Montessori Home Preschool,Olathe Kansas

What is Montessori?

"You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself."

The above quotation from Galileo captures the essence of the philosophy, which takes its name from its originator. Born in 1870, Maria Montessori was Italy's first female doctor. She was also an educator, working initially with retarded children. She developed new methods and materials, and soon these children were scoring higher on standardized tests than the public school children. Eventually Dr. Montessori became the director of a day care center in a housing project because she was curious to see how "normal" children would respond to her approach. The outcome surprised many observers. These children, formerly destructive and bored, blossomed in an environment that encouraged learning and self-discovery. Dr. Montessori articulated tenets of child development that are universal. These principles, although applied differently, are effective for bright, normal, or retarded children regardless of socio-economic background.

Maria Montessori's philosophy drives from the notion of the child as an individual who is on a journey of self-discovery, creating the adult she is to become. An integral part of the child's journey is the desire to learn about her environment. The child has what Montessori termed "an absorbent mind." The child is capable of effortlessly acquiring knowledge of her surroundings. The child's acquisition of language is a good example: she is not taught her native tongue through the conscious effort of an adult. Given this "absorbent mind," it is easy to see why a stimulating environment can have such an impact on the child. The child is naturally interested in her environment and has an intrinsic desire not only to learn about it but also to achieve competence in it.

How is the Montessori philosophy applied?

Montessori’s recognition of the child’s “absorbent mind” led her to rethink the approach and structure used in the educational environment. She prepared an orderly setting, one in which the child could sort out her chaos of impressions. She arranged materials in sequence to challenge the child but not to overwhelm her. Montessori created an atmosphere that fostered self-education based on intrinsic motivation. The Montessori classroom structure differs from the traditional classroom in several ways. The classroom is divided into distinct areas — daily living, sensorial, math, language, art, and music. The learning materials are arranged on shelves; appropriate materials are available to all of the children. The child is free to choose the activities which interest her, moving from concrete experiences to the more abstract. Montessori’s approach emphasizes “hands-on” or manipulative activities, since book work and “lectures” generate a minimum of interest in the young child. This approach also provides an outlet for her abundant energy.

The learning materials in the Montessori environment are referred to as “work,” not toys. The child works with the materials rather than plays with them. This terminology gives the activities added dignity. The child enjoys calling her activities “work” as she can identify with the work her parents perform. In addition, the child sees that purposeful work can be enjoyable. The child finds the work gratifying because she determines what she wants to do. The child is not subjected to materials for which she is not ready or in which she has no interest. Through her choices she reveals herself. By observation the teacher can determine interests and abilities. The joy is in the doing rather than in the end product. Many times a child works hard on a project only to forget to take it home at the end of the day. Moreover, the results of much of the child’s work are intangible.

The Montessori materials incorporate a control of error. This means that the child can correct a mistake she may make. For example, if she fails to return all of the cylinders to the correct holes in the cylinder block, she will have one that does not fit. She, then, can figure out how to overcome this difficulty without unnecessary intervention on the part of the teacher.

Discipline is closely allied with constructive work in the Montessori environment. When the child is involved with an activity, she is not interested in causing a disturbance. Also, when a child is forced to participate in a group activity which disinterests her, she rebels. Removing this obstacle removes the need to rebel. In addition, the child does not feel the need to divert attention from her inabilities since she is working at her own pace. The role of the Montessori teacher is to help the child create the adult she is to become. The teacher prepares the educational environment and directs activities. She is not the center of the activity, rather, the child is. She familiarizes the child with the materials that are available and works with the child when she needs assistance. The teacher constantly observes the whole environment, making any necessary changes in its preparation.

Source: A Children’s Habitat Montessori Preschool and Kindergarten. 25 November 2006.
www.childrens-habitat.org/pages/montessori.htm