The Purpose of
Montessori Education
Dr.
Maria Montessori believed that no human being is educated by another person.
She must do it herself or it will never be done. A truly educated individual
continues learning long after the hours and years she spends in the classroom
because she is motivated from within by a natural curiosity and love for
knowledge. Dr. Montessori felt therefore, that the goal of early childhood
education should not be to fill the child with facts from a pre-selected
course of studies, but rather to cultivate her own natural desire to learn.
In
the Montessori classroom this objective is approached in two ways: first, by
allowing each child to experience the excitement of learning by her own
choice rather than by being forced; and second, by helping her to perfect all
her natural tools for learning, so that her ability will be at a maximum in
future learning situations. The Montessori materials have this dual long-range
purpose in addition to their immediate purpose of giving specific information
to the child.
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The Importance of
the Early Years
In
The Absorbent Mind, Dr. Montessori wrote, “The most important period of life
is not the age of university studies, but the first one, the period from
birth to the age of six. For that is the time when man’s intelligence itself,
his greatest implement is being formed. But not only his intelligence; the
full totality of his psychic powers. At no other age has the child greater
need of intelligent help, and any obstacle that impedes his creative work
will lessen the chance he has of achieving perfection.”
Modern
psychological studies based on controlled research have confirmed these
theories of Dr. Montessori. After analyzing thousands of such studies, Dr.
Benjamin S. Bloom of University of Chicago, wrote in Stability and Change in
Human Characteristics, “From conception to age 4, the individual develops 50%
of his intelligence; from ages 4 to 8 he develops another 30%… This would
suggest the very rapid growth of intelligence in the early years and the
possible great influence of the early environment on this development.”
Like Dr. Montessori, Dr. Bloom
believes “that the environment will have maximum impact on a specific trait
during that trait’s period of most rapid growth.” As an extreme example, a
starving diet would not affect the height of an eighteen year-old, but could
severely retard the growth of a one year-old baby. Since eighty percent of
the child’s mental development takes place before he is eight years old, the
importance of favorable condition during these years can hardly be over
emphasized.
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The Role of the
Teacher
In a Montessori classroom there is
no front of the room, and no teacher’s desk as a focal point of attention
because the stimulation for learning comes from the total environment. Dr.
Montessori always referred to the teacher as a “directress” and her role
differs considerably from that of a traditional teacher. She is, first of
all, a very keen observer of individual interests and needs of each child,
and her daily work proceeds from her observations rather than from a prepared
curriculum. She demonstrates the correct use of materials as they are
individually chosen by the children. She carefully watches the progress of
each child and keeps a record of his work with the materials. She is trained
to recognize periods of readiness. Sometimes she must divert a child who
chooses material which is beyond his ability; at other times she must
encourage a child who is hesitant. Whenever a child makes a mistake, she
refrains, if possible, from intervening and allows him to discover his own
error through further manipulation of the self-correcting material. This
procedure follows Dr. Montessori’s principle that a child learns through
experience.
Behavior of
Children
There is always a busy hum of
activity in a Montessori classroom because the use of the materials involves
many motions; walking, carrying, pouring, speaking and particularly the
constant using of the hands. However, all activity is guided by a respect for
the teacher, a respect for the work of others, and a respect for the
materials themselves. Dr. Montessori never equated goodness with silence and
immobility. Self-discipline, she felt, should be acquired gradually through
absorption in meaningful work. When a child becomes vitally interested in a
particular classroom activity, his behavior almost always matures. If a child
misbehave in a Montessori classroom, the teacher usually helps him to select
work which will more fully absorb his attention.
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Why Mixed Age
Groups?
If
classroom equipment is to be challenging enough to provoke a learning response,
it must be properly matched to the standard which an individual child has
already developed in his past experience. This experience is so varied that
the most satisfying choice can usually be made only by the child himself. The
Montessori classroom offers him the opportunity to choose from a wide variety
of graded materials. The child can grow as his interests lead him from one
level of complexity to another. Having children ages three through six
together permits the younger children a graded series of models for
imitation, and the older ones an opportunity to reinforce their own knowledge
by helping the younger ones.
Non-Competitive
Atmosphere
Because
the children work individually with the materials, there is no competition in
the Montessori classroom. Each child relates only to his own previous work,
and his progress is not compared to the achievements of other youngsters. Dr.
Montessori believed that competition in education should be introduced only
after the child has gained confidence in the use of the basic skills. “Never
let a child risk failure.” She wrote, “Until he has a reasonable chance of
success.”
Using Montessori
at Home
The
return on your investment in Montessori will be enhanced if there is
consistency between your home and your child’s classroom. This does not mean
putting Montessori materials in your living room. It means adopting the
Montessori perspective. With this perspective your attitudes, your pace, your
expectations and the limits you establish for your child will be in keeping
with the principals that Maria Montessori developed for her teachers
principles that came from her lifelong observation of the nature of children.
To gain this perspective you can read Montessori’s writings, attend parent
information meetings at school, and/or join a Montessori discussion group.
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The Impact of
Montessori for a Life Time
The
habit and skills which a child develops in a Montessori class are good for a
lifetime. They will help him work more efficiently, observe more carefully,
and concentrate more effectively, no matter where he goes. If he is in a
stimulating environment, whether at home or at school, his self-education,
which is the only real education, will continue.
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