Maria Montessori

 

The creator of Montessori was a woman called Maria Montessori, she became the first female doctor in Italy after graduating from University of Rome medical school.

A key feature in Montessori education is the, development of the whole child. For Montessori is was unarguable that everything worked according to the laws of nature, with regular cycles for all things - including human life.
The Montessori approach is based on the recognition of the unique nature of each individual. It is the child who decided when it was time to learn and the learning was spontaneous

“And so we discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being.” – Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori's main aim was to help each child's natural development using four planes of development. Described by Montessori as:

1. Birth to 6 years (sub divided into 0-3 years & 3-6 years): An absorbent mind
2. 6-12 years (sub divided into 6-9 years & 9-12 years): A conscious mind
3. 12-18 years (sub divided into 12-15 years & 15-18 years): Abstract thinking
4. 18-24 years: Adulthood

These planes became the basis for multi-grouping in Montessori education. She noted that "We must consider the human personality as one at all stages of development.." (Montessori, 1974 p.5)

Maria Montessori opened her first school; Casa dei Bambini in 1907 the results were so exceptional, it caused a huge amount of interest in both Italy and around the world.
Simple activities such as caring for the environment and care of self were emphasised.
Montessori is all about the activity of the child. The role of the teacher is to provide the right kind of circumstances so that children can be guided to discover what they need from what is on offer. Children learn to become active learners and are able to reach their individual potential because they're learning at their own pace. Montessori provides:

• An environment
• An adult
• Freedom  http://ami-global.org/montessori/how-montessori-different

For continual learning, Montessori believed that home and school should provide similar living conditions. The Montessori curriculum involves six key areas:

1. Practical life activies
2. Sensorial
3. Mathematics
4. Language
5. Creative expression
6. The cultural curriculm

A Montessori Morning

Reference:

The Biography.com. (2014). Maria Montessori. Available: http://www.biography.com/people/maria-montessori-9412528#synopsis. Last accessed 8/12/14.
Anon. (2013). What is Montessori. Available: http://www.the-childrens-room.co.uk/about/about-montessori/. Last accessed 8/12/14
 YouTube. (2014). A Montessori Morning . Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09Y-huCMjIc. Last accessed 8/12/14.
Isaacs, B (2012) Understanding the Montessori Approach. London: Routledge.
O'Donnell, M (2013) Maria Montessori A Critical Introduction to Key Theories and Debates. London: Bloomsbury