I’m going to be offering Mini-Montessori classes for parents with children aged 1-7 over the summer, so I thought I’d write a bit about what Montessori Education is all about. In a nutshell, it’s a systematic way of individual learning and teaching children of all ages using their senses and the environment. This enables a child to learn with one or a combination of senses either a visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, olfactory-taste or smell. When used together as the child progresses on to more advanced stages, it increases the child’s memory and ability to retain the information more readily.
All ‘work’ is seen as play and the child chooses what he/she would like to ‘play’ with once it has been shown to him by the ‘Directress’/teacher. A Montessori child, essentially has freedom within a structured environment and can progress at their own rate, therefore will not become bored or held back if you have a particularly ”bright child’.
Maria Montessori was an Italian Doctor and worked with children in poor areas in Italy. She devised a system for children using natural materials such as wood, fabrics or sand and each exercise or piece of work had a control of error built in. This meant that a child could notice a mistake him/herself and correct it, without the need for an adult to point out their ‘mistake’. This in itself is a wonderful way for a child to start being ‘self-aware’ and building independence.
Parents often overlook what their child is capable of or are perhaps in a rush and therefore don’t allow a child to i.e. fully try to put their shoes on or cut something up. If a child misses a ‘sensitive period’, a time when they show readiness for an activity or self-dependence , it can take a long time for the child to learn the skill later on or he or she may become lazy, if it has been done for them.
I will be sharing some examples of Montessori activities in later articles, I hope this has given you an overview and if you have any further questions please get in touch call 07982 713 736.
Mini-Montessori learning Classes start in July on Thursday’s, for ages 1-2, 3-4 along with Building Confidence through Art/ Cookery holiday workshops running on Wednesday July 23rd + 6th + 20th August from 2.30-4.30.