What is the Montessori technique and is it worth trying it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Create the right conditions for the child at the right time, and he will learn everything himself.

The first woman doctor and teacher in Italy, Maria Montessori, created a method of teaching her name at the beginning of the 20th century. The basis was the observation of children with developmental delays. They were also the main target audience of Montessori. A little later, the system was adapted for ordinary children, and in this form it is still popular.

What is the essence of the Montessori technique

Montessori training is held under the motto: "Help me do it myself!" It is believed that if you place a child in a developing environment and give him freedom of action, he will be happy to explore the world on his own.

Maria Montessori, teacher Maria Montessori

A child can only reveal himself to us, freely realizing his natural plan of construction.

Children themselves choose what and when to do them. The adult's task is not to interfere, criticize, praise or compare the child with others. And only show how to use the materials, observe and help if necessary.

What are sensitive periods

Maria Montessori considered the age from 0 to 6 years the most important in a person's life. She identified six sensitive periods favorable for the formation of certain skills. If you start learning earlier or later, the child will be bored or difficult.

0-3 Years: Period of Perception of Order

It is easiest to teach a child to be clean and to clean up after himself until the age of 3. In the Montessori system, order is key. Children from an early age are attracted to cleaning, show them how to lay out things, dust, wash dishes. For work, children are provided with special equipment: convenient brushes and scoops, a small mop and a broom.

0 to 5.5 years: Period of sensory development

The child explores the world around him through sensations, sounds and smells. He develops ideas about shape, color, size.

0 to 6 years: the period of speech development

The speech of each child develops individually, and if the baby does not know how to speak at 2 years old, it's okay. He still has a spare time. And special cards, books and visual materials can help.

1 to 4 years: the period of development of movements and actions

The child studies the capabilities of his body, develops coordination and strengthens muscles. To do this, he needs a well-equipped playground with slides, swings and Swedish walls.

From 1, 5 to 5, 5 years: the period of perception of small objects

To develop fine motor skills in the Montessori system, it is proposed to perform the simplest actions: string beads on laces, shift beans or peas, and collect puzzles.

2, 5 to 6 years: the period of development of social skills

The child gradually learns to live in society: to greet, to be polite, to be attentive to the needs of other people, to help.

How the developing environment is organized according to the Montessori method

In the Montessori system, children are conventionally divided into age categories: from 0 to 3, from 3 to 6, from 6 to 9 and from 9 to 12 years old. As a rule, children from 2 years old are involved in classes. And in the group, children of different ages from the same category study at the same time - for example, three-year-olds comprehend the world side by side with five-year-olds and six-year-olds. The youngest reach for the elders, and the “adults”, helping others, develop leadership skills and learn to take care of the weak.

Rooms in kindergartens and Montessori schools are divided into several zones filled with educational toys, materials and manuals.

Sensory Education Zone

Here are collected materials for the development of vision, smell, hearing, taste and tactile sensations. Children play with noise instruments, fold figures, taste all kinds of surfaces, get acquainted with smells, guess which fruit they have just eaten.

Practical life zone

Children are taught basic household and social skills: caring for themselves and the environment, etiquette, communication rules. They clean clothes and shoes, prepare food, water flowers and clean using real tools.

Math zone

Acquaintance with numbers and mathematical operations occurs with the help of toys that develop logic, counting skills, the ability to compare, measure and arrange. Gradually, the child goes from elementary actions to solving rather complex problems.

Speech development zone

The child expands vocabulary, develops phonemic hearing, gradually learns to read, masters writing.

Space zone (natural science)

Here the child gets an idea of the world around him: geography, history, botany, zoology, natural sciences.

Why try Montessori technique

The main advantage of the Montessori system is that children learn everything at their own pace, without the coercion and pressure of value judgments. They do not get bored, because they themselves choose an occupation to their liking, and are not afraid to make a mistake.

In addition, children who study using this method respect the needs of other people, become independent early and easily cope with everyday tasks: dressing, cleaning up after themselves, preparing simple meals.

What are the disadvantages of the Montessori system

Criticism of the Montessori technique comes down to the following points.

• In Montessori groups, children communicate little. Although the elders are supposed to help the younger ones, the interaction practically ends there. Children perform individual tasks, do not play role-playing and outdoor games together. They may find it difficult to work as a team later on.
• Not enough attention is paid to creativity. The Montessori system was originally aimed at teaching practical skills. Therefore, creativity, along with games, was perceived as something distracting from the main tasks.
• It is difficult for a child to adapt to a regular learning system. In Montessori groups, children are not given standard grades. The teacher marks only the completion of the assignment: did it or not. A child may experience stress when moving to a regular school with grades, reward stickers and competitive moments. And sitting at a desk, performing uninteresting tasks, can be very difficult.
• You still have to go to a regular school. There are only a few full-cycle Montessori schools in the world, up to 18 years of age. In most cases, everything is limited to kindergarten and elementary education - for children 6–12 years old.