For over one hundred years, children have benefited from the Montessori approach to education. The latest research on children’s brain development shows remarkable similarities to Dr. Montessori’s insights. Pediatric neuropsychologist Dr. Steven Hughes recently wrote, “Montessori education is a brain-based, developmental method that allows children to make creative choices in discovering people, places, and knowledge of the world. It is hands-on learning, self-expression, and collaborative play in a beautifully crafted environment of respect, peace and joy. It is also about brain development.”
Mixed ages
At each level, the classroom consists of children of mixed ages. The Primary environment contains children between the ages of 3 and 6. The younger children in the group benefit as they watch older children who serve as role models. The older children benefit as well. As they help the younger children, they reinforce the knowledge they have been acquiring and they gain confidence as leaders. The mixture of ages also leads to a cooperative, friendly environment in the classroom, rather than a competitive one, because the younger children admire the older children’s abilities and accomplishments, looking forward to their turn as leaders, and the older children take satisfaction in assisting others.
Child-directed work
Work in the Montessori classroom is child-directed. The entire class does not generally receive the same lesson all at the same time; instead, the teacher observes each child carefully and offers lessons based on the child’s developmental readiness. Once a child has received a lesson, he is free to explore that material whenever he chooses to do so. Children who are free to choose the activities suited to their developmental needs show sustained interest in their work, which helps them develop concentration and a sense of well-being. Being given choices within the structure of the classroom helps the child make decisions and aids the development of independence.
Integrated curriculum
Rather than treating subjects such as music and art as separate from the rest of the child’s studies, the Montessori classroom integrates them into the day’s activities. In the Primary classroom, the child may choose to take an art project from the shelf as long as he has had a lesson on its use; he may enjoy music by playing the instruments available in the room or by learning the names of various instruments through a lesson with vocabulary cards. Rather than waiting for “art class,” the Elementary child visits the Art Studio to get guidance from the art teacher at the moment when his interest is sparked; for example, a child might decide to build a model of a Roman villa after doing research on the history of Rome.
Larger class size
If you come to visit, you will notice that the ratio of students to teachers is higher than that in conventional classrooms. This is by design. Dr. Montessori observed that having fewer adults in the room led the children to develop independence. Rather than having an adult quickly meeting their every need, the children learn to do things themselves or ask older children for help.
Independence
Dr. Montessori realized that children can be encouraged to be independent and self-sufficient. This is why in the Primary classroom you see child-sized tables, chairs, brooms, and mops. You see children learning to tie shoes, wash dishes, sweep the floor, and clean up their own spills. The Montessori teacher is trained to see whether a child needs assistance and will give the child just enough help so the child is able to perform a task independently, thus helping the child build self-confidence.
Social Service
Dr. Montessori believed that education was the key to peace. Her goal was to help children grow up to be peaceful individuals with a global vision, who would then help others and remedy social problems. Social service is therefore part of the Montessori experience. At the Primary level, the children develop a close-knit community as they are given practice in how to treat one another with patience and courtesy. They learn to respect and care for plants and animals. The children’s compassion grows as they move to the Elementary level, where the children expand their attention, assisting others in the local community.
Three-year cycle
Because the Montessori curriculum is tailored to the natural three-year cycles of a child’s development, the child receives the maximum benefit to her development by completing the three-year cycle at any given level. This allows her to consolidate what she has learned as she helps others. She experiences what it is like to be younger, and helped by others; later she experiences the responsibility of being a leader, gaining self confidence that will serve her as she moves into the next Plane of development.
Planes of development
One of Dr. Montessori’s greatest contributions was her realization that children go through four distinct levels of development, which she called planes. Each Plane of Development is six years long. In each Plane, the child has certain strong interests and behaviors; in each Plane, the child has different educational needs, and therefore the classroom environment and method of instruction change to suit the child’s needs. For example, in the First Plane, the child learns by using his senses, so the classroom is full of materials that enable the child to learn through hands-on exploration and physical manipulation.