I had a 3 year old and a one year old when I got pregnant with my third child. Until this point I hadn’t given their formal education much thought, but when morning sickness laid me low everyday for several hours a day, it became imperative to get some help. We lucked out that there was a little Montessori School around the corner from where we lived at the time and they had openings for both of my kids. I thank my lucky stars on a regular basis for finding them; they opened my eyes to my children’s true potential. Like a religious convert I set about learning everything I could about this wonderful, fascinating, new way of teaching and living.
Maria Montessori created a program in which children set the pace of their education. The children are treated as capable individuals. The teachers give lessons on how to do things properly then allow the children to master the task at their own pace, lending assistance on a as needed basis only. The goal is to allow them to figure out how things work through trial and error and to use their problem solving skills to come up with solutions. Even as toddlers they are given chores in the classroom, giving them ownership of the space and a since of responsibility. They are expected and encouraged to be productive members of the class, cleaning the room, taking care of class plants and pets, and providing assistance to fellow classmates. Each class has three grades in one room, the first years are taken under the wings of the older students who show them the ropes and the result is very nurturing. The older students are proud to be able to show all they have learned and inadvertently model proper behavior and good work habits to the younger students.
The Montessori method teaches:
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Reading phonetically and uses a movable alphabet for spelling. Mistakes are corrected before they put pencil to paper taking away the stress of rewrites for early and emerging readers.
*Their method of teaching math is extremely logical, using color to help reinforce number values and hands-on materials to teach and solidify concepts rather than rote memorization.
*Science and Social Sciences are taught in a circular method, the concepts are introduced at each level gradually getting more detailed and complicated as understanding improves.
Students are encouraged to further explore topics they find particularly interesting and share their discoveries with the rest of the class. By the time they reach High school they have most of their basic skills down, and are college ready. They spend the three years putting their knowledge to practical use in community projects, doing internships, and working on long term research projects on more specialized topics. They are prepared for LIFE, not just the next level of education.
As much as I love the Montessori method, it is not for everyone anymore than the current public education system is. Like any phonics-based curriculum it is a challenge for those who have auditory processing issues. It relies heavily on parental involvement, if you do not reinforce the rules and training at home they won’t stick. This could be said for any form of education. Finally, most are not public schools so costs money; you have to really want it for your children. When we moved I searched for a new Montessori school, the cost was so high I would have been strictly working for my kids to go to school and not have any money for them to enjoy extracurricular activities. We chose instead to home school and employ the basics of the Montessori method to the best of our abilities. There are several books that were helpful in the beginning that I still use and I am extremely grateful to the teachers at that little school who continue to give me wonderful advice and guidance.
Helpful Books and Information
Teaching Montessori in the Home: Pre-School Years: The Pre-School Years
Teaching Montessori in the Home: The School Years
Modern Montessori at Home II: A Creative Teaching Guide for Parents of Children 10 Through 12 Years of Age
Dr. Montessori’s Own Handbook
The best way to learn how to teach using the Montessori method is to go through their training program, which includes classroom training. However, if you are only interested in teaching your own children and would like to have more formal training and technical guidelines, NAMC offers an online program that is perfectly acceptable in addition to selling materials for classroom use.
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