Frequently asked questions
Do you have questions about our school, our teaching methods or our daily routine?
This FAQ section provides clear and quick answers about our school, its Montessori approach, school organisation and much more.
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Montessori is a philosophy of education popular throughout the world that encourages and supports the unfolding of a child’s maximum potential by assisting the child to educate herself at her own pace. Its main beliefs are:
- Each child is a unique individual and has the ability to explore her own capabilities given the right environment;
- children have sensitive periods for learning (i.e., for language, order, movement, etc.);
- very young children learn through their unconscious absorbent minds;
- observation is crucial;
- appropriate developmental environments and expectations are essential.
The philosophy respects the individuality of the child, her freedom and choice within limits. The role of the adult in the environment is to assist the child to meet her needs independently, thus leading her to explore her identity, independence and realize her full potential. An environment is prepared to guide the child in self directed work with hands-on sensorial activities. The concrete materials require movement and the use of his hands to develop his mind. The philosophy respects the natural abilities and progression of each individual child’s development.
Maria Montessori was born in Italy in 1870 and became the first female physician in her country. By the age of 36, she was a medical doctor, an educator, writer, and lecturer, with degrees in philosophy, psychology, and anthropology.
Her initial professional research was with mentally challenged children where she formed many of her theories from observation. Dr. Montessori tested these theories when she opened a school for underprivileged children in the San Lorenzo district of Rome. With child-sized furniture and specially designed materials, she observed and modified her curriculum based on her first student body of 60 deprived children under the age of six.
Within six months, the children displayed self-discipline, preferred learning materials to toys, and worked with a profound concentration and joy. They had a love for order, respected their environment, and enjoyed working in silence beside their friends. The children would carry on “business as usual” with or without the teacher’s presence. Gradually, Maria Montessori’s work became known and is now practiced world-wide.
Montessori education differs from traditional education in many ways but probably the most fundamental difference is that Montessori is child-centered whereas traditional education is teacher-centered.
| Montessori | Conventional education |
|---|---|
| Early start in school (2-3) | Late start in school (4-6) |
| 3-year age range per class | One age per class |
| Freedom to move about & choose work | Seated at desks |
| Community atmosphere | Little socialization |
| Individual lessons | Large group lessons |
| Self-correcting materials | Teacher as source of answers |
| Natural, logical consequences | Rewards and punishments |
| Longer free work periods | Frequent interruptions |
| Enhanced curriculum | Limited curriculum |
| Progress of student as test | Peer comparison as test |
| Emphasis on learning | Emphasis on grades |
| Emphasis on individuality | Emphasis on conformity |
| Progress at individual rate | Annual promotion |
| Emphasis on “self” control | Teacher as disciplinarian |
| Strong school/home ties | Little parent involvement |
| Observation based progress reports | Graded report cards |
| Child centered schedule | Adult centered education |
Younger children usually want to do what the older children are doing. A vertically-aged Montessori classroom offers an inherent motivator for children to constantly challenge themselves. The older children benefit tremendously from this grouping as they become teachers and leaders, developing confidence and independence. This process of sharing what they know reaffirms what they have already learned.
Children in a vertically-aged classroom advance in the complexity of their work without waiting for the group as a whole. If a child is progressing more rapidly or more slowly in a certain area, she has the opportunity to work at her own level of understanding. A child’s progress is measured against their own ability not that of others. Every child will advance more quickly in some areas than others. This is a natural part of growth and the Montessori classroom is able to adapt to the individual needs of each child. For instance, if a child is mastering material quickly the teacher will simply give a lesson on more complex materials which is already in the classroom for older children. If a child is having a difficult time grasping a particular concept, the child is allowed to focus on that area until she is ready to move on. Often a second presentation or a slight variation will help a child understand a concept more easily.
A multi-age Montessori classroom naturally entails different levels of ability and therefore offers diversity, stimulation, and a path for growth integral to the success of a child.
Maria Montessori started her research and methods with children experiencing learning difficulties. Because her methods were so successful, they were extended to a wide range of children. The environment and methods used in the Montessori classroom are designed to ensure the holistic development and success of all children.
