Running Head: Learning Through Experiences Singleton 1

Learning Through Experiences: The Montessori Approach

Sarah Singleton
Oakland Communit College
!o"em#er $%& $%1'
Running Head: Learning Through Experiences Singleton $
Learning Through Experiencing: The Montessori Approach
(Education is a natural process carried out # the child and is not ac)uired # listening to
*ords #ut # experiences in the en"ironment+ ,Maria Montessori -uotes& n.d./. These *ere the
*ords o0 1octor Maria Montessori. Man ha"e heard o0 Montessori schools and ha"e a
misinterpretation o0 *hat a Montessori school is. A common misunderstanding *hen one thinks
o0 the Montessori is that it is all 0ocused on academic learning& #eing serious& and students at
their desks *orking. This ho*e"er& is not true. The Montessori theor is all a#out the respect 0or
the child and letting them explore their en"ironment to learn under the guidance o0 their teacher.
The student #ecomes independent and learns di00erent skills and kno*ledge through the
exploration o0 their en"ironment. 1octor Maria Montessori took a di00erent approach *hen she
*as de"eloping her theor. She looked at the children *ith disa#ilities and she o#ser"ed ho*
these children could still learn 2ust as *ell as their tpicall de"eloping peers. She disco"ered #
gi"ing them a prepared and de"elopmentall appropriate en"ironment that the *ere 2ust as
capa#le as an other student. 1r. Montessori3s theor not onl applied to children *ith
disa#ilities& #ut it also opened a ne* *orld o0 learning 0or the tpicall de"eloping students.
Maria Montessori *as #orn on August '1& 145% at Chiara"elle& 6tal. ,Montessori and
Costelloe& 175$&pg $15/. She *as the daughter o0 a 0inancial manger& and her mother thri"ed on
learning and #ooks ,Montessori Education& n.d/. 1r. Montessori spent most o0 her earl
childhood li"ing in Rome& *here she spent time immersing hersel0 in #ooks& education& and
museums ,Montessori Education& n.d/. She *as a "er intelligent *omen& and at the oung age
o0 thirteen she *as accepted into an all8#os engineering school ,Montessori Education& n.d/. As
she gre* older she de"eloped a passion 0or medicine& and she decided to pursue a medical
degree. 1r. Montessori applied to 9ni"ersit o0 Rome3s medical program& #ut she *as denied
Running Head: Learning Through Experiences Singleton '
acceptance her 0irst time appling ,Montessori Education& n.d/. She continued her education *ith
the determination to #e accepted into medical school. She reapplied to the 9ni"ersit o0 Rome
and *as 0inall accepted into their medical program. She *as the 0irst *oman to graduate in
Medicine 0rom the 9ni"ersit o0 Rome in 147: ,Montessori and Costelloe& 175$& pg.$15/. She
#ecame "er interested in the stud o0 education and children. 6t *as not until 1477 that 1r.
Montessori #egan to stud and o#ser"e children *ith disa#ilities ,Montessori and
Costelloe&175$& pg.$15/. 6n 17%%& 1r. Montessori *as appointed to co8director 0or training
special education teachers ,Montessori Education& n.d/. She *orked "er hard *ith her students
and she sa* potential in these children to #e as academicall smart as tpicall de"eloping
students. 1r. Montessori *as (*orking on lines 0irst laid do*n # the ;rench phsician E.
Seguin<+and she had helped her students to achie"e and pass the state examination 0or the
tpicall de"eloping students in reading and *riting ,Montessori and Costelloe& 175$& pg. $15/.
Her theor and approach pro"ed to #e highl success0ul *ith children *ith disa#ilities& and she
kne* that her approach *ould #e e)uall a00ecti"e *ith tpicall de"eloping children.
