Q. What is the difference between Montessori and traditional education?
A. Montessori emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching, or reading. Children in Montessori classes learn at their own, individual pace and according to their own choice of activities from hundreds of possibilities. Learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning. Montessori classes place children in three-year age groups (3-6, 6-9, 9-12, and so on), forming communities in which the older children spontaneously share their knowledge with the younger ones. Montessori represents an entirely different approach to education.
Q. Is Montessori good for children with learning disabilities? What about gifted children?
A. Montessori is designed to help all children reach their fullest potential at their own unique pace. A classroom whose children have varying abilities is a community in which everyone learns from one another and everyone contributes. Moreover, multiage grouping allows each child to find his or her own pace without feeling "ahead" or "behind" in relation to peers.
Q. What ages does Montessori serve?
A. There are more Montessori programs for ages 3-6 than for any other age group, but Montessori is not limited to early childhood. Many infant/toddler programs (ages 2 months to 3 years) exist, as well as elementary (ages 6- 12), adolescent (ages 12-15) and even a few Montessori high schools.
Q. Who accredits or oversees Montessori schools?
A. Unfortunately, there is no way to limit the use of the name "Montessori." Parents must carefully research, and observe a classroom in operation, in order to choose a real Montessori school for their child. Click on "True Montessori" to know what to look for when visiting schools.
Q. Is it really good for children to be allowed to do whatever they want? There’s a lot of misunderstanding about the concept of freedom in the Montessori method, and many schools misinterpret it as mindless permissiveness. In a real Montessori school, children are free to choose among good options of positive value.
Q. Do the children watch TV?
A. Generally, Montessori classrooms do not have televisions. Programs specifically designed to be educational do have some positive effects, but this is likely to be the case in environments deficient of other means of achieving those effects. Generally, TV is a very passive form of learning and goes against the Montessori philosophy of learning by doing. Also, the children cannot determine the pace at which they receive the information on TV. We prefer that the teachers carry out those activities with the children, thereby giving them the opportunity to be more active in their learning experiences. In addition, most children are in front of the TV for a better part of their evenings at home, and as such do not need to do that in school as well.
Q. Why are Montessori classroom walls devoid of posters and other colourful pictures often found in other classrooms?
A. The only assistance provided by teaching materials on walls is visual. The children have no opportunity to manipulate these posters. We prefer to make the learning materials on the shelves colourful and attractive, thereby drawing the children’s attention to things that are of more benefit to them. With the exception of art for appreciation, and a board to display rules and some of their work, we leave the walls bare so that nothing competes with the Montessori materials for the children’s attention.
Q. Where do the children go when they leave the 3-6 class?
A. Most schools in Nigeria admit children into primary one at age 5. However, the concepts presented in the primary one curriculum are covered in the 3-6 classroom, and in a more concrete way. If the child will not remain in the Montessori environment, then he/she may be assessed for year 2/primary 2 in a traditional school in Nigeria.
Q. How do the children adjust to traditional schooling?
A. Montessori children are usually adaptive. They have learned to work independently and in groups. Since they've been encouraged to make decisions from an early age, these children are problem-solvers who can make choices and manage their time well. They have also been encouraged to exchange ideas and to discuss their work freely with others, and good communication skills ease the way in new settings. Research has shown that the best predictor of future success is a sense of self-esteem. Montessori programs, based on self-directed, non- competitive activities, help children develop good self-images and the confidence to face challenges and change with optimism.
