How is Montessori different from traditional education?

There are five main differences between a traditional and a Montessori classroom:

• A Montessori classroom provides a ‘prepared environment’ that fosters independence, self-esteem and self-motivation as children pursue individualized curriculums at their own pace, according to their own development.
• Children are self-directed, making their own choices, working independently, and learning through discovery and experience.
• A Montessori classroom has multi age groupings (e.g. ages 3-6) that serve to facilitate learning from peers, encourage mentoring/leadership roles and provide a diverse community allowing children to develop a growth mindset while minimizing difficult transitions.
• Montessori classrooms tend to be a quiet, calm and highly ordered spaces. Children are given freedom to choose within a structured environment and are encouraged to work at their own pace uninterrupted for long periods of time.
• Montessori classrooms are the epitome of the “hands on” experience for a child.

Dr. Montessori’s didactic materials are designed to achieve sensory, motor and intellectual development through a graduated system of learning. The children proceed through the curriculum areas mastering the simple and concrete before progressing to the more difficult and abstract concepts.

 

 What is the Montessori approach to language development based on?

Maria Montessori observed that the child rapidly acquires language from birth until age six. Children are able to absorb language from their environment and easily learn how to speak, read and write if language in its various forms is present in their environment during this period of ‘the Absorbent Mind’.

Therefore, in the Montessori environment, the child undergoes mastering his language well before the elementary years. The Language material in the Montessori Primary environment will always include sequential materials and exercises that focus on Spoken Language, Enrichment of Vocabulary, Written Language, Reading Classification, Word Study and Function of Words, Reading Analysis and Interpretative Reading.

 

 Why is the ‘Three Period Lesson” so important to language development?

A trademark of Montessori education is the “Three Period Lesson” which is used to facilitate association, recognition and recall when presenting new concepts in language. It allows the adult to evaluate the child’s understanding without pressure so that the child’s intrinsic motivation is not interrupted. In this approach to lessons, the adult is able to see if a child truly comprehends the concept. If a child is unable to complete a certain stage of a lesson, the adult is then able to re-present or resume at another time. The “Three Period Lesson” is an essential tool utilized by guides who lead children along a path to understanding and mastering the purpose of the Montessori materials, a concept, or specific language.

 

 Why is a child not corrected in Montessori when learning language? 

In a Montessori classroom, a child’s work is respected as it is. Maria Montessori believed that in correcting a child’s work, you are lowering their level of interest and energy and punishing them for making a mistake. With language development in particular, a child must be able to practice making phonetic sounds, building words, and be free to experiment with using and combining letters. The adult will teach by teaching, not correcting, thereby giving the child the freedom to make mistakes. When mistakes are made by a child, it presents a guide with a cue for action, and provides an opportunity to show how it is done. The Montessori child will eventually see any mistakes for themselves as a self-learner and will correct and make the necessary adjustments moving forward.

“Positive discipline says, “I’ll teach you how to do it right” while punishment says, “I’ll make you regret doing it wrong.’” – Leah Martin

 

 What is the benefit of having a child learn the phonetic sounds by using the Montessori Sandpaper Letters?

Maria Montessori believed that “what the hand does, the mind remembers “and that in order to learn there must be concentration and the best way a child can concentrate is by paying attention to a task he is performing with his hands. The purpose of The Sandpaper Letters in a Montessori classroom is to teach the phonetic sounds of the alphabet by means of muscular and visual memory. The Letters are rough like sandpaper to give a tactile impression to the child. The tactile feel of the letter allows the child to internalize its shape and will help with later writing work. Once presented the Letters, the child is encouraged to trace the symbol repeatedly until the shape of the letter becomes a part of the child’s muscle memory.

 

 Why is writing taught before reading in a Montessori classroom? 

In a Montessori environment, children learn how to write before learning how to read. Maria Montessori discovered that introducing writing before reading is the most efficient and effective way for children to learn how to read. She also observed that there is an organic “explosion into writing” that occurs before reading. Within the Montessori classroom there are numerous activities that prepare a child’s hand for writing, with many initial activities in the Practical Life and Sensorial areas. Dr. Montessori also developed didactic materials such as the Metal Insets that provide direct preparation for later writing work. A child will also be introduced to the Sandpaper Letters, which the child will trace with their fingers, saying the phonetic sound, and later practice matching small objects to the letters to integrate letter recognition with sound isolation. A child will then proceed to the Large Movable Alphabet material to “write” by using the individual letters to build phonetic words.