Surely you have heard of the Montessori method when educating children, but … Do you know exactly what it consists of? We will explain it to you in this article!
The Montessori method is an educational method developed by the Italian educator María Montessori at the beginning of the 20th century that consists of an educational approach based on the scientific observation of the child from birth to adulthood. This method has been tested with great success around the world and in various cultures for more than 100 years.
It is a vision of the child as someone who is wanting to know the world and who is able to begin their learning in an environment prepared for it. Thus, this approach values the human spirit and the development of the child physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively.
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Characteristics of the Montessori method
Components that a program necessarily needs to be considered Montessori include uninterrupted blocks of work time, having mixed age groups to learn how to function as colleagues or friends with other people, and a guided choice of activities to work with. . In addition, an aesthetically favorable environment would be created in which a series of ready-to-use learning materials would be added.
In this method it is important to keep in mind that the teacher, the child and the environment create a learning triangle : the class is prepared to promote independence, unlimited freedom and a sense of order. The child, through his individual choices, makes use of what the class offers him to develop, interacting with the teacher when he needs guidance or support.
Making groups of children of different ages also has a meaning: the youngest learn from the older ones and the older ones reinforce what they have learned by teaching the concepts to the little ones. This also mimics the real world, where people interact with others of different levels, dispositions, and ages.
María Montessori also observed that children go through different sensitive periods or windows of opportunity as they grow up, so teachers must know which materials or lessons are best “absorbed” naturally for each age.
Thus, for example, in early childhood, sensory and motor activities are the main thing, so the aim is to develop the child’s cognitive powers through the experience of their senses: sight, touch, hearing, taste … In the following years it would move more to the knowledge of abstract elements and with the application of what has been learned to the real world: this organization of information prepares the child for the world of adolescence, when thoughts and emotions evolve in a more abstract way towards concepts such as equality, freedom, justice, etc.
Benefits of education through the Montessori method
An education through the Montessori method offers children the opportunity to develop their potential while discovering the world, being able to apply what they are learning to their environment. These are some of the benefits the method offers:
- Each child is valued as a unique individual: Montessori education recognizes that each child learns in a different way and accommodates each individual’s character or circumstances. The little ones also learn to discover their own path guided by the teacher in an individualized way.
- Develop order, coordination, concentration and independence: This is more evident if the method begins to be instilled when the child is quite small.
- Students are part of a community that cares about them: Classes with students of different ages recreate a family structure quite well: the older ones enjoy their role as mentors and the little ones feel supported and gain confidence. In addition, teachers are always a model of respect, kindness and calm resolution of conflicts that may arise.
- Unlimited freedom: The students are active participants in the classes, being able to decide what they want to focus on: this provides satisfaction to the little ones that develops their curiosity and interest in the results, making learning a pleasure. The same environment in which the classes take place offers tools that students are free to use to pursue the answers to the problems that are posed to them.
- They learn to self-correct: Students learn to take a critical look at their work, becoming prone to self-correction and improvement of their tasks while learning from their mistakes.
Did you know the Montessori method of education? What is your experience with him, if you have had it? Share your opinion with other moms!
Kathie Sand always saw the world of beauty as the terrain on which to build her professional career, a goal that was clear to her when she was only 15 years old. Her great concern to expand knowledge led her to settle in Paris where she studied hand in hand with the best beauty professionals and with the most advanced techniques for skin care.