Maria Montessori laid the foundation

The Italian physician Maria Montessori criticized the authoritarian educational style of her time because it attacked the dignity of children. In particular, the support for disabled and underprivileged children seemed inadequate to her. Strict rules and drill would not help the pupils progress. For this reason she opened the first Casa dei Bambini in 1907, a childrens 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-directed 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 has a part and participates. For this reason this is often referred to as "cosmic education". Even today it is a distinctive feature of Montessori schools that both children with and without disabilities are accepted and learn together. Thus the schools belong to integrative forms of schooling.

Alternative schooling: What is a Montessori school?

Natural desire 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 finish a task.

Development of problem-solving skills:

"Help me to do it myself" is the motto of Montessori pedagogy. The children should learn in this way that they can independently choose, work on, and solve the tasks. This strengthens their self-confidence and yields the greatest success.

Reports instead of grades:

In primary school the children usually do not receive any grades at all. Instead, detailed learning development reports are written that document their progress. Even in secondary schools the reports are generally preferred to grades.

Free and structured lessons:

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

Learning from older children:

During free lesson time, children from different age groups work together and can thus learn from each other. In the subject-bound units the children learn separately.

Teachers as companions:

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 choice for everyone

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

Lack of concentration:

Children who find it difficult to focus on a particular topic will probably not be happy at a Montessori school. They cannot direct their concentration on a task for long enough and are more likely to be frustrated than to develop further.

Rules provide security:

Critics see the regulated routines in "normal" instruction as a limitation. From another perspective, children can better anticipate 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 strong 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 widespread above all, but there are only a few secondary schools. Since Montessori schools adhere to the curriculum in principle, students do not have significant learning deficits when they switch to a "regular" school. However, many initially find it difficult to get used to the concept of prescribed learning.

You must be convinced:

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

Image credits:

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

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