The Five Principles of the Montessori Education
The Montessori program relies on a set of five unique principles. These principles encourage students to self-motivate, question and analyze what’s happening around them, and learn at their own pace.
Respect the Children
Respecting the children is the bedrock of a Montessori school. The roots of this founding principle originated in the early years of Dr. Montessori’s work.
In the beginning, her pupils were children with learning difficulties. The 20th-century education system deemed these children unfit for learning.
But, Dr. Montessori saw this problem from a different perspective. She understood that children should be respected for their needs, wants, and interests, which makes learning easier.
So, how does a Montessori school show respect to its pupils?
The respect is shown by not interrupting their focus, their desire to express, and their own pace of learning. In any Montessori private school or public school, the primary responsibility of teachers is to support the children.
As each child learns at a different pace and in different ways, teachers motivate each student depending on their needs and wants. You will not see a one-size-fits-all approach in a Montessori classroom.
2. Mind the Sensitive Periods
The second principle of Montessori education believes that there are specific periods in a child’s development when their learning ability improves dramatically. In a Montessori program, teachers often watch out for this sensitive period in every child.
If they find a child going through a sensitive period, the teachers will figure out ways and tools to support them. As children are more receptive during sensitive periods, they can pick up skills quickly and efficiently.
3. Let the Children Absorb
The third principle is based on the fact that children are constantly learning simply by interacting with their environment. They are absorbing information and interpreting it through real-life experiences. So, a Montessori private school or those following this education method let children absorb information from their surroundings.
Take reading, for example. How do Montessori schools teach reading? In a Montessori school, children learn to write first, then read. As it happens, children can learn to put together letters for a word based on how they sound, which is nothing but interacting with their environment.
And this occurs before they can interpret and write a word. The process fully leverages the fact that children are like a sponge and learn faster through hands-on experiences.
4. Provide a Prepared Learning Environment
For children to learn through hands-on experiences, you need to provide them with a suitable environment. That’s where a Montessori school comes in. Each classroom is packed with plenty of learning materials, tools, and free space.
Also, everything in a classroom, from furniture to the free space, is designed to boost hands-on learning. The design allows kids to explore, experiment, and learn freely.
5. Promote Self Education
Popularly known as Auto Education, this Montessori education principle believes that children can self-educate. With the right resources and support, children can learn almost anything by themselves.
Of course, teachers provide guidance when needed. But as you can see, the other four principles work together to lay the foundation for self-education as time progresses.