The Montessori Philosophy
The Montessori Method was developed by Dr Maria Montessori. Dr Montessori defined her goal of education as "the development of a complete human being, oriented to the environment and adapted to his or her time, place and culture”.
The Montessori Programme is not designed to accelerate children academically, but to give them the opportunity to develop and learn at their own pace. Children are led by their interests so that they are inspired to learn and discover ensuring that their full potential is realised. As the child enters the Montessori classroom they enter their own domain. It is their classroom for which they are responsible; they work in it, help take care of it and grow in it. The classroom is a specially prepared environment, designed to allow the child to move, touch, manipulate and explore the resources in a quiet and relaxed atmosphere. Montessori materials are specially designed to encourage the development and refinement of the child’s senses, as well as increasing their knowledge about the world.
While individual work is important, the mixed age group encourages social development, with children helping and learning from each other. Older children are encouraged to help care for and peer tutor the younger children and the younger children in turn learn from older children. By working under the Montessori philosophy, the children in the class learn to respect and care for each other, their work and their environment.
