Through the freedom he is given in a Montessori environment, the child has a unique opportunity to reflect upon his own actions, to determine their consequences both for himself and for others, to test himself against the limits of reality, to learn what gives him a sense of fulfillment and what leaves him feeling empty and dissatisfied, and to discover both his capabilities and his shortcomings. The opportunity to develop self-knowledge is one of the most important results of freedom in a Montessori classroom.

- Paula Polk Lillard, Montessori: A Modern Approach

Active Learning
Individualized Learning
Multi-aged Learning

Active Learning

• Students are encouraged to pursue studies in all areas of personal interest.
• Students use hands-on “experiential” learning and concrete manipulatives whenever possible as opposed to the more traditional model of lecture and rote drill exercises. Repetition is encouraged by having a variety of materials with which to practice the same concept. It is this repetition which leads to mastery of the concept.
• Students learn by trial and error and by discovery. They learn how to ask the right questions, spontaneously engage in their own research, analyze what they have found and draw their own conclusions. Students are encouraged not to be afraid to take risks and to learn constructively from their mistakes.
• The curriculum consists of interactive manipulative materials and teacher made materials for the core curriculum. Each activity or exercise is structured to provide purpose, procedure, closure, and opportunity for success.
• Individual interests are pursued via research including experimentation and investigation using various resources such as: computers, the Internet, audio-visual materials, libraries, museums, interviews, as well as written and telephone communication.
• Abstractions are not taught directly; instead, the necessary “keys” or components are provided so that the children can construct their own abstractions. This means that the children arrive at abstraction through their own creative thought developed during their struggle to understand. This joyful process is part of the children’s inner development and creation of themselves rather than an intellectual veneer. Rather than present students with loads of right answers, Montessori educators guide children to ask the right questions, and help them to discover the answers for themselves. Learning becomes its own reward, and each success fuels a desire to discover even more. Back to the top.

Individualized Learning

For education to touch a child’s heart and mind she must be learning because she is curious and interested. We want learning to become its own reward with each success fueling the desire to discover even more. For this to happen the curriculum must be individualized according to the following principles:

• Individual learning styles, timetables, and capacities are respected. It is the child who must develop herself; the adult acts as a resource and a catalyst for development.
• Students are given the opportunity to choose a large degree of what to investigate and learn.
• The learner will be responsible for mastering basic skills and basic core knowledge. The student will follow a written study plan for the week, which is arrived at jointly by the teacher and the student.
• The student will be supported in planning an individual schedule for completing work.
• Materials and activities are designed to support different learning styles and multiple intelligences identified as linguistic, mathematical, spatial, musical, kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Back to the top.

Multi-aged Learning

Montessori education places children in three-year age groupings. Generally, children ages 6-9 and 9-12 are grouped into lower and upper elementary classes respectively. This offers many advantages for learning, including the following:

• Children can progress through the curriculum at their own pace.
• The environment is highly enriched since the curriculum has to cover the entire span of interests up through the oldest and most accelerated students in the class. Remedial materials are also inherent in the structure of the program.
• Younger children are constantly stimulated by the interesting work of the older students.
• Older students serve as tutors and role models, providing leadership experiences. They benefit from helping the younger students, reinforcing their own knowledge by teaching others. They learn to empathize with the needs of children who are younger than themselves.
• Teachers typically work with children for 3 years and get to know them extremely well.
• The class retains a high degree of continuity since 2/3 of the class returns each year. This makes it easier to orient new children and individualize the curriculum. Back to the top.