The importance of learning is not the speed at which it is done, but arriving there in a
stress-free, enjoyable way, with a crystal-clear understanding of the concepts.
What is Montessori?
Montessori is an opportunity to nurture your child’s individual development within the context of a group setting. The child will emerge with a set of skills – social, emotional and academic – while, more importantly knowing how to function within a group.
A child possesses once-in-a-lifetime ability to simply absorb information and concepts from his/her surroundings, like a sponge. Montessori education can be explained using following key words
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Environment
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Mixed age settings
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Independent thinking
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Self-learning
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The environment for the children between the ages of two and a half to six, is designed to meet the needs of a child in this crucial phase of his/her life. In a typical classroom environment, the children are engaged peacefully and purposefully, in wide varieties of activities. It is, in fact, designed to help the child become her best self. A child’s natural drive for independence is supported by encouraging her to choose activities of interest, without interruption. Thus, the resulting feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction engender respect from the children towards others.
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Mixed-age environment – The mixed age environment of a Montessori set up has been designed so that each child benefits from being exposed to those who are older, and younger, than they are. The younger children quickly learn how to behave and what is acceptable, from watching the older children. They also see the older children working on the more advanced materials, which piques their interest and curiosity. The older children benefit from being mentors to the younger ones. It is a well-known fact that the best way to internalize knowledge is to explain it to others, and often an older child will help teach certain concepts to a younger child. This opportunity helps the children to build confidence and self-esteem.
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The children are independent – A child is taught how to take care of her own needs and provide opportunities to practice and improve. When she learns to take care of herself and the environment that she lives in, her demeanour becomes one of self-accomplished and self-confident.
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The learning takes place through the child’s own activity. A Montessori teacher is trained to introduce the child to many activities and concepts each day. The learning happens through independent activity and when the child comes back to explore it, repeat it she perfects it.
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The environment is child-centred, not teacher-centred. The role of a Montessori guide centres on the preparation and organization of learning materials to meet the needs and interest of the children. They often step back while the children are working, allowing them to learn from their own discoveries and draw their own conclusions. Rather than supplying answers, the guide asks them how they would solve the problem, actively engaging children in the learning process and enhancing critical thinking skills.
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The curriculum is highly individualized. The teacher is trained to recognize and respect the unique potential operating within the child, and strives to connect him to the activity best suited to him at that moment. It emphasizes on the child’s natural interest and allows them to set his or her own developmental pace.
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A wide variety of beautiful, hands-on learning materials are provided that helps children learn. Montessori classrooms possess scientifically designed materials that help to develop a new skill or teach a new concept to the child by its use and exploration. These materials offer different areas of learning such as, practical life skills, building vocabulary, writing, concepts of decimal system and mathematical operations. These materials are designed carefully to meet the needs of every child thus incorporating a deeper level of understanding.
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It does not only represent the classroom ‘self- directed’ activities. There are times in a day when the children get involved in group activities and play. The children sit down for circle time and the guide sings rhymes with them, tells a story, talks about behaviour, culture, biology etc. Apart from the indoor classroom, children are also exposed to outdoor environment to increase the large motor skills.
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In our Montessori environment, there are two trained Montessori guide and one assistant. The guides are trained in child development and Montessori philosophy according to the standards set by Dr. Maria Montessori.
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The child needs to be in the Pre-primary environment for three years, including the last year with traditional extended hours. Montessori is a continuum of education that allows the child to build upon his or her experiences year after year. At the beginning of first year, the child learns the practical life skills that is very helpful for eye-hand co-ordination, concentration etc. They learn to take care of themselves, tidy up after work, dressing themselves, chopping, packing, shoe polishing and many more activities. They get to learn the phonics of alphabets by playing the vocabulary games and songs and dances. As the child continues they learn the symbols and sound which lays the foundation of reading and writing. They are introduced to the decimal system and numbers with the very beautifully designed concrete materials. The amazingly crafted land and water forms materials help the child to understand the terms visually, in a concrete way, rather than the abstract way of rote learning. In the third year, the child whose foundation has been laid strong gains the reading, writing and mathematical understanding, the academic skills that leads them to the Primary school. The child, therefore, leaves the program with the attitude that learning is fun, exciting and boundless.
