Through the early 1900s, Italian physicist and teacher Maria Montessori put together a self-enriching student curriculum in Europe.
Maria studied the work of Edouard Seguin and Jean-Marc-Gaspard-Itard, both authors of books written to instruct better those who were especially challenged.
Edouard Sequin went as far as opening the first world-renowned school for those who were intellectually disabled in 1839.
Later, she herself worked with children that were mentally challenged to develop purposeful methods of teaching. Through working with these children, she observed that sensory-rich environments appealed to these kids.
The ability to choose the pace at which they’d like to learn was also something that helped them meet their respective goals. With what she thought was insightful information, Montessori developed several learning games, activities, and strategies. They aimed to help teachers connect better to students’ learning.
In 1914, Montessori published all her findings, philosophy, and teaching methods in a convenient handbook. This handbook was the first official milestone of what came to be known as Montessori education.
Once she applied her education methods to mentally challenged children, she began adapting her methods to fit preschoolers. Later she moved on to elementary school children, and finally to secondary level education.
That was only the background of how Montessori education came into being. It still doesn’t prove why it may be a viable option for your child. Let’s learn a little more about it.
Pros
If we’re debating the legitimacy of the schools, it only makes sense to discuss the pros and cons. Since we’ve already discussed the cons, it’s time for the pros.
Fortunately, there are plenty of advantages that Montessori schools offer over traditional schooling. Let’s take a look at them below:
1. Students fall in love with learning
Thanks to ditching the non-traditional method of students attending a cumbersome long lecture, Montessori students don’t have to wait for a bell to ring for their learning to start or stop.
The schools offer a non-threatening curriculum that doesn’t force deadlines and harsh grades on learning. Instead, grades and goals are based on each child’s interests and pace. It creates an environment where the students fall in love with learning.
2. The multi-age classroom mirrors the real world
One Montessori classroom is a learning ground for children from three different age groups. It is an aspect of the education that you’ll come across in each of their schools.
Learning with different age groups enforces the idea that everyone can learn from everyone, regardless of age. It is a mirror image of the real world. There are no set deadlines for achieving milestones such as:
- completing school
- graduating from university
- getting a job
- marrying
- or even birthing kids.
When kids have an earlier realization of comfort that they can lead their lives at their own pace, they will find it easier to make “non-conventional” decisions in their life.
They realize that age and the pace of their life don’t necessarily have to do anything with each other.
When children are fluent in concepts their peers don’t understand, they can use this knowledge to bring other children on the same page. It develops their leadership skills and encourages a sense of community and morale.
3. Children can learn and work as they please.
In traditional schools, a schedule is designed and expected to be followed by a large group of students. On the other hand, Montessori schools provide their students with uninterrupted work periods.
In these uninterrupted work periods, children can pick an activity they’d like to work on. They can then work on that activity for as long as they’d like, clean up after they’re finished, and return all the items to the respective shelf.
Afterward, they can select another activity that they’d like to work on. These quiet periods of work develop a child’s focus and encourage independence.
Now that we think of it, how are traditional schooling methods expecting children to learn at the same pace? Where a bell is run every hour or two, and the class progresses towards a different subject.
It creates an interruption in children’s learning. Imagine developing a certain level of interest in a particular subject, and the bell rings. If it happens once, it could be tolerated. When it happens over and over again, it can become frustrating.
4. It helps develop soft skills.
As Montessori education gives their students freedom of how they’d like to spend their time in the classroom, students inevitably develop various life skills. In a classroom, you’ll often find kids:
- Waiting and taking turns to use resources
- Being thoughtful in sharing their space in the classroom
- Collaborating with other children to perform activities
- Asking or helping others when it comes to learning from one another.
- Developing friendships
When children are given a versatile environment to share, they develop:
- compassion
- flexibility
- independence
- problem-solving
- and teamwork skills.
Picking up on these skills early in life can enable kids to derive more fruitful results from their other skills.
5. Unique learning environment
One very strong reason parents are attracted to Montessori education is their classroom. The classrooms are well-lit with:
- natural light
- wooden desks
- plenty of space with carpets
- and open shelves accessible to children.
These classrooms allow children to absorb Vitamin D and choose where they’d like to seat themselves and learn. But the best part is that students are expected to be mindful of their spaces and clean everything as they move from activity to activity.
6. Toys and learning tools
While one of the cons we listed was its affordability, it may be very well worth it. It is because the tools and resources are like no other. Suppose we were to talk about Math in a classroom, for instance.
It would start with introducing bead stairs, wooden number cards, and trinomial cubes in vibrant colors. Compared to pen and paper, these tools are much more fun and promote a much deeper level of understanding of math.
If we talk about learning a language, materials such as:
- the moveable alphabet
- foam letters
- and blocks are used as learning tools.
Later on, the child progresses to using Montessori symbols. The symbols make it a lot easier to explain the topic of grammar to children.
Their tools and materials are not only an ingenious way for children to grasp the subjects of math and language. They also exist for:
- science
- geography
- botany
- zoology
- etc.
