Stage Lights and Southern Style: What is Montessori?

I get this question fairly often...and it's no surprise!

There's a lot of mystery that shrouds the word itself - Montessori. What is it? A person? A philosophy? A type of educational materials? Well...yes, yes, and yes.

To be perfectly honest, I had no idea myself for the longest time. In fact, I was an education major and the little information I received on Montessori in my "Foundations of American Education" course was grossly inaccurate.

Here's some basic info on what Montessori IS:

Montessori education emphasizes internal motivation.
The classroom is a precisely prepared environment for individual instruction and self-paced learning.
Teachers have to be acutely aware of the level each child is working at and present them with individualized lessons that challenge them accordingly. The amount of work involved for the teacher in keeping track of each child's level and progress is very rigorous.
The morning work cycle is for uninterrupted work time. Then the class may have music/story time, a cultural presentation (a different continent in studied each month in the pre-primary classrooms), cooking lessons, lessons in the outdoor classroom, ect.
Teachers show students how to create order and discover principles by means of carefully demonstrated lessons that can then be practiced at will. Lesson are given one-on-one or in small groups.
The multi-age classrooms allow students the unique opportunity to act in the role of youngest, middle, and oldest at some point during their three years in the classroom.
The students live in community together, each one having roles in the classroom to benefit the group. It emphasizes an ownership of their environment.
They eat family style, one child setting out place mats, another forks, another knives, another glassware, ect. After eating children are responsible for clearing their places, throwing away trash, taking dishes to the sink, and wiping down the table.
Teachers at a fully certified Montessori school are not only required to have a four year college degree, but a Montessori certification (two year minimum), and many hold Master's degrees.
Introduction of new lessons is tailored to the individual needs and interests of each child.
Within constructive limits, a student can work on his or her lessons at whatever pace and in whatever order he or she chooses.
Independence, initiative, responsibility for making choices, and persistence in seeing tasks through to completion are qualities fostered by this approach. (i.e. Children are required to finish the work they choose and return it to it's proper place.)
*My favorite factor in a Montessori environment is the fact that there is simply NO limit in what the students can learn. They are not restricted by curriculum...if a 5 year old student has successfully completed all the mathematics work in their classroom they simply begin introducing them to elementary level work. The same goes for the 6th level (6th grade) students...the teacher simply continues to present them with work that challenges them at the level they are at...they never have to wait till they reach the next grade. It is for that reason that many students work at a level far advanced for their age group (compared to a traditional classroom.)

I spent this past Saturday at my daughter's school walking through a four-hour demonstration called "Journey of Discovery." I was able to experience the work in each classroom: toddler (18 months-3 years), pre-primary (ages 3, 4, 5), lower elementary (1-3rd grade), and upper elementary(4th-6th grade.) I was able to study the materials used at each level to teach everything from shapes and letter sounds to Pythagorean theorem and square roots. It was amazing to delve so deeply into how children's minds learn and absorb information. Montessori essentially presents everything students learn as a hands on activity - there are materials and manipulatives for every concept taught and when they have a full grasp on the concept using the materials they then proceed to doing the work on the abstract level. (The pictures I took of the work done at each level illustrates this and speak for themselves.)

Toddler puzzle work with the book, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear."

Toddler sorting work with small scoop to aid fine motor skills and concentration.

Pre-Primary (ages 3,4,5) shape work...I'm sure I didn't know what an ellipsoid was at that age!

Sensorial work in Pre-Primary class. Three year olds spend the more time in this area than four and five years olds. Since we take in so much of what we learn through our five senses, sharpening their senses aids in preparing their minds for more advance work. It also extends their concentration span.

Bead wall for mathematics. All math work begins with concrete bead work and then becomes increasingly abstract.

Pre-Primary animal work

Pre-Primary science. Parts of a flower.

Sound Cylinders in Pre-Primary class.

Beginning reading work. Three year old level.

Letter sounds. Two's and Three's. (This is introduced in toddler for students who show early interest/aptitude for reading.)

Early math in Pre-Primary.

Bead work. Unit, tens, hundreds, thousands.

Four and five year old math...seriously.

This is the problem above illustrated using the materials, just as the students complete it in class.

Map work. Miss Dawn informed us that she currently has one three-year old that can complete the map of Asia...and name the countries! I would be lucky to complete half of that...okay 1/4 of it!

2nd and 3rd grade Botany work in Lower Elementary Class.

Work boxes. These include weekly checklists for what work a student must complete each week, which in turn must be checked by the teacher to ensure successful completion. So, while a student is able to choose what order they complete various works they have specific work that they must complete. Freedom within limits. Work to challenge each student at their own level.