The Montessori Method: Self Discovery
Dr. Maria Montessori was an Italian physician, philosopher, and educator with a vision. She believed the education of children required something more than had been practiced in the past. As the first female doctor in Italy, Montessori was already breaking barriers but after her graduation she began to make breakthroughs in the methodology of teaching children. She believed that education is a natural process spontaneously carried out by the human individual. She believed that this education is acquired not through lecture, but by experiences upon the environment. This means that the task of the teacher is as a guide and director, to observe without interference.
The Montessori method is a method of education that emphasizes self-directed activity on the part of the child, and clinical observation from the teacher. The teacher introduces the student to tools and materials or Montessori toys and then remains a silent presence. This method is built upon the idea that children think differently than adults and that they learn by discovery. Students are encouraged to teach and help each other learn and grow.
The Montessori curriculum includes six overall areas, which include Practical Life, Sensorial, Cultural, Science, Language, and Mathematics. The Practical Life area is designed to help students develop interest and care for themselves, the environment, and each other. The Sensorial area helps a child develop their senses through materials that help the child isolate what he or she is being taught. Cultural includes studies of the world colored maps and visual guides. Science helps facilitate a child’s natural curiosity through observation. Language includes everything from vocabulary to reading and writing. Mathematics helps a child develop and understanding of numbers and processes through visual and hands on materials.
Montessori believed in the child’s ability to see the world through experience and self-study. Schools around the world apply her method in order to help a child better develop needed skills through self-discovery and development.