Why Montessori?
Why Us?
WHY MONTESSORI?
Children are innately interested in learning about the world around them. Through their natural curiosity, they can develop themselves. By providing an environment that supports natural development, an authentic Montessori education enables children to develop the fundamental capacities needed to become happy and fulfilled adults who contribute to society.
AUTHENTIC MONTESSORI EDUCATION
The hallmark of authentic Montessori education is founded on nurturing and cultivating the child’s natural desire to learn by:
- Creating student-centered learning environments that are prepared, adaptive, and responsive to student needs.
- Providing hands-on, concrete experiences with specifically designed Montessori materials.
- Encouraging exploration, problem-solving and creative reasoning as part of the learning process.
- Supporting the development of the whole child, socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically.
- Fostering intrinsic motivation by focusing on process rather than product.
- Offering multi-aged groupings and social settings as a community within each classroom.
- Focusing on cooperation, collaboration, and mutual respect.
- Promoting “freedom within limits” by providing opportunities for self-directed choices within an ordered and structured framework.
- Nurturing independence, leadership, responsibility, and self-reliance.
- Comparisons of Authentic Montessori Education with Traditional Education.
Ten BIG Differences between Montessori and Traditional Education
THE PREPARED ENVIRONMENT
Montessori classrooms are prepared in advance based on observations of each students’ individual needs. They include student-centered lessons and activities. Traditional classrooms are based on teacher-centered lessons or activities. In the Montessori preschool classroom, the room is divided into five subject areas: Practical Life, Language, Mathematics, Sensorial Development, and Culture & Sciences. The classroom is organized and uncluttered to avoid distraction and emphasize that this is a learning space. While traditional classrooms use bright colors, posters, and decorations to try and excite children, Montessori classrooms aim to stimulate children’s minds with quality Lessons.
GIVE THEM SOME TIME
In the Montessori classroom, children work on lessons as long as need be, without any interruptions, whenever possible. In traditional classrooms, arbitrary schedules mandate time limitations.
MONTESSORI TEACHERS MODEL RESPECT
Interruptions are minimal because Montessori teachers model respect for a child’s concentration. Teachers allow students to finish what they’re doing when they are deeply engaged in their lessons. Unlike traditional classrooms who direct students through each activity, regardless of their interest level. Montessori avoids interrupting children’s workflow as much as possible.
THE TEACHERS' ROLE
Montessori teachers act as guides and consultants to students on a one-on-one basis. They assist each child on their learning path. Traditionally, the pace and order of each lesson are predetermined. The teacher must deliver the same lesson, at the same pace, in the same order for all of the students.
MONTESSORI TEACHERS FOLLOW THE CHILDREN
Rather than preparing a child for the classroom, teachers prepare the classroom for the child. By observing children and taking note of their interests and levels of understanding, Montessori teachers unveil the unique potential in every child. They keep a record of the improvements, readiness, and subject interests to draw on the information later when preparing the curriculum for the day.
AGE GROUP AND GRADE-LEVELS
In Montessori schools, “grade levels” are flexible and determined by the child’s developmental range, i.e., 0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, 12-15, and 15-18 years of age. In traditional schools, grade levels are not flexible and strictly defined by chronological age within a twelve-month period.
PACE YOURSELF
The individual child’s work pace is honored and encouraged in the Montessori classroom. Traditional classrooms expect all children to work at the same rate. The Montessori philosophy’s main difference is its emphasis on being child-centered. What does that mean? Children all develop at different rates, and they have different strengths and interests. While in traditional education, every child in the class must follow one path set out by the teacher, a Montessori education follows the individual child’s interests using observation.
SELF-MADE SELF-ESTEEM
Montessorians understand that the child’s self-esteem comes from an internal sense of pride in his or her own accomplishments. In traditional classrooms, self-esteem is thought to come from external judgment and validation.
FOR THE LOVE OF LEARNING
Montessori curricula are intended to appeal to the child’s innate hunger for knowledge. Children learn to love learning. Traditional curricula focus on standardized test performance and grades. Children learn because it is mandatory.
CHANGE IS GOOD
The Montessori Method created by Maria Montessori is based on a lifetime of study and observation with regards to the way children really learn. Traditional education is based on…well…tradition.
If you are interested in learning more about Montessori education, we welcome you to visit http://amshq.org, an information-rich website. Watch our powerful webinars (free and professional development), an excellent website for teachers or parents seeking a complete understanding of Montessori Education.
If you are interested in learning more about Montessori education, we welcome you to visit http://amshq.org, an information-rich website. Watch our powerful webinars (free and professional development), an excellent website for teachers or parents seeking a complete understanding of Montessori Education.
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