Essay on Assignment 1

Critically evaluate Montessori’s ideas for the education of young children and discuss whether they provide a model for early years practice today

Structure of the work;
Montessori’s ideas on education?
1. Her ideas about what is learning/ the materials the child uses?
2. The ideas for the child’s environments? Everything there? To support their learning?
Bringing the Montessori Approach to your Early Years Practice. pages: 18

3. Role of the teacher?

Then Compare today’s ideas

1. How does her use of materials set in today’s theory? How does her materials support today’s learning?
2. Does her theory fit today theory?
3. Role of teachers does it set in today’s theory?
Her ideas then and now? relevant education materials children tend to teach themselves? but today, materials sharing with each other and talk to each other.
The basic goals of the Montessori Method are to develop the child’s independence and productivity as well as preserve the dignity of the child while focusing on the psychological health of the child. Education for the Montessori Method begins at birth and continues through the first six years. These early years are essential for development. To develop skills there are delicate time frames where learning is uninterrupted. This learning can be encouraged by experiences

Observation: the key role of the teacher is that of observing the child and letting him express himself. Montessori’s scientific background suggested to her that educational theory and practice should be first and foremost grounded in observation. Education to her is not so much the result of what the teacher does, but rather a spontaneous process that unfolds in every human being at its own pace. The teacher’s role is to create a joyful and stimulating classroom environment, encourage the children in all their efforts, and by so doing allow them to develop self-confidence and self-discipline. Hence, if at the beginning of each educational level the teacher has a more active role (e.g., by demonstrating the use of materials and presenting the available activities), she then has to become a “constructive observer”, i.e., one who knows exactly when, and how much, to intervene, if at all.
Preparation of the Environment: the typical Montessori classroom is carefully prepared by the teacher in all its details. It must include all the essential elements that can contribute to the children’s learning at each given stage of their development, and nothing superfluous or distracting. Essential features of the prepared environment are: beauty, order, simplicity, and accessibility. All objects are colorful, shiny, and appealing to the senses; furniture is child-size and lightweight, so that the child can easily move it at his will around the classroom. A trained teacher and a large enough group of children are another vital aspect of the prepared environment (it is important for children to belong to slightly different age groups, since the age difference enhances mutual cooperation and learning according to Montessori) (AMI website; Hainstock 1997).
Nutbrown, C., P. Clough & P. Selbie (2008) Early Childhood Education: History, Philosophy and Experience, London: Sage: pages 48 and page 14

Maria Montessori was born in 1870 to 1952 in Italy. She became the first female to qualify as a medical doctor in university of Rome. She became interested in education during her time as a doctor when she was working with children with special needs. She started her education method by doing observation of the way children learn. When she started working with children, she ensured that she used classrooms as a laboratory to look for ways of helping the disadvantaged children to develop. Maria Montessori believed that children

It soon became apparent that Dr. Montessori had developed a highly effective method of teaching which could be used with great success with each and every child. She began to travel the world, establishing schools, lecturing about

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