Only you can know what kind of preschool is right for your child. The
good news is that many programs, such as the Montessori Method, offer
research and evidence supporting their techniques. If you’re considering
Montessori for your child, read on to discover 10 benefits of their
educational philosophy.
1. Focuses on Key Developmental Stages
A Montessori curriculum focuses on key developmental milestones in
children between the ages of three and five-years-old. Younger children
focus on honing large muscle and language skills. Four-year-olds work on
fine motor skills and completing everyday activities, such as cooking
and arts and crafts. Older preschoolers broaden their learning
experience to their communities, through trips and special events.
2. Encourages Cooperative Play
Because the teacher does not “run” the classroom, students guide the
activities they do throughout the day. This encourages children to share
and work cooperatively to explore the various stations in the
Montessori classroom. Children in Montessori classrooms, by the very
nature of the environment, learn to respect one another and build a
sense of community.
3. Learning Is Child-Centered
Montessori preschool students enjoy a classroom and curriculum
designed around their specific needs and abilities that allows them to
explore and learn at their own pace and on their own terms. Everything
in the classroom is within reach of the child, and furniture is sized
for children to sit comfortably. In addition, older children in the
class work with the younger ones, so mentoring comes as much from peers
as it does from the adult teachers in the classroom.
4. Children Naturally Learn Self-Discipline
While the Montessori Method allows children to choose the activities
they want to work on each day, and how long they will work at a specific
task, there are specific “ground rules” for the class that are
consistently enforced by the teacher and other students. This
environment naturally teaches children self-discipline, and it refines
important skills like concentration, self-control and motivation.
5. Classroom Environment Teaches Order
All objects and activities have precise locations on the shelves of a
Montessori classroom. When children are finished with an activity, they
place items back into their appropriate places. This sense of order
helps facilitate the learning process, teaches self-discipline, and
caters to a young child’s innate need for an orderly environment. When
children work and play in an area that is neat and predictable, they can
unleash their creativity and focus fully on the learning process.
6. Teachers Facilitate the Learning Experience
Teachers in the Montessori classroom are “guides” that are there to
facilitate the learning experience, rather than determine what it will
look like. Teachers take the lead from the children in the classroom,
ensure the ground rules are followed, and encourage students to perform
tasks at their own pace. However, teachers do not determine the pace of
the classroom – that is strictly up to individual students, as teachers
strive to remain as unobtrusive as possible.
7. Learning Method Inspires Creativity
Since children are allowed to choose their activities and work at
them on their own terms, creativity in the classroom is encouraged.
Children work at tasks for the joy of the work, rather than the end
result, which allows them to focus more on process than result – a
natural path to creativity. Exposure to a wide variety of cultures also
encourages children to broaden their thinking about the world and
address those concepts in a variety of ways.
8. May be More Effective in Developing Certain Skills
Research conducted by Dr. Angeline Lillard, a professor of psychology
from the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, examined the
abilities of children who have been taught in a Montessori school.
Published in 2006 in the journal Science, the research studied
Montessori students in Wisconsin and found that five-year-olds in
Montessori classrooms had higher math and reading skills than their
counterparts in public schools. In addition, the study compared
12-year-old Montessori and non-Montessori students. While math and
reading skills appeared to be more on par with this age group, social
development appeared to be higher in Montessori students by this age.
9. System is Highly Individualized to Each Student
Students in the Montessori program are allowed to explore activities
and concepts at their own pace. This naturally encourages children to
try more challenging areas, which accelerates their learning experience.
Learning occurs at a comfortable pace for each student, rather than
inflicting the same rate on every student in a classroom.
10. Curriculum Focused on Hands-On Learning
One of the greatest benefits of the Montessori Method, particularly
during the early learning experience, is the focus on hands-on learning.
The emphasis is on concrete, rather than abstract learning, as students
work on activities that teach language, math, culture and practical
life lessons. Teachers encourage students to concentrate on tasks, and
they discourage students from interrupting one another, allowing
students to focus on activities until they are properly mastered.
There are many potential benefits of a Montessori preschool for
children just starting out in the education process. These important
early years prepare a student for the learning experience that is to
come, whether they continue with the Montessori Method or move to a
public classroom environment in the future.