During a child’s formative years, getting the right type of education is crucial. Given that a lot of schools have different approaches other than just the traditional setting, parents have a lot of options for their kids.
When choosing a school for your kids for the first time, it can get a little bit daunting. However, it all matters on what kind of approach you want your children to have in school.
If you’ve come across Montessori education, you’d immediately become curious as to what is involved. Opposed to the traditional method, you will automatically think that the Montessori approach is different than the usual. However, there’s more to this type of education than meets the eye.
For parents who are deciding where they should enroll their kids, it is beneficial to explore all options. This piece discusses the uniqueness and purpose of the Montessori educational approach.
Montessori Education: How it Came to Be
Believe or not, the Montessori method has been in existence for a long time already. Back in 1907, Dr. Maria Montessori, a physician turn educator, opened the Casa dei Bambini in Rome. Her approach builds upon traditional educational theories and incorporates them with a holistic approach.
She developed this unique teaching philosophy with the goal of helping children become in tune with their greatest learning capacity, starting at a very young age. Through her method, she began advocating for a child-centered approach to education that put their needs first.
From then on, Dr. Montessori’s unique method was applied by many schools all over the world. These schools prove that her approach works wonders during the formative years of a child, and the Montessori Method is still prominently practiced up to this day.
How Different is a Montessori School from Other Institutions?
In comparison to traditional methods, Montessori schools follow a hands-on learning with self-directed activities and collaborative play. It aims to provide education to children and teach them essential social and academic skills.
There are a number of key differences between Montessori schools and traditional schools. These are the basic features of the method that are used by educators worldwide to create a consistent curriculum across all Montessori schools.
Active Learning – Unlike tradition settings, children in Montessori schools are more actively participating in each class or learning activity instead of sitting down and passively listening to a teacher’s discussions. This way, the child will be able to absorb each lesson through all five senses while discovering new things along the way.
Student-Centered – Montessori education applies lessons and activities based on the students’ individual needs. This means the teacher should create activity and lesson plans in accordance with the type of students she will have in a school year instead of following the same standard lesson plan every year.
Individual Learning – Traditionally, teachers follow standard time frames for each scheduled lesson or activity. With this approach, some students will find it hard to keep up because each child has their own learning curves. The Montessori Method, on the other hand, promotes individual learning. It’s an approach wherein students will get to pace themselves through each lesson or activity.
Indeed, Montessori education is worth considering. Parents should asses their child’s needs and decide on an option that will benefit them the most. Ultimately, choosing the correct school and curriculum will ultimately bring out the best in your child.
Kid’s Town Montessori School is centrally located at 867 Sycamore Avenue in Vista, California and is proud to serve the cities of: San Marcos, Escondido, Carlsbad and many more