FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why Montessori?
MELF Teacher Training Certifications Allow You To:
● Travel overseas or work locally as an educator for young children between the ages of 2 and 7 years.
● Au pair locally or travel and work internationally
● Open your own ECD ( Early Childhood Development) Centre
● Work as a Montessori Directress and Assistant locally and internationally
● Work in a mainstream ECD classroom
● Get involved in ECD Training and material development
● Tutor privately ( Literacy and Numeracy)
WHY MONTESSORI?
Frequently Asked Questions about the Montessori Method
Q. What qualifications do I need to work in ECD ?
MELF offers an ideal progression opportunity for students who do not qualify to enter university with their current qualifications but would like to study further and earn a B. ED degree in ECD. If a student has a Level 3 qualification, they may successfully complete the Occupation certificate in ECD L4. Once they have done so, they can then apply to study for a B. ED degree at a College or University. Note: Those wishing to work in the ECD context in South Africa must work towards a B.ED degree.
Q. What if I already have a degree and want to work with children in the Montessori environments 0-3 and or 3-6 years? Persons with a degree who want to work in Montessori schools may register for the specialisation courses.
Q. What if I want to work with Grade R? Please note: To become a Grade R teacher in South Africa, one must have a degree or diploma in ECD or Foundation Phase Education, a National Senior Certificate (Matric Certificate) or equivalent qualification, and be registered with SACE.
Q. Where did Montessori come from?
Montessori (pronounced MON-tuh-SORE-ee) education was founded in 1907 by Dr Maria Montessori, the first woman in Italy to become a physician. She based her educational methods on scientific observation of children's learning processes. Guided by her discovery that children teach themselves, Dr Montessori designed a "prepared environment" in which children could freely choose from a number of developmentally appropriate activities. Now, nearly a century after Maria Montessori's first CASA dei Bambini (children's home) in Rome, Montessori education is found all over the world, spanning ages from birth to adolescence.
Q. What is the difference between Montessori and traditional education?
Under the age of six, Montessori emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching, or reading. Children in Montessori classes learn at their own, individual pace and according to their own choice of activities from hundreds of possibilities. They are not required to sit and listen to a teacher talk to them as a group but are engaged in individual or group activities of their own, with materials that have been introduced to them 1:1 by the teacher who knows what each child is ready to do. Learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning.
Above age 6 children learn to do independent research, arrange field trips to gather information, interview specialists, create group presentations, dramas, art exhibits, musical productions, science projects, and so forth. There is no limit to what they created in this kind of intelligently guided freedom. There is great respect for the choices of the children, but they easily keep up with or surpass what they would be doing in a more traditional setting. Children enjoy their work and study. The children ask each other for lessons, and much of the learning comes from sharing and inspiring each other instead of competing with each other.
Montessori classes place children in three-year-or-more age groups (3-6, 6-9/6-12, etc.), forming communities in which the older children spontaneously share their knowledge with the younger ones. Montessori represents an entirely different approach to education.
Q. Can I do Montessori at home with my child?
A. Yes, you can use Montessori principles of child development at home. Look at your home through your child's eyes. Children need a sense of belonging, and they get it by participating fully in the routines of everyday life. "Help me do it by myself" is the life theme of the preschooler, school-age child, teenager, and young adult. Can you find ways for your child to participate in meal preparation, cleaning, gardening, caring for clothes, shoes, and toys? Providing opportunities for independence is the surest way to build your child's self-esteem and to build the skills required for life-long learning.
At the school level, many homeschooling and other parents use the Montessori philosophy of following the child's interest and not interrupting concentration to educate their children. There is an interesting Montessori home-schooling store, which can be accessed by following this link:
http://www.montessori.edu/homeschooling.html
In a school, only a trained Montessori teacher can properly implement Montessori education with the specialized learning equipment taught during teacher training, but there are many ideas that can be used in the home with families whose children are in school full-time, or in families where the adults are in charge of the totality of the child's education.
Montessori Children
Q. Is Montessori good for children with learning disabilities? What about gifted children?
Montessori is designed to help all children reach their fullest potential at their own unique pace. A classroom whose children have varying abilities is a community in which everyone learns from one another and everyone contributes. Moreover, multi-age grouping allows each child to find his or her own pace without feeling "ahead" or "behind" in relation to peers.
Q. Are Montessori children successful later in life?
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.
Montessori Schools
Q. I recently observed a Montessori classroom for a day. I was very, very impressed, but I have three questions.
1. There doesn't seem to be any opportunities for pretend play
2. The materials don't seem to allow children to be creative
3. Children don't seem to be interacting with one another very much. Any help you give me would be appreciated. Thank you very much.
