Dr. Maria Montessori was born in 1870 in Chiaravalle (Ancona), Italy, and was a physician, humanitarian, philosopher, and educator. Her life’s work was dedicated to educating children by studying not how to present adult material better, but how to present information to them in the way that they learn best. An exquisitely intelligent and creative woman, Maria Montessori was the first woman to ever graduate from the University of Rome La Sapienza Medical School, making her also the first woman doctor in Italy.
Montessori took an interest in the education of children deemed deficient by other educators, and when her children took the reading and writing exams, they actually did better than average. This Montessori Miracle was only the beginning, spurring Montessori to research how her special curriculum might be of benefit to normal children as well.
The Montessori curriculum is coming into ever more popularity today, more than fifty years after the passing of this historic educator. The Montessori method involves allowing children to teach themselves, with the teacher falling more into the role of guide or director rather than a lecturer or teacher.
Children who are educated in the Montessori way are allowed to direct their own activities in an environment where content is key. These children are encouraged to play, learn, and expand on their skill sets within special areas of their classrooms on equipment and toys that are specially designed and chosen to assist the children with their self-education.
Those who work or spend a lot of time with children know that they are not just adults in miniature, but actually have a very different way of looking at the world. Instead of bending their minds to try to force them to learn the way adults learn, those who work within the Montessori method actually present information and hands on activities that allow children to absorb information in the way that is most natural to them. This sensorial, hands-on method of teaching, especially at the preschool level, is unusual in modern thought, but highly effective.
Children are not tested or graded within the Montessori method, but are given feedback and analysis that helps them to build upon their skills and activities. Their strengths, weaknesses, and achievements are all assessed, and children are helped to improve upon their weaknesses. The guiding teachers do not lecture, but rather assist and allow the children to learn at their own pace, and children involved in the intense concentration of discovery are not to be interrupted.
The Montessori classroom is unique in appearance because the method helps children to learn in an entirely unique way. The atmosphere is pleasant and is designed to be attractive to children, and is preferably designed so as to allow access to the outdoors at any given time, although this is often difficult in modern classrooms. Classrooms that cannot allow unrestricted access to the outdoors might bring nature inside instead, with plants, small pets, and other natural samples.
There are six areas in the Montessori classroom. The first is the practical life area, where children learn about caring for themselves, each other, and their environment with toys that teach them how to do things like fasten a button, tie a knot, polish items, pour and scoop, etc. Their play mimics practical life behaviors, and the children teach themselves skills that will serve them all their lives.
The sensorial section of the classroom allow children to explore sensorial materials designed to help the child refine his or her senses, one at a time. Children are given sets of color tablets, for example, that are identical except for the color, helping children to learn their colors without the added confusion of classifications like varying shapes, sizes, or textures. (For example, pointing out the blue sky and a green leaf might confuse a child when they are asked to identify a blue balloon or green sneakers.)
Many of the items in the sensorial area can be carried over to the mathematical area, especially in later curriculum. This other area of the classroom takes concrete objects and uses them to help children understand what are often abstract concepts, especially with the use of their familiar sensorial materials.
Another area of the classroom is science. In addition to the natural part of the classroom, the science area allows a child to take full advantage of his or her own curiosity. They learn about animals and plants, and then about the parts of the animals and plants, going where their natural love of learning takes them.
In the language area, children learn about language and letter sounds through all of their senses, including tactile and visual. As things go on into later years, they learn about grammar and story writing.
Part of the classroom is also dedicated to cultural studies. There, children can learn about other cultures all around the world, understanding early on the ideas of continents, countries, states, and the geography of our world. By learning about the offerings of other cultures, children come to appreciate diversity.
These areas of study, when combined, form the miracle of the Montessori method, which offers a unique and amazing way for students to learn.
