Montessori 101: Some Basic Information Every Montessori Parent Should Know by Tim Seldin

Excerpts from “Montessori 101: Some Basic Information Every Montessori Parent Should Know” by Tim Seldin

There is no doubt about it, Montessori schools are different from the familiar traditional classrooms that most parents remember from their childhood years. Let's begin by responding to some of the questions that parents typically ask. The Prepared Environment What makes Montessori schools different? Montessori classrooms tend to Montessori schools are not completely different from fascinate both children and their other schools. Over the last 92 years, Dr. Maria Montessori's parents. They are normally bright, ideas have had a growing influence on education around the warm, and inviting, filled with plants, world. However, while individual elements of her program are animals, art, music, and books. There finding their way into more classrooms every year, there is a are interest centers filled with cumulative impact when schools fully implement the entire intriguing learning materials, Montessori model that creates something quite distinct. Here fascinating mathematical models, are a few key points to consider: maps, charts, fossils, historical artifacts, computers, scientific  Montessori schools begin with a deep respect for children apparatus, and perhaps a small natural as unique individuals. They work from a deep concern for science museum. their social and emotional development Dr. Montessori referred to the classroom as the “prepared  Montessori schools are warm and supportive communities environment.” This name reflects the of students, teachers, and parents. Children don't get lost in care and attention that is given to the crowd! creating a learning environment that will reinforce the children’s  Montessori consciously teaches children to be kind and independence and intellectual peaceful. development. You would not expect to find  Montessori classrooms are bright and exciting rows of desks in a Montessori environments for learning. classroom. The rooms are set up to facilitate student discussion and  Montessori classes bring children together in multi-age stimulate collaborative learning. groups, rather than classes comprised of just one grade Students are typically found scattered level. Normally they span three age levels. Children stay around the classroom, working alone with their teachers for three years. This allows teachers to or with one or two others. They tend develop close and long term relationships with their pupils, to become so involved in their work allows them to know each child's learning style very well, that visitors are immediately struck by and encourages a strong sense of community among the the peaceful atmosphere. children. Every year more "non-Montessori" schools adopt It may take a moment to spot this highly effective strategy. the teachers within the environment. They will be found working with one  Students are taught to manage their own community, which or two children at a time, advising, develops remarkable leadership skills and independence presenting a new lesson, or quietly among Montessori children. observing the class at work.

1  Montessori assumes that children are born intelligent; however, they learn in many different ways and at their The Montessori Curriculum own pace. Montessori is consciously designed to recognize and address different learning styles. Students The Montessori classroom is progress as they master new skills, moving ahead as organized into several curriculum quickly as they are ready. areas, usually including: language arts (reading, literature, grammar, creative  Montessori students rarely if ever use texts and writing, spelling, and handwriting), workbooks. Why? Because many of the skills and mathematics and geometry, concepts that children learn are abstract, and texts simply geography, history, science, fine arts, don't bring them to life. Also, in the case of reading, many and everyday living skills. Most reading series fail to collect first rate and compelling rooms will include a classroom stories and essays. Instead Montessori relies upon hands library. Each area is made up of one on concrete learning materials and the library where or more shelf units, cabinets, and children are introduced to the best in literature and display tables with a wide variety of reference materials. materials on open display ready for use as the children select them.  Learning is not focused on rote drill and memorization. The Montessori curriculum is The goal is to develop students who really understand organized into a spiral of integrated their schoolwork. studies, rather than a traditional model in which the curriculum is  Montessori students learn through hands-on experience, compartmentalized into separate investigation, and research. They become actively subjects, with given topics considered engaged in their studies, rather than passively waiting to only once at a specific grade level. In be spoon-fed. the early years, lessons are introduced simply and concretely and are  Montessori challenges and sets high expectations for all reintroduced several times over students, not only those considered "gifted." succeeding years at increasing degrees of abstraction and complexity.  Students develop self-discipline and an internal sense of The course of study uses an purpose and motivation. After graduation from integrated thematic approach that ties Montessori, these values serve them well in high school, the separate disciplines together into college, and in their lives as adults. studies of the physical universe, the world of nature, and the human  Montessori schools usually reflect a highly diverse student experience. Literature, the arts, body and their curriculum promotes mutual respect and a history, social issues, political science, global perspective. economics, science, and the study of technology all complement one  Students develop a love for the natural world. Natural another. This integrated approach is science and outdoor education are important elements of one of Montessori’s great strengths. our children's experience.

 The Montessori curriculum is carefully structured and integrated to demonstrate the connections among the different subject areas. Every lesson teaches critical thinking, composition and research. History lessons link architecture, the arts, science, and technology.

 Students learn not to be afraid of making mistakes; they come to see mistakes as a natural part of the learning process.

2  Montessori students learn to collaborate and work together in learning and on major projects. They strive for their personal best, rather than compete against one another for the highest grade in their class.

How can I know if I've found a “real” Montessori School?

Although most Montessori schools try to remain faithful to their understanding of Dr. Montessori's insights and research, they have all, to some degree, been influenced by the evolution of our culture and technology. Perhaps the more relevant question in selecting a Montessori school is to consider how well it matches your sense of what you want for your child. No one educational approach can be right for every learner. The wisest goal is to seek out the best fit, not only for the student and the school, but also taking into consideration the parents' values and goals for their child's education.

