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Maria Montessori was an Italian physician who developed a unique approach
for working with children, an approach that came to be called the
Montessori Method.
She was born in Chiaravalle, Italy, in 1870. In a time when women were
expected to study literature and the arts, the young Maria Montessori was
more interested in science, mathematics, and languages. But when Maria
Montessori wanted to attend technical school, her father didn't approve.
Because her mother supported her, Maria Montessori was able to pursue an
interest in engineering, that eventually led to a career in medicine.
Despite the many challenges in being the only woman in medical school, she
decided to stick it out after a chance encounter one night, when she saw a
woman and child living on the streets. She was fascinated that the child
was completely oblivious to her miserable surroundings, because she was
absorbed in an activity as simple as playing with a scrap of paper.
By following her dream, Maria Montessori eventually gained the respect of
her professors and peers, and she was given a valued position as an
assistant at the university hospital. In 1896, Dr. Maria Montessori
graduated at the top of her class and became the first woman in Italy to be
certified as a medical doctor.
The Method
Over the next several years Maria Montessori cultivated an interest in
education, especially as it relates to kids with special needs, the
unwanted children of her day. She studied the most progressive pedagogical
innovators of the trime, drawing from their work to create a method of
educating children that is respectful to their being, and encourages growth
and development in all areas.
Maria Montessori believed in matching children with appropriate activities
based on carefully observing their behavior, and she found that kids are
able to do far more than most people imagine them being capable of doing.
She observed that children stay out of trouble when they are happily
occupied with enjoyable chores, puzzles, and tasks.
She discovered that children can concentrate easily when they are
interested in something, and that they prefer to have order around them,
everything in it's place, and that they enjoy being a part of the creation
of the sense of order. She found that children enjoy doing real-life work
over play, using real-life work materials rather than toys, and that they
enjoy working quietly.
She discovered that children delight in learning how to maintain
themselves, such as blowing their nose and washing their hands, and the
they learn not by reward and punishment, but from doing things for
themselves, and having the freedom to choose what material to work with and
what work to do. She believed that changing children's behavior from
negative to positive was a matter of allowing the child to change
themselves, simply by stepping back and allowing the child to show which
direction they wanted to go in.
She believed her role was more as a facilitator than an instructor, and she
passed on this practise of observing and learning to other teachers. She
made children's learning environment what we today call "kid-friendly"
and she treated kids with respect and consideration, an idea that was fairly
radical for its time. She believed that movement was essential, including free
movement in the classroom, which allows kids to feel comfortable enough to enjoy
learning. She believed it was important to treat children with respect, and to
smile and make positive eye-contact when possible.
She believed in teaching children to write before they could read, by using
traceable letters, so that children became accustomed to tracing the shapes
and saying the sounds, before combining letters into syllables, then
writing. She believed the most important period of learning for the growing
child are the ages from birth to six years old, an idea that has been
confirmed over and over by widespread research. She preferred to use the
term "work" rather than "play" for children's activities, because she
believed that "play is the important work of childhood," and by erasing
disctinctions between work and play all activity becomes important and purposeful.
In her final years, Maria Montessori continued to advance the cause of
childhood education. She traveled the world to speak about her method, she
gave teacher training courses and attended awards on her behalf, and she
stayed active in her field until just before her death in 1952.
Miss Kelly's
At Miss Kelly's the Montessori method is the main focus of our efforts.
We also emphasize reading, writing, and storytelling, and encourage
children to engage directly in the storytelling process. We expose them to
music education, piano practise, Irish tin whistle, and the violin, as well
as all types of music possible. We invite experts in various fields to
speak about their specialties, including local interest groups, and we
emphasize "green" thinking and an organic-friendly environment.
We encourage children to honor their wants and needs, their hopes and
dreams, and to be ambitious in their imaginations. The intention is to
prepare children for what they need to know in the world, not just the
academic world, but also the practical world - to function effectively in
school as in life, happily and peacefully.
That is our pledge to every child.
Links for Further Study
Leads to an article in Science which supports the efficacy of the method.
http://www.montessori-science.org/montessori_science_journal.htm
Wikipedia for Maria Montessori, provides introduction and more links.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Montessori |
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