Montessori’s Method is a child-centered approach to teaching, based on Dr Maria Montessori’s practical experiences in the early 1900s. Dr Montessori strongly believed in offering a self-directed approach and freedom of choice to inspire children even for what they want to learn. This particular philosophy is still present and goes with Montessori pedagogy in Montessori classrooms. To take this child-centered approach to the next level, the Montessori curriculum offers these areas of development:
- Language & Literacy
- Mathematics
- Sensorial
- EPL (Exercises of Practical Life)
- Culture
Benefits of Montessori Education for Your Child:
The difference between the Montessori Method and other conventional methods lies in its classroom settings, planning and presenting activities and material, etc. But how does this world’s most renowned method benefit a child, to answer this question, let us evaluate these unique features of Montessori Education:
Mixed-age classrooms:
Mix age group is a unique feature of a typical Montessori classroom. Younger pupils can get guidance from their older mates in case of any difficulty, and the older ones can mentor younger kids to gain control of error on the base of their own experiences.
Hands-on learning:
The Montessori set-up for a classroom is well-organized and equipped with all the materials to cater to all areas of learning. After receiving the three-period lesson, the children perform it independently and the directress just observes how they do it rather than interrupting how to do it.
Freedom of choice:
In a Montessori classroom, children are given a free hand to choose the materials and the activity they want to do and to work with the materials which are arranged on shelves at their level. After completing their exercise, they are taught to place the material carefully back on the shelves again. By giving this freedom of choice, children can develop decision-power and problem-solving skills and this thing can benefit them a lot in future.
Practical Life Skills (EPL):
Children have a natural curiosity about the activities they have seen their adults doing; such as brushing their teeth, combing, cutting skills, peeling vegetables, washing dishes and surfaces, preparing their food, polishing shoes, buttoning & unbuttoning a shirt etc. This particular area enables the children to be independent and self-sufficient in their daily tasks at a very early age.
Tips for Parents to encourage Montessori Practice at Home:
Incorporating Montessori Approach into a child’s life requires a specially prepared environment. Right from the birth of the child, the parents will need to design the baby’s nursery, bedroom, kitchen, garden, and even the toilet to equip the entire home according to Montessori Methods. All these efforts may seem a bit hard in the start but they will outweigh if you compare them with the fruitful results they may ultimately bring to make your child a successful human with a disciplinary approach.
Parents can follow these basic tips to shape their home for Montessori Inspired Home-schooling:
Right from birth, a Montessori nursery setting equipped with Montessori Materials, Montessori Hanging Mobiles, Montessori Inspired Activities, the sensory toys with different colours, textures, shapes and materials will help your child to create a sensory experience to sharpen their senses from a very early age. So investing in Montessori Materials and Montessori Inspired Toys rather than Non-Montessori Toys can be a real game changer for you as a parent.
Montessori Method focuses to provide the alternative of adult material as “child-sized” furniture, tools, and material to fulfil the creed of the child to help the child by himself. Like the step-stool for personal-care exercises of hand washing and face washing, to-reach kitchen shelves, child-friendly kitchen utensils, child-sized toilet seats for toilet training, child-friendly gardening kits & tools, etc.
Allow a child to have free play, make discoveries, explore the world around them, learning self-discipline and dexterity. To add this element, you may need to introduce some basic Montessori exercises like helping your child for reading in a phonic way, playing language games, sensory play, allowing the child to join you while washing, cleaning surfaces, gardening, using scissors, and gardening and any daily life chores for teaching these daily life skills.
FAQs:
What is right for my child, Montessori Method or other conventional methods?
When it comes to deciding on early education, parents get confused somehow about what method to choose between the other contemporary methods and the much talked about Montessori Method. To know this difference, the parents need to know the difference between the curriculum, teaching methods and classroom settings of Montessori Education and conventional school. When they compare they compare the benefits of Montessori Education as mentioned above, they will certainly prefer Montessori Method for these unique features like practical life exercises, sensorial materials, the child-centred approach of teaching methods, a sense of order and self-correction to ultimately shape a human who is well-groomed to play his/her role as an individual and also as a responsible human for the society and the whole world.
How does Montessori Method inspire children to become more successful humans?
Traditional schools usually offer a national curriculum with a system of rewards, a specific time for tasks, and academic development. On the other hand, the Montessori Method offers a curriculum for children with an uninterrupted learning pace to become successful adults and humans who can apply his/her learn to the practice fields with dexterity and high-order thinking skills.
What makes the Montessori Method unique?
Having gone through Montessori Methods, your child will not only be able to develop language, math, handwork, culture, and practical life skills with a solid foundation but will also spark creativity, a sense of order, fine motor & gross motor skills, emotional intelligence, and independent learning skills.
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