I can give you three very incomplete answers to your perceptive questions:
● Travel overseas or work locally as an educator for young children between the ages of 2 and 7 years.
● Au pair locally or travel and work internationally
● Open your own ECD ( Early Childhood Development) Centre
● Work as a Montessori Directress and Assistant locally and internationally
● Work in a mainstream ECD classroom
● Get involved in ECD Training and material development
● Tutor privately ( Literacy and Numeracy)
WHY MONTESSORI?
Frequently Asked Questions about the Montessori Method
Q. What qualifications do I need to work in ECD ?
MELF offers an ideal progression opportunity for students who do not qualify to enter university with their current qualifications but would like to study further and earn a B. ED degree in ECD. If a student has a Level 3 qualification, they may successfully complete the Occupation certificate in ECD L4. Once they have done so, they can then apply to study for a B. ED degree at a College or University. Note: Those wishing to work in the ECD context in South Africa must work towards a B.ED degree.
Q. What if I already have a degree and want to work with children in the Montessori environments 0-3 and or 3-6 years? Persons with a degree who want to work in Montessori schools may register for the specialisation courses.
Q. What if I want to work with Grade R? Please note: To become a Grade R teacher in South Africa, one must have a degree or diploma in ECD or Foundation Phase Education, a National Senior Certificate (Matric Certificate) or equivalent qualification, and be registered with SACE.
Q. Where did Montessori come from?
Montessori (pronounced MON-tuh-SORE-ee) education was founded in 1907 by Dr Maria Montessori, the first woman in Italy to become a physician. She based her educational methods on scientific observation of children's learning processes. Guided by her discovery that children teach themselves, Dr Montessori designed a "prepared environment" in which children could freely choose from a number of developmentally appropriate activities. Now, nearly a century after Maria Montessori's first CASA dei Bambini (children's home) in Rome, Montessori education is found all over the world, spanning ages from birth to adolescence.
Q. What is the difference between Montessori and traditional education?
Under the age of six, Montessori emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching, or reading. Children in Montessori classes learn at their own, individual pace and according to their own choice of activities from hundreds of possibilities. They are not required to sit and listen to a teacher talk to them as a group but are engaged in individual or group activities of their own, with materials that have been introduced to them 1:1 by the teacher who knows what each child is ready to do. Learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning.
Above age 6 children learn to do independent research, arrange field trips to gather information, interview specialists, create group presentations, dramas, art exhibits, musical productions, science projects, and so forth. There is no limit to what they created in this kind of intelligently guided freedom. There is great respect for the choices of the children, but they easily keep up with or surpass what they would be doing in a more traditional setting. Children enjoy their work and study. The children ask each other for lessons, and much of the learning comes from sharing and inspiring each other instead of competing with each other.
Montessori classes place children in three-year-or-more age groups (3-6, 6-9/6-12, etc.), forming communities in which the older children spontaneously share their knowledge with the younger ones. Montessori represents an entirely different approach to education.
Q. Can I do Montessori at home with my child?
A. Yes, you can use Montessori principles of child development at home. Look at your home through your child's eyes. Children need a sense of belonging, and they get it by participating fully in the routines of everyday life. "Help me do it by myself" is the life theme of the preschooler, school-age child, teenager, and young adult. Can you find ways for your child to participate in meal preparation, cleaning, gardening, caring for clothes, shoes, and toys? Providing opportunities for independence is the surest way to build your child's self-esteem and to build the skills required for life-long learning.
At the school level, many homeschooling and other parents use the Montessori philosophy of following the child's interest and not interrupting concentration to educate their children. There is an interesting Montessori home-schooling store, which can be accessed by following this link:
http://www.montessori.edu/homeschooling.html
In a school, only a trained Montessori teacher can properly implement Montessori education with the specialized learning equipment taught during teacher training, but there are many ideas that can be used in the home with families whose children are in school full-time, or in families where the adults are in charge of the totality of the child's education.
Montessori Children
Q. Is Montessori good for children with learning disabilities? What about gifted children?
Montessori is designed to help all children reach their fullest potential at their own unique pace. A classroom whose children have varying abilities is a community in which everyone learns from one another and everyone contributes. Moreover, multi-age grouping allows each child to find his or her own pace without feeling "ahead" or "behind" in relation to peers.
Q. Are Montessori children successful later in life?
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.
