So, What’s Montessori?

The Montessori approach to learning was originated by Maria Montessori when she first opened her schools doors on January 6th, 1907 in Rome, Italy. In the most basic sense, Montessori is a child-led learning environment. The most basic idea behind this learning approach is to allow children to be their natural selves and encourage their individual curiosities in the classroom and allowing their learning to build around this.

Montessori Basics:

Experiential Learning: Self directed, hands on learning that encourages children’s natural curiosities. Every experience we have contributes to our connections within our brain and the curriculum should enhance these experiences.

Uninterrupted Work Time: Generally 2-3 hours at a time allowing for the connections to the material to deepen throughout this time.

Academics: (Math, language, science, practical life and sensorial) Practical life skills can include setting a table, or tying your shoes and for older students, proper use of budgeting. Sensorial academics in incorporated through the curriculum as well. Items in the classroom should be such that they help refine students’ hearing, sense of smell etc…

Mixed-age Classrooms: The learning process is not to be determined by a child’s age, but rather through their own unique interested and curiosities.

Role of the Teacher: The teacher in the classroom serves as a guide or facilitator, not as the keeper of knowledge. You might find teachers having one on one time with the students, instead of lecturing at the front of the room. Here, the students are the keepers of the knowledge and the teacher is there to identify the students’ strengths/curiosities and push his/her thinking to these points and beyond.

Freedom with Limits: Students may be presented with certain material, but are able to implement what they are most comfortable with during application of that material. Alternatively, a student may be given a choice of a couple of places to work, here or there, but not anywhere. Freedom, but with limits.

The Whole Child: The Montessori philosophy prides itself on developing the whole child in 5 ways: Physical, social, emotional, mental, and cognitive.

Individualized Curriculum: Each student is at his/her own academic pace and therefore the teacher must acknowledge that each curriculum might be different. The role of the teacher here is to be acutely aware of each students’ strengths and struggles and use this data to execute an appropriate curriculum. Here again, you might find the teacher working one on one with many students, as opposed to the traditional teacher lecture, student listen model. Because so much time is spent at a time, students have the opportunity to master the lesson/material each day. For an outsider, it may seem like this is letting the student “do what they want.” And, while the curriculum is “looser” by nature, it by no means means that the student is having glorified play time. When executed correctly, each of these elements listed culminate into a carefully crafted learning experience.

Prepared environment: Environment is key. Each is crafted with children’s unique developmental, age appropriate, needs in mind and each item is made to encourage children to explore. Things are generally in order neatly, and you will find muted colors in these classrooms so as to foster less distraction and more focus and concentration (which coincides with the time each student has to focus within the curriculum).

Peace Education: Peace Education is a proactive approach to raise children to be against violence, not merely just raising peaceful children. We want our children (students) to understand that they are an important part of the world. Peace education and restorative practices have many commonalities.

Some of the benefits of Montessori include allowing students to think critically which is fostered by both the facilitator and the time allowed for each activity. It also encourages independence, which the environment of the classroom plays a huge role in by allowing students to choose activities that appeal to them in order to enhance their own learning experience. This will also encourage students to have their agency in learning and be responsible for their own academic experiences.

Montessori Activities: