Montessori Method
Montessori Method, a method of teaching designed for children from birth to 12 years of age. It was developed by Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator, around the turn of the century. Her theories and techniques have continued to influence educational practices throughout the world. In the United States, the Montessori Method has been mainly adopted by private nursery and kindergarten schools.
The Montessori Method is designed to develop the child's natural desire to learn and to perform competently. It eliminates all outwardly imposed rewards and punishments. According to Montessori theory, a child derives satisfaction from solving problems when he is ready for them. Therefore it is not necessary to force his attention by something outside the learning situation itself.
A Montessori school provides what its teachers call a “prepared learning environment,” which offers a child a setting and teaching materials designed to promote his self-development. The teaching materials consist of specially designed objects and games that help the child's sensory and muscular development. For example, by fitting different-sized cylinders into holes, the child develops his perception of size and space. The teaching materials are often selfcorrecting, in that they provide the learner information that enables him to correct errors. For example, in the cylinders-and-holes puzzle, if a cylinder extends beyond a hole, the child recognizes that he made an error. When a child shows readiness he is encouraged to progress from simple and concrete games to complex and abstract games. The teacher guides, but does not instruct, the pupil.
Children are free to work alone or in groups, moving about the room or from room to room, as their needs dictate. Advocates of the Montessori Method argue that it develops inner discipline, or self-mastery. Pupils are expected to respect themselves and others and to work seriously. Some educators believe that children from Montessori schools who transfer to conventional schools have difficulty adjusting to traditional classroom procedures.
Dr. Montessori first developed her techniques in a school for retarded children, 1898–1901, and in 1907 founded a school for mentally normal children. Montessori schools were soon established in a number of countries. Those in the United States were discontinued after a few years.
In 1958, the Montessori Method was revived in the United States with the establishment of the Whitby School, in Greenwich, Connecticut, Many other Montessori schools soon followed.
American Montessori Society (AMS), founded in 1960, is the accrediting body for Montessori schools and training programs in the United States. Headquarters of the society are in New York City.