Montessori Schools
The Child as an Active Learner
Theoretical Underpinnings
Foundations of the Montessori Learning Approach
Maria Montessori was a native of Chiaravalle Italy, born in 1870 during the time when Italy was declaring its independence (Kramer, 1988). Montessori did not originally wish to go into teaching, but your life path lead her to become the founder of the Montessori schools and philosophy. Montessori refused to assume traditional women's roles. Her independent spirit is reflected in her teaching methods which emphasizes independence, freedom within limits, and respect for the child's own natural psychological development. This research will explore the underpinnings of the Montessori approach and its relation to other learning theories.
There many schools that claim to be Montessori schools, but unless they have at least five basic elements, they are not true Montessori schools. These five elements are:
• mixed age classrooms, with classrooms for children ages 2-1/2 to 6 as the most common format
• students are allowed to choose their own activity within a prescribed range of options
• uninterrupted blocks for time
• a constructivist learning model where children learn concepts through discovery by working with materials, rather than receiving all classroom instruction
• specialized educational materials develop by Montessori in those around her (American Montessori Society, 2011).
The key principle underpinning Montessori approach is that children have a natural desire to learn if given the tools and the chance to do so. When the Montessori method was first developed, it became quickly popular in the United States. However, interest in the program soon faded in lieu of the traditional educational system. Montessori was revived in the 1960s, only it re-emerged as a truly American version (AMSHQ, 2011).
Montessori developed the method be trial and error while working with children with delayed cognitive development. Her methods stress the natural tendency of the child to explore and desire to learn on their own without being prodded. Montessori believed that the teacher's role was to serve the child with a menu of learning experiences that would stimulate them and make them eager to learn. Montessori found that the classroom environment was important for stimulating exploration and learning in the classroom (Seldin, 2010). Montessori schools are designed around the children was small tables and chairs that fit them. Shelves were low to the ground and they had tiny tools that were fitted to the child's hands rather than made for the adults (Seldin, 2010). The entire school was environmentally engineered to fit the child.
The Child as an Active Learner
Montessori is methods were ahead of her time, but many of them were adopted by the mainstream school system, particularly those about restructuring the environment to suit the child's needs not the adults. The Montessori method emphasizes the child involvement in the learning process as a self-directed and motivated human being. Piaget considered play to be an important part of cognitive development. Piaget found that children construct knowledge and make sense of their world through the patterns and categories developed during play. Similar to Montessori, Piaget promoted inquiry-based learning that considered children to be active participants in their environment (Lillard, 2007). Piaget's learning methods are similar to Montessori's in that the learning activities are child-centered in child-directed. Both Montessori and Piaget place the emphasis on the child's needs and interests rather than coercion and control by the teacher.
When given a choice of whether to do a certain activity or being told to do it, children who were given the choice often chose the appropriate activity and were engaged for a longer period of time than those that were told they had to do it (Lillard, 2007). The activities were the same in both groups, the only difference was that it was a choice for one group and an obligation for the other. Children chose the appropriate choice when they were not coerced into doing it. Giving children choices and some control over their lives helps to develop an internal...
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