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: SAGEImage 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
