This post is sponsored by Lake Country Montessori.
What is Montessori?
Montessori of education, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, is a child-centered approach based on scientific observations of children from birth to adulthood. Dr. Montessori’s method has been time tested, with over 100 years of success. Montessori students include Google founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin; Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos; and Julia Child. This method values the human spirit and the development of the whole child – physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively.
The environment, teacher, and child create a learning triangle. The classroom is filled with specially designed Montessori learning materials. The teacher prepares this environment to encourage independence, freedom within limits, and a sense of order. The child, through individual choice, makes use of what the environment offers to develop him or herself, interacting with the teacher when support and/or guidance is needed.
Multi-age groupings are also hallmark of the Montessori Method. Younger children learn from older children; older children reinforce their learning by teaching concepts they have already mastered. It is not uncommon to observe one child reading to another or a group of children working together to identify countries on a map. This arrangement mirrors the real world, where individuals work, socialize, negotiate, and solve problems with people of all ages and personalities.
So What Would a Montessori Education Mean for My Child?
It creates a real understanding, rather than simply memorizing facts. In traditional educational settings, a worksheet may be used to help a child show that she knows that 5 + 4 = 9. However, children in a Montessori school use manipulatives to not only discover the answer to the equation, but to also understand the relationships between numbers. This helps students quickly discover that not only does 5 + 4 = 9, but 50 + 40 = 90 and later that 5 x 4 = 20. As children move on to more complex math later in life, this core understanding of math relationships helps children learn faster and enjoy the content more.
This strategy holds true for all areas of a child’s education, including reading, writing, geography, as well as care for the environment, for others, and for the self. These strategies also support metacogntion, which is learning how to learn. Montessori students come to know how they like to learn best, which helps them learn how to solve problems, think independently, and take risks throughout their lives.
It is an environment of respect for the self and others that flows into daily life.
When someone observes a Montessori classroom, she will see and hear a hum of activity. Students work individually or cooperatively in pairs or groups. The teacher sits with children – at their level – to demonstrate a new skill, ask questions to foster a deeper understanding, and encourage the child. In this way, respect is modeled for new students, who naturally enter into the flow of the classroom.
Seemingly small tasks, like learning to look into another person’s eyes when saying hello or walking around (rather than through) another child’s workspace, fosters a respect for others that becomes part of the child’s daily nature.
Perhaps most importantly, the respectful environment makes it safe for students to experiment with materials, helping to foster the child’s innate curiosity. It also makes it safe for a child to try something new, learn independently that a strategy didn’t work, and try a new strategy. Again, this life lesson becomes imprinted upon the child and helps build his or her character.
It creates a sense of independence and wonder.
In 2004, Barbara Walters asked Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin about the secret to their success. Was it their parents, who were college professors? Page and Brin said No. While their parents certainly helped, Page and Brin said that their Montessori education was a key to their success. They specifically pointed to the Montessori’s strategy of self-directed learning – where students follow their interests and decide for themselves what they want to learn. In addition, Page said, “I think it was… being self motivated, questioning what’s going on in the world, and doing things a little bit differently” that helped him succeed.
It’s fun.
The work in a Montessori classroom is fostered using game-like strategies that grow increasingly more difficult as the child is ready. As a result, the child continues to be challenged in a way that is interesting and not overwhelming.
The environment is flexible. Children who need to move can move. Children who are drawn to math can spend time on math. Children who like to experiment can experiment.
Are All Montessori Schools Alike?
No. Parents who consider a Montessori school are encouraged to learn more about the specific school to confirm if it authentically follows Montessori strategies. Some questions to consider include:
Are the teachers and support staff certified?
How much experience do the teachers have?
Are all of the educators Montessori trained?
How does the school feel to you?
How Do I Learn More?
Lake Country Montessori is unique in the Lake Country area, as we provide a true Montessori environment. Children arrive as young as 2½ years old, as they are beginning to discover their potential. After only a week or two at our school, parents tell us that their child glows with self-confidence and joy! “She has gained a new sense of self, showing confidence in herself and her newfound abilities. She has found a place that is all her own, where she can learn from the other children around her and choose her own purposeful work. She knows now that she is capable of so much— dressing herself, caring for herself and others around her, helping to maintain and beautify her surroundings, and expressing her own thoughts and ideas. She knows that here, she is accepted exactly as she is, and that she and her work will be respected always.”
Registration is open for the 2015 – 2016 school year! To learn more or to schedule a tour, call 262-367-6595 or email admin@lcmschool.org. You can also checkout our website at www.lcmschool.org or our Facebook page.
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