Children Are Sponges
Who hasn't heard the saying that children are sponges, soaking up all the information available to them? Well, Maria Montessori saw the validity of this statement and thus the Montessori Method stresses development of a child's intellectual, physical and psychological abilities.
Child Guided Learning
The Montessori Method breaks away from the traditional idea of a teacher guided learning process. In the Montessori classroom the child is provided with an environment that has many learning choices and opportunities available. The child is expected to choose for him or herself what she or he would like to learn about.
The 3 Hour Work Period
In traditional Montessori practice, a child must be given a 3 hour block of uninterrupted time with which the child is able to focus on one subject or activity. This time is purely for each child; no group activities and no teacher interruptions (unless help is asked for by the child).
The 3 Stages
1) The Lesson- A subject or idea is presented to the child(ren) in the form of a lesson or the like.
2) Experimenting and Working- The child is given opportunities to work with the subject through experimentation and creation.
3)Understanding- The child is able to show a clear understanding of the material through an adult administered test and/or ability to "teach" it to others.
In Groups
The Montessori Classroom/Environment is host to children in an age range of 3 years. (Ex: Birth-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, etc.) Children are grouped according to stages of cognitive growth. Maria Montessori discovered that children in these groupings learned and processed in many of the same ways. The classroom is typically (for children 6+ years) 30-35 children with one teacher and one teacher's aide.
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