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Maria Montessori – A Pioneer in Education |
Principles of the Montessori Approach:Designed to support
the natural development of children in a well-prepared environment.
Respect
for the Child:
n cornerstone upon which all principles
rest
n help children do things independently
n children learn through choices
The
Absorbent Mind:
n children are receptive and capable of
learning
n children learn unconsciously by taking in
information directly from the environment
n what children learn depends greatly on
their teachers, experiences, and environments
Sensitive
Periods:
n children are more susceptible to certain
behaviors and can learn specific skills more easily
n encompass a relatively brief time period
n teachers must learn to recognize and
detect them, and then capitalize on them
n sequence and timing varies for each child
Prepared
Environment:
n a place that encourages children’s
independence
n learning materials and experiences
are available in an orderly format
n children are free to explore materials of
their own choosing
Auto-Education:
n children are capable of teaching
themselves if appropriate materials and activities are provided
n actively involved children exercise
freedom of choice in the prepared environment
The
Teacher’s Role:
n make children the center of learning
n encourage children to learn
n observe children
n prepare the learning environment
n respect each child
n introduce learning materials
Montessori’s
Basic Areas of Child Involvement
Practical
life or motor education:
n care of the person
n care of the environment
n social relations
n analysis and control of movement
Sensory
materials for training the senses:
n control of error
n isolation of a single quality
n active involvement
n attractiveness
Academic materials
for writing, reading, and mathematics:
n reading is an outgrowth of writing
n manipulatives that teach such as:
geometric forms and colored
pencils
sandpaper letters
movable alphabet
command cards
All these
are taught according to a prescribed procedure.
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