A SEMINAR REPORT ON
MARIA MONTESSORI
Submitted for the course of
ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC ACADEMIC PURPOSES
By
Name of student: Nataša Maksić
Department: Preschool Teacher
Student’s Logbook Number: 6074
PRESCHOOL TEACHERS’ TRAINING COLLEGE IN KIKINDA
Montessori education
Montessori education
is an
educational
approach developed by Italian physician and educator
Maria
Montessori
. Montessori developed many of her ideas while working with mentally challenged children. Her
first school,
La casa dei bambini
, was opened in 1907 to working class children in the slum neighborhood
of
San Lorenzo
in
Rome
. Her approach was characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within
limits, and respect for a child's natural
psychological
, physical, and social development.
Although a range of practices exist under the name "Montessori," the
Association Montessori Internationale
(AMI)
and the
American Montessori Society (AMS)
cite these elements as essential:
Mixed age classrooms; classrooms for children ages 2
1
⁄
2
or 3 to 6 years old are by far the most
common, but 0–3, 6–9, 9–12, 12–15, and 15–18 year-old classrooms exist as well.
Student choice of activity from within a prescribed range of options
Uninterrupted blocks of work time, ideally three hours
A
constructivist
or "discovery" model, where students learn concepts from working with materials,
rather than by direct instruction
Specialized educational materials developed by Montessori and her collaborators often made out of
natural, aesthetic materials such as wood, rather than plastic.
A thoughtfully prepared environment where materials are organized by subject area, within reach of the
child, and are appropriate in size.
Freedom of movement within the classroom
A trained Montessori teacher who follows the child and is highly experienced in observing the
individual child's characteristics, tendencies, innate talents and abilities.
Montessori method
One of Montessori's many accomplishments was the Montessori method. This is a method of education for
young children that stresses the development of a child's own initiative and natural abilities, especially through
practical play. This method allowed children to develop at their own pace and provided educators with a new
understanding of child development. Montessori's book,
The Montessori Method
, presents the method in detail.
Educators who followed this model set up special environments to meet the needs of students in three
developmentally-meaningful age groups: 2–2.5 years, 2.5–6 years, and 6–12 years. The students learn through
activities that involve exploration, manipulations, order, repetition, abstraction, and communication. Teachers
encourage children in the first two age groups to use their senses to explore and manipulate materials in their
immediate environment. Children in the last age group deal with abstract concepts based on their newly
developed powers of reasoning, imagination, and creativity.