6n 17%5 Maria Montessori opened her 0irst childcare center called Casa dei =am#ini&
*hich translates to Children3s House ,Morrison& $%1$& pg.111/. She experienced success *ith
her students& and she *orked to impro"e her methods and theor. She o#ser"ed ho* children
*ere a#sor#ing and teaching themsel"es # exploring their en"ironments ,Montessori Education&
n.d/. The school *as a success and in 171% the Montessori schools #egan to spread *orld*ide
,Montessori Education& n.d/. The 0irst Montessori school came to the 9nited States o0 America
in 1711& and it opened in Scar#orough& !e* >ork ,Montessori Education& n.d/. Man supported
the theor& and # 171? more than one hundred schools *ere opened in a total o0 t*ent8t*o
di00erent states ,Montessori Education& n.d/. Ho*e"er& # 17$% the Montessori schools had
Running Head: Learning Through Experiences Singleton :
almost disappeared in the 9nited States due to (language #arriers& @orld @ar 1& tra"el
limitations& anti8immigrant sentiment& and disdain o0 a 0e* in0luential educators<+,Montessori
Education& n.d/. Ho*e"er& # 17?% the Montessori philosoph o0 teaching had made a come#ack
in the 9nited States and America slo*l made their *a to #eing the (*orld*ide leader in
Montessori education+ ,Montessori Education& n.d/. Mean*hile& Maria Montessori 0rom 17%% to
17%5 lectured on (pedagogical anthropolog at the 9ni"ersit o0 Rome and in 17$$ she *as
appointed go"ernment inspector o0 schools in 6tal+ ,Montessori and Costelloe& 175$& pg.$15/.
She *rote man #ooks on children3s de"elopment and education. 1r. Montessori continued to
teach her theories in training courses in Spain& 6ndia& England& and the !etherlands& *here she
passed a*a on Ma ?& 17A$ ,Montessori and Costelloe& 175$& pg.$15/.
Maria Montessori3s theor 0ocuses around 0i"e di00erent primar principles. Beorge
Morrison& the author o0 Early Childhood Education Today& discussed the 0i"e primar principles.
The are respect 0or the child& a#sor#ent mind& the sensiti"e period& the prepared en"ironment&
and auto8education ,Morrison& $%1$& pg. 1A:/. The 0irst& respect 0or the child& 0ocuses on teachers
sho*ing their students respect ,Morrison& $%1$& pg.1A:/. The idea is that the teacher is not
suppose to 0orce the child& #ut to instead guide and sca00old their students learning all *hile
ha"ing respect 0or them ,Morrison& $%1$& pg.1A:/. The teacher is supposed to let their students
make choices and to gi"e them the po*er to explore their en"ironment allo*ing them to learn
and teach themsel"es ,Morrison& $%1$& pg.1A:/. = doing so& the teacher is stepping #ack&
respecting their students& and gi"ing the opportunit to the student to learn. Secondl& 1r.
Montessori3s a#sor#ent mind principle is #ased on the idea that i0 a child is in the proper
en"ironment and are gi"en the opportunities to explore that the *ill learn and (a#sor#+ *hat
the are seeing and doing ,Morrison& $%1$& pg.1A:/. According to Beorge Morrison ,$%1$/& the
Running Head: Learning Through Experiences Singleton A
a#sor#ent mind can #e de0ined as (the idea that the mind o0 oung children are recepti"e to and
capa#le o0 learning. The child learns unconsciousl # taking in in0ormation 0rom the
en"ironment+ ,Morrison& $%1$& pg.1A:/. @hat the child learns not onl comes 0rom their
en"ironment& #ut also 0rom their o*n personal experiences and the experiences o0 their teachers
,Morrison& $%1$& pg.1A:/. The third idea is called the sensiti"e period. This can #e de0ined as a
(<relati"el #rie0 time during *hich learning is most likel occur<+ ,Morrison& $%1$& pg.1A:/.
E"er child *ill experience a sensiti"e time in their learning& #ut it is important as a teacher to
remem#er that children *ill experience this critical period at di00erent times ,Morrison& $%1$&
pg.1A:/. The 0ourth primar principle o0 Maria Montessori3s theor is a prepared en"ironment.
