Learning By Playing, A Montessori Way | Necessary Articles

An Italian educator and physician, Maria Montessori, founded a teaching approach that aims to educate the senses. This innovative approach to teaching is developed as a result of her comprehensive study of children and their natural habits of learning. Since not all schools are concerned on educating the senses, and this method yields effective results, the Montessori method is applied in most schools across the world.

One of the most important premises of Montessori teaching approach is a prepared environment because it plays a crucial role in the learning process of the student. The reason behind this principle is that knowledge occurs naturally in a child when the whole environment is perfect for learning and discovery. Encouraging children to learn therefore would not require much goading from teachers.

Hence the classroom?s set up is consciously considered in a Montessori school. The arrangement for each classroom depends on the grade level of students who will occupy the room. Teachers do not spoon-feed lessons but help the students to find the answer themselves. As a result they become independent learners.

The discovery model vs. direct instruction, the work as purposeful activity, and the significance of a mixed age class are also other important principles that need to be considered in adopting the Montessori way of teaching.

Teaching the Montessori way needs the use of special educational aids commonly known as the Montessori sensorial materials. Maria Montessori herself was known to formulate these educational materials. Such special educational materials promote learning using the five senses. In this method of teaching, it is crucial that these materials are readily accessible to the child, that he makes his choice of activity for the day, and that he is given three hours to work work on the material of his choice.

These sensory materials aim to instill independence in the child, particularly in how he learns. The sensory material?s design enables the child to conduct independent error checking. Some examples of these sensorial materials include the binomial and trinomial cubes, the pink tower, the 26 bells, the cylinder blocks, the broad or brown stair, the geometric cabinet, the red rods and the knob-less or colored cylinders.

The Montessori sensorial materials are designed to develop the child?s learning perception. This learning approach is applied from preschool to higher grade levels to educate the senses. (7060)

Source: http://necessaryarticles.com/reference-education/learning-by-playing-a-montessori-way

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