“Play is the work of the child.”
Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori (1870-1952)
Maria Montessori in 1913
Maria Montessori, the founder of the Montessori approach to education, was born in Italy in 1870. She became the first female physician in Italy upon her graduation from medical school in 1896 and she embarked on a career in mental health.
Her clinical observations led her to analyse how children learn, and she concluded that they build themselves from what they find in their environment. She returned to university in Rome in 1901 and In 1904, she was made a professor of anthropology at the University . In 1906 she gave up both her university chair and her medical practice to work with a group of young children in San Lorenzo , Rome. She devised special apparatus to help them learn through movement and achieved some remarkable results It was there that she founded the first “Children’s House.” In 1907 what ultimately became the Montessori method of education developed there,
Here she introduced her specially designed equipment and based upon Montessori’s scientific observations of these children’s ability to absorb knowledge from their environment, and interest in working with materials
Every piece of equipment, every exercise, every method Montessori developed was based on what she observed children to do “naturally,” by themselves, unassisted by adults. This inspired Montessori’s lifelong pursuit of educational reform, methodology, psychology, teaching, and teacher training—all based on her dedication to furthering the self-creating process of the child.
From 1913 and the rest of her life she travelled extensively, training, teaching and lecturing around the world, addressed the annual conventions of both the National Education Association and the International Kindergarten Union increasingly convinced that it was only through effective education of the rising generation that universal peace could ever become a reality. She opened the Montessori Training Centre in Netherlands, in 1938, and founded teacher training courses in India in 1939. she founded the Montessori Center in London (1947). She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times—in 1949, 1950, and 1951.
She died in Holland in 1952, leaving an international legacy of Montessori schools and training centres around the world, all following the Montessori approach, transcending cultures, faiths, linguistic traditions and political systems.
The Montessori Method
The Montessori Method, developed by Dr Maria Montessori (1870-1952), is centred upon the belief that one should provide the most positive and harmonious development of the whole child. This ultimately prepares them for a rich lifetime of learning and experience.
Maria Montessori observed the learning process within children of all creeds and backgrounds from birth to maturity. She then distilled this into what is now recognized as the internationally acclaimed Montessori Method.
The Montessori Method is a unique and highly successful method of teaching based on the development of the child’s innate love of learning. The Montessori philosophy recognizes the immense capacity of children to absorb information when given the freedom and independence to learn at their own pace. This approach encourages the child to enjoy the process of learning and departs completely from the discouraging ‘failure to keep up’ approach of typical teaching systems. At the same time it also gives the freedom for high achievers to progress at their own pace, without being artificially held back.
The typical Montessori classroom is a very carefully prepared school environment with specific materials which both educate and refine the child’s senses while enhancing their understanding of the world around them. This environment functions by allowing the child to develop independently in all areas of learning according to his or her inner psychological and motivational needs. The learning materials are freely available for the children to learn and explore, creating a dynamic learning process guided and encouraged by the Montessori teacher.
The Montessori Method understands that focusing on the individual child and allowing them to develop at their own pace translates into confidence, successful life-skills and an immense joy in learning. These life-skills continue with the child’s further education and indeed throughout their adult lives.
Maria Montessori’s first school, ‘The Children’s House,’ opened in 1907 and achieved far greater success than the previous traditional state systems and many of her ideas such as cross-curriculum teaching have now been adopted into ‘mainstream education’. As the Montessori ‘Movement’ continues to thrive to this day, recent scientific and educational research has proven that Montessori students continue to outshine those in traditional schools in all areas of development research making Montessori schools an ever more popular choice.
- All Montessori nurseries and schools are assessed to the same Ofsted or HMI criteria as mainstream schools and generally either match or exceed those standards.
- The Montessori Method uses finely tuned activities and specially designed equipment to encourage and develop learning as opposed to a teacher simply trying to transfer their knowledge to a whole class.
- Montessori classrooms maintain a non-competitive environment accommodating the children’s own desire for learning as motivation. This is encouraged and directed by the Montessori teacher.
- The concept of self-discipline is central to Montessori philosophy. Developed throughout the Montessori Method, this leads to individuals who are independent, confident and enjoy learning in whatever environment they find themselves in.
- Many of Maria Montessori’s discoveries, observations and ideas are now commonly incorporated into the mainstream curriculum. However, the primary concept of individualised learning remains central within the Montessori Method.
- Montessori places great emphasis on social values, culture and respect for others. Cooperation and collaboration is key both to a Montessori education and also for the challenges of the modern world.
- Directresses/directors are especially trained to observe, to respond to the needs of each child and to direct the whole group. They do not teach in the traditional sense, but rather guide each child forward.
In a Montessori classroom children are encouraged to develop confidence, independence, concentration, a sense of order and to learn freely at their own pace, building solid foundations for life-long learning. The organisation of the classroom allows children easy access to a variety of learning experiences and is specifically organised to appear attractive, orderly and inviting to children. All equipment is displayed on ’child sized’ shelves giving children easy accessibility to select their own activities, encouraging independence and a love for learning from an early age.
