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Montessori
Method
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The
Montessori system of education, named after Dr. Maria
Montessori has today, become synonymous with pre-school
education. Her concepts revolutionized the way the world
saw small children. |
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She
referred to the mind of a child between 3 & 6 years
of age, as the Absorbent Mind. During this time he literally
absorbs everything in his environment through sensorial
exploration. By sensorially absorbing the surroundings,
a child forms his personality and himself. He constructs
his mind, his memory, power to understand and ability to
think through impressions gained from the environment.
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Educational
research has also verified that the early years are the
most important years of a child's life. It is during the
period between conception and four years that the child
develops 50-60 % of his intelligence and another 30% between
the ages 4 to 8 years. Very little develops after that.
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Today
each parent wants to give their child the best education,
however they have grown to realize that academic achievement
alone will not prepare their child for life. Each child
has certain vital needs as it grows up. In an academic environment
these
needs are generalized, hence these needs may be overlooked.
However Montessori education strives to fulfill these individual
needs. |
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"When we think about mixed
ages, we must make
sure we aren't starving children
intellectually or physically...
we should not have a supermarket,
but just what is essential."
- Discovery of the Child |
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Dr.
Maria Montessori believed that a child has the inbuilt tendency
to learn by himself. The child is the constructor of the
adult. Mother Nature has endowed the child with necessary
powers to fulfill this task. The child achieves various
levels of growth, within the time spans fixed by nature.
We have no control over them. All he needs is an encouraging
environment, which fulfills his developmental needs.
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The
key elements of the Montessori Method are
Self-education, individual instruction, didactic
materials, a specially prepared environment, and the trained
directress. |
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A
Montessori school provides prepared environments for children
at each successive developmental plane where children are
given freedom to work according to their inner urges. The
child's natural interest in learning is encouraged by giving
opportunities in spontaneous, purposeful activities with
the guidance of a trained adult. Within a framework of order
eliminating the bane of competition, the children progress
at their own pace and rhythm, according to their individual
capabilities. These environments allow them to take responsibility
for their own education. A sophisticated balance between
liberty and discipline is prevalent.
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"The
work of education is
divided between the teacher
and the environment"
- Discovery of the Child
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Maria
Montessori's fame is largely due to the apparatus to which
her name has been given and to the result it produces while
bringing out the hidden learning powers of the child. Younger
children are intensely attracted to these materials and
use them spontaneously, independently, repeatedly and with
deep concentration. |
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These
materials are precision made, beautiful and enticing. The
outstanding feature of these materials are that they have
built-in "control-of-error" by which the child
is enabled to judge his/her performance objectively and
independently and to truly learn from one's mistakes.
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A
Montessori school is equipped with more than 100 different
types of Montessori Apparatus, classified into Sensorial
Material, Language Material, Arithmetic Material, and so
on. Practical Life Exercises, through the use of Sensorial
Material, instill care for themselves, for others and the
environment. Using this material, children learn to grade
and classify impressions. They do this by touching, seeing,
smelling, tasting, listening and exploring the physical
properties of their environment, through these specially
designed materials. |
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The
teacher's role is to provide the right environment for the
child and make sure that the child can work at his own development
in peace and freedom. The adult should understand that it
is the child who has to achieve his goals. The adult cannot
do it for him. Therefore, the adult should learn not think
, " I have to mould my child. I have to make him a
doctor, engineer etc." The role of building the child
is that of nature and the child himself. |
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For
ordinary schools, education is same as literacy, but Maria
Montessori calls it as " an aid to life", making
the Montessori system, a highly successful learning concept
that has been acclaimed the world over. |
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"Knowledge
is necessary, but not sufficient. The well educated person
is a well developed person who knows how to live a healthy
life in every aspect of human existence - a well developed
personality."
- M. Montessori . |
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A
Comparison of Traditional Pre-school and Montessori
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TRADITIONAL
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MONTESSORI |
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| Rigid
Curriculum |
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Flexible
curriculum |
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| Progresses
at teacher's pace |
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Allows
the child t o learn at his own pace |
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| Constant
guidance by teacher |
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Child
free to discover on his own |
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| Non
scientific |
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Scientific
method of teaching |
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| Much
role-play and fantasy |
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Reality
orientated |
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| Random
placement - not necessary to return to specific place
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Specific
places for materials - sense of order |
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| Teacher
decides what the child has to learn |
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Child
chooses activities according to inner needs |
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| Teacher-centered
environment |
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Child-centered
learning environment |
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| Use
of reward and punishment in motivation |
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Self-education
through self-correcting materials |
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| All
children are treated alike |
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Recognition
of sensitive periods in each child |
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| Play
materials for non-specific skills |
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Multi-sensory
materials to develop specific skills |
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| Rigid
rules not to move furniture and to sit in designated
places |
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Liberty
to move about self and furniture |
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| Silence
is on many occasions enforced |
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Liberty
to speak (without disturbing others) as he pleases |
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| Focus
on imparting maximum quantum of knowledge |
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Focus
on developing the child's wholesome personality |
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