The Montessori method is one of the most popular private school teaching methods in the United States. It was started by Maria Montessori in 1906. Ms. Montessori had been schooled both as a physician and then as a psychologist. She became interested in the schooling of children as a direct result of her experience as a physician. She is best known for founding the Montessori method of teaching.
The children that Ms. Montessori first worked with were children that were unable to pass standardized tests at the local school. The Casa dei Bambini or Children's House was founded and she began teaching sixty children there. The method of teaching is to allow them to manipulate items and to absorb knowledge from their rich surroundings. Ms. Montessori continued this form of teaching for two years and then allowed the children to be tested again. At this time the children were able to pass the standardized tests and a new form of teaching was born, the Montessori method.
The first American Montessori Society was started in 1960 by Dr. Nancy Rambusch because of the increased interested in Montessori schooling. Head teachers in the Montessori classroom act as models and as a resource person. Children are allowed to work on an activity after the teacher has modeled it for them until they are able to master it themselves. The child is then allowed to add another component to the activity to increase their knowledge. This is all done in a calm and friendly environment. Parents that are interested in the Montessori method of teaching are encouraged to make an appointment and visit one. These classrooms are very different from traditional ones and a surprising find is that they are so calm and orderly; no children are seen running and yelling here. It is a perfect stress-free environment for learning.
Before you enroll your child in a Montessori school be sure to check that they are registered members of the AMS. The AMS certifies their teachers can teach the Montessori method correctly. If a certified public school teacher wants to teach this method they must first spend one year as an assistant teacher in a Montessori school. Many of the teachers agree that it is worth it as the pay is also comparable to their public school counterparts. Parents also agree that sending their children to a Montessori school is a worthwhile endeavor.
