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Montessori is a method of education allowing children freedom to learn as individuals and not as an organised group. With in Montessori children learn to work together and share, but the individual learning is done at the rate of each child, not like in school when a class of 30 will all be taught exactly the same. Montessori takes each and every child as an individual and recognises that we are all different and have a different pace and style of learning.
The whole ethos is to allow children to do most things in complete safety as an adult would. You also communicate with the child through conversation in a very simple way as you would communicate with another adult, by doing this you have very happy, relaxed children who understand what is going on and also that can make you understand what issues they have, and this way you can work with the child to help them with anything they require. I communicate with my daughter through Makaton sign language for babies and children, I understand some parents may be averse to this and I will respect the wishes of a parent who prefers me not to use this method of communication with their child.
The Montessori Method also relies on a very special teaching method using special equipment, this is only possible to use in a Montessori nursery and usually between the ages of 2 years 9 months and 6 years, with a small difference in age depending on each nursery. Montessori nurseries are all monitored by OFSTED to make sure the children are observing the EYFS, but many parents are unaware that a lot of Montessori nurseries are not true Montessori, just by having some or all of the apparatus does not make a Montessori nursery, in fact I would be concerned in sending my own daughter to any Montessori that did not show accreditation with an organisation such as Montessori centre international. Any Montessori school if it is running to true Montessori will be accredited.
A Montessori school will look different to other nurseries, you will notice there will be next to no plastic toys. All the equipment is made of wood and there are no bright over-powering colours to distract the child from what the activity is about. It is not possible to use complete Montessori in the home, not only due to the great expense of each individual item, but also a family home needs to provide for all ages from very tiny babies to 4 years and over, so the house must be safe. This is why I say I use the Montessori ethos.
There are several mis-conceptions regarding Montessori, some people say that children are aloud to run free and do exactly what they want; while some people say that the children are in an overly structured environment. Both of these are incorrect. The Montessori environment is such that the children are free with in a structure and boundaries to do as they wish.
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