2141 Maple Lane •
Montessori Education
What does Montessori mean?
Dr. Maria
Montessori (1870 – 1952) was the first woman to graduate from
The
Montessori “method” is based on the idea that the child has all the qualities
that are needed to develop himself.
And, if he is allowed to develop fully, he will not only bring happiness
to himself but will be the kind of person who will want to serve mankind. Two things are necessary for the full
development of a child. The first is an
environment that will meet the needs of his absorbent mind (“impressions
do not merely enter his mind, they form it”) and his sensitive periods
(blocks of time when the child has an intense interest in one special
characteristic of his environment).
Secondly, he must have freedom (not license) to select what
attracts him, to relate to it without interruptions or time limitation, to
discover ideas and solutions of his own and to communicate with others at
will. Creativity is encouraged in our
classrooms. Children are permitted to
use equipment in original ways as long as they handle it with respect.
Why is the Montessori method good for my child?
Montessori
believed that education should be an aid to life. Among the needs of a young child, she emphasized the need to move
and manipulate, to develop language skills, to use all the senses, to become
independent, to have love, security and discipline, and to have an orderly
environment. The Montessori classroom
is specifically designed to address each of these needs.
Given
this type of surroundings, under the loving direction of observant and
responsive adults, her method has been proven the world around to produce what
she called the “normalized child”. In
short, this is a child who has a love of peace, of order, of work, of quiet, of
working alone, of helping others, and of cooperation. This child can concentrate deeply, is obedient and joyfully
responsive, is independent and has initiative, is self-disciplined, is attached
to reality and is not possessive.
Learning is, to the normalized child, a happy experience and the joy of
discovery is all that is needed as a reward.
Due to
the child’s absorbent mind and his many sensitive periods still ahead, the
earlier the child is exposed to this method, the more likely he is to develop
the above characteristics.
What will my child do in the Montessori classroom?
Although
many children will develop skills and acquire information that may astound you,
keep in mind that this is secondary to the development of the characteristics
of the “normalized child.” Children are
given opportunities to work at their own pace and achieve success at each level
of the program. Each child receives
individual lessons that are consistent with his/her abilities and need for
challenging work. Equipment is
self-correcting in order to aid in the child’s development of a sense of
independence in his environment. Also,
remember that your child will be free to choose the materials and ask for
demonstrations that interest him.
Although a teacher may at times suggest something the child might need,
the child is given the privilege to make his own choices within the limits of
the classroom. Therefore, we cannot
promise that your child will use all our equipment or master every concept to
which he is exposed.
Montessori
Reading Program
After the children learn the short vowel and true consonant sounds of our alphabet, they are able to combine these sounds into three letter words. The children enjoy practicing their skills with various activities and readers designed to give early reading success. Very soon the children learn to blend consonants and use double consonants while enjoying new activities and more advanced readers. Long vowel sounds, general phonograms (like “sh” and “th”), and other unusual letter combinations are introduced later. By this time the child will not only be able to use his/her skills to read the classroom readers, but will also enjoy reading at an advanced level.
Language and Writing
Most
children will experience a “writing explosion” where they want to write
constantly. The Montessori classroom
offers many opportunities for children to express this need. Metal insets help the child develop hand-eye
coordination and pre-writing skills.
Bookmaking offers the child opportunities to develop vocabulary as well
as to practice letters. Group
activities may include classroom books where children dictate text to go with
the illustration they created for a theme-based book or personal story. Through many activities the children are
allowed to see the connection between the spoken word and the written word.
Montessori Mathematics
The
children in a Montessori classroom will be introduced to numbers at an early
age. By the time they finish their
preschool experience, the children may go from learning to count to learning to
multiply. The Montessori Golden Beads
introduce children to counting, quantity, place value, addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division. There are
boards to teach the teen numbers, numbers 1-1000, addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division. Many children
are introduced to the idea of squaring numbers with beads chains and squares in
more advanced lessons.
Practical Life
While it
may appear children using Practical Life equipment are simply learning
practical skills, they are truly building the foundations of concentration,
coordination, self-discipline, and independence. Activities such as spooning, pouring, dusting, sweeping,
scrubbing, sorting, buttoning, zipping, and tying are truly valuable in meeting
these early goals. Teachers add to this
work area as the children advance in order to meet the changing needs of the
children.
Sensorial
At the
earliest stages, a child learns about his/her environment by using the
senses. Sensorial activities are just
that – activities designed to enhance the awareness of the senses. Shapes, colors, sounds, textures, and size
gradation all stimulate the child’s senses.
Science and Geography
In the
Montessori classroom the children are introduced to their world by first
learning about the human body. From
there they move out into their home, community, county, state, country, our
continent and others, the earth, and the solar system. Small group and work time activities are
designed to reinforce these concepts.
The
natural world is all around us and we have much to explore. There are vast opportunities to teach our
children about science – experiences, experiments, museum kits and tours, guest
speakers, books, etc. The children have
the opportunity to try experiments during work time as part of their individual
program as well as planned activities for the entire class.
Music and Art Appreciation
In
addition to fun songs at circle, by kindergarten age, the children are
introduced to the orchestra, ballet, classical composers, jazz, blues, and
more. It is not unusual for the
children to recognize instruments by sounds and musicians by song due to the
excellent music introduced during small group time.
Children
have the daily opportunity to do free art and painting during work time. This is truly an extension of their own
imagination and creativity. Group time
activities may allow for teaching crafts or even introducing famous artists and
their work. Children can learn to use
different techniques and skills to enhance their own artistic creations as well
as have the opportunity to experiment with many different art media. Due to their experiences, older children may
even recognize paintings by Van Gogh,
Monet, O’Keeffe, or other artists.
Movement and Creative Dramatics
Children
have a need for freedom of movement.
Work time activities and group sessions are designed to meet this
need. Allowing time for children to
express themselves in song, dance, acting, and play are opportunities for the
child to learn about personal space and self-expression.
Storyboard and Listening Center
Unique to
our Montessori classrooms are the storyboard and listening center. The storyboard is an area where the children
are able to work with flannel board stories that re-tell children’s books. The children are able to sequence the story
by picture as well as tell the story by following along with the book. Many children begin to recognize words in
the books as well.
The