Why Montessori?
“To consider the school as the place where instruction is given is one point of view. But to consider the school as a preparation for life is quite another.” -- Dr. Maria Montessori
Dr.
Maria Montessori was a visionary. She saw in the young child endless potential
and amazing powers that allow the child to complete the important work
of becoming an adult. Dr. Montessori recognized the role of purposeful
movement in the child’s development and charged the adult with protecting
and fostering the freedom to explore.
Dr. Montessori discovered the following universal principles in childhood development:
- There are ten basic tendencies in human nature. At all times, in all environments, humans have all shared these basic needs and tendencies.
- Each child possesses the power of the “absorbent mind.”
The Absorbent Mind
gives the child the ability to absorb unlimited amounts of information
without effort. By the age of six, this gift has disappeared, so the
first six years of life are critical.
- During early childhood, the brain has limited periods of time during which children show a strong attraction toward a particular aspect in the environment. During these Sensitive Periods, a child can acquire knowledge or skill more perfectly than at any other time. A trained Montessori teacher can identify sensitive periods for different topics and encourage learning accordingly.
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On the way to maturity, each child goes through four distinct stages
of development and growth -- what Dr. Montessori called Planes.
He displays very different needs and characteristics at each of the
stages, and experiences very distinguishable physical, mental and psychological
changes throughout the process. Based on the knowledge of these planes,
the Montessori classroom presents a precisely prepared environment.
The Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) was established by Dr. Montessori to monitor the program for purity. Additional information about Montessori Theory is available from the Montessori Training Center in Oregon.