The Montessori Method was founded by Maria Montessori

• An Italian educator in the late 1800s/early 1900s
• She was the first female Italian doctor
• Advocated for women’s rights and child labor laws
• Studied child development and learning before opening her own school
• She researched educational approaches and philosophies throughout the ages and studied children in-person to create her approach
• Pulled heavily from the work of Jean-Marc Itard and Edouard Séguin

Main Focuses of a Montessori education

• Very hands-on and sensory focused
  • The Montessori schoolroom engages all the senses
  • Activities are referred to as “works”
  • These works will engage multiple senses at a time
  • The environment itself is kept low-sensory and very tidy- everything has a place and is always put back in that place. Only one work out per child at a time. Known as a “prepared environment”
  • Lessons are incredibly tactile with things like sandpaper letters, counting beads, building blocks, and lots of manipulatives
  • Play is work- and children should not be interrupted while working or playing. A big focus is on letting them do things at their own pace with full concentration
• Everything is adapted to be child-size and child-friendly
  • Works will be put out on low shelves, kid-size tools are made readily available and presented to the child from a young age, kid-size chairs, tables, etc.
  • In the kitchen, kids will have their own set of kid-size cooking items and a special stool to be able to stand up at the counter
  • Kids are given real glasses instead of plastic and “real” tools that are simply child size
  • Taught to work with careful consideration and attention to detail
• Big focus on Life Skills
  • Taught from a very early age and children are encouraged to be independent from toddlerhood
  • Excellence in completion and attention to detail is a bit part of learning Life Skills
  • Self-care, cleaning, cooking, sewing, and other basic Life Skills are taught beginning in toddlerhood
  • Gardening and farm work are often a part of the daily school tasks
• Natural materials
  • Plastic is almost never found in a Montessori setting
  • Wood, fabric, and glass are the primary materials found
• The main core educational subjects are taught along with a big focus on art, citizenship, independence, nature, and engaging in the community

Other tidbits

• In a school, children are grouped with a wide age range- usually 2-4 grades all together
• Self-directed learning lets children progress at their own pace
  • Still guided by an adult with each work very carefully introduced in a methodical way
  • Children then can work through things at their own pace and based on their own interests
  • There’s not usually a strict schedule of X subject at X time
  • Instead, children will know what they are expected to accomplish in a day and be given the freedom to complete their tasks in the order they desire
• No screens until at least 4th grade
• Age 0-6 is a key age for introducing concepts, life skills, and development
• Some similar components to Waldorf and Charlotte Mason but starts academic instruction at a much younger age and is much more methodical

Stay tuned for our next post where we will talk about integrating the Montessori Method into your Fun-Schooling!