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Dr. Maria Montessori
(1870 – 1952)
Internationally renowned as a child educator,
Dr. Maria Montessori began to work in the field of education at the start of the 19th century, and went on to dedicate her life to the cause of the child.
She strongly believed that the first six years of a child’s life is most formative and critical, both physically and mentally. It is during this time that the child’s powers of absorption are highest and attitudes and patterns of learning are formed.
The Montessori approach offers a broad vision of education
as an "aid to life". It is designed to help children grow from
childhood to maturity. It succeeds because it draws its
principles from the natural development of the child.
Montessori classrooms provide a prepared environment
where children are free to respond to their natural tendency to work. The children's innate passion for learning is encouraged by giving them opportunities to engage in spontaneous, purposeful activities with the guidance of a trained adult.
THE MONTESSORI
PHILOSOPHY
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The Essence of Montessori
1. Dignity and Respect:
Children are accorded dignity and respect – in knowledge
that each individual child must ultimately construct him or
herself in order to successfully live in and carry on the
construction of community and society.
2. Carefully resourced environment:
Children learn in an environment of limited resources
– leading to the possibility of negotiation, sharing and an
awareness of the need to care for those that follow.
3. Mixed social grouping:
Children learn in a social group of mixed age and ability
– giving all children opportunities to both share and
aspire to gain knowledge and skills across the spectrum
of development.
4. Authentic learning opportunities:
Children are offered authentic opportunities to learn
practical and social skills – enabling them to care for self,
others and the environment.
5. Freedom to discover:
Children are given freedom to independently discover
relationships between such qualities as shape, colour,
size, sound, taste, smell and sequence through the
properties of materials that strengthen perception - leading
to the absorption, understanding, and expression of key
aspects of cultural knowledge.
6. Time to concentrate:
Children are given time to concentrate and problem solve
with materials that offer them feedback – thus strengthening
both inner motivation and independence and enabling
completion of a cycle of investigation or activity that
ultimately leads to self regulation and self efficacy.
Resource:
Montessori Foundation Australia Insight Magazine 2012.
Montessori Education in Aotearoa New Zealand. A framework for Peace and Social
Justice, 257-258 by Nicola Chisnall citing Krogh, 5. (1981). Moral beginnings: The just
community in Montessori Pre-school. Journal of Moral Education, 11 (1), 41-46.
Give us a call:
0755731659
0413378165
Quotes from
Dr. Montessori
“The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.”
"The greatest sign of success for a teacher... is to be able to say, 'The children are now working as if I did not exist."
"Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world"