What is Montessori?
Montessori is an approach to the education of children. It is a way of looking at, and understanding, children. It is a view of how children develop and learn which has been translated into a systematic method of education based upon careful scientific study. The Montessori educational system is unique in that it has successfully undergone continued development for over ninety years and has been used effectively with mentally retarded, physically handicapped, normal, and gifted children in different countries around the world. Perhaps the most significant reason for its success is that it is a comprehensive method of education resulting from an integration of research on development, learning, curriculum and teaching.
Montessori encompasses a philosophy by which children are allowed to develop naturally and fully, each at his or her own pace. Under the guidance of a certified Montessori Directress, in a specially prepared environment and using carefully formulated materials, children are given the opportunity to learn in the best ways – by choice and by discovery. The dual qualities of independence and a love of learning, natural tendencies for the children, are nurtured in such a way that both competence and confidence result. These competent and self-confident young people have the necessary tools for successful future learning and living.
Montessori comes from the name of the first Italian woman to become a physician Dr. Maria Montessori, in the early 1900’s. Through her observations and work with children, she developed her educational methods based on the development of children’s learning processes. She observed children have a natural desire to learn for themselves and, thus, she designed a “prepared environment” in which children could freely choose from developmentally appropriate activities and work at their own pace.
Montessori is a method of education scientifically based on the developmental needs and learning styles of children. The Montessori method has continually developed over the past 90 years since it began. It has been effectively used to teach mentally and physically handicapped children, as well as normal and gifted children in different countries around the world. A significant reason for the great success of the Montessori method is that it is a comprehensive method of education resulting from an integration of research on development, learning, curriculum and teaching.
The name Montessori usually refers to the educational method developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician. Dr. Montessori observed that all children were driven by inherent tendencies which expressed themselves particularly intensely at certain ages for example: exploration, communication, movement, and a desire for self-perfection. She developed a plan of education that would respect and follow the childs inner guide to development and work in harmony with the childs own natural tendencies towards independence and learning.
