Guest Author - Diane Claus

Guest author Jeanette Norman

The Montessori Method Part 1

What is the Montessori Method of teaching?

Maria Montessori once said, “A child’s work is to create the person she will become.” That philosophy is important to remember when a child is learning the Montessori way. Maria theorized that a child should be free to discover and use their innate mental powers A Montessori classroom allows the children freedom to explore their environment but also teaches self-discipline and some order.

Maria believed that the senses must be stimulated first for the development of intelligence. One thing that she stressed was a child-sized classroom and this still goes on in every classroom today. The table, chairs, sinks, toilets, and shelving are all at the child’s level.

She designed games and learning materials that worked on the senses instead of the children listening to a teacher all day. Maria and her other teachers cut alphabet letters from sandpaper. The child would trace the letters with their fingers and eventually learn that each letter represents a sound. This would lead them to writing then read.

The main highlight to remember about the Montessori Method is that her activities are what is called self-correcting. The child will be able to look at his work and see if he has the answer right. This teaches the child to be responsible, encourages the child to look for facts and the truth instead of relying just on what adults say.

Maria also observed that children go through what she called “sensitive periods” in their development in which they seek out specific stimuli to learn by. This is when it is very easy for the child to learn certain skills. A good Montessori trained teacher is always looking for this so the appropriate material and situations can be provided to the children at the right time.

In Part 2 of the series, I will be adding something’s that I learned during my training about more specific activities in the classroom.

Montessori Curriculums: