|
"The secret of good teaching is to regard the child's intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination... We seek to sow life in the child rather than theories, to help him in his growth, mental and emotional as well as physical and for that we must offer grand and lofty ideas to the human mind." -Maria Montessori
Montessori education is both a philosophy of child growth and a rationale for guiding such growth. It is based on the child's developmental needs for freedom within limits, as well as the fact that children learn most effectively through direct experience and through the process of investigation and discovery. A carefully prepared environment guarantees exposure to materials and experiences that develop intelligence as well as physical and psychological abilities. It is designed to take full advantage of the self-motivation and unique ability of children to develop their own capabilities. |
Key Premises of Montessori Education
Maria Montessori believed that, carried unseen, within each child is the person that child can become. To develop his/her physical, intellectual and spiritual powers to the fullest, they must have freedom- a freedom achieved through order and self-discipline. |