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What Is Montessori
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The Montessori Method was developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, the first female physician
in Italy in the 1900's. Montessori became the premier educator of the 20th century.
Today, many public schools are incorporating her teaching methods into their curricula to
improve student educational outcomes.
Recent brain research and early childhood learning research suggests that Dr. Montessori
was way ahead of her time.
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Maria Montessori became very interested in how children learn and
discovered that children's learning capabilities are specific
to their developmental stage of life. She observed that children
have developmental periods in which they are primed to learn different things.
From birth through six years is a very crucial time for young children
when they use sensorial instruments - sight, sound, smell and touch -
to understand the huge world that is before them.
Instead of the traditional methods that included reciting and memorizing,
she taught the children by using concrete materials. Learning was no longer memorizing but
exploring, sensing, experiencing and discovering knowledge.
Her method simply channeled the children's natural curiosity and wonder instead of working against it.
She found that these methods were far more effective than the traditional approach. The children
learnt faster because they chose activities of their own interest, utilized all their senses in
mastering them and, consequently, developed confidence in their own ability to learn.
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The Montessori philosophy of education offers a broad vision of education as an aid to life.
Children who learn to love learning early in life become lifelong learners.
At Lake Country Montessori, we strive to create lifelong
learners by fostering children's natural curiosity about the world around them.
Montessori teachers guide the child and help the child to choose work independently
according to developmental needs.
Learning takes place through a multi-sensory experience, with hands-on materials
that help develop fine motor skills, concentration and coordination while children learn.
The Montessori principles succeed because they draw on the natural development of children.
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Children's House
The Montessori preschool classroom, called Children's House, is made up of children of mixed ages.
The Children's House classrooms are prepared Montessori environments
designed to encourage children in their self-directed discovery of the world.
Three, four and five year olds all share the same classroom, and each child
usually has the same teacher for three years. The mixed-age grouping of children
corresponds to Maria Montessori's theory of child development, which is based on
three-year cycles.
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In the multiage setting, the children learn from each other and they learn
because of each other. Younger children get a chance to look ahead and see
what is coming next by watching the older children. Older children have the
opportunity to reinforce their knowledge by sharing it with the younger children.
Because of their constant interactions, the children learn to take responsibility
for themselves and for each other. They also learn to get along with children of
different ages and abilities, to respect each other's work and workspace, and to
treat each other with courtesy.
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Students will typically be found scattered around the classroom, working alone or with one or two others.
They tend to become so involved in their work that visitors tend to be amazed at the peaceful atmosphere.
They learn to excuse themselves, to greet each other,
and to phase requests politely. They also take an active role in maintaining their
classroom by, among other things, putting materials away in their proper place, ready
for the next child to use.
In short, the classroom becomes a thriving community where
children are treated with respect and dignity and want to treat others with the same
respect and dignity.
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Montessori Teachers
The Montessori teacher’s role is quite different from the role played by teachers in many schools.
They are generally not the center of attention, and they spend little time giving large group lessons.
Their role centers around the preparation and organization of appropriate learning materials to meet the
needs and interests of each child in the class.
Montessori teachers will normally be found working with
one or two children at a time, advising, presenting a new lesson, or quietly observing the class at work.
The focus is on children learning, not teachers teaching. Children are considered as distinct individuals
in terms of their interests, progress and growth, and preferred learning style.
The Montessori teacher is a guide, mentor and friend.
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Montessori teachers keep their lessons as brief as possible. Their goal is to intrigue the children,
so that they will come back on their own for further work with the materials.
Lessons center around the simplest information necessary for the children to do the work on their own.
The teachers present the materials and lessons with precision.
They demonstrate an initial exploratory procedure; encouraging the children to continue to explore further on their own.
These presentations enable children to investigate and work independently.
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Their goal is for the children to become self-disciplined, able to use the materials and manage the
classroom with minimal adult intervention.
Children progress at their own pace, moving on to the next step in each area of learning as they are ready.
Initial lessons are brief introductions, after which the children repeat the exercise over many days, weeks,
or months until they attain mastery.
Interest leads them to explore variations and extensions inherent
within the design of the materials at many levels over the years.
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Dr. Montessori believed that teachers should focus on each child as a person, not on the daily lesson plan.
Montessori teachers are taught to nurture and inspire the human potential, leading children to ask questions,
think for themselves, explore, investigate, and discover.
Their ultimate objective is to help them to learn
how to learn independently, retaining the curiosity, creativity, and intelligence with which they were born.
Montessori teachers do not simply present lessons; they are facilitators, mentors, coaches, and guides.
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