The Montessori method is a revolutionary educational approach developed by the Italian physician Maria Montessori, which places emphasis on self-directed learning and uses discovery (rather than direct instruction) as its primary teaching tool.
The Montessori philosophy involves exposing children from a very early age to tailored education and specially designed materials.
In this article, we will explore why this method has recently been described as “widely proven to lead to positive developmental outcomes in children”.
Montessori education allows the children to learn at their own pace and with the material selected by themselves while the educator guides, provides knowledge, and assesses the child’s development. The teaching approach is tailored to encourage independence in performing activities and meet early childhood needs.
This revolutionary method impacts all aspects of children’s development, including cognitive, emotional, social, and physical. The child is given limited freedom to discover the pathways which accelerate their growth the most. This way, the child becomes a more self-directed, confident, and enthusiastic learner, which leads to a host of positive developmental outcomes.
The Montessori Method argues that each child has an inherent need to learn and be busy. Therefore, the teacher’s role isn’t to force a learning trajectory onto the child but to help them find his best-suited learning process following these seven principles:
Free Choice
More responsibility is taken on a child's behalf when they are given the freedom to choose their own learning path. Although the method imposes some hard limits on this freedom, the child has a much wider range of possibilities than with traditional schooling. A child gradually defines their sense of independence through better activities and information received
Order
Recent examination of the optimal learning environment has concluded that the order in which the child experiences said environment can scale or inhibit the learning effect. Montessori classrooms are therefore assembled with care regarding physical layout and conceptual requirements.
Interest
Psychological and pedagogical researchers agree that a child’s genuine interest in the subject positively impacts the adoption of the material. Work done in areas where there is no reluctance from a child proves to be more efficient than the one prepared using a ”one size fits all” model.
Movement
Children learn through interaction with the environment, and the movement allows them to experience what’s out there. Once a child is presented with an object it can’t identify, it has to learn about its characteristics to be able to “handle” or understand it. A child comes into contact with unfamiliar circumstances and areas and then tries to search for a “solution” and make sense of it all. That’s when the development happens.
Context
Traditional teaching methods emphasize learning by memorizing and repeating. Montessori classrooms emphasize learning by doing. The child is left to choose what they will devote their attention to. They gather information by learning from a “guide” they create for themselves. The role of the instructor is to organize the context so that it allows the most stimulating learning pathways.
Learning From Peers
Imitation is one of the primary forms of learning with children. Nothing motivates a child to learn something new than seeing a peer doing it. The Montessori method utilizes this trait and lets children learn from each other. It can even be seen in their joyful body language when they realize someone their age is doing something they are trying to do.
Teacher's Guidance
The teacher’s role within the Montessori method isn’t passive. Teachers are meant to create the optimal learning environment and set the limits within which the child can roam free and learn. From an emotional support standpoint, teachers in Montessori schools are meant to respond to child's needs while maintaining high expectations. This way, “students” are being prepared for future challenges, such as university studies, professional work, and modern-day society in general.
