Teacher Talk: What Is the Montessori Method of Teaching?

Recently, many parents have embarked on the odyssey of teaching their young children at home. While a few hours of Sesame Street seemed like enough at first, the length of the pandemic demanded new solutions. Suddenly mommies and daddies everywhere had to become experts on early childhood pedagogy, and fast.If you’ve done cursory research, you’ve likely heard about the Montessori Method. It is a time-tested approach to teaching children independence and critical thought. While Montessori teachers have special training, you can use aspects of The Montessori Method at home.

Are you interested in what Montessori techniques can do for your child’s education? Read on to learn a bit about the history of this method, and how to successfully implement aspects at home.

Who Was Maria Montessori?

Italian physician Maria Montessori developed the Montessori Method in 1906. At the time, there was a great need for a new educational approach in the slums of the city of San Lorenzo. The children were living in high poverty, and most had experienced no education in their young lives.

Dr Montessori took what she understood about human psychology and created a curriculum. She prioritized hands-on, real-world experiences.

The children worked on puzzles but also learned to clean and prepare meals. The most essential element was a sense of order, with each student engaged in an appropriate task.

The more she observed her students, the more she wanted to give them. Her bespoke educational materials teach specific developmental skills through playful engagement. Over time, children would learn to solve problems, and later put that new learning in context.

What Is the Montessori Method of Teaching?

The Montessori Method of teaching began with the program that Dr. Montessori put in place in San Lorenzo. The average Montessori program mixes real-world tasks and independent learning activities. The goal is to create a full and fulfilling day of learning.

A key to quality Montessori programming is the use of high-quality learning materials. This is why Montessori schools have similar materials and even physical space. Many of the materials developed by Maria Montessori are still used in these programs today.

Sensory Materials

Sensory materials are any tools or toys that engage a child’s five senses. This is because sensory experiences encourage brain development in young children.

Practical Life Materials

Many of the materials found in Montessori classrooms are already in your home. These include materials used to cook, clean, or dress oneself. Child-sized materials are appropriate as long as they work – pretend play is not the goal.

Academic Materials

Academic materials should allow students to engage with the alphabet or numbers in a tactile way. Sandpaper letters and movable alphabet toys are popular. Other popular materials created by Montessori include golden beads, spindle boxes, and number rods.

Montessori in Your Living Room

Maria Montessori set out to empower the most disenfranchised children. She wanted all children to have successful experiences in academics. With its focus on real-life experiences and high-quality materials, The Montessori Method transformed Urban education.

Montessori’s passion for child development lives on in modern progressive pedagogy all over the world. Do you have a passion for education? Check out the rest of our blog for more ideas about enriching your child’s world.

 

61 thoughts on “Teacher Talk: What Is the Montessori Method of Teaching?”

  1. That was very well written and detailed bringing out the pros of montessori education. What i did miss was no cons were given because personally i know this education system is not right for India

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  2. Montessori method of thanking is one of the best way as they uses real life examples which help kids to understand better. As they use high quality toys it doesn’t harm kids in anyways. Good you shared this insightful post.

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  3. Many parents are homeschooling and I think the Montessori method is the best. Activity learning is by far better than textbook rote learning. Thank you for sharing the Montessori method in detail.

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  4. This was a great introduction to the method. I had done a teacher training course and I saw one of the teachers teaching fractions using puzzles, etc. It was such a fun experience for me too!

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  5. One thing i like about this way of teaching is that they are not forces to remember or mugup subjects as it happens in other normal schools. This way, kids would develop more practical approach towards subjects.

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  6. Both my sons had montessori method for their kindergarten, but I was unaware I could have done it at home too!!
    Thank you for the post!

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  7. That’s a wonderful and informative post about Montessori method of teaching. Good to know about it’s origin and how it helps kids in learning and their overall development. Very well written article.

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  8. Madam Montessori is a pioneer in developing Early childhood Education techniques. I think during covid, when pre-schoolers are at home, parents can teach their kids through the Montessori method, it will certainly help them in homeschooling.

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  9. An informative post on a unique style of teaching which has been used extensively by parents and teachers. Like all educational processes, this too has its prod and cons. Thank you for sharing this post.

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  10. My child studies at a Montessori school. Due to the pandemic, they modified the curriculum and taught us parents to create a Montessori environment at home. It’s working well.

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  11. it seems like a great way of making the child understand and ten implement the knowledge rather than just mugging it up. Thanks for letting us know about Montessori method i had no idea about it.

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  12. montessori method is very popular these days. My son went to a day care where they had montessori setup. It really helped my boy to understand things and even his speech delay also got fixed. This is definitely better than conventional teaching methods.

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  13. Quite interesting…I got to know about Maria Montessori. Of course, as you have written, it is essential to follow a more hands-on approach to education providing an environment for children to grow independently.

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  14. The montessori method is one of the best ways to introduce a child to learning. Both my children were lucky to undergo this method of teaching at their schools. I agree with your post! Keep writing!

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  15. This article beautifully explains the Montessori method. It’s a wonderful approach to nurturing a child’s natural curiosity and independence. Thanks for the informative read!

    Reply

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