Maria Montessori, the renowned doctor, educator and scientist found that children go through different phases of development. A child completing age 6 enters into their second plane of development where they love working collaboratively, seek mental independence and ask a lot of why questions. The Montessori approach takes advantage of this period where the child has the natural enthusiasm to reason and learn.
Here’s a curated list of resources (blogs & podcasts) to understand about the Elementary approach in Montessori Education.
Brief History of Dr. Montessori
Maria Montessori was an innovator, doctor and scientist who was ahead of her times in the field of education.
Resources:
- Who was Maria Montessori?
- Maria Montessori Facts
- Biography of Dr. Maria Montessori
- All about Dr Montessori’s life, family and work
Montessori Child Psychology
Each and every child is valued and seen as a unique individual. Montessori education accommodates all learning styles by recognizing that each child learns in different ways.
Recommended Books:
- The Absorbent Mind
- The Secret of Childhood
- The Discovery of the Child
- The Advanced Montessori Method
- The Deep Well of Time
Resources:
Education of the Individual
Education in Childhood and Adult Well-being
Montessori Concept of Education
The Montessori philosophy of education fosters self motivated learning in every area of the child’s development with the objective to cater to the individual child’s natural desire to learn and grow.
Growth and Development of Children
The four planes of development is a holistic framework on child development based on Dr. Maria’s research on developmental psychology.
Summary of Montessori Terms
Get familiar with the various Montessori terms
Cosmic Education
The developing imaginations and interests of elementary-aged children are boundless. Their questions about the natural world and the universe are the basis for all their explorations in science, geography, language, the arts, and music. As they enter into the world of the abstract, children begin to ask “why?” and “how?”. Their growing capacity to reason searches for the interrelatedness of all things
The Great Lessons
Great Lessons are an important and unique part of the Montessori curriculum. They are bold and exciting and are designed to awaken a child’s imagination and curiosity. The child should be struck by the wonder of creation, thrilled with new ideas and awed by the inventiveness and innovation of the human spirit. (source: The Great Lessons | Montessori School Islington | The Gower School)
The Five Great Lessons of Montessori
The Montessori Great Lesson Page
The Five Great Lessons for Montessori Elementary
Interested to learn more about the Montessori approach? Check out the reading material prescribed by the American Montessori Society.