A short guide to Montessori pedagogy

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Montessori pedagogy, developed by Maria Montessori in the early ^20th century, is a child-centered educational method based on scientific observation. This article is intended as a short guide to understanding Montessori pedagogy. It invites you to explore a unique educational approach that combines respect for individual rhythms, concrete materials and autonomous learning.

Unlike many pedagogues of her time, Maria Montessori based her method on a rigorous scientific approach and close observation of children. Her results, backed up today by neuroscientific research, were based on rigorous scientific observation, devoid of all prejudice.

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The origins of Montessori education

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As a physician, Maria Montessori scrutinized her environment to understand and listen before acting. Her experience with so-called deficient children in a psychiatric hospital led her to realize that these children needed activities. She therefore offered them the opportunity to manipulate scientific materials, adapting her approach to their individual needs.

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She used existing materials, such as those designed by Jean Itard and Edouard Séguin. However, she adapted them to the children's Montessori ages and sensitive periods . She imagined others to meet children's progressive needs.‍

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In 1906, when the project for the first Children's Home in San Lorenzo was proposed, Maria Montessori took care to set up a suitable environment. The furniture was adapted to their size, and materials were accessible in a large cupboard. She continued to adjust her tools according to the children's reactions, demonstrating her commitment to meeting their evolving needs.

This child-centered approach, combined with her discerning eye for gestures and needs, laid the foundations for her revolutionary method. Today, neuroscience research confirms the effectiveness of the Montessori Method. A testament to its scientific rigor and visionary avant-gardism.

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The Montessori Method is universal , with remarkable effects on all children, regardless of socio-economic background or place of residence. This approach transcends temporal boundaries, remaining as relevant today as it was a century ago, because children's basic needs remain unchanged from birth.

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By observing children with scientific rigor, Maria Montessori revolutionized education and created a timeless method. To understand how this pedagogy can transform your child's learning, let's explore its fundamental principles.

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The fundamental principles of Montessori

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Founded on a profound respect for the rhythm and personality of each child, the Montessori Method aims to reveal their intrinsic nature. Maria Montessori demonstrated that when children's rhythms are respected, they become calm, confident, courageous and willing to work. Every aspect of this approach is designed to protect the child and foster optimal development.

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To understand Montessori pedagogy is to grasp the principles that make it unique:

✔ Respect each child's rhythm.

✔ Foster autonomy and guided freedom, using teaching materials that meet the natural needs of each stage of the child's development.

✔ Provide a prepared and suitable environment.

✔ Encouraging learning through sensory and concrete experience.

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The great strength of Maria Montessori's materials lies in their ability to enable the child to understand andappreciate each concept in concrete terms, before moving on to the abstract. A child learns through experience, and it's by touching a smooth and a rough tablet, for example, that he'll truly understand the meaning of the words smooth and rough. 

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Children need to go through the concrete, through their senses, and once they've had this experience, they'll easily move on to abstraction, without ever needing to go back to the concrete or have the concept re-explained. Going through the concrete ensures a lasting and durable understanding of all learning.

So it's not the adult who gives the child a rule to apply. It's the child who arrives at the rule through manipulation and experience. Montessori's sensory and scientific materials respond to children's natural development needs, respecting their sensitive periods. It helps them acquire order, vocabulary, movement, sensory refinement, a taste for beauty, independence, autonomy and self-confidence, willpower and a taste for effort.

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Montessori cycles explained simply

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Throughout her career as a pedagogue, Maria Montessori developed several cycles to accompany children throughout their development. Each cycle includes specific materials adapted to the sensitive periods children go through. These cycles enable a natural progression from sensory discovery to abstraction and complete autonomy.

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0-3 years: Creating a suitable environment from birth

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This cycle responds to fundamental needs such as movement, language and refinement of the senses, creating a solid foundation for the child's development.

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In Montessori pedagogy, a newborn's environment is of paramount importance from birth. Maria Montessori even gave it a name: the nido. Beyond simple physical comfort, the aim is to create optimal conditions for the baby's well-being and development. Maria Montessori insisted on welcoming the baby into a suitable environment right from the start.

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Montessori mobiles, like the Munari mobile, help infants to develop their vision and concentration from the very first weeks.

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During the birth, temperature, light and sound must be carefully adjusted to create a soothing atmosphere. Initial contact with the baby should be gentle and respectful, fostering the bond with the mother and her emotional well-being. Maria Montessori considers birth to be an abrupt transition for the child, who therefore deserves special attention and a prepared environment to facilitate his or her adaptation.

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By giving a central place to the newborn's environment, Montessori pedagogy recognizes the importance of offering him the best conditions to overcome this delicate transition. By giving them a calm and warm welcome, we entrust them with the responsibility of a better future from the very first moments of life.

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The Little Lions Montessori nursery in Marseille and the one in Clichy meticulously follow the recommendations of the Italian pedagogue, to enable each child, welcomed from 3 months, to develop and reach his or her full potential.

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To test at home

To develop independence from the age of 2, set up a corner at your child's height with objects he or she can handle alone: a pitcher of water, a sponge, light plates.

