Benefits of a Montessori education

Each child is valued as a unique individual. Montessori education recognizes that children learn in different ways, and accommodates all learning styles. Students are also free to learn at their own pace, each advancing through the curriculum as he is ready, guided by the teacher and an individualized learning plan.

• Beginning at an early age, Montessori students develop order, coordination, concentration, and independence. Classroom design, materials, and daily routines support the individual’s emerging “self-regulation” (ability to educate one’s self, and to think about what one is learning), toddlers through adolescents.
• Students are part of a close, caring community. The multi-age classroom – typically spanning 3 years – re-creates a family structure. Older students enjoy stature as mentors and role models; younger children feel supported and gain confidence about the challenges ahead. Teachers model respect, loving kindness, and a belief in peaceful conflict resolution.
• Montessori students enjoy freedom within limits. Working within parameters set by their teachers, students are active participants in deciding what their focus of learning will be. Montessorians understand that internal satisfaction drives the child’s curiosity and interest and results in joyous learning that is sustainable over a lifetime.
• Students are supported in becoming active seekers of knowledge. Teachers provide environments where students have the freedom and the tools to pursue answers to their own questions.
• Self-correction and self-assessment are an integral part of the Montessori classroom approach. As they mature, students learn to look critically at their work, and become adept at recognizing, correcting, and learning from their errors.

Given the freedom and support to question, to probe deeply, and to make connections, Montessori students become confident, enthusiastic, self-directed learners. They are able to think critically, work collaboratively, and act boldly – a skill set for the 21st century.

The learning materials in a Montessori school have been designed to provide a wide variety of learning experience geared to the developmental need of children. The activities involve handling and manipulating materials. This work has been proven to be intensely fascinating and absorbing for children. When engaged in well-structured tasks, the children experience a deep inner satisfaction, which leaves them with an overall positive attitude towards learning and school.

In each Montessori classroom there is a mixed age group. This set-up provides the younger children with a graded series of models for imitation and stimulation, enabling them to see what they are working towards. Simultaneously, the older ones have the opportunity to help the younger children and reinforce their own knowledge at the same time.

The classroom is divided into five different areas where the children work with various teaching materials at a time conducive to their own development. These are:

Practical Life Area
The Practical Life Area is designed to render the child independent of the adult. It also helps him/her to develop his gross and fine motor skills, hand/eye co-ordination and concentration as well as developing good work habits using material such as zips and buttons, orange squeezers, etc.

Sensorial Area
The purpose of the Sensorial Area is to refine and sharpen the child’s senses in a very sensorial manner. Many of the exercises in this area are also indirect preparation for later maths and language work, for example the use of the red rods and sound boxes.

Arithmetic
The principle of Arithmetic is that the mathematical concept is presented firstly in a very concrete form followed by the written version. The area covers an understanding of the basic numbers 1-10 and the entire decimal system through to the various mathematical operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division e.g. practice in forming numbers. For example the use of number rods, sandpaper numbers and hierarchy are taught through golden bead materials.

Language
The approach to Language is a phonetic one. The children first learn the sounds of the letter rather than the name. The development of their written and reading language skills is by means of various progressive exercises. Irish is also taught to our children covering the national curriculum and focusing on oral Irish to start with.

Culture
Finally, the Cultural area exposes the child to basic and fundamental knowledge in the areas of Geography, Botany, Zoology and History. They colour and label maps and country flags, learn the continents and counties of Ireland through jigsaws for instance.