The Montessori Philosophy
The Montessori method of teaching young children began in the early 1900's, when Maria Montessori began studying exactly how children learned. She soon realized that children experience learning differently than adults. Dr. Montessori used the term "absorbent mind" to describe the way in which young children learn without direct teaching. Speech is an example of this effortless and unconscious learning. A child learns to speak clearly and with proper syntax without formal training. The mind simply absorbs the information.
Armed with this knowledge, Dr. Montessori began learning from the children she observed and soon formed conclusions that developed the foundation of the Montessori method. She learned that when submersed in an environment of liberty, order and respect, the children became thoroughly involved in learning on their own, with very little interference from the teachers. According to Dr. Montessori, "to catch the excitement inherent in discovery, no matter how small that discovery and to know deep down that he did it himself because he felt the need to understand and conquer a problem" spells success for a child.
In the Montessori classroom, the children are free to move around the classroom and choose work that appeals to them. They are allowed to work with their material as long as they would like and are not forced to share their chosen material. Montessori believed a child must learn independence and each child is given objectives he can achieve and does not have others do things he can do for himself.
The Montessori teacher's primary goal is to act as a good observer. Children must not be rewarded for good work nor are there punishments for poor work. The teacher should not criticize or interfere with a child's work. The teacher is there to guide the children. Montessori firmly believed that the "conscious will is a power which develops with use and activity."
Basic Montessori classroom rules that the children need to observe are:
- They only walk in the classroom
- They must wait until other children have returned an activity to its place before they can use it themselves.
- They must never hit.
- They must always use inside voices.
- They do not interrupt teachers or classmates if they are speaking.
- They must always clean up their own work and return materials to where they belong.
- They must always show respect to everything and everyone in the classroom.
It is very important that the teacher models the behavior she expects from the children. She must reinforce positive behavior, and remind children when they are not acting appropriately.
For more information on the Montessori method and philosophy please visit these websites:
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