The prepared en"ironment& according to Morrison ,$%1$/& is de0ined as a (classroom or
other space that is arranged and organiCed to support the learning in general andDor special
kno*ledge and skills+ ,Morrison& $%1$& pg. 1AA/. 60 0ollo*ing 1r. Montessori3s theor& the
children should #e 0ree to explore their en"ironment& and # doing so& the are learning& #ut it is
important that the teacher prepare an en"ironment that is de"elopmentall appropriate and read
to engage the children3s interest ,Morrison& $%1$& pg.1AA/. There are three ke components o0
the prepared en"ironment: practical li0e& sensor materials& and academic materials. The particle
li0e skills are presented to the children to help them learn e"erda skills that appl to e"erda
occurrences ,Morrison& $%1$& pg. 1AA/. Morrison gi"es some examples o0 practical li0e skills& 0or
example& using dressing 0rames to help teach ho* to #utton& Cip& locking& and ting ,Morrison&
$%1$& pg.1AA/. These practical li0e skills can #e taught through care o0 the person like *ashing
hands& the care o0 en"ironment such as reccling& social relations through #eing respect0ul& and
lastl& analsis and control o0 mo"ement like #alancing and carring items ,Morrison& $%1$&
pg.1AA/. The second component o0 the prepared en"ironment is sensor materials. This is
Running Head: Learning Through Experiences Singleton ?
teaching the children ho* to use their senses and uses control o0 errors& isolation o0 a single
)uantit& acti"e in"ol"ement& and attracti"eness ,Morrison& $%1$& pg. 1AA/. = using sensor
materials the children can learn and increase their a#ilit to think& distinguish& classi0& and to
organiCe ,Morrison& $%1$& pg. 1AA/. 1i00erent sensor materials that Maria Montessori de"eloped
are smelling 2ars& the pink to*er& #ro*n stairs& the red rods& clinder #locks& along *ith color
ta#lets& and man more ,Morrison& $%1$& pg.1A?/. These sensor tools can all #e used in the
prepared en"ironment to help engage and de"elop the senses. The last aspect o0 a prepared
en"ironment is using academic materials. Beorge Morrison ,$%1$/ uses the example o0 *riting
and reading *hen discussing academic materials. The Montessori theor #elie"es in using a
se)uence that *ould encourage the child to #eing *riting #e0ore reading& and that it should #e
introduced so graduall that the child does not e"en kno* that the are learning to *rite and read
,Morrison& $%1$& pg.1A5/. The entire en"ironment should #e prepared # the teacher and should
#e de"elopmentall appropriate 0or the students.
The last primar principle is auto8education. Morrison explains that this *as 1r.
Montessori3s #elie0 that (children *ho are acti"el in"ol"ed in a prepared en"ironment and *ho
exercise 0reedom o0 choice literall educate themsel"es+ ,Morrison& $%1$& pg. 1A5/. The
classroom should #e an en"ironment *here children are 0ree to explore and experiment *ith
di00erent materials in order to learn. = studing and 0ollo*ing the 0i"e principles o0 Maria
Montessori3s theor it can help place teachers on the right path o0 e00ecti"el allo*ing their
children ,students/ to #ecome independent learns *ith guidance 0rom their teachers.
The )uestion is& ho* does Maria Montessori3s theor make a connection to m o*n li0e&
and ho* *ill 6 use her theor to help shape m *ork *ith childrenE ;irstl& 1r. Montessori3s
theor makes a connection *ith m o*n li0e #ecause 6 *as a Montessori student 0or sometime in
Running Head: Learning Through Experiences Singleton 5
m earl childhood. Also& #ecause 6 0eel that 6 can relate to the concept o0 #eing allo*ed to
0reel explore m en"ironment and learn *hile doing so. 6 am a person *ho learns more 0rom
#eing a#le to explore hands on and learn 0rom m mistakes. The *hole idea o0 the Montessori
philosoph is to let children learn hands on # exploring their en"ironment to learn *ith the
guidance and sca00olding o0 their teacher. 6 0eel that #ecause 6 personall learn #etter this *a
that 6 can #etter help m students to learn and 0lourish in this kind o0 en"ironment.
