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Montessori Method: Definition, Principles, Pros and Cons

Published - 2022-03-07 Teaching and Learning
Montessori Method

What do you remember about your school experience?

I want to give you an insight into mine. I remember going to school for those 15-16 years and having the same schedule every day. Starting with a morning prayer, my day has 8 different classes of 8 different subjects and different teachers. Each teacher explained and defined some theories and topics that I didn't even remember and lunch mid-day. Some days were different only because they had extra anxiety, pressure, or excitement. The anxiety-filled days had exams or tests, and the excitement-filled days had some event or my birthday.

My experience was based on the traditional learning approach, which almost every student has been part of. Although its un-effectiveness is as proven, almost every student of traditional learning has suffered from exam pressure, forceful learning, and even lack of interest in any of the studies. This approach should have been changed ages ago, but it is still applied in most of the world. However, it can be evolved with the Montessori method of education.

What is the Montessori Method?

The Italian educator and physician Maria Montessori developed a different educational approach called Montessori. This approach is based on providing a self-directed and independent education. Children in Montessori classrooms are allowed to choose their creative learning style while getting age-appropriate activities provided by trained teachers.

This education approach believes that every child has their unique way of understating things and different potential, which cannot be judged in a group but requires an individual learning method to explore their potential. The Montessori approach can also be explained by different learning methods such as learning math's through playing, calculating with collecting things, and then dividing or exchanging it between children.

Seven Principles of the Montessori Method

  • Free choice

In a traditional method, the sense of control is not given to children, but in the Montessori method, they are given free choice of deciding what they want to do, how they want to do it, and with whom. This control is under the limits of the classroom and sometimes outside, with certain rules, but the child is given free will to choose independently, which also increases their confidence in their decision.

  • Order

These classrooms are organized in both layout manner and terms of the material progress manner; this organized behaviour treats students to be organized and improves their learning while leading to their development.

  • Interest

Montessori method believes that children cannot learn effectively if they lack interest in the subject. The traditional method is focused on learning with the pressure of tests, and this method is focused on learning with the child having an interest in the subject.

  • Learning from peers

Montessori is also focused on learning with imitation models where children learn from their peers other older children. In this method, young children learn from the older ones by asking questions, and the older ones learn by teaching them and improving skills towards their personal development.

  • Movement

In a traditional school, children sit and learn within the parameters of their desks. However, in Montessori schools' children learn by evolving and moving from one activity to another.

  • Context

Children at Montessori school learn more by experimenting and doing things rather than listening to teachers' theories. Their actions and different objects teach them, inside and outside the classroom.

  • Teachers' guidance

The teachers of Montessori schools provide free limits to the children and respond to their needs. These teachers set the expectational boundary and set the child-centric approach for the development of each child individually.

Pros of Montessori Education

  • Child growth is hostile to social-emotional development

These schools have an extremely different curriculum than regular schools. The Montessori School provides early social learning by teaching them grace and courtesy, and their emotional development and learning are also part of their curriculum. Solutions such as a peace table for resolving issues and communication skills development activities are applied while developing mutual peace and respect in their learning. 

  • Their evaluation is done with an individual approach without comparison

Its strengths also include that this system does not include tests and exams in its curriculum. The Montessori method is based on individual efforts and individual learning needs. It is beneficial for children in improving their self-worth and motivating them; also, teachers can identify their abilities on an individual level By the Montessori method.

  • It provides an environment of multiage learning

This approach is not only for the young children of a single age group but also for the Multiage children of different age groups. They can get involved and learn from each other's company within the Montessori schools. Children can learn social and emotional skills, communication skills, and even vocational skills in this education system.

  • Community-based education

This method is mostly community-based, with students learning within their community, at a park or a local auditorium, where they explore basic life skills. This education system lets the children explore and learn while serving their help to the elders or taking a project for improvement.

  • It provides an independent hands-on learning method 

It is inclusive of the special needs of children with their unique design of classrooms and the innovative style of learning. Their classrooms are full of light and beauty that inspires the students to understand and learn with the help of Hand-on objects made of concrete substance to provide them abstract ideas of things.

  • Curiosity-based Learning method

The traditional method is dictating a student to learn the concepts explained in their textbooks and in class, which becomes boring and loses the students' interest. On the other hand, the Montessori method is focused on teaching those similar methods with different methods and components which do not lose their interest and entail their curiosity, such as, if a kid is interested in music, then taking the lead and making him understand things a little musically is applied in this method.

Cons of Montessori Education

  • Reduces the importance of friendship in children

The Montessori school is mostly divided into small classrooms where children cannot build strong bonds; sometimes, there are only two children of the same age group, and sometimes there are other two who are already friends. This system makes it difficult to understand friendship and even more difficult to move to another school without their classmates.

  • Every community cannot have this facility

even this approach was founded in the early 1900s; its implication is not present in every community. Even if some communities have that option for private schools, their public schools still follow the traditional education approach. With this, the overall application of Montessori is very less in communities.

  • Self-motivation is essential, which negates other options for success.

The individual approach of this method and their freedom to choose approach is based on the children's curiosity and their self-interest in choosing something to do. However, this cannot be guaranteed that a child will get self-motivated independently. Some students are only motivated to watch TV and play a game. So, learning something on their own can be a difficult approach for them.

  • The expensive of Montessori are high.

This method requires a valuable experience for kids, which requires high-quality learning material and training material. It also requires training the teachers on how to keep up with the children, which makes it expensive. It is only applicable in the private institute and takes care of every child on their level, requires teachers, equipment, and other high-tech resources; they need finance, and every parent cannot afford it.

  • A relaxed curriculum can be intimidating for some students

Most children are adapted to curriculum and routine; they might find the open environment of these classrooms to be a little too much and might get lost. Their dependency on the traditional method can impact their mindset, making them feel confused.

Every method of education has its pros and cons, but changing the traditional methods, focused on exams and results, innovating a change with the Montessori method seems the most accurate approach if it can be applied in public schools of the community.

Frequently Asked Question

Q1-What are the benefits of Montessori parenting?

Answer- The Montessori approach lets the children explore their parameters. When parents apply this approach, they evolve their children to control and become self-disciplined. Also, this approach can make the kids become more kind and treat everyone with empathy and respect. Other benefits include improved creativity, providing the balance of life, and real-life skills that can make their kids better and more confident adults. 

Q2- What makes Montessori different?

The traditional learning method or daycares or kindergarten and playschools do not provide kids with a multi-age environment where children of different age groups come and learn from each other. However, the Montessori method provides that approach with the balance between these children. Along with this, the Montessori helps in building a positive teacher-student relationship and provides them with a hostile environment of learning, which is not present in other teaching methods.

Q3- Do Montessori students do better?

From the overall approach, yes, Montessori children are more independent, with different communication skills, vocabulary, social-emotional, problem solving, with the children of other schools do not have.

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