What makes Montessori education unique?

 

The “Prepared Environment”
In order for self-directed learning to take place, the learning environment room, materials and social climate must be supportive of the learner. The teacher provides necessary resources, including opportunities for children to function in a safe and positive climate. The teacher thus gains the children’s trust, which enables them to try new things and build self-confidence.

The "prepared environment" (classroom) is an environment which has been designed to facilitate maximum independent learning and exploration by the child.

Montessori classroom is calm and ordered; learning materials are arranged invitingly on low, open shelves. Children are free to choose whatever materials they like and may work for as long as the material holds their interest. They experience a blend of freedom and self-discipline in a place especially designed to meet their developmental needs.

 

The Montessori Materials
Maria Montessori’s observations of the kind of “toys” which children enjoy and return to play with, repeatedly led her to design a number of multi-sensory sequential and self-correcting materials which facilitate the learning of skills and concepts. Our teachers follow “Montessori Principles” as they structure new activities for the classroom.
There is no need for adult "correction." The child is able to solve problems independently, building self-confidence, analytical thinking, and the satisfaction that comes from accomplishment.

 

The Teacher.

• Originally called a “Directress”. The Montessori teacher functions as a facilitator of learning. She is a role model, designer of the environment, resource person, demonstrator, record-keeper and observer of each child’s growth and development. She encourages, respects, and loves each child as a special, unique individual. 
  The Montessori philosophy states that Montessori Teachers must be calm and unhurried, should move around the classroom discretely and quietly and respond to the needs of children as individuals.
   
  Teachers should not raise their voices, loose their temper, shake or push a child, or speak crossly. They should be pleasant and polite, firm without anger, and be able to deal with a misdemeanour with sympathy and assurance rather than with punishment. 
  
  We do NOT have a naughty step!
  We do NOT believe in sending a child out of the room!
• 
  All children will be shown respect, never humiliated or laughed at, and their remarks will be listened to seriously and answered thoughtfully and courteously.

 

Comparative table Montessori Method v/s Conventional Education

 

Montessori Education	Conventional Education
Emphasis on cognitive and social development	Emphasis on Social development
Teacher has unobtrusive role in classroom	Teacher is centre of classroom as "controller"
Environment and method encourage self-discipline	Teacher acts as primary enforcer of discipline
Mainly individual instruction	Mainly group or class instruction
Mixed age grouping in class	Same age grouping in class
Grouping encourages children to teach and help each other	Most teaching done by teacher
Child chooses own work	Curriculum structured for child
Child discovers own concepts from self-teaching material	Child is guided to concepts by teacher
Child works as long as he wishes on chosen work	Child generally allotted specific time for work
Child sets own learning pace	Instruction pace usually set by group norm
Child spots own errors from feedback of material	If work is corrected, errors usually pointed out by teacher
Child reinforces own learning by repetition of work and internal feeling of success	Learning is reinforced externally by repetition, rewards and punishment
Multi-sensory materials for physical exploration	Fewer materials for sensory development
Organised program for learning care of self and environment	Less emphasis on self-care instruction
Child can work where he chooses, move around and talk at will ( yet not disturb work of others ) ; group work is voluntary	Child usually assigned own chair, encouraged to participate, and sit still and listen during group sessions
Organised program for parents to understand the Montessori philosophy and participate in the learning process	Voluntary parent involvement