 How is Montessori education different? It is a unique approach to supporting the natural development of human beings. It helps children to become independent, collaborative and creative thinkers who make a positive contribution to society.
Read on to discover 5 things that make Montessori special in our latest blog by Louise Livingston, our Head of Training.
Did you know?
1. Montessori education is linked to better wellbeing
Research shows that those educated in a Montessori school report higher levels of wellbeing as adults. Recent studies have also linked growing youth mental health issues with young people’s experience of starting secondary school. In contrast the latest neuroscience is consistently revealing how children’s brains develop in a way that is supported by the Montessori approach.
2. Montessori schools can be happier places for staff too
At a time when many teachers in mainstream schools are on strike or leaving the profession, Montessori teaching offers a rewarding and positive career. Montessori schools are happy workplaces: teachers have the satisfaction of seeing the effectiveness of the Montessori approach as well as enjoying following children’s natural interests. We often hear it’s a way to be “the kind of teacher I always wanted to be”.
3. Montessori offers unparalleled support for literacy and numeracy
Montessori was ahead of the game in the use of phonics for the teaching of reading but in Montessori this is also combined with “whole reading” approaches such as comprehending individual words and their meaning in context and supporting enjoyment of reading; this combined approach is now being validated by research and policy leaders.
Numeracy is introduced in Montessori in a way that appeals to children’s way of learning, as the abstract is first represented in concrete form. We respond to their developing mathematical reasoning and natural desire to calculate, classify and make predictions. |
