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The Philosophy
Recent psychological studies based on controlled research have confirmed these theories of Dr. Montessori. Dr. Benjamin Bloom of the University of Chicago, wrote in his book Stability and Change in Human Characteristics,
Dr. Montessori pioneered the belief that learning cannot be imposed on a child, rather a child’s only valid impulse to learn is self-motivation and he or she must move him or herself toward learning. The road to self-motivation begins almost at birth, believed Dr. Montessori. The sights and sounds of a newborn’s world are at first chaotic and confusing. Children gradually create order of this chaos by learning to distinguish among the millions of impressions that wash over them. In doing so, children gain mastery of themselves and their environment. The orderly environment and methodology of a Montessori school facilitates a child’s need to impose order upon his or her world. This external order in turn leads to mental order or self-discipline, the most important tool children have to motivate themselves. The Method Dr. Montessori believed
that children are best able to comprehend their environments in very concrete
ways, and so she designed concrete,hands-on
tools. Feeling that there is an important correlation between muscular activities and learning, she incorporated movement into the use of equipment, particularly the constant use of hands. For whatever is manipulated by the hands is learned in the brain. The Montessori classroom gives children the opportunity to discover the environment, each at his or her individual pace. Because we learn at varying paces, many Montessori materials are designed for individual use. These individual materials, like most of today’s teaching software, include self-correction features that bring the child to increasingly higher levels of experimentation and understanding. Socialization Skills/Areas of Learning Social Awareness: “The child who has felt a strong love for his surroundings and for all living creatures, who has discovered joy and enthusiasm in work, gives us reason to hope that humanity can develop in a new direction.” (Education and Peace, Maria Montessori) Conflict Resolution: It is never too young to introduce the skills needed for conflict-resolution. In the Infant/Toddler class the importance is placed on recognizing hurt feelings, and learning basic empathy skills for each other. Also, we try to help the children move from monopolizing activities, to being able to share and take turns. Montessori Curriculum Specialized Montessori materials are used to help introduce children to a variety of concepts – from short to long, opposites, and hand-eye coordination. RMS also incorporates group singing, movement, art, outdoor play, and games. Practical Life/Daily Living Skills: Toddler parents are seeing their children struggle to learn how to do the basic skills. How difficult it is for us, as parents, to give them the independence to try to master these skills without jumping in and taking over. The Practical Life materials are designed with the child in mind. They are geared to help strengthen daily living skills and teach the child to master the skills needed for daily living as well as simple graces and courtesies, problem-solving skills, independence, social skills, eye-hand coordination, and concentration. Exercises for these Practical Life skills include:
Language: The Montessori classroom emphasizes the spoken language, in particular, precise vocabulary. We also offer many opportunities of whole language development with activities such as patterning, sequencing, matching, opposites, following directions etc. Reading:
Books are available to the children all day long. The children can choose
the books he/she would like to look at, and if the children desire, the
teachers can read the books to them. Additional Areas of Learning
Music and Movement: Music and movement is enjoyed throughout the day, especially at circle time. The children sing, dance and do finger-plays. They also enjoy using small hand-held musical instruments and rhythm sticks to accompany a song or create their own blend of music and sound. Creative Development: We foster creative development in a child’s imagination and aesthetic appreciation through language arts, music, art and movement. Children are encouraged to explore and experiment with a wide variety of materials. The emphasis is always on creativity rather than imitation. RMS nurtures the process, rather than the product. Art: Art
is an integral part of our curriculum. Young children enjoy and benefit
from the opportunity to learn about different textures, test new patterns
and coordinate fine motor skills. Art exploration utilizes a variety of
mediums – play dough, finger paints, shaving cream, colored pencils,
chalk, paints, crayons, and many collage materials that are available
to the child throughout the day. The children are focused on the process,
and not the end product. |
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Montessori? |
Copyright © 2006-2008 Rockridge Montessori School
Dr.
Maria Montessori, Italy’s first female physician, was an educational
pioneer. She developed the educational method named for her during years
spent caring for the children of working parents in turn-of-the-century
Rome. Many of the ingenious methods and materials she created for her
school (Casa Bambini or Children’s House) are identical to those
used in over 5,000 Montessori schools around the world today.
These
tools lead a child toward the ability to work in abstractions –
the numbers, letters and ideas which older people use to represent concrete
things.
Sensorial:
The materials in this area are designed to be a simplified introduction
to pre-reading and pre-math. Perceiving relationships, similarities, differences,
and sequencing are all fundamental skills which young children develop.
Children learn to match, shapes, sizes, textures, and sounds. The skills
of independence, concentration, organization and coordination are further
developed by the use of the sensorial materials.
Physical
Development: We encourage the development of large motor skills through
the use of the outdoor play area. The children enjoy using a variety of
exercise equipment for balancing, bouncing, sliding, and jumping. They
also crawl through tunnels, enjoy parachute play, and dance and move during
group circle times. In addition, the infant/toddler program has an indoor
climbing structure where the children can perfect their balance and coordination.