The Montessori method started as a housing project in Italy almost 100 years ago. Maria Montessori, Italian physician, scientist, and educator, was asked to create a school for the children of factory workers who had been previously unschooled and deemed unfit to learn.
She called the school “Casa dei Bambini,” Italian for “The Children’s House” and through scientific observation, discovered that children have a natural ability to regulate their own learning process. Rather than handing them facts, Dr. Montessori created a container for them to make their own discoveries by engaging with a carefully prepared classroom.
What happened next turned heads across the world: the once “unruly” children became self-disciplined, focused, and calm. Educators from all over the world traveled to Italy to witness her ability to transform the classroom. In 1915, Dr. Montessori came to the US to share her methodology with American educators.
She called the school “Casa dei Bambini,” Italian for “The Children’s House” and through scientific observation, discovered that children have a natural ability to regulate their own learning process. Rather than handing them facts, Dr. Montessori created a container for them to make their own discoveries by engaging with a carefully prepared classroom.
What happened next turned heads across the world: the once “unruly” children became self-disciplined, focused, and calm. Educators from all over the world traveled to Italy to witness her ability to transform the classroom. In 1915, Dr. Montessori came to the US to share her methodology with American educators.
The Glass Classroom
To demonstrate her new method, Dr. Montessori put her classroom on display at the Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. She created a classroom with glass walls, infamously called “The Glass Classroom” so spectators could come and see the method in action. For four months people returned to watch the children, who worked diligently, completely undeterred by their onlookers.
In the Montessori classroom, curiosity is the leader that the children follow.
The classroom is child-sized, like a three-dimensional workbook. And the teacher is a guide who possesses the ability to facilitate their learning process and remain quietly in the background.
The multi-age classrooms create opportunities for independence and autonomy to develop. The younger children learn from the older children while the older children reinforce what they’ve learned and develop leadership skills and pride.
The multi-age classrooms create opportunities for independence and autonomy to develop. The younger children learn from the older children while the older children reinforce what they’ve learned and develop leadership skills and pride.
How To Pick A Quality Montessori Program
Choosing a preschool in NYC can be really stressful. If you’ve come to the conclusion that large-scale industry learning isn’t what’s best for your child, the good news is that Montessori is a profoundly rewarding alternative. The bad news? You’ve got some research to do. Let us help you with that.
It’s important to be able to pick out a quality Montessori program from the rest of the crowd. “Montessori” is an unregulated term, so anyone can use it to describe their program. Here are some things to look for:
It’s important to be able to pick out a quality Montessori program from the rest of the crowd. “Montessori” is an unregulated term, so anyone can use it to describe their program. Here are some things to look for:
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Lead teachers at the school should have credentials.Teachers should hold Montessori credentials and all staff in the classroom should be trained in the Montessori method.
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School days revolve around the uninterrupted work period.The uninterrupted work period is a pillar of Montessori education. Children work in 2-3 hour time blocks where they’re free to engage with the classroom and the learning materials at their own pace and choosing.
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School days should not be structured like a daycare.A Montessori classroom allows for plenty of flexible work time, while daycares are very structured. Activities are planned for the children, and child-care is the focus. This differs greatly from a Montessori classroom, where the focus is on self-directed learning.
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Teachers should be able to demonstrate that they pay attention to your child.In a Montessori classroom, observation is the teacher’s most powerful tool. Teachers are trained to occupy less space than conventional classrooms, and rather than direct the child, to observe. What is learned during observation is then used to facilitate your child’s learning process.
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Classrooms should be multi-age.The three-year cycle is a core value of Montessori education. Children remain with one teacher over the course of three years and grow from youngest to oldest, where they get to experience leadership for the first time in their life.
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