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Canadian Council of Montessori
Administrators
The Montessori method
Nature allows a certain time to learn each thing. Maria Montessori called
these "sensitive periods". If this time is not used, it is lost. It
does not come again. If the sensitive periods are wasted, the foundation is not
there; it is more difficult for the child and those who teach the child.
The Montessori system of education provides an environment rich in activities
for every area of learning. Montessori called her schools "casa dei
bambini" or "the children's home". In their home from home the
children find rooms full of mystery, challenge and discovery.
In the Practical Life room children find washing, polishing, pouring,
brushing, folding and sewing; in the Sensorial room texture, colour, sound,
taste and smell; in the Numbers room quantity and mathematical ideas; in the
Language room vocabulary, expression, writing and reading. At the same time,
they are encouraged to look outside; to be aware of countries, continents and
beyond; and doing the prehistoric time line helps them to understand the concept
of time - from the ancient to the present.
The children retain their freedom. They choose their own work and may repeat
an activity as often as they wish. This freedom contributes to their
self-confidence and independence. The teacher will guide and introduce them to
new activities and ideas but will not coerce them into areas for which they may
not yet be ready. To do so is to risk halting their progress.
No matter which room the children enter they will find equipment that works
on more than one level. In the Numbers room the Golden Beads teach simple
numeracy; but the Cube of 1000 is made up of 1000 Golden Beads and is therefore
exactly 1000 times as big as one bead. This allows mathematical ideas to form.
Children are not made to understand the formula. But in using the cube in a
mathematical way, they build up a predisposition to enjoy and understand
mathematics later. In the same way the Cylinders show that whether shallow and
wide or narrow and deep they each displace the same volume; but simply playing
with them prepares and strengthens the children's fingers for holding a pencil
later on.
In the Language room the children's first introduction to the alphabet is via
sandpaper letters. Feeling the roughness of the letter and the smoothness of the
background card is something children enjoy; but in this activity is being
created the knowledge of the shape of the letter and its sound, and of simple
words - all leading to reading and writing.
In the Biology room, matching the pictures to the story of, say, the conker
or the snail teaches the children how to observe; but the story itself teaches
them the fundamentals of the life cycle.
The Montessori method is a dynamic and complete approach to the enrichment of
young children and as such represents the very best that a parent can give
during these formative years.
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