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- The Montessori Learning Method is over 100 years old.
- It has tons of psychological benefits to offer children.
- Maria Montessori was one of Italy’s first female physicians.
- A Comeback in 1950s.
- Montessori classrooms are more diverse in age than traditional classrooms.
- The Montessori Method gives children freedom to learn at their own pace.
- Grading looks a little different.
By Emmy Stevens
The Montessori learning philosophy has boomed in popularity the past few years.
With Montessori toys, independent tykes, and words of a “toy rotation” floating around, you may be finding yourself ready to learn more about just why this learning philosophy appears to be so popular among this new generation of parents.
Montessori is a learning philosophy intended to instill independence and self-confidence in young children.
Below, we will share 7 fun facts about the Montessori learning philosophy and the history behind it.
The Montessori Learning Method is over 100 years old.
Considering the fact that it is such a popular learning method in modern times, learning that the Montessori method is over 100 years old may come as a surprise to you.
The method was developed by Dr. Maria Montessori to educate disadvantaged and unschooled children in the year of 1907.
Through observing the children she was tasked with teaching and working to develop the best form of education for them, Dr. Maria Montessori saw that they were enamored with simple tasks like solving puzzles, preparing their own meals, and other hands-on learning experiences.
It has tons of psychological benefits to offer children.
The Montessori learning philosophy is intended to allow your child to learn individually and at their own pace.
This is great for children because everybody is different, meaning that not all children will learn at the same pace as others.
The Montessori method instills independence and self-confidence in children.
It allows them to self-regulate their learning, allowing them to understand how to teach themselves new things independently through self-correction and assessment.
Studies have also found tons of academic, social, and creative benefits of receiving a Montessori education and have even suggested an advantage in math and literacy.
Maria Montessori was one of Italy’s first female physicians.
From a young age, Maria Montessori was ambitious and confident, unwilling to let anything get in the way of goals that she had set for herself.
She graduated in the year 1896, granting her a spot among Italy’s first female physicians.
Her earliest medical concentrations as a physician were rooted within the field of psychiatry, which later developed into an interest in education.
A Comeback in 1950s.
It made a comeback in 1958. When the Montessori method was first introduced to the world, it rose in popularity rather quickly.
However, around the ending of Dr. Maria Montessori’s lifetime, the learning method began to fall out of the spotlight.
When Nancy McCormik Rambusch reintroduced the learning philosophy long with the opening of her school, the Whitby School, the Montessori method rose in popularity once again and has only been continuing its rise ever since.
Montessori classrooms are more diverse in age than traditional classrooms.
Montessori classrooms tend to be full of children learning alongside children as much as three years older or younger than them.
This method of learning allows young children to find the opportunity to learn from older students, while encouraging older students to develop teaching skills with the children who are younger than them.
The Montessori Method gives children freedom to learn at their own pace.
While the Montessori learning method offers children guidance in their learnings by giving them a choice in activities, they are given the freedom to learn at their own pace and have a choice in what activity they learn from.
Teachers may guide their future teachings and planning for activities by observing their student’s interest and pace of learning.
Grading looks a little different.
In traditional educational settings, children can expect to be graded on their math, reading, comprehension, and memory skills.
This method of grading often forgets just how different each child is.
Children who may not be able to learn at the same pace as others may begin to find that their confidence is negatively impacted by this form of grading.
The Montessori learning method, on the other hand, tends to allow children to learn at their own pace.
Because of this philosophy, Montessori schools do not tend to provide their students with letter or number grades.
Instead, the Montessori learning method aims to teach students how to find motivation internally through their own accomplishments and self-motivation rather than externally through praise and grades.
The Montessori learning method has remained popular all of these years for a good reason.
It can offer your child mental health and cognitive benefits, along with many other benefits.
You don’t necessarily have to enroll your child in a Montessori school to reap the benefits of the Montessori learning method.
Parents who are aiming to raise children who are independent, self-assured, confident, and able to effectively problem-solve will find a great benefit in implementing the Montessori learning methods in their child’s everyday life.