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Maria
Montessori was born in Italy on August 31, 1870. She was born to a well
respected family and was expected to grow up to fulfill the traditional
role of the Italian woman. Instead she pursued an advanced degree at the
University of Rome and became the first woman physician to graduate in
Italy. Her interests drew her to work with children, initially those who
were disadvantaged and had special needs.
Because she was an anthropologist, Montessori's decisions about working
with children were made by observing them first. She was not trained as an
educator and thus her decisions were based upon watching what children did
and what they were attracted to. Through her observations and trial and
error, she developed what became known as the Montessori Method of
education. It was a radical departure in Montessori's own time. She did
not place children in restricting environments, but instead designed the
environment to reflect the children. Tables and chairs were child-sized
and materials were placed on low shelves to be readily accessible to the
students. In addition, many of the skills were designed to teach children
how to become more independent and do things for themselves.
Montessori continued throughout her life to work for the betterment of the
lives of children, founding training centers for teachers and dispersing
this method of education throughout the world. During her later years her
focus became centered around educating children to promote the principles
of peace. Her legacy has been the establishment of Montessori schools
around the world, which promote the cause of the child as a citizen of the
world. |
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Montessori
education is a system for the education of children from birth through age
18. It is based upon principles developed by Dr. Maria Montessori
throughout her life.
The focus of this system is the development of materials, educational
techniques, and observations which support the natural development of
children. The teacher in a Montessori classroom serves less as an
"instructor" and more as a guide and facilitator. Children are encouraged
to "learn how to learn," thus gaining independence and self-confidence.
Because the method is based upon developmentally appropriate activities,
the child often learns through the process of education - by doing.
The Montessori school is designed to accommodate various stages of
development in children which occur in roughly 3-year cycles. From birth
to 3 years of age the child is absorbing directly from the environment,
almost as a sponge. It is during this phase that many language and motor
skills are acquired without formal instruction.
During the second phase, from 3 to 6 years of age, the child reaches a
different stage, one in which repetition and manipulation of the
environment are critical to the development of concentration,
coordination, independence, and a sense of order. The child learns skills
for everyday living, sorting, grading, classifying - all of which lead to
the development of writing, reading, and a mathematical mind.
When the child reaches the next phase of development, ages 6 to 9, the
imagination of the child is the key to learning. At this age there is an
increasing awareness of the world and an interest in its wonders. The
classroom can now excite the child by using this increased imagination to
explore the universe. During this phase the child is presented with "the
big picture," an overview of the interrelatedness of things. |
