THE PHILOSOPHY
Maria Montessori, often considered the first female physician in Italy, innovated the Montessori approach to education. The Montessori method concentrates on the specific developmental needs of the child. Montessori believed that everyone learns differently, and at their own pace. She created a new type of classroom, a prepared environment, to accommodate and stimulate the individual interests of her students. The Montessori method has successfully been practiced for over a century. Here, at Baan Dek, we’re proud to recognize and carry on that tradition.
THE APPROACH
The paradox of education is that once you learn something new, you disrupt the way things once were. What makes Montessori so relevant today, is that it prepares children for real world experiences. The focus is not on how to memorize, recite, or even how to solve a problem, but instead how to think through, understand, and ultimately invent new questions, for tasks yet to be determined. In a very real way, we believe that Montessori was the only system of education adequately prepared to address the unique challenges of the twenty-first century.
Montessori Independence
If there is one trait that exemplifies the success of a Montessori school, it is that their students are creative, socially responsible, and highly independent. If independence is coveted above all else, it is because it creates the freedom that is needed to develop both academically and socially. Essentially, Montessori helps children to think and act for themselves, independently and with the courage of thought.
The Origin
One way to describe the history of Montessori is to share her scientific observations. She witnessed that children were born with a natural propensity to learn. They didn’t need to be forced, or instructed, they only needed to be taken seriously, and offered the opportunity to learn spontaneously, in accordance with their own interests. When you meet the individual, developmental needs of children, they are empowered to teach themselves.
Programs
The Montessori method, philosophy and materials help satisfy the natural tendency of children to follow their interests. As they actively explore the classroom, an emphasis is placed on process, rather than product, and children develop a sense of order, independence, and concentration, as they participate in a community of learners. In a phrase, Montessori offers children the opportunity to form a concrete appreciation of abstract concepts.
Accredited
One of the most important things to
consider when choosing Montessori, is if the Montessori school that you
are interested in is certified and if the teachers are Montessori
trained. Anyone can use the Montessori name, as Montessori never
patented her method, so it’s important to research the qualifications of
the school. Baan Dek is the first and only accredited Association
Montessori Internationale in the state of South Dakota.
Practical Life
Practical Life, often
considered the bedrock of Montessori, serves as a wonderful transition
from home to school. Laying the foundations for later work, and building
upon current skills, children learn the rhythm of the classroom. By
means of a series of activities, from pouring a glass of water to
learning how to tie shoelaces, children are afforded the opportunity to
discover their independence.
Sensorial
As Montessori believed,
and science continues to corroborate, children come to develop an
appreciation of the world via their senses. They taste, hear, smell,
touch and see, as they navigate their surrounds. At this formative age,
they don’t yet have the means to classify what they encounter. The
Sensorial area will help children organize their thoughts, as they work
to refine their senses.
Language
One of the many unique
traits of Montessori is how children come to learn language. Since
sounds are the first things children hear, even before they know how to
speak, or have developed a lexicon of what specific words mean, we start
with phonetics. Emphasis is placed on understanding, as opposed to
memorization, as children learn how to write and read. As Montessori
says, anyone can learn to read Shakespeare, but not everyone can truly
understand.
Math
If there’s one way to
describe Montessori, it’s that the only way to understand the abstract,
is first through the concrete. Nowhere is this more apparent than in
math. Through a series of progressive exercises, children come to
develop a deep and rich appreciation for, and understanding of,
addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, by using physical,
tangible materials.
Culture
As a renaissance woman, Montessori was committed to the idea that children should be well-rounded, both academically and socially. At this formative stage, she felt that children should be introduced to a wide variety of topics. With this in mind, the Cultural area encapsulates science, botany, zoology, history, and geography. Also, art and music, to be sure, play a vital role.
What Makes Montessori Great
- ✓ Emphasis placed on cognition & social formation.
- ✓ Teacher as guide of classroom.
- ✓ Environment and method promote self-discipline.
- ✓ Primarily individual instruction.
- ✓ Teacher encourages collaboration.
- ✓ Mixed-age group of children. Child chooses their own work.
- ✓ Self-teaching materials help child learn concepts.
- ✓ Child is allocated time to complete lessons.
- ✓ Learning pace set by individual student.
- ✓ Internal reinforcement of learning success.
- ✓ Personal feelings of progress.
- ✓ Child is free to work in the classroom.
- ✓ Group participation elective.
- ✓ Self-care learned.
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Visual Encyclopedia
One of the primary reasons there are so many misconceptions about Montessori is because it contains so many layers. Beneath the surface of the activities and materials, an abundance of theories swarm. Over the years, and in a concerted effort to make Montessori more transparent, we’ve collected a series of visuals, to try to extrapolate the rich and fertile soil of Montessori. In many respects, it’s one of those things that needs to be seen, to be believed.
