Montessori Education
There are three elements vital to a successful Montessori environment:
The Montessori Guide: The “teacher” in a Montessori environment has several important roles within the classroom. It is his or her job to be a facilitator of learning, preparing the classroom on a daily basis for each child. The teacher acts as a guide to the child, directing the child’s learning in a progressive manner. This gentle guiding enables the child to develop fully, through a wide range of experiences, and at his/her own pace. It also allows the child opportunities for self mastery, learning and success. The guide also acts as liaison to the child’s family, and is charged with ensuring open and honest communication, using conferences and parent education events, in order to guarantee common goals for each child’s complete development.
The Montessori Materials: The Materials and activities are designed to support self-directed discovery and learning, and so are a perfect match for this developmental stage. They are organized around Practical Life activities that develop both independence and social skills; Sensorial activities that refine sensory perception; the development of Spoken Language,
Writing and Reading skills; and Mathematical activities that develop fundamental mathematical concepts; as well as activities that reflect upon our human understanding of geography, history, biology, science, music, and the arts.
The Prepared Environment: The Montessori environment is organized to support the developmental characteristics and interests of a mixed age group within an identified range. It promotes lively and purposeful engagement in both indoor and outdoor settings. Our environments can be adapted to any culture or setting and thrives through the trained adult’s careful observation of both universal and individual needs as revealed by each unique learner.
Montessori vs Mainstream comparison
Montessori: Helping you raise a well-rounded and capable child