The Montessori philosophy and scientific method of education is based on facilitating a safe, nurturing, and enriched environment for the child to discover the sheer joy of learning through self-paced exploration of specifically designed educational materials.
The teachers give each child individualized lessons after assessing their interests and sensitive period of learning. The multi-age class allows younger children to also learn from their older peers; this not only makes learning much more effective, but also brings order to the classroom. This 100-year old technique was devised by Italy’s first female medical doctor, Dr. Maria Montessori, and has been accepted around the world.
Why is Montessori Ideal for my Child?
Child-Paced Education
Lessons are mostly given one-on-one between the Montessori-trained teacher and the child, allowing the teacher to choose what is developmentally appropriate for the child. Meanwhile, other children are practicing lessons they have already been taught before.
Materials designed for Age-Appropriate Learning
This scientific method of education is based on our brain development, considering that the way we learn changes as we grow. Preschool aged children love to touch and manipulate everything, and hence the Montessori materials for this age group are designed to be concrete and teach fundamental ideas conceptually. These tactile and sensory materials make learning fun and joyful, exactly as learning should be.
Mixed Age Classrooms
Any family with two or more children can inform you that their young child learnt everything very quickly from the older siblings. Mixed age classrooms allow the young children to imbibe knowledge by observing the older children working on advanced lessons, while also allowing older children to learn how to be responsible good role models to their younger compatriots.
Calm Engagement
The calm nature of a Montessori classroom arises from children who are engaged in a work of their choice rather than the scenario of a traditional classroom, where 10 to 30 children learn the same lesson at the same time irrespective of the differences in their abilities.
Practical Life
Maria Montessori ingeniously recognized that children love emulating adults, and she incorporated simple everyday household tasks as practical life lessons for young children. These lessons engage the young child’s attention, calming overactive children, and help to lengthen their focus and attention span, thereby preparing them for subsequent academic lessons. Hidden academic agenda is typically built into the design and methodology of these apparently simplistic lessons, which also serve to inculcate a sense of order and discipline.