Montessori method of Education

Background

The method was developed by an Italian lady called Maria Montessori who was born in 1870, Isaac (2012) believes that her way of educating young children had a big influence on the future of education and on our understanding of children. Montessori was the first female in Italy to enrol to study medicine at the University of Rome medical school in 1892, even though her farther was against it, her mother on the other hand was very supportive towards her education. After successfully graduating she began to have a great interest in children with mental disabilities. She discovered that rather than medical treatment children with disabilities needed more suitable education and therefore she focused her attention to area of education. In 1906 Montessori was invited to set up her own nursery it was called the 'Children's House', Smith (2012) described the 'Children's House' to be a place that provides children with a good clean environment to live and learn within. The Nursery provided free education to poor and deprived children, and Montessori believed that these children were the new approach to the social change (Isaac 2012). In 1912 Montessori began traveling the world spreading her knowledge about her method of understand children, her work then became known World-wide and practiced by different educational practitioners and this became the new way of educating all over the world.

 Her Method

Montessori created many of her teaching objects which are still used today and the classroom provided children with furniture and equipment to a scale that would suit them, Feez (2010) saw Maria Montessori's approach to be "revolutionary". The Montessori's approach has three key components; the child, the favourable environment and the teacher, she would recognise the unique individuality of each child and nurture them so they would reach their full potential (Isaacs, 2010). She also notices that education starts right from the beginning of birth and each child will go through three major periods of development. The first stage is known as the absorbent mind (0-6 years) where the child is dependent on everything that is around them, Montessori identifies that children at this age take in so much that they should be taught as much as they demand. Within the Second stage (6-12 years) where Childhood would take place, the skills that were absorbed in the first stage and then developed would now be 'polished'. Finally the third stage is the Adolescence (12-18 year) where the child is discovering their place in society.

Isaacs (2010)

 "there is no doubt that Maria Montessori's pedagogy has made an impact on today's understanding of the early years education and has influenced present-day good practice".

Here are some examples of the materials used in the classroom.

References

Feez, S. (2010) Montessori and Early Childhood: A Guide for Students. London: SAGE

Image 1 (Maria Montessori)
http://www.clanmore.ca/2011/10/01/the-history-of-maria-montessori-2/

Image 2 (Montessori letters) http://www.gradinitamontessoribrasov.ro/category/acasa/metoda-montessori/

Image 3 (Colourfuk bead bars) http://www.ehow.com/how_4523583_use-montessori-colored-bead-bars.html

Isaacs, B (2012) Understanding the Montessori Approach. Abingdon: Fulton

Isaacs, B (2010) Brining the Montessori Approach to your Early Years Prctice. Abingdon: Routledge

Smith, M (2012) Retrieved 18th Apirl 2013 from Mari Montessori and informal eduction. http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-mont.htm