Montessori education is an educational approach that puts emphasis on independence, respect for the child’s psychological development, and freedom within the limits. This educational approach allows for classrooms with mixed aged children that range from 2 ½ to 6 years old. It allows for uninterrupted periods of work time where students are free to choose their activity from a prescribed range of options. Montessori education adheres to Constructivism, which is a learning or discovery model that lets students learn concepts from working with educational montessori materials instead of from direct instruction by the teachers.
The Montessori education theory recognizes the innate and universal characteristics in human psychology. These characteristics are identified as human tendencies that are seen as the driving behavior in every stage of human development. The Montessori education theory supports the idea that education must respond to and facilitate the expression of these human tendencies.
Montessori education does not subscribe to the traditional concept of school characterized by memorization, repetition, and standardized tests. Instead, it opens a unique and open environment that gives emphasis on the children’s natural interest and works at the children’s natural development phase. Children are given the choice of their own activities, an option that could not be found in traditional classrooms.
Teachers in a Montessori setting are not your typical teachers in the classrooms as they play a very different and vital role. The Montessori teachers work with the children by individually encouraging each of them to joyfully act as a result of their natural desire to learn. Each child is encouraged to explore the areas that excite him or her and is allowed to engage in such area of activity. Children are guided to the next appropriate level of challenge as they master a particular exercise or activity. No pressure is exerted on any child to complete or master a level of activity because of the recognition that every child has a different level of development.
Montessori education is focused in the whole child education. It believes that a child’s learning is at its best when all aspect of the child’s development – physical, emotional, cognitive, and social – is nurtured. The whole child approach to learning emphasizes on a child’s skills that will encompass literacy, problem solving, logical thinking, physical coordination, social understanding, creativity, and the development of positive character traits like self-control and cooperation. Children are encouraged to exercise intellectual curiosity and develop skills towards critical thinking, elements that are necessary to success in the classroom and beyond.
Montessori education is regarded today as one of the world’s most successful system and its popularity has spread to all parts of the world. This success may be attributed to the system’s adaptability from a formal education set-up to informal set-ups such as home schooling or after-school activity supplement.
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