With all the money in the world, the Royal family chose to send Prince George to a small Montessori school….Do you wonder why?
If you observed a Montessori class in action, you will instantly see why!
There is just so much happening in a Montessori classroom and teaching happens very differently to a traditional classroom…
You will observe the following in the Montessori classroom that is so strikingly different from any non-Montessori classroom:
Children work independently and at their own pace
- Learning happens naturally in a Montessori classroom. You will see a Montessori child walking in to the classroom like they own the place…and they do! It is their workplace and they love it!
- You will see children choosing their materials and working independently. They learn from each other rather than from the teacher’s instructions.
- The teacher observes and presents a material at the appropriate time to a child as and when the child is ready to progress to the next level of the material.
Children as active participants in the class.
- Montessori provides education for the whole child and does not limit the child to learning Math and language within the classroom.
- Children actively learn to care:
For themselves – dressing, brushing, combing etc..
For others – sharing, helping, socializing etc…
For their environment: looking after the materials, cleaning, looking after pets / garden
- Children contribute thoughts, ideas, knowledge in their classroom, their school, their family and to their community.
- Montessori does not see the child as a miniature person who needs to be imposed by all the knowledge from the teacher but as a valuable contributor and a small adult who is capable of so much.
Montessori Materials Are Educational Manipulative Materials.
- Montessori materials are very attractive and highly educational.
- Materials allow the children to manipulate and learn through discovery. They also allow the children to stretch their imagination and explore in numerous ways.
- Learning is not limited to the curriculum or the teaching of the teacher.
- Children learn in a sequence: from concrete to abstract, from simple to complex.
Montessori caters to children of all intelligence
- Whether a child is word smart, number smart, picture smart, body smart, music smart, self smart or people smart they will thrive in a Montessori environment. The freedom in the Montessori classroom allows the child to use their own learning modality or strengths.