History and Background of Montessori Schools
Maria Montessori, MD, an Italian teacher, doctor, and scientist, founded the first Montessori school in 1906, in a poor, struggling district in Rome, Italy.
Many of Montessori’s students had never been to school before and were thought to be difficult to teach. But she believed in these children and decided to experiment with classroom techniques that would get them interested in learning. Many of the learning techniques still used in Montessori schools near me and around were first created by Maria Montessori.
Montessori found that given time, a peaceful, encouraging learning environment, and thought-provoking educational opportunities, these children actually were capable of teaching themselves. The first American Montessori school opened in 1911 in New York. Thereafter Monetessori form of learning became very popular and more than 20000 schools spread throughout the globe including India.
To guide students in a Montessori school environment there are certainly trained teachers. If you were to walk into a Montessori classroom nearby, you would likely see a group of highly absorbed students—some on the floor, some at a desk—each working on their own individualized task.
Key components of A Montessori school near me:
Montessori is a method of education that is based on self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play. In a Montessori school near me children make creative choices in their learning, while the classroom and the highly trained teacher offer age-appropriate activities to guide the process.
Here are some key components of the Montessori course:
- Montessori classrooms are multi-age, usually with about three grades in each classroom.
- Kids are grouped together, the older kids can teach the little kids, and the little kids can keep the bigger kids curious and motivated.
- Since everyone is working on their own projects and at their own pace, competition among children is lessened, and cooperation is emphasized.
- Most Montessori course schools do not use grades or textbooks, but more wholistic teacher assessments are offered.
- Most student work happens individually and in small groups; there is very little teacher-directed learning aside from the initial explanation of a learning station.
- Much of the learning is hands-on, with Montessori-specific learning materials such as wooden puzzles, coloured counting beads, and geometric shape and math manipulatives, rods, and blocks.
- Children are taught to pick up their activity area when they finish a project and participate in daily classroom chores, like cleaning up, setting the table, and meal preparation - all for teaching young kids to pitch in and help the family back home.
