A Montessori
school is a special place for the child to cultivate his/her own natural
desire to learn. The Montessori philosophy for child development was
first formulated by Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician, during
the early 1900's. Dr. Montessori's program for education focuses on
the natural development of the whole child from birth through maturity.
Children 2 to 6 years of age are the focus of most Montessori educational
programs. The concept allows children to experience the joy of learning
at an early age and provides an environment in which intellectual, moral,
creative, physical, and social growth flourish.
Children have a sense of the worth
and value of what they desire. They choose all activities eagerly and
spontaneously, and become totally involved. The work process involves
attaining skills, refining tastes, developing sensitivities, strengthening
concentration, solving problems, building self-esteem, and achieving
new insights.
Sensitive age periods are described as periods
when the child shows unusual capabilities in acquiring specific skills.
Another name for this phenomenon might be "formative years"
in which a child is psychologically attuned to acquire given ideas or
skills more readily than at any other period. Examples of the "sensitive
periods" are for acquiring a sense of order, between 2 1/2 to 3
1/2 years of age for the average child, for precise movement and coordination,
2 1/2 to 4 years, for writing, 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 years and for reading
and numbers, 4 to 5 years of age. Recent studies show that 80% of a
child's mental development is complete by the age of seven.
A child can work with older children in one subject, younger children
in another, and still have social interaction with children his or her
own age. Mixed age groups permit younger children a graded series of
models for imitation, and older children have the opportunity to reinforce
their own knowledge by helping the younger ones.
Montessori is based on a profound respect for the child's personality.
The child works from his own free choice and is allowed a large measure
of independence. This forms the basis of self-discipline. As each child
progresses at his own pace and successfully completes the self-correcting
exercises, he develops confidence in his ability to understand his accomplishments.
Discipline is a prerequisite condition for learning. Montessori discipline
is an "inner discipline" and inner control which the child
develops from his or her own behavior and in conjunction with his or
her home environment. Dr. Montessori noted that many so-called undisciplined
children were really frustrated by the lack of proper stimulation and
an inadequate opportunity to achieve. She noted that young people became
happier and more self-controlled after a period of time in a Montessori
class. They experienced challenging tasks which not only absorbed their
energies, but resulted in a sense of achievement.
The Montessori approach is designed to assist the child in acquiring
the social skills and self-confidence which are needed to fulfill his
own potential. This is accomplished by building on interests, nurturing
enthusiasm and making activities available to fit individual needs.
