montessori principles
Follow the childMontessori philosophy recognises that each child has a different rhythm and approach to learning. We believe that the child instinctively knows what he or she needs to do. By observing this in each child, Montessori teachers can take into account what the child’s interests and needs are at a particular point in time and use that to guide their exploration of the curriculum, rather than insisting on rules about the best time to learn each component.
"It is the child's way of learning. This is the path he follows. He learns everything without knowing he is learning it ... threading always in the paths of joy and love." |
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hands-on learningDr. Montessori saw that children learn best by 'doing' and that happy self-motivated learners form positive images of themselves as confident, successful people. She created specially designed resources to foster independence and a love for learning from an early age. At Blossom Montessori, the prepared environment is equiped with a full set of Montessori materials, books as well as multiple resources designed for open-ended creative experiences. The children have multiple opportunities to engage with many hands-on activities throughout the whole day.
"Little children revealed that the development of the mind is stimulated by the movement of the hands. The hand is the instrument of the intelligence. The child needs to manipulate objects and to gain experience by touching and handling." |
Help me to do it myselfChildren attending Montessori settings are encouraged to be independent in every aspect of their life. They are given opportunities to make choices about their activities and therefore spontaneous engagements with the environment and child-led activities flourish. Maria Montessori observed that when children are able to do things for themselves there is an increase in their self-belief, self-confidence and esteem that they carry on throughout their life.
"As soon as independence has been reached, the adult who keeps on helping becomes an obstacle." |
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Prepared environmentBlossom Montessori provides a ‘prepared environment’ where children are free to respond to their natural tendency to work. The children’s innate passion for learning is encouraged by giving them opportunities to engage in spontaneous, purposeful activities by providing materials specifically designed to develop each child across all areas using both indoor and outside environments.
Through their work, the children develop concentration and joyful self-discipline. Within a structured framework the children progress at their own pace and rhythm, according to their individual capabilities in each area. "The first aim of the prepared environment is, as far as it is possible, to render the growing child independent of the adult." |
observationOne of the most vital teaching tools available to Montessori teachers is observation. Scientifically applied observation skills allow the teacher to assess situations, children and strategies without judgment. The goal of observation is to discover the child’s interests, needs and abilities and then to adjust the child’s environment accordingly.
The most crucial and at the same time most difficult part of observation process is to not interfere with what the child is doing. "Here lies the essential point; from her scientific preparation, the teacher must bring not only the capacity, but the desire, to observe natural phenomena. In our system, she must become a passive, much more than an active influence, and her passivity shall be composed of anxious scientific curiosity, and of absolute respect for the phenomena she wishes to observe. The teacher must feel her position of observer; the activity must lie in the phenomenon." |
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