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A Montessori preschool not only educates a child, but it makes learning fun and exciting. There are five basic principles that the Montessori Method works off of, and they are respect for the child, the absorbent mind, sensitive periods, the prepared environment, and auto- or self-education. Respect for the Child To respect children is to allow them to have choices, to treat them with kindness, and to recognize how much they want to be like the adults that are significant in their lives. Teachers in a Montessori school show respect for their students as they help them when they need help, all the while allowing them to learn things at their own pace when they are ready. The teacher will also respect the child by recognizing when a child needs help and when it is best for them to struggle a little bit longer until they finally are successful on their own. The Absorbent Mind A child comes into this world absorbing everything in their environment, from emotions to speech to acceptable behaviors. When that child is allowed to continue to learn simply because that is what they do, they will gain more knowledge than if that learning was forced on them. They are like thirsty sponges, eager and waiting to absorb any knowledge they can. Sensitive Periods Sensitive periods are times in a child's development when they are more receptive to, and more able to learn new skills. These skills can be writing, reading, etc. One of the important roles of a Montessori teacher is to be able to observe and recognize these sensitive periods in a student and guide them to the appropriate activities, manipulatives, and information they are ready to learn about and develop. There are predictable ages that these sensitive periods are observable but the timing, or these periods and the order they come in, vary with each child. The Prepared Environment The classroom is the environment that the student enters to learn in. The teacher is the one who is responsible for preparing the classroom for their eager students. There will be a wide variety of learning activities to choose from in a Montessori classroom. Part of the prepared environment principle is that the child is shown how to conduct themselves when they are in that environment. The teacher will demonstrate the proper way to move about the classroom, the proper way to carry materials from the shelves to the tables and back again, and they will learn how to do all of this in a quiet and respectful manner. The areas of the classroom include the practical life area, the sensorial area, the language area, the mathematics area, and the cultural area. The lessons are presented in three ways: to the class as a whole, in small groups, and to an individual student. Auto- or Self-Education In a Montessori classroom, you can observe a child who is navigating the prepared environment and making their own choices of what activity they do next. In this environment, they are educating themselves and they don't have to forced, bribed, or punished, to get them to participate. The teacher is always very aware of each child under their tutelage and will be prepared to encourage and guide them within the prepared environment. They will introduce and demonstrate new activities and materials to each student once they have mastered the previous activity. Children thrive in this environment and with this method. As you are considering where to place your child for their preschool experience, consider a Montessori preschool. Then watch them blossom as the world they live in is opened up to them in a way they may never have experienced before.
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