What is it about the Montessori philosophy that is so appealing to parents?
A Montessori classroom is thoughtfully designed to offer children opportunities to develop their own capabilities. Learning activities are presented individually to children, and students progress at their own pace. They are given opportunities to practice, review, or move forward based on their own interests and capabilities. They take charge of their own learning and become accountable for their own knowledge.
In a Montessori classroom, teachers assess students on a daily basis, using their observations of each child’s interactions in the environment and with peers. They develop an individualized learning plan for each child, based on his or her unique interests and abilities. The teachers provide environments where students have the freedom and the tools to pursue answers to their own questions and learn how to seek out new knowledge themselves.
Self-assessment and self-correction are an integral part of the Montessori approach. As they mature, students learn to look critically at their work and become adept at recognizing, correcting, and learning from their errors.
The Montessori curriculum is grouped into 3-year cycles, rather than traditional year-by-year expectations for student learning. This respects the fact that children master academic topics at different speeds. The teacher supports the child’s growth through all areas of the curriculum to ensure that he or she is exposed to the full sequence of lessons in each area and to provide support and new challenges as needed.
A Montessori class is composed of students whose ages typically span 3 years. Ideally, students stay with the class, and teacher, for the entire cycle, forging a stable community and meaningful bonds.
It is common to see students of different ages working together. Older students enjoy mentoring their younger classmates. Younger students look up to their big “brothers” and “sisters,” and get a preview of the alluring work to come.
As children mature over the 3-year period, they understand that they are a part of a community where everyone has their own individual needs, but also contributes to the community. Children exercise independence, but are also given opportunities to work with their peers and to support others when they are in need.
Dr. Maria Montessori, the Italian pediatrician and visionary educator who founded the Method, believed that when children are given the freedom to choose their own learning activities a self-confident, inquisitive, creative child emerges. As it turns out, this approach, which is over 100 years old, is exactly what parents are looking for today.
"Montessori helped me become the person I am today."
STEPHEN CURRY, NBA MVP AND A MONTESSORI ALUM
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