Montessori Schools
Q. I recently observed a Montessori classroom for a day. I was very, very impressed, but I have three questions.
1. There doesn't seem to be any opportunities for pretend play
2. The materials don't seem to allow children to be creative
3. Children don't seem to be interacting with one another very much. Any help you give me would be appreciated. Thank you very much.
I can give you three very incomplete answers to your perceptive questions:
- When Dr Montessori opened the first Children's House, it was full of pretend playthings. The children never played with them as long as they were allowed to do real things - i.e. cooking instead of pretending to cook. It is still true.
- The materials teach specific things, and then the creativity is incredible. Like learning how to handle a good violin and then playing music. It is not considered "creative" to use a violin as a hammer, or a bridge while playing with blocks. We consider it "creative" to learn how to use the violin properly and then create music. The same goes for the materials in a Montessori classroom.
- There is as much interaction as the children desire, but the tasks are so satisfying that, for these few hours a day, children want to master the challenges offered by them. Then they become happier and kinder—true socialization. Also, since concentration is protected above all, as all "work" is respected, children learn early on not to interrupt someone who is concentrating.
Specific Details of the Montessori Method as practiced in Montessori Schools
Protection of the "best" in each child through respect of choice and concentration
The most important discovery that Dr. Montessori has contributed to the field of child development and education is the fostering of the best in each child. She discovered that in an environment where children are allowed to choose their work and to concentrate for as long as needed on that task, they come out of this period of concentration (or meditation or contemplation) refreshed and full of goodwill toward others. The teacher must know how to offer work, link the child to the environment, and protect this process. We know now that this natural goodness and compassion are inborn, and do not need to be taught, but to be protected.
The schedule - The three-hour work period
Under the age of six, there are one or two 3-hour, uninterrupted, work periods each day, not broken up by required group lessons. Older children schedule meetings or study groups with each other, the teacher when necessary. Adults and children respect concentration and do not interrupt someone who is busy with a task. Groups form spontaneously or are arranged ahead by special appointment. They almost never take precedence over self-selected work.
Multi-age grouping
Children are grouped in mixed ages and abilities in three to six-year spans: 0-3, 3-6, 6-12 (sometimes temporarily 6-9 and 9-12), 12-15, 15-18. There is constant interaction, problem-solving, child-to-child teaching, and socialization. Children are challenged according to their ability and never bored. Younger children learn from older children, while older children are given opportunities to recap work previously learned, practice leadership skills, and be role models. The Montessori middle and high school teacher ideally has taken all three training courses, plus graduate work in an academic area or areas.
Work centres
The environment is arranged according to subject area, and children are always free to move around the room instead of staying at desks. There is no limit to how long a child can work with a piece of material. At any one time in a day all subjects -- maths, language, science, history, geography, art, music, etc., will be being studied, at all levels.
Teaching method - "Teach by teaching, not by correcting"
There are no papers turned back with red marks and corrections. Instead, the child's effort and work is respected as it is. The teacher, through extensive observation and record-keeping, plans individual projects to enable each child to learn what he needs in order to improve
Teaching Ratio - 1:1 and 1:30+
Except for infant/toddler groups (Ratio dictated by local social service regulations), the teaching ratio is one trained Montessori teacher and one non-teaching aide to 30+ children. Rather than lecturing to large or small groups of children, the teacher is trained to teach one child at a time, and to oversee thirty or more children working on a broad array of tasks. She is facile in the basic lessons of maths, language, the arts and sciences, and in guiding a child's research and exploration, capitalizing on his interest in and excitement about a subject. The teacher does not make assignments or dictate what to study or read, nor does she set a limit as to how far a child follows an interest.
Basic lessons
The Montessori teacher spends a lot of time during teacher training practicing the many lessons with materials in all areas. She must pass a written and oral exam on these lessons in order to be certified. She is trained to recognize a child's readiness according to age, ability, and interest in a specific lesson, and is prepared to guide individual progress.
Areas of study
All subjects are interwoven, not taught in isolation, the teacher modelling a "Renaissance" person of broad interests in the children. A child can work on any material he understands at any time.
Class size
Except for infant/toddler groups, the most successful classes are of 30-35 children to one teacher (who is very well-trained for the level she is teaching), with one non-teaching assistant. This is possible because the children stay in the same group for three to six years and much of the teaching comes from the children and the environment.
Learning styles
All kinds of intelligences and styles of learning are nurtured: musical, bodily-kinaesthetic, spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, intuitive, and the traditional linguistic and logical-mathematical (reading, writing, and maths). This particular model is backed up by Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences.