Philosophy

Who was Dr. Montessori and how did she come to establish her education method?
Dr. Maria Montessori, an internationally renowned child educator, was originally a medical doctor who brought the scientific methods of observation, experimentation, and research to the study of children, their development and education. As a doctor, Montessori came to believe that many of the problems of children not achieving their potential were because education was not based upon science. Her first step, then, was to attempt to abandon preconceived ideas about education and to begin a study of children, their development and the process of learning through scientific methods of observation and experimentation. In doing so, she made what she considered to be a number of startling discoveries. Through her research, she discovered that children possessed different and higher qualities than those we usually attribute to them. Among these qualities are:

• Amazing Mental Concentration
  Previously it was believed that children had short attention spans. Dr. Montessori was amazed to observe the length of time that very young children would choose to attend to tasks which interested them.
• Love of Repetition
  On their own, children would choose to practice things they were trying to master over and over again. For example, once a child decides to learn how to tie shoes, the child may tie and untie shoes many times, continuing the repetition until the task is mastered.
• Love of Order
  Whereas we normally think of children as messy, Dr. Montessori found that children have a natural inclination for organization and orderliness. This natural inclination can be helped and developed if provision is made to foster it.
• Freedom of Choice
  Children like to choose the things they do. If materials are set out for children so that they have easy access to them, children will choose, take, and replace them without the need of assistance from an adult.
• Children Prefer Work to Play
  One of the greatest surprises for Dr. Montessori was the discovery that children preferred work to play. Sometimes adults tend to think children only want to play and not work. However, Dr. Montessori found that play was a substitute for what the children really wanted to do, but couldn’t. For example, children like to play “house”. They may pretend to cook, to bake pies, to clean house, etc. However, if given a choice, the children prefer to be in the real kitchen with their mother (or father) learning how to prepare “real” food.
• No Need for Reward and Punishment
  Montessori discovered that children are intrinsically motivated to work. Children do not need external rewards and punishments. What they do need is help. The adult can help the child by showing the child how to do what he or she is trying to accomplish. Accomplishment, competence, and being a contributing member of a society are rewarding in themselves, and it is reward enough.
• Lovers of Silence
  Whereas it is easy to think of children as noisy, Montessori discovered that children enjoy finding out how quiet they can be. The children like to listen to silence and to soft sounds. It is a game to see if they can move a chair without making a sound.
• Sense of Personal Dignity
  Children have a deep sense of personal dignity just as adults do. They want to be seen as capable and held in high regard. They want to be able to do things for themselves. They can get embarrassed and feel ashamed. A child would rather tie his own shoes than have them tied for him.
• Desire to Read and Write
  In the beginning, Dr. Montessori didn’t believe that young children of four and five years of age should be involved in reading and writing. However, the children showed such interest that she provided some beginning materials. She was astonished by how the children seemed to “burst spontaneously” into writing and then reading if provided with the right materials.

What is a Montessori preschool like?
Children love a Montessori preschool. They like the opportunity to be with other children of their own age and they like having so many interesting things to do. The room is attractive, with many carefully designed materials and activities for the children to choose from. The children are free to engage themselves in activities that interest them. They can work by themselves, or with a friend, or a group of friends. They can spend as much time as needed in any activity. They have opportunities to do things they see their parents do at home. They can prepare food such as grating carrots, peeling potatoes, cutting bananas, cracking nuts, or squeezing oranges. They can do carpentry such as hammering, nailing, and sawing. They can learn to tie shoes, work a zipper, or use snaps and buttons. They can listen to music, sing, dance, and learn to play an instrument. They can paint, draw, work with clay, learn to sew, and make masks for puppets. They can learn to count or make words. They can look at books about all the wondrous things in the world around them. They can look at a globe and at pictures taken of different parts of the world; they can run, climb, play games, and have fun with their friends, or they can sit on a knee and hug a teacher.

Up to what age is the Montessori program designed?
There are Montessori materials which are designed for use of children up to around 15 years of age. Whereas most Montessori schools are preschools, our school serves elementary and middle school ages and works with children through the eighth grade. Dr. Montessori did discuss the education of children up to the college level; however, she specifically designed materials only through the elementary school years. This focus was because she felt specially designed materials were only needed for the younger children since the older children would have the competence to learn with materials commonly available.

What is taught in a Montessori program?
In a Montessori program, children have the opportunity to teach the same subjects they would learn in any other program. At the preschool level children develop social, emotional, motor, and perceptual skills, and begin to learn how to read and do math. They become more involved with history, geography, and science. They learn some handwork as well as practical life skills. In elementary school, the curriculum is comprehensive. Parents are usually impressed with both the depth and breadth of the curriculum. Children master the basics early and can therefore spend more time developing skills and learning other subject areas.

How are children disciplined in a Montessori program?
Most visitors to a Montessori program are amazed at how peaceful, pleasant, and well behaved the children are. Montessori programs are noted for the self-discipline of their children. The particularly interesting thing about this is that the method does not involve techniques of coercion or manipulation. The children do not think of their teachers as being strict or mean. Techniques of force or power are not used. Instead, the children find their needs are being met. They like the teacher and the classroom. They sense the teacher cares about them and is a source of help. The teacher realizes that children want to be liked and want to be accepted members of the group. This makes the classroom a very pleasant place for both the children and the teacher. Displays of unacceptable behavior lessen and finally disappear. An environment prepared to meet the children’s needs and a teacher trained in positive, constructive methods of guiding children are the keys to this process.

How do children from a Montessori program compare with children from other programs?
Children from a Montessori program are often several years ahead of grade level. They like school and are usually interested in everything. Typically, they are friendly, generous, cooperative, and respectful of both property and others.

What happens to children when they leave a Montessori Program?
Children from a Montessori program usually fit in well wherever they go after attending a Montessori program. They are respectful, cooperative, self-disciplined, and independent learners, and are well prepared to get along successfully in any program. Competence is a firm foundation for success.

Are Montessori Programs recognized?
The Montessori Method of education is well known. There are thousands of Montessori schools throughout the world. There are an increasing number of public school teachers and administrators becoming interested in the Montessori Method of education, and many new textbooks in the field of child development and education are referring to the important contribution of Dr. Montessori to the field of children’s education.

Why should parents consider a Montessori education for their child?
The educational advantages a child receives in life are very important. They lay the foundation for all other learning. Montessori provides children with a confidence clearly visible in later years. In the early years of education, the child’s personality, outlook, and intelligence are in the process of being formed. In order for the child to fully actualize his or her potential, it is critical that the child be provided the resources and assistance necessary for learning and development to occur This help can only be provided if it is based upon an adequate understanding of the child and the processes of growth and development. This information, and the necessary tools for helping development, is given to Montessori teachers in Montessori teacher training programs.

How are Montessori teachers trained?
Montessori teachers are trained through demonstration and the provision of opportunity practice. The Montessori curriculum is organized around specific, developmentally sequenced teaching materials. Each curriculum area is designed to teach trainees through careful demonstration of the presentation and use of each curriculum material in sequence. Students then practice the techniques they have seen demonstrated until they have mastered the material well enough to use it with the children. The students absorb an understanding of child development and education through observation and explanation of the practice they see demonstrated. Further in-depth study of theory is provided through a tutorial program of guided readings, lessons, and assignments. In this way, teachers learn the use of specific materials and techniques for helping children learn and develop. At the same time they develop a theory of learning, development, curriculum, and teaching which supports, and is consistent with, the practice they are learning.

What are the Montessori teachers taught?
Montessori teachers are specifically shown how to teach children to read, write, and do math. In addition, they are taught how to help children become independent, responsible, self-disciplined and cooperative. The teachers learn how to teach children practical skills such as carpentry and sewing and learn specifically how to teach children the various subject areas. These include sciences such as botany, zoology, and astronomy; social science, such as history and geography; and fine arts such as music, dance, and different forms of handwork. The teachers also learn techniques and materials to help development of basic capacities such as control over movement and the development of the senses of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.

Why is the Montessori Method of education different from other methods?
The Montessori Method of education is based upon careful research which is passed on to teachers though training. It is a dynamic system of education in which each generation of teachers has the opportunity to pass on the knowledge gained through training and experience to future generations. It is system of education where the best is kept and improvements are added and passed on. It has been used in different cultures and countries around the world. But beyond this, the Montessori Method of education is more than just a set of nicely designed materials, and it more than a few useful techniques. It is instead a comprehensive approach to working with children based upon research and careful training.

Are all Montessori programs the same?
Not every Montessori program is the same. Every Montessori program reflects the personalities of the adults running the program. Therefore, no two Montessori programs are exactly alike and each should be judged individually. To assure quality is best to conduct your own research. Quality programs can be identified through accreditation verification from reputable organizations such as SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) and AMS (American Montessori Society). If a teacher training center is recognized by MACTE (Montessori Accrediting Council for Teacher Education) you can be certain that they adhere to the highest principled standards. The most commonly recognized are the American Montessori Society, Association Montessori Internationale, and International Montessori Council.