7 Reasons Why Families Choose Montessori

Guy is teaching kids

 

Every year, hundreds of families choose Montessori for the birth of their children. There are many reasons why these families make this choice. It doesn’t matter which religion they are. No matter what the culture of their home, no matter what sort of education their children have had, each family chooses Montessori for the birth of their children. Here are the top 7 reasons why families choose Montessori:

Independence

One of the biggest reasons people choose Montessori is the fact that they choose to bring their children up in the faith and environment of the Montessori educational program. In a homeschooling setting, children learn first from their parents. By the time they reach the age of four, most states require that the children learn at least part of their curriculum in the state in which they live. By the age of five, however, most states have removed personal responsibility for their education, substituting it with Montessori-style education where parents and teachers work together to create an educational plan for the child.

Mutual Respect

A major part of Montessori teaching is the process by which students learn to respect each other and the teacher. Students learn to get along with each other and respect the teacher before they respect the teacher themselves. This is true not only in the classroom but also in public settings such as town halls, the grocery store, and even in restaurants. A child who respects the teacher will look up to the teacher, not only to get a fair share of homework but also be taught how to behave properly in a public setting.

Collaboration between kids

Collaboration

Montessori classrooms encourage students to work together in groups of any size, from small group assignments to large group projects and other classroom activities that promote creativity. By creating small groups and pairing them off with larger groups of varying sizes and skill levels, students can work together and achieve their educational goals. For example, students may form a quartet or a class based on a musical instrument, color preference, art preference, or language ability. The result is that there is always a need for a group of students to work together to complete a meaningful homework assignment. There are also opportunities for group discussions or quiet meditation during quiet times.

 

Cooperation and Responsibility

It is important for students to feel motivated and they are in control of the lessons that they are learning in a Montessori classroom. This begins with the teacher. By establishing a clear authority structure, students can see themselves as separate from the teacher, one who will impart knowledge according to a certain schedule, and who will enforce deadlines and discipline students. A clear understanding of the classroom rules is another important component of Montessori education. Knowing why something is done will help you when it comes to following through with the task. Knowing that you can trust the teacher to do it correctly the first time will serve as a motivation to do well on your assignments.

Independence

A strong Montessori classroom environment encourages students to become self-sufficient, which can lead to true independence. By being independent students are better able to understand why they have responsibilities in their lives outside of the classroom. When children come to school they already have many responsibilities that they must fulfill. Children who grow up with a strong Montessori education can take those responsibilities and expand upon them, developing their leadership skills and independence in all areas of their life. A strong Montessori classroom helps students understand that they do have an obligation to their families, other students, and themselves and that these responsibilities are far more important than any one thing.

Multi age classroom

Multi-age classrooms

Many people assume that Montessori education is only for younger children, but this is untrue. The Montessori method of teaching does not discriminate based on age but instead teaches all children from preschool through twelfth grade. There is never a period in the classroom when a child is not learning something new. This helps to prevent boredom in the classroom because every student is interested in learning something new. Also, the knowledge that a child has gained from the past will be fresh in their minds, and they will be ready to learn new things based on what they just heard or read last week.

Freedom within limits

The greatest benefit of the Montessori method of teaching is the freedom that students learn through self-reflection. Maria Montessori encourages young students to make mistakes, to ask questions, and to use their natural curiosity and creativity to learn from their mistakes. Learning from their failures is the greatest reward that a student can get from a Montessori education.

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