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Montessori Schools – a whole new perspective on bringing up kids!

The Montessori method – according to Elonera Montessori school.
By Queenie Chou, director of WIGU Australia.

The WIGU program plans to incorporate many elements of the Montessori method into its curriculum. The Montessori method is an approach to educating children based on the research and experiences of Italian physician and educator, Maria Montessori (1870-1952). It focuses on a child’s “true normal activity” and “self-directed learning”. This method is particularly effective for real life skills education as it focuses on a child’s unique instincts and sensitivity to conditions in the environment.

As the director of WIGU Australia, I had the privilege of visiting Elonera Montessori School. In order to introduce elements of the Montessori method into traditional schools, a true understanding of the method and a hands on experience had to be gained. WIGU introduces elements of the Montessori method in a manner that doesn’t change the habits and ideals of a traditional school environment, but at the same time taking all the benefits children can gain from the method. Essentially, participants in the WIGU program are going to gain the benefits of both worlds.

Illustrated below are observations made at Elonera Montessori school. This summary will help you gain a better understanding of the Montessori method and how it differs from traditional methods of teaching.

• Deadlines – students get given a list of things to do for the day (similar to the idea of a to-do-list, which gives them the sense of personal satisfaction when they tick off an item one by one). Instead of teachers allocating a time slot for each subject and the order that each subject will be taught in, students have the flexibility to finish tasks in whatever order they choose. Each task has a set time frame so that students get a guideline of how long it should take them to complete a task. This concept contributes greatly to time management in the future.

• Different age groups work together – Montessori classes consist of varied ages. A typical stage 1 class will have students ranging from 3 years old to 5 years old. A typical stage 2 class will have students ranging from 6 years old to 9 years old. The older students act as role models for the younger students. This also benefits the older students as they can improve their skills through the act of “teaching”. This helps to reinforce ideas in their minds and also helps them gain leadership skills. The benefits for the younger children include: having a mentor constantly in their learning environment, having someone to imitate good behaviour from, respecting their own classmates and learning at a faster pace.

• Children work on domestic skills – children as young as the age of three are seen performing domestic duties such as sweeping the floors, doing the dishes, hanging up laundry, packing away toys they have played with, serving food, setting the table and wiping down bench tops. Teachers are there to guide them with the process. Obviously, their motor skills are less developed than older people and therefore they are less competent in performing the duties, however by performing these tasks on a regular basis, they improve their control of their motor skills at a much faster rate.

• By having a mixture of age groups in one class, there are no limits to the levels of skills both academically and mentally they can develop. At traditional schools, a certain level is defined for each grade and it is only when students are taken out for an enrichment class can they extend their skills and capabilities. A Montessori class doesn’t have these problems and challenges are presented to the students on a daily basis simply because they are mixed in with older students, working at a higher level.

• No reward system – students are brought up working for their own satisfaction. Montessori holds the belief that students should learn from a young age to work for themselves and for personal satisfaction. At a traditional school, students will find themselves completing a certain task in order to gain a reward, or not conducting inappropriate behaviour to avoid punishment. However, at a Montessori school, there is no reward system, which in turn provides a non-competitive learning environment. Rewards come from within and they know that they are doing well themselves, without seeking approval from an adult. Instead of a flood of compliments such as “Wow, that’s fantastic!” and “You’re doing unbelievably well!”, you will hear Montessori teachers saying, “Peter, are you proud of what you’ve achieved? (student answers yes) Well, you should be!” This encourages students to analyse their own behaviour and you will never see a child ‘fishing for compliments’.

• Statistics show that there is far less bullying, rebelling and signs of negative self esteem in Montessori schools because of two main factors; mixed age groups and inner self approval.

• There is a strong belief in Montessori schools that children should learn to socialise with different ages. This belief continues through to high school, where the gap between age groups becomes more evident. Parents and teachers will find that there are far less problems in terms of anti-social behaviour in high school, because these students have been brought up in an environment where difference in ages doesn’t matter. There is nothing there that defines that a particular age group must hang out together, as everyone of all ages is treated as equals.

• Both students and teachers at a Montessori school deal with each other on a first name basis. Students are expected to address their teacher by their first name, so that not one single individual will feel like they are inferior to another, no matter the role or the age. Everyone is treated as an equal and children are treated like adults. You will find that children mature much more quickly this way and assume responsibilities as an adult at a very early age.

• Students are taught the importance of eye contact and firm handshakes. This prepares for the outside world from an early age. When a teacher addresses a student, he/she is spoken to like an adult and in turn is expected to respond like an adult. If a student was to enter a Montessori school classroom, having come from a traditional school, they will actually find the people quite confronting. The reason for this is that traditional schools have a far more softer approach in terms of confrontation and student/teacher equality.

• Talk talk talk – students and teachers at Montessori schools talk a lot more than at traditional schools. When there is an issue to target, teachers will talk things through with a student instead of offering a reward or a punishment. The matter is “discussed” with the individual or as a class and a lot more talking and analysing takes place. It is a Montessori school’s belief that the student must understand the situation in depth before they can target it. That way, they will correct problems once and for all, because they truly understand where the problem lies.

• Students are not required to ask for permission in order to perform basic human needs (e.g. going to the toilet and having a drink of water) – these tasks are deemed as necessary and the students should be able to perform these tasks when their body tells them to do so. By not controlling students in this avenue, they don’t see these activities as out of the norm and therefore will only perform them when necessary. Whereas, in a traditional school, going to the toilet or having a drink is viewed as a privilege and therefore students will start seeing these activities as a want or a tempting distraction from normal classroom tasks.

• Reverse role play – role play is a common activity conducted in a Montessori classroom. Reverse role play is highly effective in the sense that it puts students in the shoes of others. It allows students to feel what others feel in certain scenarios. One example I was given was in the case of bullying. The entire class is invited to partake in a reverse role play session and the bully is asked to play with role of the victim. By playing the role, the bully quickly learns what it’s like to be in somebody else’s shoes. This fun and effective activity is performed even in the later years of high school. This method never decreases in effectiveness, no matter what age or level of schooling it may be.

• In the end, a child acts a certain way in life based on what environment they are used to. A child’s mind is a like a sponge and their actions will reflect what habits they have been taught at an early age. This is why this Montessori school has a strict rule of not accepting students that come in from traditional schools past the age of 7. The reason for this is that these students have been brought up in a different way and most of the times will find it extremely difficult to fit in with the rest of the school community.

As you have probably concluded, the Montessori method is not as simple as a subject that can be introduced into the traditional school system. It’s more of a belief system, an environment and a whole new perspective on bringing up kids. WIGU takes both the Montessori method and the current traditional school curriculum, moulds the two together and conducts a program on real life skills, that truly prepares your kids for the real world.