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3-6 years: learning thanks to 5 specific areas

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The 3-6 cycle, which accompanies children throughout kindergarten, is punctuated by several sensitive periods when the child is ready for new learning: language, math, culture (geography, history, science...). This learning takes place in 5 areas:

• Practical life: in this area, children learn to button a garment, sweep, wax, decant, drill, pour, use pliers, sew and more. They strengthen their coordination and independence.
• Sensory life: children hone their senses by manipulating materials designed to develop sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste. They learn to distinguish colors with the colored tablets, explore textures with the rough tablets, and recognize sounds with the sound boxes. These activities encourage concentration, observation and understanding of the subtleties of the world.
• Language: this area supports children in language acquisition, from oral expression to writing and reading. They manipulate rough letters to learn their shape and sound, form words with the mobile alphabet, enrich their vocabulary with nomenclature cards, and discover the pleasure of stories and reading. These activities develop communication, creativity and linguistic understanding.
• Mathematics: mathematical activities enable children to tackle complex concepts in a concrete way. With the golden beads, they explore units, tens and hundreds. Red and blue bars introduce them to numbers and quantities, while chains of beads extend their learning of sequences and calculations. These manipulatives gradually lead them towards abstraction and reinforce their logic.
• Culture: in this area, children discover the world and its riches through geography, history, science, art and music. They manipulate tactile globes and puzzle maps, explore timelines and carry out simple scientific experiments. Artistic activities such as painting and music nurture their creativity and curiosity about the world around them.

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6-12 years: towards abstraction, autonomy and cooperation

The teaching provided in the previous cycle enabled the child to prepare for elementary school with concrete activities. They fostered the development of the hand, the brain, the logical mind and self-confidence.

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The 6-12 cycle introduces more abstract subjects such as algebra and conjugation, using material designed with the same dynamic in mind. It reinforces logical and creative skills through exercises that prepare children for the adult world.

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Each activity continues to offer the child one difficulty at a time, gradually and sustainably leading to mastery of all the elements of the program.

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For example, with the golden beads, children learn to perform complex divisions while visualizing the distribution of quantities. As for the binomial cube, which is often used between the ages of 3 and 6, it becomes the basis for learning remarkable identities.

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What are the concrete benefits of this method?

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The Montessori method is designed to support each phase of a child's development, in harmony with his or her natural needs. The benefits that emerge from its adoption are :

• greater autonomy and self-confidence;
• stimulating children's natural curiosity;
• developing social and collaborative skills;
• a unique rhythm for each child.

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For example, a 3-year-old child can learn to pour water with precision through decanting activities. This activity reinforces fine motor skills, executive functions, concentration and autonomy. Montessori pedagogy offers a unique, child-centered approach, fostering the holistic development of each student.

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With its emphasis on autonomy, guided freedom and respect for individual rhythm, this method stimulates children's natural curiosity while encouraging their ability to explore, experiment and learn for themselves.

Montessori environments are designed to promote :

• creativity ;
• problem solving;
• collaboration.

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This helps build children's self-confidence and sense of responsibility. Let's ignore the marketing hype surrounding the Montessori name. If this innovative approach is attracting growing interest, it's because it offers an educational framework that adapts to the unique needs of each child. It promotes their intellectual, social and emotional development in a balanced and fulfilling way.

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Montessori, education for a peaceful world

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Peace is the fruit of education.

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How and why did Maria Montessori, three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, place the ambition to build a peaceful world at the heart of her pedagogy? 

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Deeply affected by the ravages of world wars, she understood that children hold the key to humanity's future. By fostering the development of each child in a spirit of respect for self and others, Maria Montessori was committed to cultivating adults who wanted to preserve peace on Earth.

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Thus, for Maria Montessori, far from being insignificant, the child is the future of humanity. Consequently, he or she must occupy a central place in all discussions. Their development during childhood shapes not only their personality, but also the basis of their adult brain. As a result, injustice, obstacles and reprimands hinder their development.

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By understanding the different stages of a child's development and his or her deepest needs, we can contribute to the development of confident, respectful, strong and free-thinking individuals, capable of contributing to the well-being of the community. This approach requires a break with conflicting, hierarchical relationships between adult and child. It goes hand in hand with an awareness of the impact of the adult's posture, who must be a benevolent, non-judgmental, listening guide.

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Maria Montessori placed the child at the heart of her vision for a harmonious future. By offering children an environment and materials adapted to their needs, adults enable them to discover and understand the harmony that unites all the elements of the universe. In this way, children feel responsible for the world around them, and grow up with the conviction that they must take care of themselves, others and their environment. By helping each child to develop in a respectful environment, Montessori pedagogy cultivates adults capable of living in peace with themselves and others.

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FAQ - A guide to Montessori pedagogy

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What is Montessori pedagogy?

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It is an educational method based on :

• autonomy ;
• respect for the child's rhythm;
• the use of teaching materials designed to support its development.

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The adult plays an essential role as a benevolent guide:

• he observes;
• it prepares a suitable environment;
• he intervenes only to support the child in his discoveries.

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What are the benefits of Montessori pedagogy?

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Montessori pedagogy develops :

• self-confidence;
• autonomy ;
• sustainable academic and psychosocial skills.

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At what age should I start Montessori teaching?

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You can start right from birth with a suitable environment (called a "nido" for babies aged 0-18 months). Montessori cycles cover all stages of development from 0 to 12 years and beyond.

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Is Montessori teaching suitable for all children?

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Yes, the Montessori method adapts to each child, whatever his or her pace, specific needs or unique personality.

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How do you recognize a genuine Montessori school?

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Look for certified Montessori educators and authentic Montessori materials.

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How to apply Montessori at home?

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To implement the Montessori approach at home,

• create a suitable space;
• propose concrete activities;
• respect the child's autonomy in learning.