The Montessori Lab and Kindergarten

PRINCIPLE OF MONTESSORI

It involves respecting the uniqueness of every child, their freedom to choose, to move, to correct their own mistakes, and to work at their own pace. Montessori educators work and interact with children from a place of genuine respect.

Pedagogy Profile: the Montessori Method

The Montessori method is particularly prominent in early childhood and primary school education.

Developed by Italian educator and doctor Maria Montessori after extensive research with special needs children in the early years of the twentieth century, the method contains five basic principles.

The Five Principles

Principle 1: Respect for the Child

Respect for the Child is the major principle underlying the entire Montessori method. Montessori believed children should be respected (not common practice in the early twentieth century). Respect is shown for children by not interrupting their concentration. Respect is also shown by giving pupils the freedom to make choices, to do things for themselves, and to learn for themselves. Teachers model respect for all students as well as peaceful conflict resolution, and must learn to observe without judgement.

Principle 2: The Absorbent Mind

Montessori education is based on the principle that, simply by living, children are constantly learning from the world around them. Through their senses children constantly absorb information from their world. They then make sense of it because they are thinking beings.

Principle 3: Sensitive Periods

Montessori pedagogy believes there are certain periods during which children are more ready to learn certain skills. These are known as sensitive periods, and last only as long as is necessary for the child to acquire the skills. The order in which sensitive periods occur (i.e. a sensitive period for writing) as well as the timing of the period varies for each child. Through observation, Montessori teachers must identify sensitive periods in their students and provide the resources for children to flourish during this time.

Principle 4: The Prepared Environment

The Montessori method suggests that children learn best in an environment that has been prepared to enable them to do things for themselves. Always child-centred, the learning environment should promote freedom for children to explore materials of their choice. Teachers should prepare the learning environment by making materials and experiences available to children in an orderly and independent way.

Principle 5: Auto education

Auto education, or self-education, is the concept that children are capable of educating themselves. This is one of the most important beliefs in the Montessori method. Montessori teachers provide the environment, the inspiration, the guidance and the encouragement for children to educate themselves.

Montessori vertical grouping

In Montessori schools, there is ‘vertical grouping’. This means that there are mixed-ages in each classroom. It has been researched and observed over the years that younger children look up to, and admire, their older peers. The older children always lend a loving, helping hand to the younger children in their class.

Maria Montessori firmly believed that no matter how old or young a child is, they all develop and learn in their own unique and wonderful way. Every child should be loved and respected equally.

 Montessori activities help to strengthen the fine and gross motor skills. 
The activites majorly focus on practical life, sensorial, math exercises, 
 language and cultural.

A good progressive school and a visionary educationist always include 
Montessori as their kindergarten pedagogy.        

Many activities and the Sensorial corners will be discussed in later articles.