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7 Surprising Facts About Montessori Schools

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Sammy
7 Surprising Facts About Montessori Schools

The concept of Montessori education is popular all over the world in private and public schools. A recent study shows that students in Montessori schools outperformed their colleagues in traditional schools in academic and social circles. Despite this growth and the fact that Montessori education has been around for over 100 years, many parents still don't understand it fully.

What is Montessori?

When Doctor Maria Montessori embarked on a journey to start the first Montessori school in Italy, she observed the way children learn and designed a system that appeals to that nature, rather than fight it. In her observation, Maria noticed that children are naturally curious, and they have a deep desire to learn, explore, and bring order.

The Montessori Method aims at tapping into this desire by providing children with the tools they need to learn at their own pace. A Montessori class is prepared with inviting materials and a great sense of serenity to create a perfect learning environment.

So, what exactly makes Montessori schools so unique and effective?

  1. Children choose their lessons

In a traditional school setting, the syllabus is already set, and teachers follow it on every student. Montessori education looks utterly different as students decide what they want to learn. The class is already prepared with age-specific tools called 'works' to help students understand what they need to at that age. Every student learns at their own pace, meaning they are all handling something different depending on their understanding level.

In a Montessori setting, teachers are known as 'guides' because their job is only to guide them through the work. They will see every child individually and ensure they have gotten everything from that activity before moving on to the next.

  1. There is no grading

As Maria Montessori explained in From Childhood to Adolescence, her vision for the future is not people taking exams, but individuals passing from one level of independence to another through their own effort of will. Montessori students learn by mastering activities and understanding basic concepts as opposed to memorizing stuff. This means there are no tests or grades, and students only move on from an activity when they are done.

  1. Children learn manners and social skills

In a typical traditional classroom, you will find students fighting, being rude, and teachers yelling at them and implementing punishments. The Montessori system promotes peace and serenity while teaching children good manners and acceptable social skills, also known as Grace and Courtesy. These skills help the children solve disagreements amongst themselves, respect each other, and clean up after themselves. The first thing you will notice in a Montessori class is the high level of order and cleanliness because students always return everything where it belongs.

  1. Mixed-age classrooms

Another interesting thing about Montessori is that kids of different ages are put in the same class. The classes are divided into ages 3-6 years, 6-9 years, and 9-12 years. This practice stems from the fact that kids learn best from each other. The younger kids can observe and learn from their older peers, and the older ones can cement their knowledge by teaching the younger ones. The setting also helps kids to learn how to interact with people of different ages.

  1. Practical activities

A Montessori school teaches normal subjects like sciences, language, and arithmetic, but they also teach kids practical life skills. It's very normal to find students learning how to walk on a straight line, pour water from a glass jug, and clean up their tables. Children learn to handle and take care of things from a young age.

While independence and freedom are the hallmarks of Montessori education, there are parameters to ensure children are well behaved and focused on learning. A Montessori school promotes the love of learning, social interaction, impeccable behavior, and peace.

 

ALSO READ: The Four Stages of International Baccalaureate

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