What is the Montessori method?
This system of education is both a philosophy of child development and a rationale for guiding such growth. It is based on the child’s developmental needs for freedom within limits, as well as a carefully prepared environment, which guarantees exposure to materials and experiences. Through this, the child develops intelligence as well as physical and psychological abilities. It is designed to take full advantage of the child’s desire to learn and his unique ability to develop his own capabilities. The child needs adults to expose him to the possibilities of his life, but the child must determine his response to those possibilities. The main premises of Montessori education are: Children are to be respected as different from adults and as individuals who differ from each other. The child possesses an unusual sensitivity and intellectual ability to absorb and learn from his environment that are unlike those of the adult both in quality and capacity. The most important years of a child’s
The Montessori Method is a philosophy of education based on the writings and scientific observations of Italian physician Dr. Maria Montessori. The fundamental principle of the Montessori Method is that education must nurture the developmental needs of the whole child. Also key to Dr. Montessori’s Method is the idea that children learn best within social environments dedicated to providing them with a variety of opportunities to construct their own meanings and teach themselves.