Benefits of a Montessori Preschool
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Focuses on key developmental stages
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Encourages co-operative play
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Learning is child-centred
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Children naturally learn self-discipline
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Classroom environment teaches order
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Teachers facilitate the learning experience
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Learning method inspires creativity
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System is highly individualized
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Curriculum focused on hands-on learning
Focuses on key developmental stages
A Montessori curriculum focuses on the distinct development ages between two and a half and six years old. It is this age group when Children begin to acquire language, develop cognitive and motor skills, begin to imitate the adults around them, and develop expectations of the world around them.
The child during the first plane of development has many needs. Emotionally, he/she needs love and acceptance, respect and understanding, warmth and protection. The child also has a need for security, order, as much freedom and independence as he/she can handle, and social relationships.
Montessori believed that a prepared environment should be provided to allow the child to explore and experience purposeful activities
Encourages co-operative play
In a Montessori set up children learn to share and work co-operatively while exploring the various activities. They learn to respect one another and build a sense of community.
Learning is child-centred
A Montessori classroom is specifically designed to meet the needs and abilities of the children and allows them to explore and learn at their own pace and their own terms. The size of the furniture is such that all the materials are within the reach of the children. Additionally, due to the mixed age environment, the older children work with the younger ones thus developing the mentoring ability in them.
Children naturally learn self-discipline
Although the children in a Montessori classroom can choose the activities they want to work with, there are specific ground rules that are consistently enforced in them. This naturally teaches children self-discipline, and refines important skills like concentration, self-control and motivation.
Classroom environment teaches order
All the materials and activities have precise location on the shelves of a Montessori classroom. The children are introduced with the material kept in their specific place. After completing the activity they place the items back to their appropriate places, thus maintaining order. This, in turn, facilitates the learning process, incorporates self-discipline and also caters to a young child’s innate need for an orderly environment.
Teachers facilitate the learning experience
In a Montessori classroom, the role of a teacher is to observe the children at work and interject only when necessary. The teacher shows the child how to work with the materials and then allows them to work independently and with others. As the children begin to make free choices and interact and discover the materials, the teacher facilitates and guides their learning. It is with the observation and repetition of the exercises that the child learns.
Learning method inspires creativity
The children are allowed to explore the educational materials with freedom that is tempered by care and born of a sense of responsibility to others, as well as a love for their “work”. Since they are allowed to choose their activities and work on their own terms, creativity is encouraged. Exposure to a wide variety of cultures broadens their thinking.
System is highly individualized
The Montessori curriculum caters to need of each child specifically. Each lesson is presented to the child based on their unique skills, individual potential and current level of development. This allows the child to remain deeply engaged, thus increasing their ability to focus. It is through this highly individualized method; each child is free to grow and develop at their own individualized pace of learning
Curriculum focused on hands-on learning
Dr. Maria Montessori carefully designed all the Montessori material after extensive research. These materials emphasize on concrete way of learning rather than the abstract way. The child learns math, language, culture and practical life lessons using these materials. Due to these hands-on learning materials, a child’s learning experience becomes joyful and their focus is mainly on mastering the activity.
A Montessori Classroom
Montessori classroom is that unique platform which delivers the education as designed by Montessori and helps assimilate all the right content in suitable environment. It can simply be explained as:
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Non- competitive environment that offers choice.
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An attractive place, free from adult domination.
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Friendly, helpful environment that develops a natural desire in the child to help others.
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Role of the teacher is of an observer whose goal is to intervene less and less as the child develops.
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The child learns to work alone, and with others, and can make this decision himself.
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The child learns to follow the ground rules and will usually remind others to follow them too.
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The children are free to move about the classroom at will.
Learning areas in Montessori
Montessori education methodology focuses on:
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Practical life
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Sensorial
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Language
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Mathematics
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Cultural studies
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Grace and courtesy
Practical life
Practical Life includes the exercises in which the child learns how to do daily activities in a purposeful way. The aim of Practical Life is to help the child gain control and co-ordination in his movement and also to gain independence. They learn different type of dressing skills by working on the dressing frames. They explore pouring different mediums like rice and water. They also learn to wash their hands properly and tidy up after each activity that they use. These activities are designed to help the children gain confidence in their confidence in their abilities to take care of themselves, and to understand the sequence of an activity from beginning to the end.
Sensorial
The Sensorial includes five senses of touch, taste, hear, smell and sight and uses these as learning aid. This learning area lets the child use her own senses to learn about their surroundings. Using the five senses of touch, taste, hear, smell and sight, the children explore things like height, lengths, weight, colours, sounds, smells, shapes and textures. The activities help the child organize and refine her sensory impressions.
