“I studied the child. I took what the child had given me and expressed it. This is the Montesorri Method.” Maria Montessori
Montessori, is a system of education that was formed by the first female doctor of Italy, Pedagogue Maria Montessori. This system is based on understanding the needs of the child and creating a space which fits the child. Based on their abilities and interests, it accepts that each child has different learning speed and designs a flexible educational process accordingly. It aims to enable children to be self-sufficient and to have their potential characters as a result of this process.
Maria Montessori first laid the foundations of this philosophy as a result of her work with children with mental disabilities. Afterwards she decided to apply this method in the education of all children.
The Montessori philosophy is basically resting on the idea that the children carry the person who they will be in the future. The child needs space and freedom to reach this potential. Freedom in this sense; takes place within the framework of order and self-discipline.
Recent research has shown that children up to the age of 6 are likely to be at risk during their lives if they do not acquire a certain level of social skills.
According to a study conducted in Turkey, the kindergarten children who were educated by Montessori method have proved to have significance differences on subscale scores as social cooperation, social interaction and social independence compared to the children who were educated by the normal curriculum.
Montessori Method; gives children an oppurtinity to research, to try, to make mistakes and to fix their own mistakes.
Basically Montessori Philosopy works on this way;
- According to the Montessori philosophy, the child is an individual and has the right to make free choices and to take responsibility for freedom.
- The environment where the child will be free is prepared and materials suitable for development categories are placed.
- Making choices, designating the time, collecting and placing the material after use are the children’s responsibility.
- Parent / Teacher acts as a passive guide here. It is not necessary to guide the child, but to follow his / her development and to support him / her by providing appropriate materials.
- Respecting the children is essential. When they are given the opportunity to make their own choices, they discover their potential and bring it to the surface.
Maria Montessori says “Our interest in child should not be with the eagerness ‘to teach him/her things’ but by aiming at the constant burning of light, called intelligence within him/her.
With this understanding, the way the child can be self-sufficient and be the potential person he/she carries is prepared. The Montessori method; aims at raising children as individuals who produce questions and seek answers. The essence of philosophy is to raise happy people who produce, respect the environment and people.
