How Did Montessori Start?

Montessori (pronounced MON-tuh-SORE-ee) education was founded in 1907 by Italian physician Maria Montessori.  She based her educational methods on scientific observation of children's learning processes. Guided by her discovery that children teach themselves, Dr. Montessori designed a prepared environment in which children could freely choose from a number of developmentally appropriate activities. Now, nearly a century after Maria Montessori's first school in Rome, Montessori education is found all over the world, spanning ages from birth to adolescence.

Montessori vs Traditional Education

The goal of both Montessori and traditional schooling is the same: to provide learning experiences for the child. The biggest differences lie in the kind of learning experiences each school provides and the methods they use to accomplish this goal. Differences include:

 Montessori

 Traditional
Mainly individual instruction Mainly group instruction
Child sets own learning pace    Group sets learning pace
Mixed age groups Same age group
Learning focus is hands-on and interactive. Learning focus is on listening, reading and writing.
Child works on lessons based on his needs and abilities Everyone does the same thing.
Same teacher for 3 years     New teacher for each grade
Child can move around the classroom Child assigned to a specific seat
Child can choose from hundreds of activities Limited number of activities available
Children can work in groups Most work is done alone
Teaching materials help children find and correct their own errors. Errors in child's work found by the teacher

What is in a Montessori classroom?

The Montessori classroom is a child-sized world. Everything from tables to activity centers are designed specifically for the needs and abilities of children.

You’ll notice a wide variety of materials in a Montessori classroom – maps, books, flags, small animals, artwork and much more. By using these materials, your child’s teacher can set up an environment that allows your child a place to explore life on a level she can understand. This set-up allows children to move from simple activities to more complex ones.

Want to see how it works? Wayne Montessori welcomes interested parents to come observe our classrooms any day between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Please call us at (919) 778-0022 to make an appointment.
"We discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being."

-Maria Montessori

 

 

 

 
"The first aim of the prepared environment is, as far as it is possible, to render the growing child independent of the adult. "

-Maria Montessori