Q. What is the difference between Montessori and traditional education?
A. Watching, or reading. Children in Montessori classes learn at their own, individual pace A. Montessori emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, and according to their own choice of activities from hundreds of possibilities. Learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning. Montessori classes place children in three-year age groups (3-6, 6-9, 9- 12, and so on), forming communities in which the older children spontaneously share their knowledge with the younger ones. Montessori represents an entirely different approach to education.
Q. Are Montessori children successful later in life?
A. Research studies show that Montessori children are well prepared for later life academically, socially, and emotionally. In addition to scoring well on standardized tests, Montessori children are ranked above average on such criteria as following directions, turning in work on time, listening attentively, using basic skills, showing responsibility, asking provocative questions, showing enthusiasm for learning, and adapting to new situations.
Q. Why should I send my child to a Montessori school?
A. Confidence and the love of learning are the two most important goals for the elementary child. Montessori developed a three-period lesson which fosters confidence. The first lesson is a gift, rather than a rhetorical guess. The second lesson is a choice, i.e. "which of the following is correct", often using self-correcting materials. The third lesson is the direct question, "what is it?" With confidence and a sense of acquiring knowledge as an adventure in lifelong learning, children can reach a greater potential personally and as citizens of the world.
Q. When should I start my child in Montessori?
A. Montessori was herself amazed at the abilities of young children two and three years old. In her environments she discovered that they were able to absorb concrete materials using all their senses simultaneously, a unique ability soon lost. She called these times of special absorption "Sensitive Periods", and developed specific materials for that time. As the child grows these periods change, yet the continuum is set in motion for the rest of the child's life. Therefore, the early years are the most important, yet most neglected in many societies. Starting a child at 2 1/2 or 3 in a good Montessori environment with well-trained directresses can have results that will remain with the child all her life.
http:/indianmontessoricentre.org/
http:/www.montessori.org/