This Is The Influence Of The Montessori Method Today

Maria Montessori is the mastermind behind a form of teaching that revolutionized primary school. The result became so well known that she became somewhat larger than just the field of education. The Montessori method placed extra emphasis on play, making it a perfect medium for developing children’s abilities.

Many kindergartens are extremely good examples of this method. We are talking about learning that is not forced, but that comes naturally through play, fun and flexibility. This allows the children to be spontaneous and enterprising. Ultimately, the Montessori method makes children more independent, while learning to cooperate and coexist, and to respect each other.

The Montessori method encourages the natural development of abilities in the youngest children based on exploration, collaboration with others, curiosity, play and communication.

The principles behind the Montessori method

We can analyze the basic principles behind this method today. Although implementing this may involve different adaptations depending on the teachers’ preferences, the essence is the same.

First of all, one can say that the Montessori method encourages learning through play and discovery. We all have an inner curiosity. Those who use this method believe that children learn better if something arouses their natural curiosity, and that they thereby want to learn more and find out things on their own. This method simply exploits a child’s innate urge to ask questions and find answers.

In addition  , those who follow this method believe that the environment must match the child’s needs and background. Both age, cultural background and any diagnoses come into play here. In addition, one must also adapt the method to natural materials and things that the child can play with. This can be anything from wood and clay to other natural materials.

All the games or toys the instructors use must have a part that plays on cooperation. The teacher must monitor, explain and coordinate these toys. That said, teachers should also influence the game as little as possible when it comes to the learning process. They need to guide their students – not guide them.

The Montessori method aims to change traditional learning. The goal is to transform school lessons into dynamic and fun experiences. For this reason, school hours last for three hours without any interruption or disruption.

The Montessori method today

Fortunately, this method has survived to this day, and is still used in some schools. It emphasizes play and independent children, as well as interactions with various elements that will arouse the child’s curiosity. In short, the method plays on the child’s own attraction to play and fun, and uses this to achieve learning.

However, as we immerse ourselves in conventional basic education, this picture changes. Children spend hours watching teachers, being rewarded for not talking. Or punishment for talking. They are not allowed to talk, and they have to follow the same thing all the time. Hour after hour. This causes the children to lose their instinctive desire to learn.

There are many schools that have chosen to use the Montessori method, but despite this, there are still many who cast doubt on the method. One of the questions asked is whether the method is only made for children between zero and six years. Although most schools only offer this method to children at this age, Maria Montessori herself says that the method was developed for use on children up to 12 years of age.

The method in secondary school

In fact, the Montessori method can also be used right up to middle school. Although she never fully developed her method for such adult children, Maria Montessori left behind some guidelines and precautions that must be taken with such much older children.

Today’s education system focuses a lot on grades. Therefore, there is also a lot of pressure on students to complete assignments that will lead to a good final grade. The Montessori method wants the opposite. There are no exams as the main goal is to learn, not to get the best grades.

And the data that is available tells us that the learning that takes place after primary school bores the students. Instead of motivating them, it makes them think that school is completely useless. This situation should be an incentive to change the way we learn. As it is today, the school system feeds on competition. Grades give students labels like stupid or smart. This despite the fact that the main goal should be that students feel motivated to understand the world around them.