Interesting Links:
Montessori
A good general site.
This is the Montessori Foundations site, they are the publishers of Montessori World.
Association Montessori Internationals (AMI) site.
Family Sites
This site bills itself as "a parent community dedicated to children's learning." Covers all ages.
Montessori Method and Classrooms
The Montessori Method is a wonderful approach to learning developed by Dr. Maria Montessori. She was the first female physician in Italy and began working with children during the early 1900's. Dr. Montessori discovered that by giving children tools that were real, but child sized, enabled them to learn at a greater pace. She discovered that the young child had a much bigger capacity for learning than ever thought before. She found that the minds of children as young as 2 and 3 were like sponges, absorbing everything that she could offer them. At this time, the thought that the young child could learn so much was quite revolutionary. The method became popular in the United States in the late 1950's and has been validated by much of what we have learned during the twentieth century about children.
One of the first things a newcomer will notice about our classrooms is that we have a mixture of ages working together. Children learn and develop at many different rates. By mixing the ages in the classroom, all of the emphasis is placed on the child's developmental age and not their chronological age. When a child shows an interest in a new skill, that is the day that they will receive an individual lesson on that material. For example, if a child would like to work with letters, it does not matter to us whether they are 3 or 5 years old; we will talk about letters and the sounds that they make. The children in a Montessori classroom have the freedom to progress as quickly or as methodically as their growth dictates.Children in this environment rapidly become explorers and discoverers. They move freely about the classroom, choosing activities to do alone or with others. There is a wide variety of practical life activities which help the child develop coordination, concentration, a sense of order, and independence. Montessori believed that children could learn from anything that you got into their hands. Sensorial activities encourage the child to explore using all the senses. Activities in the areas of math, science, geography, language development and reading promote the conceptual development of the child and form a firm foundation for future learning. The daily program also includes movement activities, art, music, story time and outdoor play.
Our teachers, besides being enthusiastic educators, are skilled observers of children. Their goal is to make the classroom environment a warm, welcoming place with a rich diversity of materials and experiences available at all times. The teacher is always close by, helping one child select an activity, going with another to view his completed work, encouraging two children in their cooperative effort. The children are busy and happy. Their natural curiosity leads them to explore, and the carefully prepared activities along with the guidance of the teacher insure success and self-satisfaction.
Montessori Learning Centre, Inc.
2313 Concord Pike
Wilmington, DE 19803
Phone: 302-478-7114
Fax: 302-478-1331
2313 Concord Pike
Wilmington, DE 19803
Phone: 302-478-7114
Fax: 302-478-1331
