| THE MONTESSORI EDUCATION
 The Montessori 'method' is an attitude towards learning … rather than an approach to child education. It is the way one views, observes and understands the child and his unique aptitude for self-education … it is neither about mere academic excellence nor simple acquisition of knowledge. Education is more than that … it is an aid to life itself.
Montessori's legacy to us is her methodical manner in instructing the child's self-education. So precise is her technique and so scrupulous her scientific study of each individual child that despite its origin dating back almost a century, it has successfully undergone continued development throughout time and remains effective with children from all walks of life and culture. Montessori's success stems from an all-embracing way of instruction based on a harmonious blend of development, learning, curriculum and teaching.
"I did not invent a method of education.
I simply gave some little children a chance to live."
- Dr Maria Montessori -
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| · Montessori’s View and Concept of Education |
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Nature, which Montessori respects and reveres, is deeply ingrained in her view of education. The child has an inborn natural need to educate himself and looks to the nature as a stimulus for learning - it is without doubt that the child is naturally enchanted by his environment and captivated by all that goes on around him … yearning always to unravel the mysteries before him.
Montessori shows us the way to 'teach' the child how to educate himself without depriving him of the joy of discovery. Education - being an aid to life - needs to be in harmony with the child's natural development … and we, adults who nurture the child, have an obligation to appreciate the natural process of child development and learning
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| · Montessori’s view of the Nature of the Child |
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The child is naturally good … it is the environment which causes his 'misbehaviour' - an environment that does not meet the child's natural need to work towards his self-development. The child's principal task is to create an adult … and he remains unsatisfied unless provided the opportunity to work towards fulfilling his mission. |
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| · Instructing the Child’s Self-Education |
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A primary principle behind the Montessori method is that of the child - not the adult educator - who is the constructor of man and society. It lies in a simple but important fact, which adults often either could not or would not comprehend: 'help' does not satisfy the child but impedes him from self-education. What the child craves is to opportunity to act freely on his own initiative in a free (but prepared) environment. Hence, our role to facilitate the child in his quest to create the adult … to help him act for himself, will for himself, think for himself … in other words, to serve his spirit. |
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| · Montessori’s View of Education |
“The secret of good teaching is to regard the child … as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown …Our aim is not only to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize …
We do not want complacent pupils, but eager ones. We seek to sow life in the child rather than theories, to help him in his growth, mental and emotional as well as physical … “
- Dr Maria Montessori – |
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