The Montessori Method is not a secret in today’s culture; from Montessori schools to Montessori Homeschool curriculum, her methods have reached across the globe. Although many of these methods are widely known, every child is different.
These 6 things you need to know about the Montessori Method will help you to determine if it is best for you and your child:
There needs to be a Variety in Ages: Have you ever taught something to someone and understood it better? With the Montessori Method, it is important to have a variety of different aged students. The theory is that children learn through other children. The younger children learn from the older children while the older children master their skills through teaching the younger children. As older children teach concepts, they build independence, leaderships skills, and instill fundamental skills in their long term memory. These methods of multi-aged students, also, symbolizes the real working world in which people of all ages work together and learn from each other in a community.
Younger Students Use the 5 Senses to Learn: In the early years, it is important for children to learn through their 5 senses in order to transition learning to their long-term memory. Montessori lessons are taught through sensory-motor activities through seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching, and moving. For example, reading a book about a rabbit can help you learn about rabbits, but if you have a pet rabbit that you can feel, see, hear, and smell, your knowledge of a rabbit increases.
Internal Motivation Drives Learning: In the Montessori Method, students are allowed freedoms within limits. They decide on their learning within parameters set by the teacher. For example, they may be given a choice to make an erupting volcano or draw and label the parts of the volcano. It is understood that children learn better when they are curious and interested in what they are learning.
Each Child is Unique: Just like every person is unique, every child is unique. Some may pick up on things quicker than others. With the Montessori Method, children are treated as valued unique individuals who are all equally important to the community. Each child is able to learn at their own pace and advance through lessons as they are ready.
It Makes a Great Homeschool Curriculum: Because the Montessori Method allows diverse age groups, learning to happen at a child’s pace, and the older kids to teach the younger kids, this method works well for homeschooling. Instead of teaching different lessons to 4 or 5 different kids, you can apply the Montessori Method of learning to teach all your children at the same time.
Montessori Materials are Appealing: With the Montessori Method comes to a lot of hands-on materials such as dressing frames, beads, sound cylinders, cubes, and tangible letters. Each material allows others to see how an activity works and builds on one skill at a time. For example, if an older child is learning to tie, the dressing frame used for tying is used; while the child learns the skill, the younger children are watching and learning as well.
As you piece together the different methods of teaching, you may find that multiple methods work for your child. Use the methods to find schools and/or curriculum that fit your child’s needs. What methods have worked for you?
Here is a fun Montessori Method book that I highly recommend:
