Children often despise education because of its binding routine and “compulsory” modules they have to study and pass exams for. The sheer bondage of it has been ruining the quality of education that the children are taking in, and giving birth to the “plug and play” education model where children simply study before an exam, with the sole purpose of scoring marks and forgetting what they learned the moment the exam is over.
Self-learning is an essential component of a child’s education. The need to have independent thought and the ability to learn, practice, and comprehend without external guidance gave birth to the Montessori school Bangalore and the ideology of education.
How was the Montessori Method of education discovered?
Montessori learning was discovered by Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician who developed this special teaching methodology for transforming schools and the education system across the world, in the early 1900s. The Montessori methodology emphasizes self-learning, enhanced social interaction, a growing interest and love for research, and takes care of the special needs of the students.
The need for self-directed education, self-studying, and practical learning, gave rise to Montessori education, transforming the educational curriculum across the globe. The method focuses solely on the intellectual growth of children, with the help of child-led activities along with the independence of thought and choice. Also, read about the Bangalore CBSE school fee structure.
What is Montessori education in the best schools in Bangalore in 2022?
Montessori education is so much more than simply filling the child’s brain with facts, making them cram details of different subjects only to be tested through a range of examinations, be it theoretical or practical.
Following are the basis of Montessori education, which was developed by Dr. Montessori in the early 1900s, but is still being followed by the best Montessori schools in Bangalore.
- Contrary to regular educational norms, the classrooms of a Montessori school were full of children of mixed ages, ranging from 2 to 4, or 3-6, 6-9, and so on.
- Students were given a range of options to choose from, for enhancing their learning process.
- They were given uninterrupted hours of work time, from an ideal range of 3 hours.
- The students were given the freedom to discover concepts and theories on their own, by being provided with the necessary study material. This was also called the “Discovery” or “Constructivist” model.
- While many parents and schooling ideologies mistook this method to be unorganized and not well thought out, it was planned by Dr. Montessori that the educational ideology will provide limited freedom to children that neither swayed them from their primary aim of valued education nor forced them to study something they had no interest in.
What are the educational programs offered by Montessori schools?
Other educational programs and boards such as International Baccalaureate (IB), International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), along with Montessori education have divided their curriculums and courses for their students into various phases, to allocate resources, activities and study material accordingly.
-
Toddler and Infant education program
In Montessori schools, the course structure for children is divided into various ranges of age groups.
For instance, the toddler or infant programs are meant for children under three and offer a small “nest” and a community of budding preschoolers, to emphasize the presence of various elements in their surroundings with the help of teaching, study materials, and engage them in activities that are specially designed to scale the child’s learning capabilities along with bringing out other positive personality traits.
-
Preschool and Kindergarten
Montessori classrooms for children of ages 2 ½ or 3 to 6 years are also called Children’s Houses, after Montessori’s first school – Casa Dei Bambini in Rome, established in 1906. The classroom holds around 20 to 30 students of ages within the specified range, along with a fully trained teacher to lead and guide them, and often some assistants. The main role of preschool teachers and assistants of the Montessori schools is to guide the children individually and help them carve out their own learning paths according to their interests.
-
Elementary Classes
Ranging from the age groups of 6 to 9, and 9 to 12, or 6 to 12 (depending on the school, availability of resources, classrooms, and faculty) Montessori schools offer students the elementary school curriculum in the form of interdisciplinary lessons from biology, mathematics, history to political science, theology and literature.