"The secret to good teaching is to regard the child's intelligence as a
fertile field in which seeds may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming
imagination."
-Dr. Maria Montessori
As and educational approach, the Montessori method's focus is on the individuality of each child in respect of their needs or talents The child controls the pace, topic and repetition of lessons independent of the rest of the class or of the teacher Children who experience the joy of learning are believed to be happy, confident, and fulfilled.
Another
emphasis of the Montessori method is independence, which is encouraged by
teaching a child "practical life" skills. Montessori preschool
children learn to dress themselves, help cook, clean, put their toys and
clothes away and play an active part of their household, neighborhood and
school.
Some Comparisons
of Montessori Education with Traditional Education
More information at
http://www.montessori-namta
|
Traditional Classroom |
Montessori Environment |
|
Same age grouping |
Mixed age grouping |
|
Fewer materials for sensory development and concrete manipulation |
Multi-sensory materials for physical exploration. |
| Emphasis on knowledge and social development | Emphasis on cognitive structure and social development. |
| Teacher's role is dominant, active; child is a passive participant. | Teacher's role is unobtrusive; child actively participates in learning. |
| Product-focused report cards | Process-focused assessment, skills checklists, mastery benchmarks |
| The teacher does most teaching; collaboration is discouraged. | Children are encouraged to teach, collaborate, and help each other. |
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