Montessori Concept

In the year 1907, Dr. Maria Montessori introduced a new method of education for nurturing young children. In her research, she made an observation that every child as an individual has his or her own unique capabilities and pace of learning. Children are keen to explore new things and master new skills. According to her, this individuality must be encouraged and the children should be provided enough space to initiate projects on their own. For such encouragement, children must be provided with right stimulation through sensory and artistic education supplemented with proper ambience. They should have the freedom for exploring things on their own. This, in turn, ensures amazing overall development of each child helping him to achieve his full potential.

Montessori education encompasses these findings to assist children by providing them education through carefully designed activities. Participation in such activities allows children to develop their potentials and capabilities as there are no set boundaries for children to perform. They are capable of exploring and executing tasks in their own unique way.

Researches all across the globe find that children develop most of the skills in their first six years. During these years, children learn spontaneously. Montessori education is imparted through sensory materials so that children identify the stimuli they encounter. Apart from it, children are provided with the freedom of choice of materials and freedom of movement in the classroom.

Montessori education focuses on social development. It remains a prominent factor. children are allowed to interact naturally and spontaneously with their peers. This way, the children develop excellent communication skills through the exchange of ideas and discussions within their group. Children become more adaptable that helps them to adopt and adapt easily in any environment. The Montessori programme is self- directed and non-competitive that helps children developing selfconfidence so they can face new challenges effectively. Children practise the highest moral ethics like compassion, kindness, empathy, honesty, love and respect for others etc. Characteristics of Montessori School

Montessori system of education ensures accelerated growth of children by allowing them to explore, examine, and investigate the environment . The freedom and not the license they enjoy in deciding their activities help them develop their potential and imagination to the optimum level in highly nourishing and nurturing classroom environment. Contrary to conventional approach, the Montessori education has contemporary outlook towards children’s growth and development (cognitive, physical, social, emotional and psychological).

Montessori Materials: A Montessori environment is filled with vast arrays of sequenced learning activities known as the “ Montessori Materials” They are displayed on open child sized shelves. They are arranged to provide maximum eye appeal without clutter. Continuous working with scientifically designed material leads the children to master skills. Montessori Learning Activities
Focus on individual progress and development.
Hands on learning
Spontaneous Activity
Active Learning
Self directed Activity
Freedom within limits
Intrinsic Motivation to Learn

Practical Life exercises teach children to care for themselves, others, and the environment. These involve a wide variety of activities such as carrying objects, walking gracefully, buttoning, lacing, pouring etc., mainly activities that are performed in day to day life. Through practical life exercises, children refine their movements and have controlled and sophisticated body movements. Children complete any task following a step-by-step procedure. This eventually prepares them for the logical tasks that await them in mathematics. These activities are presented in isolation with the aim to help the children focus their attention only on a particular task.

Sensorial materials help in refining the senses. They teach children about colour, shape, sound, dimension, texture, weight, volume, temperature and form. The sensorial materials provide the children an opportunity to rediscover their environment in a more precise and organized manner.

Language is something that develops within children as children are born with mechanism for speech. The Montessori Directress provides activities that help children enhance their vocabulary in order to help them better express themselves, providing them with an environment and the tools( Language cards and games) for intelligent and correct speech. Movable Pink Letter Alphabet Box in the Montessori environment is a boon for Montessori children as they compose words before they actually begin writing. Using objects familiar to the child facilitates reading. The children are given exercises with reading cards to provide opportunity for practice in reading. As they grow up they are presented with exercises that introduce them to the function of words in a sentence.

The Montessori materials in mathematics help the children learn and understand abstract mathematical concepts by working with concrete materials. The mathematics material introduces children to the quantities first and the symbols 1-10 later. The children are then given the opportunities to relate their knowledge of quantity and symbol with the number rods and cards. The categories of the decimal system (units, tens, hundreds, thousands) and their numerical symbols are presented with the golden bead material along with exercises for the four mathematical operations. Afterwards children are introduced to exercises that help them towards their passage to abstraction in mathematics.

Geography, History, Biology, Botany, Zoology, Art and Music are presented as extensions of the sensorial and language activities. Children learn about other cultures past and present and this allows their innate respect and love for their environment to flourish, creating a sense of solidarity with the global human family and its habitat.