| Here are 10 important things you should know about | | | | well in a Montessori classroom. Kids are encouraged |
| Montessori schools: | | | | to work at their own pace and build their own |
| 1) Marie Montessori started her schools in the early | | | | foundation of knowledge. |
| 20th Century as a way to train severely retarded | | | | 5) The first area of study in a Montessori classroom is |
| children. The materials she created were so effective | | | | practical life skills (folding shirts, tying shoelaces). |
| that they were later used with normally intelligent | | | | 6) The second area of study in a Montessori |
| children. | | | | classroom is sensory (handling geometric shapes, |
| 2) The goal of a Montessori school is to establish | | | | putting blocks into the right holes). |
| independence, self-esteem, and confidence in a child | | | | 7) The third area of study in a Montessori classroom is |
| while fostering learning at his own pace. The emphasis | | | | language and mathematics (handling sandpaper letters |
| is on self-directed learning. | | | | and numbers, counting beads on a long chain). |
| 3) In a Montessori classroom, the main interaction is | | | | 8) Children learn a great deal with this curriculum - |
| between the child and the materials, not the teacher | | | | numbers, letters, adding, subtracting, practical life skills, |
| and the children. At first, the teacher demonstrates to | | | | information and more. |
| the children the proper use of each set of materials. | | | | 9) Children are of mixed ages, usually three to |
| Then, the child can take the materials out, place them | | | | six-years-old, with the older children helping the |
| on a mat, and use them as the teacher taught her. | | | | younger ones. The Montessori classroom is usually |
| When she is finished, she puts it away before starting | | | | very bright, warm and inviting. There are usually |
| another project. | | | | several learning centers where children of different |
| 4) Once the teacher has demonstrated the use of the | | | | ages can explore via hands-on, tactile materials. |
| materials, children work on them individually or in small | | | | 10) When they emerge from Montessori, they are |
| groups. With this level of individualized instruction, | | | | cooperative, organized, respectful of other children's |
| children with learning delays or who are gifted often do | | | | work, and able to work independently. |