The Montessori approach aims to offer an excellent environment for the children so their learning process will be effective. This was established by Dr. Maria Montessori who thought that teachers must do whatever they can to help the children become effective learners through making sure that their learning needs will be addressed depending on their age while also establishing an environment that is conducive for learning (Isaacs, 2013). The Montessori approach acknowledges that the development of the children happens because of their need to adjust to their environment. It believes that the children are the ones who provide meaning to their environment, and they build themselves in connection to this environment.
The classroom under the Montessori approach is expected to be clean, beautiful, and has the components which will help the children to learn properly. It allows children of different ages to stay together for three years so that it becomes possible for them to learn how to interact and respect one another (Schmidt and Schmidt, 2009). Children below three years old are grouped together under the Montessori approach, and the same thing happens to children who are three to six years old, children who are six to nine years old, and children who are nine to thirteen years old. The children are given tasks and activities which enable them to learn how to focus so that they can get the best results possible. They also begin to understand that while they are being given the freedom to do what they want inside the classroom, there are also restrictions that they must respect for their own good. The children are given specific learning materials which will help them to improve their critical thinking skills. These learning materials will enable the children to identify the mistakes by themselves and take charge of their own learning process. The teachers are there to educate and guide the children as they try to learn. They help the children to make the adjustments when they make mistakes as part of their learning process.
References
Isaacs, B. (2013). Understanding the Montessori Approach. London: Routledge
Schmidt, M., and Schmidt, D. (2009). Understanding Montessori: A Guide for Parents. Indianapolis, IN: Dog Ear Publishing
