NEWSPAPER PRESENTATION

MARIA MONTESSORI

Friday 3 March 2023

by Emma Chiaretti, Nora Moroni and Emma Valeri

31 August 1870, Chiaravalle 6 May 1952, Noordwijk, Paesi Bassi

Montessori: The world's most influential school?

BBC News - Montessori: The world's most influential school? https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230131-does-the-montessori-method-actually-work

CHILHOOD AND SCHOOL CAREER

Maria entered the University of Rome in 1890, becoming one of the first women in medical school in Italy. Soon after her medical career began, Maria became involved in the Women’s Rights movement. She became known for her high levels of competency in treating patients, but also for the respect she showed to patients from all social classes.

Maria Montessori was born on the 31st August 1870 in the town of Chiaravalle, Italy, from a progressive family. As a teenager Maria initially had aspirations to become an engineer but when she graduated secondary school, she became determined to enter medical school and become a doctor. Despite her parents’ encouragement to enter teaching, Maria wanted to study the male dominated field of medicine.

THE SUCCESS OF MONTESSORI METHOD

By 1909 Maria gave her first training course in her new approach to around 100 students and in the same year she published a book that in 1912 appeared in the United States as The Montessori Method. Followed a period of great expansion for the Montessori approach: Montessori societies, training programmes and schools sprang to life all over the world.

Maria started to develope a deep interest in the needs of children with learning disabilities andshe began to study methods to communicate and interact with them. Maria was given the task of taking care of the children of the San Lorenzo district in Rome. There, in 1907, she opened the first Casa dei Bambini (Childrens House).

MONTESSORI AND THE FASCISM

In 1934 the order came to close allMontessori schools, both for adults and children and in the same year Hitler also ordered the closure of Montessori schools in Germany. Despite this event she continued her educational activities around the world until she moved to the Netherlands where she died in 1952.

Montessori’s activity stopped with the appearance of fascism in Italy. Although Mussolini initially supported Montessori's ideas, considering them of great importance for Italy, soon Maria's idea about education strongly came in contrast with the fascist one.

PEDAGOGICAL THINKING

METHOD

The Montessori Metod

Dr. Montessori believed that children learn better when they’re choosing what to learn, and that philosophy is present in Montessori classrooms today. A Montessori classroom likely looks different than what you’re used to.

The Montessori Method was developed by Maria Montessori in the early 1900s. It’s a specificmethod of education that involves child-led activities with children of different ages and teacherswho encourage independence among their pupils.

THE TEACHER

In Montessori education the role of the teacher is to guide children in their learning without becoming an obstacle, and without inserting themselves too much into the learning process. Montessori teachers encourage children to learn by placing the them at the center of the experience. Teachers also demonstrate how to do the activities whilst providing freedom for the students to learn in their own way. Montessori teachers manage classroom behaviors by respecting all children and their work, by observing and using interests and abilities to plan activity.

THE FIVE PRINCIPLES

2. The absorbent mind

1. Respect for the child

Montessori education is based on the principle that, simply by living, children are constantly learning from the world around them. Through their senses children constantly absorb information from their world. They then make sense of it because they are thinking human beings.

The respect is shown by not interrupting their concentration. Respect is also shown by giving children the freedom to make choices, to do things and learn on their own.The teachers must respect all students and must learn to observe without judgment.

3. Sensitive periods

Montessori pedagogy believes there are certain periods during which children are more ready to learn certain skills. These are known as sensitive periods, and last only as long as is necessary for the child to acquire the skills.

5. Auto education

4. The prepared envirorment

Auto education, or self-education, is the concept that children are capable of educating themselves. This is one of the most important beliefs in the Montessori method. Montessori teachers provide the environment, the inspiration, the guidance and the encouragement for children to educate themselves.

The Montessori method suggests that children learn best in an environment that has been prepared to enable them to do things for themselves. Always child-centred, the learning environment should promote freedom for children to explore materials of their choice.

THE PROS

THE CONS

• It can be expensive
• It’s not accessible to everyone
• Independence isn’t everything
• The open-ended structure of the classroom can be intimidating for some

• An emphasis on independent learning
• Independence is a mainstay

• A cultivated love for learning
• Inclusive of special needs

HOUSE OF CHILDREN

"The child is a source of love; when you touch it, you touch love"

House of ChildrenThe Montessori Children’s House (nursery or preschool age) is a mixed-age environment specifically designed to help children between the ages of 2 to 6 years to develop at their own pace, choosing their own activities from the Montessori materials displayed in an ordered and accessible way.

Children work individually or in groups, with hands-on activities designed to help them developphysically, socially and intellectually. Each activity is complete in itself; and also prepares for lateractivities so that the children move from one activity to the next.In this way children explore and find things out for themselves.

FIGHT AGAINST ILLITERACY

The illiteracy is the inability to read and write, mostly due to lack of education or insufficient practice

«The person who speaks, dispersing articulate sounds through the atmosphere is not enough. The word must become permanent, solidify on objects, reproduce itself with machines, travel through the means of communication, collect the thoughts of distant people, and therefore be able to eternalize itself in such a way as to fix ideas in the succession of generations. [...] This is why, lacking written language, a man remains outside society.

LITERARY WORKS

La mente del bambino

La scoperta del bambino

Il segreto dell'infanzia

Educazione per un nuovo mondo

by Maria Montessori - 1946

by Maria Montessori - 1952

by Maria Montessori - 1936

by Maria Montessori - 1950

MONTESSORI SCHOOL IN ITALY...

AND IN THE WORLD

• United States: approximately 4,500 Montessori schools
• India: around 200 Montessori schools
• Japan: 150 Montessori schools
• New Zealand: 65 Montessori schools
• Canada: 63 Montessori schools
• Argentina: 31 Montessori schools

• Basilicata
• Emilia-Romagna
• Friuli Venezia Giulia
• Lazio
• Lombardy
• Marches
• Piedmont
• Trentino Alto Adige
• Umbria