About Montessori Method
120 years ago, the concepts of Maria Montessori, first female medical doctor of Italy, revolutionized the way the world saw small children. She developed a scientific system of education implemented today in almost all countries, synonymous with pre-school (kindergarten).
She refers to the mind of the child between three and six years of age as the ABSORBENT MIND. By absorbing surroundings through sensorial exploration, the child constructs his memory, his power to understand, his ability to think. He forms himself and his personality. Mother Nature has gifted him, the second he was conceived, with the necessary powers to be the constructor of the adult.
All he needs is a rich environment which fulfils his inner urge to develop. The method, then, consists in preparing this environment, displaying didactic materials, proposing individual instructions by a trained teacher… and let the child progress at his own pace.
Apparatuses have been designed by Montessori to bring out the hidden learning power of the child. The have a built-in “Control of Error” which enables him to judge by himself of his performance and learn from mistakes.
A Montessori class is equipped with an extensive array of such apparatuses. They are classified into:
Sensorial materials – Language materials – Arithmetic materials …etc. Each of them has been scientifically thought by Maria Montessori to add a piece of knowledge each time it is manipulated and answer a question each time the child conceives one. Through the use of sensorial materials for instance, children learn to classify impressions and to grade them. They do this by touching, seeing, smelling, tasting, listening, exploring the physical properties.
The role of a trained teacher is that of an observer whose goal is to intervene less and less as the child develops. The child has to achieve his goals by himself, the adult cannot do it for him. The role of “moulding” the child is that of Nature and of the child himself. Knowing how to observe and when to intervene (and how much) is one of the most important talents the Montessori teacher acquires during his training.
The highly successful concept Maria Montessori has brought to the world is that literacy alone is not sufficient to educate a person.Literacy is transmitted, often imposed, by the school. It is foreign to the person, like food is foreign to the stomach. To be digested, all the other organs of the body must be functioning. A well educated person is the one who has got the opportunity to develop his personality, that seed put in him at conception and which achieves 80% of its growth before the age of 8.
The Montessori Method is a gardener who encourages the development of the best human tendencies of that seed: order, independence, concentration, self-discipline, confidence, respect… all of these golden branches of a tree whose name is PEACE, the tree of True Life.
Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori (1870-1952) was an Italian physician, educator, and innovator. She is best known for developing the Montessori method of education, which has had a significant impact on early childhood education worldwide.
Born on August 31, 1870, in Chiaravalle, Italy, Maria Montessori defied societal norms of the time by pursuing higher education and studying medicine. In 1896, she became the first woman in Italy to earn a medical degree.
Montessori's work with children began in the early 1900s when she was appointed as a physician to work in a mental institution in Rome. During her time there, she developed a keen interest in the development and education of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her observations led her to develop innovative educational techniques and materials to help these children learn and develop skills.
In 1907, Montessori opened the first Casa dei Bambini, or "Children's House," in a poor neighborhood in Rome. This marked the beginning of the Montessori method. Her approach emphasized creating a carefully prepared environment with materials that facilitated independent learning and exploration. Montessori's methods yielded remarkable results, as children in her classrooms showed exceptional progress and achieved levels of academic and social success that were previously thought to be unattainable. Word of Montessori's success spread rapidly, and her educational approach gained recognition and popularity internationally. She traveled extensively, giving lectures and training teachers in the Montessori method. Montessori schools began to emerge around the world, and her teachings influenced educational practices in numerous countries. Maria Montessori continued to refine her educational approach throughout her life. She wrote several books, including "The Montessori Method" and "The Absorbent Mind," which detailed her philosophy and methods. She also established the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) in 1929 to promote and preserve the integrity of her approach. Maria Montessori passed away on May 6, 1952, but her legacy lives on. Today, Montessori education is widely recognized and practiced globally, and her ideas continue to inspire educators and parents to provide children with environments that foster independence, curiosity, and a love for learning.