Doctor Maria Montessori, who developed the principles of Montessori school education following years of experimentation and observation, said, “Children learn naturally through activity and their characters develop through freedom.”
The principles of Montessori education are based on respect for children’s learning process and are about understanding how children learn. The principles define how Montessori is different from traditional education.
Most Important Principles of Montessori School Education
Respect for the Child
The Montessori philosophy revolves around respecting the child, which means every child is unique and must be respected for his/her talent and uniqueness. Children should be respected for their freedom to choose, to move, to correct their own mistakes, and to work at their own pace.
Prepared Environment
A Montessori classroom is known as the prepared environment as it is a meticulously planned learning environment in which everything has a place and a function.
The central concept of the classroom being, “Order in the environment and mind”. Children are free to pursue their interests, pick their work, and advance at their own pace in this environment.
Absorbent Mind
The first six years of a child’s life are most critical for his/her overall development. Doctor Maria Montessori called this period the ‘absorbent mind’ stage to describe the child’s sponge-like capacity to absorb information from their environment.
During these years, children quickly gain a grasp of their culture and the world around them. Moreover, the foundations of their intelligence and personality are built in these early years.
Educating the Child
Montessori education focuses on maximising each child’s potential by offering learning opportunities that promote their intellectual, physical, emotional, and social growth.
The Montessori curriculum encompasses practical life, sensorial, and cultural topics in addition to language and arithmetic. All areas of child development and learning are interwoven and treated equally.
Individualised Learning
Montessori school programmes are customised to suit each child’s unique stage of development, interests, and needs. Lessons are based on the academic advancement of each child and teachers keep track of each child’s development and offer encouragement as they work their way through the curriculum.
Freedom of Movement and Choice
Children learn the best when they are given the freedom to move, pick their interests, and choose whatever they want to work upon. On the whole, Montessori learning is greatly active, individually paced, self-correcting, and customised to the needs and interests of each child.
Independence
Young children seek independence more than anyone else. They seek to explore things on their own and that makes their learning experience more fun and wholesome. The Montessori programme offers children the environment, materials, and guidance to learn to do and think for themselves.
Instead of seeing children as merely young kids, the programme considers them to be born leaders who are capable and willing to teach themselves if provided with the right stimulus.
Global Indian International School (GIIS), Abu Dhabi, follows the modern Montessori international approach through its innovative and award-winning Global Montessori Plus Programme.
The curriculum focuses on the holistic growth of children and is built on five robust pillars that not only instil extraordinary skills among students but also focus on physical growth and universal values. GIIS’ Global Montessori Plus Programme (GMP) prepares children from a young age to face future challenges with modern solutions.
Five Pillars at Global Indian International School for Montessori Curriculum
‘Excelerate’ Programme
The school’s primary goal is to help students enhance their skills and talents. The focus of the ‘Excelerate Programme’ is on the development of outstanding talents such as literacy, language, mathematics, and writing.
Through reading, listening, and speaking activities, teachers assist children in improving their fluency. The school strives to provide an enthusiastic learning atmosphere through individual attention, stimulating activities, and Montessori labs.
Multi-Faceted Learning
One of the best Montessori approaches that the GIIS uses to encourage dialogue and sharing of ideas is thematic learning. Experienced teachers offer interactive activities to improve the personality and character qualities, physical skills, and cognitive growth of the children.
The Global Montessori Plus Programme has been personalised, taking into account the children’s personal interests, needs, and development.
iPlay Programme
GIIS provides outstanding games, kids sessions, indoor, co-curricular and extracurricular activities that enhance children’s physical, cognitive, critical thinking, and social-emotional skills, by allowing them to be cognitively and physically fit. Students interact with their peers and learn the rules of the game, which instils important qualities such as independence, management, and cooperation.
iCare Programme
Students learn and absorb things rapidly while they are young. Along with academics and physical development, the GIIS Montessori programme caters to children’s emotional development. The school encourages students to care for the environment and community through different charitable events.
Fundamental universal values like compassion, generosity, teamwork and giving-nature are well-focused upon in GMP. Children also learn the importance of honesty, integrity, and punctuality.
Future Ready Programme
The school offers a well-organised 21st-century learning style that is blended with new technology and creative resources. This cutting-edge learning platform provides a unique perspective on NextGen learning.
For students who wish to study Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics in the future, the curriculum provides a fantastic and skilful hands-on experience. Students can improve their critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills by being a part of the GMP curriculum.
GIIS’ Montessori principles are more or less the same as that of Doctor Maria Montessori’s. The GMP programme is a combination of formal learning and innovative tools that provide unique opportunities for children to grow their skill-set.