What is Montessori?
The sheer volume of information discussing the term "Montessori" is daunting. It is enough to overwhelm anyone, not the least of which is an overtired mom of a young child. If you're that parent and wrapping your head around all of this Montessori homeschooling “stuff” seems like a huge mountain to climb, rest assured, you are not alone.
The good news is that it really doesn't have to be that hard, complicated, or long-winded. In fact, the basic principles Dr. Montessori set forth are just that - basic. I’m not kidding!
This series will take you through an abbreviated, easy, and straightforward journey that will allow you to get started with Montessori Homeschooling without any specialized education, reading, or training.
The research is clear. Homeschool students score above average on achievement tests regardless of their parent’s level of education or household income.
Further, the home-educated are doing well, typically above average, on social, emotional, and psychological development measures. (Source: www.nheri.org).
So, don’t worry. You are on the right track!
PART 1: WHAT IS MONTESSORI?
"Montessori" is the last name of Dr. Maria Montessori, a medical doctor and pioneer who developed a new approach to whole-child education in the late 1800s and early 1900s. She used her scientific observations of children from birth to adulthood in generating the model.
Dr. Montessori’s method has been around for over 100 years. It has been successful in virtually all cultures as well as in both short-term and long-term studies. Montessori-educated children tend to become capable, accountable, knowledgeable adults with a strong sense of self.
The “Montessori Method” can be broken broadly into 3 points:
- Creating a child-centered educational approach.
- Treating the child as a natural learner, capable of initiating learning and acquiring knowledge when provided a thoughtfully prepared environment.
- Truly valuing the development of the whole child—physical, social, emotional, and cognitive. None of these critical areas are valued above or below any other.
That's it! Yes, really!
Everything else is in the details. (Which we will turn to next). Please feel free to read those 3 points over and over... and over again. They are the priceless take-homes of Dr. Montessori's work.
Using this information to reshape how you think about education is an easy way to begin your Montessori homeschooling journey.