Montessori- An Introduction
Montessori is a popular brand-name in Singapore and is famously known for its beautiful educational materials that can help children understand concepts faster and better. While aesthetic and form is central in materials in Montessori schools, how it is practiced here is varied and inconsistent, or even contradictory to Montessori principles. This issue has however existed almost half a century ago as observed in Lillard's Montessori; A Modern Approach, where she highlighted that "the danger of Montessori being misused and misunderstood... is a real one in 1971"
Claims, such as those made by centres that can make your child read in a week with the Montessori method, undermine the pillars the method is built on, focusing on Montessori as a go-to method to push your child to academic excellence. As parents, and thus consumers of educational services, we should be wary of schools that hide behind brand-names and seek to find out for ourselves what the method being promoted by the school actually is and whether the school is actually passionate about pursuing it.
The Montessori Method was founded by Maria Montessori, the first woman to graduate from the Medical Faculty of the University of Rome in 1896. She went on to work with normal children after working with children with special needs. The latter awed the community when they passed an examination taken by normal children after being under Montessori's care.
Montessori was much influenced by Jean Itard and Edouard Seguin, pioneers in special education. Also educated in anthropology, Montessori used observation as a tool to witness the "unfolding of the child" and devised ways to help them in their journey to be part of society and this world.
For this to happen, there was a need for mutual respect between the adult and the child and an an environment that simulates the outside world he is preparing the children for. Respect for children can be a difficult word in the Asian community where children are seen but not heard or even invisible and are expected to hang on and follow every word the adult says.
Despite the 'freedom' always attributed to Montessori students, this does come with them knowing how to interact with the teachers, other students and the environment. Freedom to choose and move provide children with opportunities to exercise their will and explore their newfound strengths as growing children. As Montessori said" when we give the child freedom and independence, we are giving freedom to a worker already braced for action, who cannot live without working and being active. " (The Absorbent Mind)
Claims, such as those made by centres that can make your child read in a week with the Montessori method, undermine the pillars the method is built on, focusing on Montessori as a go-to method to push your child to academic excellence. As parents, and thus consumers of educational services, we should be wary of schools that hide behind brand-names and seek to find out for ourselves what the method being promoted by the school actually is and whether the school is actually passionate about pursuing it.
The Montessori Method was founded by Maria Montessori, the first woman to graduate from the Medical Faculty of the University of Rome in 1896. She went on to work with normal children after working with children with special needs. The latter awed the community when they passed an examination taken by normal children after being under Montessori's care.
Montessori was much influenced by Jean Itard and Edouard Seguin, pioneers in special education. Also educated in anthropology, Montessori used observation as a tool to witness the "unfolding of the child" and devised ways to help them in their journey to be part of society and this world.
For this to happen, there was a need for mutual respect between the adult and the child and an an environment that simulates the outside world he is preparing the children for. Respect for children can be a difficult word in the Asian community where children are seen but not heard or even invisible and are expected to hang on and follow every word the adult says.
Despite the 'freedom' always attributed to Montessori students, this does come with them knowing how to interact with the teachers, other students and the environment. Freedom to choose and move provide children with opportunities to exercise their will and explore their newfound strengths as growing children. As Montessori said" when we give the child freedom and independence, we are giving freedom to a worker already braced for action, who cannot live without working and being active. " (The Absorbent Mind)
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