Maria Montessori3s theor *ill help shape m 0uture *hen *orking *ith children. 6n m
0uture 6 *ould like to *ork in a Montessori school& there0ore it *ill #e "er #ene0icial to me& and
m students& that 6 understand the philosoph that 6 *ill #e teaching. 6n addition to that& it *ill
shape the *a 6 *ork *ith children in other *as. 6n the Absorbent Mind # Maria Montessori&
she discusses ho* Montessori teachers are di00erent. She points out that Montessori teachers
ha"e to (ha"e a sort o0 0aith in the child *ho *ill re"eal himsel0 through *ork+ ,Montessori and
Claremont& $%1%& pg. $$5/. 6 *ould ha"e 0aith (that the children<*ill sho* their real sel0 *hen
the 0ind an *ork *hich attracts them+ ,Montessori and Claremont& $%1%& pg.$$5/. 6 can3t 2ust
#e an ordinar teacher& #ut 6 ha"e to #ecome a teacher that #elie"es that the children *ill reall
start to de"elop and shape into themsel"es as the #egin to explore and experiment *ithin their
en"ironment. 6 also *ant to #ecome a teacher that has guided and sca00old m students to *here
the ha"e #ecome independent learners themsel"es. 6 *ant to de"elop a classroom that is #ased
o00 o0 Maria Montessori3s 0i"e primar principles and ha"e a prepared en"ironment 0or m
students to explore and learn 0rom. 6 *ill design m classroom care0ull and make sure that the
materials are de"elopmentall appropriate 0or m class and #eing properl introduced. Another
important in0luence 0rom Maria Montessori is o#ser"ing m students *hile the are exploring.
= o#ser"ing 6 can see *hen the ha"e entered into their sensiti"e period& and then 6 can act
Running Head: Learning Through Experiences Singleton 4
accordingl and help guide them to the materials the can explore that are needed to help them in
a critical learning period. = o#ser"ing 6 can also see *hich skills m students need more
guidance and sca00olding *ith.
Maria Montessori3s theor *ill shape the *a 6 *ork *ith children. 6t *ill gi"e me the
con0idence to #elie"e that m students can learn *ithout me al*as ho"ering o"er them. The
con0idence *ill #e there that i0 6 do m 2o# as a teacher to help guide and sca00old m students
that the *ill learn 0rom their en"ironment the skills the need to #e success0ul. As Maria
Montessori once said ( *hether 6 am present or not& the class 0unctions+ and that is something
she considered as success0ul ,Montessori and Claremont& $%1%& pg.$$?/.
Running Head: Learning Through Experiences Singleton 7
Re0erences
Maria Montessori -uotes. ,n.d./. Maria Montessori Quotes. Retrie"ed !o"em#er '& $%1'& 0rom
http:DD***.dailmontessori.comDmaria8montessori8)uotesD
Montessori Education. ,n.d./. Home. Retrie"ed !o"em#er '& $%1'& 0rom
https:DD***.amsh).orgDMontessori8Education.aspx
Montessori& M.& F Costelloe& M. G. ,175$/. The secret of childhood. !e* >ork: =allantine
=ooks.
Montessori& M.& F Claremont& C. A. ,$%1%/. The Montessori Teacher . The absorbent mind ,pp.
$$?8$$5/. Minooka& 6L: =! Hu#..
Morrison& B. S. ,$%1$/. Earl Childhood Hrograms . Early childhood education today
,T*el0th ed.& pp. 1A$81?%/. 9pper Saddle Ri"er& !.G.: Hearson.