Maria montessori what was her theory

Her studies led her to observe, and call into question, the prevailing methods of teaching children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The opportunity to improve on these methods came in , when she was appointed co-director of a new training institute for special education teachers.

Maria approached the task scientifically, carefully observing and experimenting to learn which teaching methods worked best. Many of the children made unexpected gains, and the program was proclaimed a success. In , Maria accepted a challenge to open a full-day childcare center in San Lorenzo, a poor inner-city district of Rome.

The students were under-served youngsters, ages 3 — 7, who were left to their own devices while their parents went out to work. This center, the first of its kind in the nation, and a high-quality learning environment, became the first Casa dei Bambini. The children were unruly at first, but soon showed great interest in working with puzzles, learning to prepare meals, and manipulating learning materials Maria had designed.

She observed how the children absorbed knowledge from their surroundings, essentially teaching themselves. By , Montessori schools could be found throughout Western Europe and were being established around the world, including in the United States where the first Montessori school opened in Tarrytown, NY, in I celebrate Maria Montessori…and the fact that she overcame the stifling conventions put on women of the late nineteenth century and succeeded in establishing her own voice for all to hear and follow.

In the years following, and for the rest of her life, Maria dedicated herself to advancing her child-centered approach to education. She lectured widely, wrote articles and books, and developed a program to prepare teachers in the Montessori Method. Through her efforts and the work of her followers, Montessori education was adopted worldwide. She wrote and spoke frequently on the need for greater opportunities for women, and was recognized in Italy and beyond as a leading feminist voice.

Maria Montessori pursued her ideals in turbulent times. We serve the future by protecting the present. The more fully the needs of one period are met, the greater will be the success of the next.

In the second plane, from 6 to 12 years old, the child possesses a "rational mind" to emplore the world with imagination and abstract thinking. In the third plane, from 12 to 18 years old, the teenager has a "humanistic mind" which desires to understand humanity and to contribute to society.

Montessori materials were scientifically designed in an experimental context within the classroom, paying special attention to children's interests based on the evolutionary stage they were going through and with the belief that manipulating concrete objects helps the development of knowledge and abstract thinking.

These materials allow children to investigate and explore in a personal and independent way. They make repetition possible, and this promotes concentration. They have the quality of "isolating the difficulties", which means each one of these materials introduces a unique variable, only one new concept, isolating it and leaving the other concepts without modification.

This way, children know that errors are part of the learning process; they teach children to establish a positive attitude towards them, making children responsible for their own learning and helping them to develop self-confidence. The Montessori directress doesn't give awards or punishments. Montessori calls this period the one of a "spiritual embyo", in which the child does in the psychological sphere what the embryo did in the physical sphere.

The classroom curriculum for children from 6 to 12 years old presents a historical, evolutionary and integrated vision of knowledge and human development. It includes five Great Lessons or fundamental lessons from which specific studies of different areas will develop.

These lessons are designed to awaken imagination, curiosity and admiration for the creative and innovative capacity of human spirit. You don't have active javascript in your browser. Please enable it for the site to work properly. If you want to know how, visit the following page click here. The Montessori Method The Montessori Method is characterized by providing a prepared environment: tidy, pleasing in appearance, simple and real, where each element exists for a reason in order to help in the development of the child.

She observed without preconceived ideas that helped her develop materials that the children needed and were interested in. Observation is also the way adults can learn about what the child needs are. For example, if a child starts banging on objects, it means that he has a need for that gross motor activity, so give him a drum. Follow the child, they will show you what they need to do, what they need to develop in themselves and what area they need to be challenged in.

From what you have observed from the actions of the children, follow them in what they need to do. If they want to climb, give them the opportunity to climb in a safe manner, do not be overprotective. Following the child also means being non-directive, do not tell them what to do all the time. Give your child the freedom to choose what he wants or needs to do and to act on his own. Also, stand back and watch the child what he does, there is no need to intervene all the time unless he has become really destructive and about to hurt himself or others.

Knowing when to intervene is a skill parents will learn as they get to know their child and as parents have set limits for the child.

Children make mistakes. They may spill something, drop food unintentionally and so on. There is no need to raise your voice in situations like those.

You will find that children do like to clean up as they see it as something adults do. For example, with a cloth bib a child who is learning how drink from a glass will find out that if he tips the glass a bit too early, the water will spill on him and he will feel it. If they mispronounce a word, there is no need to correct them, but rather say the word correctly. Correcting children may result in them being scared to attempt anything in fear of making another mistake.