Language
Language development is encouraged through self-expression, engaging them in stories and conversation on wide varieties of subjects, expanding their knowledge about the real world and the world of nature. The phonics are taught by the use of several objects that makes the learning even more interesting.Language development includes spoken language, ability to read and write.
Mathematics
Mathematics includes the way to recognize number and their quantification, The well-designed math material helps the child to learn the numbers in a concrete way.
Recognition of numbers and their quantification becomes quite easy. The learning starts in a concrete way and later moves on to the abstract form.
Cultural studies
The cultural studies in a Montessori classroom includes Geography, History and Science. The material used deals with self-expression and communication of ideas. Science includes the physical laws, various aspects of life through plants and animals. Right from the age of 3, a child is introduced to Botany, Zoology and Earth Sciences. The Montessori materials and lessons are meant to encourage a sense of wonder at the grandeur of the universe, the simple beauty of the physical laws, and the miracle of life. They not only get to learn about the different aspects of life but also to take care of plants and animal.
Grace and Courtsey
The child has a need to know and to absorb the social structures in order to be more at ease in his environment. Grace and Courtesy lessons give the child the vocabulary, actions, and steps required for him to build his awareness and responsiveness of those around him. This in turn gives the child a better sense of orientation in his social structure. Grace and Courtesy lessons are given to each child in the environment and usually in a group. This allows the child to have a clear understanding as well as a place to perfect him with others.
A Typical Montessori School Day
A typical day in a Montessori is not divided in class hours, recess or play periods. Rather, it starts with the teacher greeting the children and introducing them with any new material for the day. There is a three-hour work period. The children are allowed to sit and work till the time they want, without any interruptions. There is no formal recess time. Children are allowed to decide for themselves when they want to drink or eat during this three-hour work period.
The guide is seen either standing and observing the children or giving presentation to a small group or one-on-one lessons.
The three-hour work period includes the essentials of all the Montessori areas. It ends with circle time in which focus is on cultural subjects, themes for the month, rhymes, music, social behaviour etc.
Why Mixed Age Grouping?
A Montessori environment has mixed age grouping which means the children from the age 2 years 6 months to 6 years are in a same classroom. There are several advantages to this.
Interaction: Due to the mixed age grouping, the children learn to interact with others of varied age and abilities. They gain an appreciation for achievement and accomplishments of the others and are naturally challenged by it.
Learning from each other: The younger children learn about courtesy, manners etc. by watching the elders in the class. The elders, in turn, learn to be patient and tolerant, and serve as role models. Teaching the materials to the younger children helps the elder children to learn the concept efficiently and thus master them.
The Three Year Commitment
The Montessori program is carefully planned and sequenced over the three-year period to give children a solid foundation for future learning. Attendance for the full three years supports the child in becoming a confident and socially aware individual. Extended Day is the final year of the Montessori program. Here the learning in numeracy and literacy is extended, that helps them to transition into the traditional school environment.
In the first year, the children work with materials that serve the purpose of making them self-dependent and lay the foundation for future work and learning. The child is introduced with mostly concrete materials which makes it easy for them to understand concepts.
Second year is where they learn to take care of themselves, tidy up after work, dressing themselves, chopping, packing, shoe polishing and many more activities. They get to learn the phonics of alphabets by playing the vocabulary games. As the child continues they learn the symbols and sound which lays the foundation of reading and writing. They are introduced to the decimal system and numbers with the very beautifully designed concrete materials. The amazingly crafted land and water forms materials help the child to understand the terms visually, in a concrete way.
In the third year, the child whose foundation has been laid strong gains the reading, writing and mathematical understanding, the academic skills that leads them to the Primary school. The child, therefore, leaves the program with an attitude that learning is fun, exciting and boundless.
Commitment to three-year cycle is essential to ensure effective learning through the Montessori education system. Montessori education is designed to help child learn in a step by step format. At times, due to many reasons, child is moved between traditional and Montessori environments, this impacts the learning process and takes time for the child to re-align.
The application of the Montessori philosophy and the specifically designed Montessori equipment aids the child's ability to absorb knowledge and continue the path of self-construction. If they are robbed of the completion of this cycle, the foundation never gets completed, which has its own impact in terms of loss of opportunity.