

2.      Isaacs, B. (2007) Bringing the Montessori approach to your early years practice London: Routledge

3.      Montessori Education UK Background to Montessori Education Available Internet: http://www.montessorieducationuk.org [accessed on 3^rd January 2014]

4.      Montessori Teacher Training What is Montessori Available Internet: http://www.montessori.org.uk [accessed on 3^rd January 2014]

5.      IntelleQuest Education Company About Montessori Education Available Internet: http://www.montessoriconnections.com [accessed on 3^rd January 2014]