I’m sure many mothers including myself are highly interested in Montessori education, as this method has been gaining popularity and attention in Lebanese preschools for the past few years. The daycare I had enrolled my daughter in when she was 1 applied this school of thought for a set amount of hours per week and I myself saw positive results even until today when she is already in her 3rd year of school, and I credit a lot of it to this particular method.
However before we discuss the advantages let us define the term Montessori. The name comes from Maria Montessori, an Italian doctor who after extensive work in the education field derived a method in the early 1900s that would be a breakthrough at that time and still prove its validity today. It is based on the thought that each child should be allowed to develop at their own pace, with a nontraditional grading system where groups of up to 30 students move around freely all day in a classroom that has activity stations, and teachers shift from group to group instead of being at the head of the class.
Let us become familiar with the aspects of Montessori education which in themselves are advantageous.
1. Classrooms are mixed with children of a certain age gap which allows the younger ones to learn by example as their older peers perform certain tasks, which is called peer-to-peer learning. It gives them the drive to want to learn and therefore try on their own to achieve their goal.
2. The setup of the classroom is not traditional and it includes several spaces where the child will learn as he/she experiments and walks around. This way each child will benefit on their own by trial and error and by self guidance, thus proving the hands-on experience.
3. Social skills are developed by this fun approach, as younger children learn confidence, leadership and communication by working with their older peers.
4. Children become more independent and trust in their abilities and are able to think freely which backs up their creativity for later on in life.
5. Due to the group setting, children develop soft skills and adapt well to any environment because they have been in an ambiance that nourishes communication, sharing, and a sense of belonging.
There is no doubt that the importance of a child-centered educational system has many benefits, but like any approach it does have certain cons and perhaps would be impractical to educate solely based on Montessori. However if applied in harmony with the traditional educational system then each child will have the best of both worlds. How about you mamas, have you heard of this approach, and if so what are your thoughts?
Maria Najem
Photo: willowparkmontessori.com
