Montessori Academy views education as an aid and a preparation for life. We believe that every child is capable of achieving their full potential, when provided with the right environment, materials and guidance.
Introduction to Montessori Education
The Montessori Method takes a child-centred approach to learning that is focused on self-directed activity and hands-on learning. The Method is scientifically based on the key developmental stages children move through from birth to adulthood. It is designed to support and nurture children’s needs and interests by providing them with learning experiences suited to their stage of development. As Doctor Maria Montessori states: “Education is a natural process carried out by the child, and is not acquired by listening to words, but by experiences in the environment.”Montessori Classrooms
Montessori classrooms are beautifully crafted environments that are designed to meet the needs of children in a specific age range. The role of the Montessori teacher within this environment is to observe and guide each student on their unique development journey. The focus is on children learning and leading, not on teachers teaching. In addition, the Montessori teacher presents the Montessori activities to the children. As a result, children learn by watching the presentations, and then completing the activities on their own.In the Montessori classroom, children make independent choices, enjoy freedom of movement, and are guided towards a love of learning. Children work individually, or in small groups, using self-correcting educational materials. Most unique about these materials is that each has been specifically designed to isolate one skill or concept. In effect, this self-correcting quality allows children to discover the outcome of the materials independently, and at their own pace.
Montessori Materials
The Montessori materials match children’s interests with the five Montessori curriculum areas. These include: practical life, sensorial, mathematics, language and culture. Through interest-based experiences, children learn to develop key knowledge areas and skills that assist with their social, cognitive, physical and emotional development. In effect, the Montessori materials teach children how to problem solve, work together, correct their own work.Montessori education has been time tested with more than 100 years of success in diverse cultural and socioeconomic contexts across the world. Its success endures because it is scientifically based on how children learn; they learn experientially. Everything about Montessori is focused on teaching children to develop the knowledge and skills they need to achieve their potential.
