Montessori/Preschool & Daycare

Creative Learning Center –AV

The Montessori method is an educational method for children, based on theories of child development originated by Italian educator Maria Montessori (1870-1952) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is applied primarily in preschool and elementary school settings although some Montessori high schools exist.

The Montessori method is characterized by an emphasis on self-directed activity on the part of the child and clinical observation on the part of the teacher (often called a director, directress, or guide). It stresses the importance of adapting the child's learning environment to his or her developmental level, and of the role of physical activity in absorbing abstract concepts and practical skills. It is also characterized by the use of autodidactic (self-correcting) equipment for introduction and learning of various concepts.

Dr. Maria Montessori developed what came to be called the Montessori Method as an outgrowth of her post-graduate research into the intellectual development of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Building on the work of French physicians Jean Itard and Edouard Seguin, she tried to make an environment for the scientific study of children with physical and mental disabilities. After successes in treating these children, she began to study the application of her techniques to the education of children without intellectual or developmental disabilities.

By 1906, Montessori was well enough known that she was asked to head a day-care center in Rome's run-down San Lorenzo district. She used the opportunity to observe the children's interactions with materials developed to appeal to the senses (sensorial materials), refining them as well as developing new materials with which the children could work. This self-directed, interactive, materials-centered approach, in which the teacher mainly observes whilst children select objects specifically designed to impart conceptual frameworks or skills, is a hallmark of Montessori education.

-"Montessori method." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 12 Sep 2008, 08:25 UTC. 14 Sep 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Montessori_method&oldid=237893978>.

Montessori Method

Dr. Maria Montessori