In 1907, Maria Montessori created an innovative method of education focused on helping children develop and grow through hands-on activities and guided inclinations. In the past 112 years, this form of education has grown to over 7,000 schools across the globe – and it keeps expanding. The Montessori Method – which is centered on auto-education in alignment with biological development – helps children expand their minds more than through instructional lectures alone. They are able to use curiosity as a guide and interact with children of varied ages in the classroom, all while learning about the world around them.
Since its inception, the Montessori Method hasn’t changed because children’s biological development has not changed. However, some schools have claimed the Montessori title without adhering to the entirety of the Montessori Method. This causes enormous debate and has proliferated misconceptions about the method. We hope to clear some confusion in this blog.
Imagination is oppressed in the Montessori Method.
In Montessori teachings, the imagination isn’t oppressed. Rather, it is encouraged in the context of reality. Maria Montessori believed that imagination flourishes because of experiences in real life. A rich reality is the basis for all imagination in the Montessori Method. From ages 0-6, children are encouraged to experience as many diverse activities possible in order to create a reality that spurs imagination based upon things that they’ve experienced.
The Montessori Method doesn’t encourage social development.
On the contrary, the Montessori Method has grace and courtesy lessons set aside specifically for this reason. During these lessons, children learn how to ask for help, excuse themselves, welcome someone and much more. Mixed-age classrooms also aid social development. Children learn how to appropriately interact with younger children by lending help and with older children by learning from them.
The Montessori Method only works for certain children.
The Montessori Method focuses on each child’s inclination and therefore works with all learning types. By strengthening a child’s love for learning, they exercise freedom of choice whilst also taking responsibility for the impact of their actions on the well-being of the community they live in and the earth that they live on. It’s not centered on one route of teaching because one route doesn’t necessarily work for all children. Montessori schools’ driving forces are love, independence, community and work, which all children experience throughout the course of their lives.
Children only work on what they want to, which makes their education unbalanced.
Even though children choose what they work on each day, that doesn’t mean there’s no lesson behind it. It’s the guide’s responsibility to make sure that each lesson is presented in an interesting way to each child. They learn the basics of math and language just like traditional schools. However, the Method allows children to choose to dive deeper into the areas that interest them.
Montessori schools are expensive.
Montessori schools are becoming more popular around the world. And tuition is often more affordable than you think. For more information on admissions, visit our website. We want to make sure that there is clear communication when it comes to the truths about Montessori education. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at (901) 527-3444 or mms1986@bellsouth.net.