The Montessori Method is a pedagogical system based, mainly, on fostering the autonomy of children to help them learn. It was developed by the Italian educator and physician María Montessori , a woman ahead of her time who, at the beginning of the 20th century, impacted society with her revolutionary method. Montessori developed a radically innovative philosophy and method of learning whose influence is still in full force today.
María Montessori based her method on the deep conviction of the great potential of children to learn by themselves. The Italian educator believed in the autonomy of the child in the educational process : the child explores and learns by himself and the teacher is a guide who helps him, but leaving all the leading role to the minor. The fundamental mission of the teacher is to help the student to act and think autonomously, fostering their self-discipline.
In this sense, the educator herself said “we can only serve the development of the child, since this is carried out in a space in which there are laws that govern the functioning of each human being, and each development has to be in harmony with the whole world that surrounds us and with the entire universe ”.
In the right environment, the child is self-motivated and stimulated to learn and his discoveries are accompanied by a joy that leads him to continue trying and exceeding his limits. Therefore, the rewards are internal as they help self-esteem, responsibility and critical thinking.
Thus, this environment in which the student explores on his own initiative is very important: it must be an organized and prepared environment to promote the learning process, both individually and in group interactions.
Although the Montessori method has been traditionally implanted in kindergarten and primary school children, its guidelines and objectives are also fully valid for students in higher education.
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How to apply the Montessori Method at home?
The universality and usefulness of the Montessori Method for all children makes it a pedagogical system that transcends the barriers of educational centers. Very in line with the philosophy of its founder, the Montessori Method does not understand borders and its application at home is completely feasible, promoted by the parents and relatives of the little ones.
If we share the philosophy of the Method, understand its objectives and how to achieve them, it is the perfect time to initiate our children in it. Here we show you 7 applications to put it into practice .
- First, and possibly the most important, is to leave the child, from a very young age, space at home to experiment, choose, try and make mistakes. Under our watch, we must encourage you to take initiative and trust your abilities. We must also be patient.
- Another very important point will be to provide him with objects and materials to manipulate, play and test, with which he will learn. Do not tell him what to do with them but simply put them within reach.
- Establish clear and specific limits. Leaving him his space and experimenting does not mean allowing him absolute freedom which, in addition, can be dangerous at certain ages. The important thing is to mark clear limits that you can understand and not change them at will.
- Respecting their rhythms will be key to promoting learning and making the most of time. And each child has a different rhythm.
- Sort the space. In the Montessori Method, the environment is decisive in fostering the child’s learning. We must provide the child with a well-defined space with sufficient resources to explore and encourage their autonomy. Let us take great care to facilitate a space free of dangers, accessible and rich in possibilities. In addition, we always place materials in the same place and try to teach him how to order them.
- Try to avoid punishment. The Montessori Method does not believe in punishment, it believes in consequences. Neither in rewards. Satisfaction must be internal so it is very important that, as parents, we take care of this aspect and always try to avoid punishments imposed externally. If the child does something wrong, we must explain the unwanted consequences of his actions. With this we will be contributing in a very decisive way to their correct learning.
- Watch and learn from your child. Finally, fostering the child’s autonomy does not mean leaving him alone or forgetting about him. We must be your support in the exploration and search for knowledge and observing what it does, learning what we must reinforce, what works and what does not.
I am interested in learning about this method, I am an educator and I have a 4-year-old girl