Introduction to Montessori Teaching Philosophy
Developed by Maria Montessori in the beginning of the 20th century a new kind of teaching system different then the ones we have officially today based on the work of J. H. Pestaloci and J. A. Komenski.
We also know that the Co-founder of Google, Sergey Brin (and his partner Larry Page) was attending at Montessori school in early years of childhood.
This type of school program involves interesting and more intuitive curriculum improved for children’s development based on play and challenge. They just love to be challenged especially if it is done by games and puzzles.
Montessori Class
In Montessori class the children are gathered together in groups from 0 to 3 year, or 3 to 6 years and guided by the teacher. They learn using real materials and numbers made from wood or natural compounds. The young children learn from older ones and at the same time the older children repeat the accumulated knowledge by showing and helping. When they get good understanding of the subject matter the teacher is here to guide the process smoothly through the development plan.
The Movement
The Montessori movement today is mostly dependent upon parents. Usually the parents are concern about the future of their children, so they want to know how this future will look like. The main philosophy of the Montessori program is to help the child develop individuality in context of a group setting. The tasks and the tools used by children are presented in a way of collaboration and interaction with other children. This helps the child to develop social skills and emotional skills while learning. He/She faces with personal needs in the context of the group needs. So the child develops skills that are beneficial for his/her individual growth and how these skills are integrated within a group or collective environment.
Developing skills and education in Montessori school helps the child to learn how to think, find answers to questions that my pop out or what the child is interested in. We have only one opportunity to learn how to solve problems, how to ask question and use our imagination. Montessori elementary schools are designed to develop all these academic preparations for moving on to higher program of education. The children learn about the importance of cooperation and community in their lives. They understand who they are and gain trust in the people around them to use this support system for growth and development.
Photos from www.sxc.hu
