The Montessori Environment Many children working with deep concentration, an Adult observing acutely but unobtrusively, a place filled with peace and vitally alive resulting from the Montessori Method. Following the Montessori Method of education, the teacher (here to be called the Adult) first creates a place, an environment, for the children. In this environment the Adult places those things which, in the over 100 years of its existence, the Montessori method has found to be absorbingly interesting and educationally exciting to children. These things are added to or subtracted from depending on the needs of the specific children involved. Some of the activities available to the preschool child include: sensorial, writing, reading, arithmetic, geography, science, practical life (cooking, cleaning, dressing, etc.), art, music, dance, gardening, and many outdoor activities. Then the children come. The Adult helps them acquaint themselves with how to live in this environment and how to begin using the things the children find there. From this point on, besides maintaining and developing the environment, the Adult introduces the children to the activities in small groups or individually, and protects the children disturbance from within the environment as well as from without. The Adult observes the children to discover which activities call forth the deep concentration, the essence of the Method, and which developmental activity each child is ready for next. Once the children know that this is their place, their workshop and that the Adult is there to help them and not to control them, they begin to demonstrate the behavior that brought the Montessori Method its fame and devoted followers: concentration, love of order, positive self-determination, long attention spans, love of learning, consideration and care of others and a good self image. |
Karen Ryce Presents... |