What Is the Montessori Method?
Montessori schools are growing in popularity. However, there are still some parents who don’t know what exactly makes them different from typical schools. It’s important for parents to understand the different methods by which students are taught. This way, they can make educated decisions when it comes to choosing the best school and path for their children.
Here is what you need to know about the Montessori method and how it’s a beneficial way to educate young learners.
Learning Style
Montessori schools teach in a different way than typical public and private schools. This includes encouraging learning naturally through play and hands-on activities. Children are encouraged to explore their natural curiosities as opposed to following a rigid lesson plan. As researchers have discovered, this open method of learning pays off.
In one study, 140 children were tested at the beginning of preschool at age three and all had similar achievement scores. However, the 70 students who attended a Montessori school afterward were found to advance much more quickly in math and literacy over the next three years than those who attended a typical school. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the method.
The Interactive Classroom
The average Montessori classroom is designed especially for children to help guide their development socially, emotionally, and cognitively. Classrooms like this are interactive in every way, and exploration isn’t just encouraged; with the Montessori method, it is an everyday expectation. This exploration and hands-on learning help children discover things for themselves in a way that is both educational and fun. Instead of sitting children at desks and providing them with a lecture, children are encouraged to move and seek out answers for themselves. In turn, this fosters natural curiosity as opposed to staunching it out.
Freedom
Freedom is another expectation of the Montessori method, as students are always given the opportunity to choose within reasonable and established boundaries. By being given choices, children grow at a more natural pace, and it helps teach them self-regulation methods as well as behavioral mirroring. Along with these skills, the free learning environment can also help teach children to learn independence and encourage them to seek out things on their own. In this way, children play an active role in their education as opposed to a passive one. As active learners, children will be much more invested in their lessons and can feel a larger sense of pride and accomplishment when they reach a goal.
The Montessori method isn’t like anything that you will find in a typical school. If you’re the parent of a young student and want to know more about how a school that uses this style of learning can benefit your child, speak with a representative from a day care Pembroke Pines residents can trust. Contact Montessori Academy of Broward today!
