Maria Montessori laid the foundation

The Italian physician Maria Montessori criticized the authoritarian educational style of her time, as it attacked the dignity of children. The support of disabled and impoverished children in particular seemed inadequate to her. Strict rules and drill would not advance the pupils. For this reason, in 1907 she opened the first Casa dei Bambini, a children's house, where she cared for the children and taught them to read and write.

Building on this, she developed the now well-known Montessori pedagogy, which is oriented toward self-determined and free learning and places the individuality of the child at the center. As a Catholic, Montessori was convinced that there is a general "plan" in which every individual takes part and contributes. For this reason, people often speak here of "cosmic education." Even today it is a distinctive feature of Montessori schools that both children with and without disabilities are admitted and learn together. The schools therefore belong to integrative forms of schooling.

Alternative schooling: What is a Montessori school?

Natural need to learn and inner discipline:

Montessori assumed that children have an inner need to learn and that they should decide for themselves which topic they want to engage with. If children make this decision themselves, they would also have greater discipline to complete a task.

Development of problem-solving skills:

"Help me do it myself" is the guiding principle of Montessori pedagogy. Children should thereby learn that they can independently choose, work on, and solve tasks. In doing so they strengthen their self-confidence and achieve the greatest success.

Reports instead of grades:

In primary school children usually receive no grades at all. Instead, detailed learning development reports are written that document their progress. Even in secondary schools, reports are generally preferred to grades.

Free and structured instruction:

The focus in a Montessori school should be on free learning. In the first "lessons" children are therefore offered learning stimuli on a wide variety of topics from which they can freely choose. After the lunch break, the stimuli are then tied to specific subjects such as mathematics, geography, or music. These units then include homework and assessments.

Learning from older children:

During free learning time, children from different age groups work together and can thus learn from one another. In the topic-based units, the children learn separately.

Teachers as guides:

According to Montessori, teachers are seen as support for the children. They should provide the necessary stimuli and help with problems, but not preempt the solutions.

Montessori concept – not the right fit for everyone

Alongside the many advantages that parents see in the Montessori concept, some criticisms can also be raised. The concept of independent learning is not the solution for every child and for all parents. Additionally, there are further points to consider:

Difficulty concentrating:

Children who find it difficult to focus on a particular topic are likely to be unhappy at a Montessori school. They cannot sustain their concentration on a task long enough and will tend to be frustrated rather than make progress.

Rules provide a sense of security:

Critics view the regulated routines of "regular" instruction as limiting. From another perspective, children can much better judge what to expect. This gives them a sense of security and calm and allows them to learn more relaxed.

It depends on the teacher:

Patience and a keen power of observation should characterize a teacher at a Montessori school. They should provide stimuli and support and help develop the young personalities. For this, a teacher must get to know the children well and be able to assess them.

Changing schools:

In Germany, Montessori kindergartens and primary schools are common, but there are few secondary schools. Because Montessori schools broadly adhere to the curriculum, students do not have significant learning gaps when they move to a "regular" school. However, many initially find it difficult to adjust to the concept of prescribed learning.

You need to be convinced:

If parents are not fully behind Maria Montessori's concept and do not support their children accordingly with homework, you should not enroll your child in a Montessori school. Additionally, parental support is often expected at school, for example when it comes to producing the various learning materials.

Image credits:

Boy playing with the Montessori color tablets © Joaquin Corbalan - stock.adobe.com

Wooden slide rule © New Africa - stock.adobe.com