Shalom Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori, Italy's first woman physician, developed a unique approach to the education of young children through scientific observation and rigorous experimentation. Noticing children's motivation towards independence and their innate desire to learn, she designed an environment scaled to the child and capitalizing on developmental periods of sensitivity to certain stimuli.

 Each and every exercise, piece of equipment and method Montessori developed was based on what she observed children doing naturally by themselves. Through this, she developed the "follow the child" theory. Children will learn and retain appropriate actions, behaviors, language, and skills if they are interested in what they are doing and if the environment lends itself to these periods of interest. Each piece of Montessori equipment provides a concrete experience from which a child absorbs basic concepts necessary for success in our complex society.  The child learns by doing and teaches himself through the use of self-correcting materials.

 By allowing the child to choose the materials which fulfill the inner needs of each sensitive period, the Montessori Method gives each child the individualized opportunity to learn at his own pace and maximize his potential. A child's brain is like a sponge. Children, in general, have a need to explore and touch everything in order to learn through discovery. Because they want to touch everything, they have a high interest in most things that stimulate all their senses, such as smells, colors, tastes, etc.

Children have a need for order as they feel most confident and comfortable when they know where things belong. The Montessori environment offers children the best chance to learn as they have the freedom to explore the materials, move about the room and encounter social situations with other children. Once children have been given the tools and basic information to use a range of materials constructively, they choose for themselves which materials they would like to work with and can work independently with them. Within this freedom, the classroom still maintains more structure and order than traditional methods. In this type of an environment, children are able to work at their own pace which allows for the development of independence, self-discipline, concentration and self confidence.

People often ask why Montessori classrooms are made up of mixed ages. This serves a developmental purpose for the child. The younger children have the opportunity to see what the older children are doing which prepares their interest for that lesson in the future. The older children are able to give lessons to the younger children, reinforcing what they have been learning. Through social encounters, children learn to take responsibility for themselves and their work. They learn to respect themselves, each other, and the materials; basically their whole environment. Maintaining the classroom becomes a routine that they all take part in and enjoy. The Montessori classroom becomes a thriving community in which everyone takes pride in everything they do.

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The ungraded classroom and mixed age grouping provides a family atmosphere and natural social interactions. The older children are role models for the younger and take pride in aiding them in following classroom rules and using new materials. The children are free to spontaneously organize group activities, relate to older and younger children as well as their own peers, and seek friends on their own level of maturity and intellectual development. This non-competitive, non-judgmental method has a dual purpose. In addition to specific information and academic skills, the child develops self-confidence, self-reliance and a love of learning for its own sake.

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The skills, work habits, and character traits fostered by a Montessori education easily transfer to a traditional school situation because the child has been encouraged to be independent in his mastery of skills and a concrete foundation has been laid for the demands of the elementary grades. The three most important (all equally important) elements are the child, the teacher and the materials. The teacher should work to perfect the environment and materials for the child. She serves as a bridge between the child and the child's discovery of what the materials have to offer. The child works to perfect him/herself and in doing so, should gain a great sense of self-pride and confidence. The teacher surrounds the children with peace, goodness, respect, and the children will absorb these qualities as well. The Montessori teacher acts as a guide to the child, neither imposing inappropriate tasks nor abandoning the child to his or her still incompletely controlled impulses. This is accomplished by responding to each individual child at his or her level of ability, readiness and interest on a one-to-one basis... a startling concept in this era of mass education and conformity.

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The program of learning is carefully sequenced and builds from the simplest exercises done upon entry to complex tasks involving more academic subjects. A Montessori School is neither a babysitting service nor a play school which prepares a child for traditional schools. Rather, it is an educational institution which reflects a total approach to the child which is based on respect for the needs and motivations of this unique period of life - spiritually, physically and socially.