The Montessori Method

MONTESSORI PHILOSOPHY

Our philosophy is based on the ideas of Dr. Maria Montessori who believed strongly in the contributions to humanity that the child could make. Believing that in order to create peace one must start with the child, she designed a prepared environment in which the child was free to develop. Children are given freedom to work at their own pace. They may choose to work with a group of children, individually, or with a partner. Children are encouraged to help one another, and the older children tend to lead the younger ones. The teacher acts as facilitator and keen observer to aid the natural development of the child. Ultimately, children develop a sense of pride in their work and guide themselves to success. Our goal is to create students who love to learn and are joyful in their work.

MONTESSORI COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL TEACHING METHODS

Montessori Method	Traditional Teaching
Emphasis is on cognitive, social and emotional development	Emphasis is on cognitive development
Multi-sensory materials for physical exploration	Fewer materials for sensory development
Environment and method encourage self-discipline and problem solving strategies	Teacher is primary enforcer of discipline mostly through forms of punishment
Mixed age grouping provides the child with a sense of community where children work to help and teach each other	Same age grouping
Children are able to work together cooperatively	Cooperative grouping is minimal
Teacher (directress) is a facilitator	Teacher is in control
Mainly individual and small group instruction	Mainly group instruction
Child chooses own work, with encouragement from teacher	Set curriculum is structured for the child
Child can work where he chooses, move around, eat snack, and talk when he desires, as long as he is not disturbing the work of others.	Child must usually sit in chair, not talk to friends, eat only at lunchtime, and work on set work
Child discovers own concepts from self-teaching (didactic) materials	Child is guided to concepts by the teacher
Child may work at own learning pace	Instruction pace is usually set by group norm
Child works as long as he needs on a chosen project	Child is generally allotted specific time for work on a specific project or assignment Projects usually chosen by the teacher
Child reinforces own learning by repetition of work with intrinsic feelings of success. Learning is its own reward	Learning is reinforced extrinsically by repetition and rewards. Teachers work to motivate the child to learn
Materials are self-correcting. Child spots own errors from feedback of material	If work is corrected, errors usually are pointed out by the teacher
Organized program for learning care of self and environment in order to develop independence. Washing hands, sweeping floor, polishing shoes	Less Emphasis on self-care instruction
Organized program for parents to understand the Montessori philosophy and participate in the learning process	Voluntary parent involvement

Montessori Videos

OTHER MONTESSORI PARENT RESOURCES

American Montessori Society

Montessori Parent & Teacher Blog

Montessori Parent Education Blog

Montessori Books

Books for Montessori Children

Our Peaceful Classroom by Aline D. Wolf
I am a Montessori Kid by Valorie Veld
The Peace Rose by Alicia Jewell
Jack Goes to Montessori School by Allyson Collins & Lindsey R. Smith

Books for Parents New to Montessori

Montessori Madness by Trevor Eissler
Practical Guide to Montessori at Home by Julia Palmarola
How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin

Books for Parents Ready to Learn More

The Absorbent Mind by Maria Montessori
Montessori: A Modern Approach by Paula Pork Lillard
Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius by Angeline Stoll Lillard

Montessori Articles

Debunking Some Common Montessori Myths

The name Montessori can mean many different things to different people. The number of myths and misconceptions...

I've Got 5 Minutes. Explain Montessori to Me.

Montessori philosophy is as vast and deep as the ocean. Start by going to the beach. Feel the wind on your cheeks and listen to the waves crash. It's okay that you don't get it all at once.