In the end, the selection of a Montessori school comes down to a matter of personal style and preference. Nothing beats personal observation. The school that one parent raves about may be completely wrong for another's child. Conversely, another parent may have decided that "Montessori doesn't work," while it clearly is working very well for your family. Rely on your own experience, not hearsay from other parents.

Why do they call it a "children's house?”

In her research, Dr. Montessori noted specific characteristics associated with the child's interests and abilities at each plane of development. She argued that a school carefully designed to meet the needs and interests of the child will work more effectively because it doesn't fight human nature. Montessori taught teachers how to "follow the child" through careful observation, allowing each student to reveal her strengths and weaknesses, interests and anxieties, and strategies that work best to facilitate the development of her human potential.

This focus on the "whole child" led Dr. Montessori to develop a very different sort of school from the traditional adult-centered classroom. To emphasize this difference, she named her first school the "Casa dei Bambini" or the “Children's House." There is something profound in her choice of words, for the Montessori classroom is not the domain of the adults in charge, but rather it is a carefully prepared environment designed to facilitate the development of the children's independence and sense of personal empowerment. In a very real sense, even very small children are responsible for the care of their own child-sized environments. They go to the bathroom without assistance. When something spills, they help each other carefully clean things up. Small children in Montessori classrooms cut raw fruits and vegetables, sweep and dust, carry pitchers of water and pour liquids with barely a drop spilled.

Montessori's first "Children's Community," opened in 1907, was made up of 60 inner-city children who largely came from dysfunctional families. In her book, The Montessori Method, Dr. Montessori describes the transformation that took place during the first few months, as the children evolved into a "family." They prepared and served the daily meals, washed the pots and dishes, helped the younger children bathe and change their clothes, swept, cleaned, and worked in the garden. These very young children developed a sense of maturity and connectedness that helped them realize a much higher level of their potential as human beings.

While times have changed, the need to feel connected is still as strong as ever. In fact, for today's children it is probably even more important. Whether it's an inner-city child or a child from an affluent

3 suburb, the sense of community has all but disappeared from our children's lives. Families regularly move from house to house and from town to town. Grandparents usually live in other cities or other states. Both parents work out of necessity, and when they are at home, they are very, very busy. The "latch-key" child has become the norm for this generation. Many children have the sense that they do not belong to anything or anybody, which is why gangs, which give a sense of belonging, have always had a certain appeal for some children. The Montessori classroom community gives children this much- needed sense of belonging.

How can Montessori teachers meet the needs of so many different children?

Montessori teachers do more than present curriculum. The secret of any great teacher is helping learners get to the point that their minds and hearts are open and they are ready to learn, where the motivation is not focused on getting good grades but, instead, involves a basic love of learning. As parents know their own children's learning styles and temperaments, teachers, too, develop this sense of each child's uniqueness by developing a relationship over a period of years with the child and her parents.

Montessori nurtures and inspires the human potential, leading children to ask questions, think for themselves, explore, investigate, and discover. Our ultimate objective is to help them to learn how to learn independently, retaining the curiosity, creativity, and intelligence with which they were born.

Montessori teachers don't simply present lessons; they are facilitators, mentors, coaches, and guides. Wanting to underscore the very different role played by adults in her schools, Dr. Montessori used the title directress instead of teacher. In Italian, the word implies the role of the coordinator or administrator of an office or factory. Today, many Montessori schools prefer to call their teachers "guides."

Normally Montessori teachers will not spend much time working with the whole class at once. Their primary role is to prepare and maintain the physical, intellectual, and social/emotional environment within which the children will work. A key aspect of this is the selection of intriguing and developmentally appropriate opportunities for learning to meet the needs and interests of each child in the class.

Montessori teachers have four principle goals:

 to awaken the child's spirit and imagination;

 to encourage his normal desire for independence and high sense of self-esteem;

 to help him develop the kindness, courtesy, and self-discipline that will allow him to become a full member of society; and

 to help the child learn how to observe, question, and explore ideas independently.

Montessori teachers rarely present a lesson to more than a handful of children at one time, and they limit lessons to brief, efficient presentations. The goal is to give the children just enough to capture their attention and spark their interest, intriguing them enough that they will come back on their own to work with the materials. Lessons center around the most clear and simple information necessary for the

4 children to do the work on their own: the name of the material, its place on the shelf, the ground-rules for its use, and some of the possibilities inherent within it.

Montessori teachers closely monitor their students' progress, keeping the level of challenge high. Because they normally work with each child for two or three years, guides get to know their students' strengths and weaknesses, interests, and anxieties extremely well. Montessori teachers often use the children's interests to enrich the curriculum and provide alternate avenues for accomplishment and success.

Does Montessori prepare children for the real world?

In a word, yes. Here's why. Montessori helps children master the intellectual skills and knowledge that are basic to our culture and technology. They have learned how to learn by doing real things in the real world ─ experiential learning. They have learned how to integrate new concepts, analyze data, and think critically. Montessori develops intrinsic motivation: the innate desire that drives students to engage in an activity for enjoyment and satisfaction. Montessori cultivates creativity and originality. Students are taught to think for themselves. They are taught to set and meet their own goals. Montessori students tend to be extraordinarily self-confident and competent. They are eager to learn, think, and explore new ideas. This is the ultimate goal of a Montessori education.

Adapted from Seldin, Tim. “Montessori 101: Some Basic Information Every Montessori Parent Should Know.” Tomorrow’s Child Magazine Back to School 1999: 5-11.

Tim Seldin is President of The Montessori Foundation and co-author of Celebrations of Life and The World in the Palm of Her Hand.