What is Montessori Education?
Montessori education utilizes a “whole child” approach to instruction. Over 100
years ago its founder, Maria Montessori, a brilliant educator and scientist,
wanted to prove that children could learn best in an environment of hand-on
immersion experiences. She felt that tactile exploratory learning opportunities
would form a strong foundation for later abstract learning (such as math facts,
reading, science exploration, etc.). She theorized that teachers should instead
become "directors" and actually "quietly follow the child"
in order to discern their interests, strengths and weaknesses. By doing so, a
teacher would then know how best to reach their students through appropriate
individualized learning experiences that would stimulate true growth and
learning.
What happened with her “experiment” was something truly extraordinary. She not
only realized that her theories were correct, but she also found that this
individualized learning was extremely successful with all types of students,
regardless of age, learning style or socioeconomic background. Thus was born
“Montessori education,” which today has grown to be an international method of
teaching used in classrooms around the globe.
This individualized curriculum, provided by specially trained Montessori
teachers, is directed at developing students' self-confidence and
self-discovery. Students, with the help of their teachers, become active
participants in their learning experience. Early on, children are surrounded by
inviting Montessori materials, which help them to build a solid educational
foundation. Students then seemlessly progress to more complex learning ideas.
All of this is provided in a multi-age setting, which allows for students to be
mentored and become mentors, and gives students a chance to work at a pace
comfortable to their needs without stigma.
Does the Montessori philosophy work with
the Michigan State Standards of education?
Teachers in all public schools are accountable for covering the Michigan
Department of Education grade level content expectations.
Creative Montessori Academy follows the Federal No Child Left Behind law.
Our curriculum directly addresses the individualized learning needs of each
child. In addition, students will participate in the same Statewide (MEAP)
assessments as other students throughout the district.
What subjects are included in the
Montessori curriculum?
Creative Montessori Academy's curriculum includes the following areas of
study:
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Language Arts, Reading, and Literature
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Mathematics and Geometry
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Science Studies (including Botany and Zoology)
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History and Social Sciences
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Art and Music
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Physical Education
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Practical Life Lessons (including Grace and Courtesy and Peace studies)
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Foreign Language Instruction
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Computers & Technology
Does the Montessori method really make a
difference?
It is interesting to note that on the Barbara Walters ABC-TV Special "The
10 Most Fascinating People of 2004", Larry Page and Sergey Brin, founders
of the popular Internet search engine Google.com, credited their years as
Montessori students as a major factor behind their success. When Barbara
Walters asked if the fact that their parents were college professors was a
factor behind their success, they said no, that it was their going to a
Montessori school where they learned to be self-directed and self-starters.
They said that Montessori education allowed them to learn to think for
themselves and gave them freedom to pursue their own interests.
There is also quite an interesting collection of people throughout history who
have gone to Montessori schools, sent their children to Montessori schools, or
supported this method of education in one way or another. The short list
includes: Alice Waters, Friedrich Hundertwasser, Julia Child, Gabriel Garcia
Marquez, Helen Keller, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford,
Mahatma Gandhi, Sigmund Freud, Buckminster Fuller, Leo Tolstoy, Bertrand
Russell, Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, John Holt, Anne Frank, the Dalai Lama,
Jacqueline Kennedy, Prince William and Prince Harry of the English Royal Family,
Cher Bono, Yul Brynner, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Yo Yo Ma.
This is not to say that your child will become the next internet sensation,
famous musician or spectacular inventor. However, it is interesting to note
that in the list of people mentioned above, there is a varied group of
individuals with similar qualities - abstract thinkers who are able to
see things in a different light, and who possessed the confidence to reach their
invidivual goals and fulfill their dreams. Montessori education creates in its
students the power to do all of this and more.
Please feel free to call us at 734-284-5600 to learn more about what a
Montessori Education can mean for your child.
What type of work done is done in the
classroom?
Below are some links to
videos and resources showing the type of work that is done in the classroom
using the Montessori method of teaching.
http://www.wikisori.org/index.php/Parent_Resources
http://www.wikisori.org/index.php/Ten_Board
http://www.wikisori.org/index.php/Creative_Story_Telling_with_Small_Objects
http://www.wikisori.org/index.php/Wikisori_Albums
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