Central to the Montessori philosophy is the idea of allowing each child to develop at her own individual pace. Montessori children who are advanced compared to traditional expectations for their age level do not reflect artificial acceleration or pressured instruction. Rather, they reflect the vast possibilities and potential when children are allowed to learn at their own pace and pursue what is interesting to them during their sensitive periods of learning in a scientifically prepared environment.
Montessori is a philosophy of education that starts at birth and continues through adulthood. The majority of the Montessori programs offered in Swiss schools are preschools (ages 3-6) but there are a growing number of infant and toddler programs as well as 6-9, 9-12, and 12-15 programs in Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe as of late.
SUPPORTING A YOUNG CHILD’S NEED FOR ORDER
During the sensitive period for order, a young child needs her environment to be predictable and orderly. If her life has a rhythm and her routine is maintained, she begins to trust the environment. If her needs for food, sleep and bodily comfort are predictably met as they arise, she uses this satisfaction as the basis to feel secure and to explore her world. The three year-old is at the height of sensitivity to ritualistic order; she still needs routines and yet can begin to create her own order. This is the perfect time to model that activities have a beginning, a middle and an end. COORDINATION OF MOVEMENT
The sensitive period for movement is the time the child develops his coordination and fine and gross motor skills. Allowing your child safe yet challenging movement without interference develops this skill and his self confidence. It’s time to jump, hop, skip, and climb, to carry heavy things, to balance objects on a tray. He needs to use a scissors, to pick up tiny objects and to refine his eye/hand coordination allowing his hand to truly become an instrument of his mind.THE PRIME TIME FOR LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
During the sensitive period for language, the child can hear the individual sounds in words as she learns vocabulary— an ideal time to begin learning the sounds of letters. During this time she will expand her vocabulary immensely. She wants huge words and funny words and rhyming word and words in songs. Our Montessori environments, rich in vocabulary, meet her word hunger perfectly. When the children’s environment is based on and organized around the sensitive periods, the children work with an enthusiasm and sustained interest that is truly amazing. Their development is strong and steady. Authentic Montessori preschool is a three-year cycle designed to engage children from age 3 to 6 (preschool through kindergarten). The activities in the first year lay an important foundation for future learning. Over the following two years the activities and lessons build upon themselves at the child’s own pace. Parents are often amazed when a child “explodes” into reading, writing, and math during the final year. It might look like magic, but it is really the culmination of the first two years in the Primary classroom. By starting at 3 and remaining in the classroom community for three years, Montessori children have an inspiring educational experience.Quite the contrary actually. Dr. Maria Montessori was a woman ahead of her time and the insights she discovered and observed about children in the early 1900s are just now being confirmed and praised by contemporary research and evaluation. Traditional educators are adopting some of the Montessori practices in their everyday curriculum. Some adaptations to the original Montessori curriculum have been updated (e.g., modifications to the Practical Life exercises) to keep it culturally relevant, but the basic pedagogy has not changed much since Dr. Montessori’s lifetime because the developmental stages of humans have not changed.
The Montessori philosophy itself is not religiously oriented. Many schools follow the principle of celebrating and learning about every religion from a cultural viewpoint. Diversity is an integral part of learning about the world and its happenings. Montessori schools also work to respect the specific religious needs and desires of each member of the classroom.
A Montessori environment naturally fosters inner discipline, self motivation, love of learning and a sense of order, the skills necessary for successful learning. These skills accompany them throughout their academic journey in any environment. A child’s first educational experiences affect the type of learner they will be throughout their lives. Good communication in the transition of a child to any new environment is essential. Both parents and a child’s former teacher must help facilitate a transition through realistic communication of a child’s development and skills.
The two major organizations offering Montessori training in Switzerland are the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and the American Montessori Society (AMS). Most training centers require a bachelor’s degree for admission. Training ranges from 200 to 600 pre-service contact hours and covers principles of child development and Montessori philosophy as well as specific uses of the Montessori classroom materials.
