Learning Material
The material covered is usually taught with tactile, more physical activities so that the student gets a hands-on feel for what he or she is learning. At this school's beginnings, Maria Montessori was researching the mental capacity for the mentally challenged students trying to learn new things for a research paper. The goal of her paper was to find a proper environment for these children to learn in where they intellectually develop in a more efficient manner. She was very successful with her studies and started applying her research to those who did not have any mental challenges or disabilities.
The Rate of Learning
The method she founded was very beneficial to children who had a natural desire to learn and she found that her technique allowed students to learn and retain new knowledge at an alarming rate. The approach taken by Montessori is effective in that the children are more focused on what they are trying to learn because there is no teacher attempting to force certain curriculum on the students.
Experienced Gleaned by Children
This method of learning is based upon the assumptions that children are not only capable of learning by themselves, but that they are also able to teach, review, and maintain what they were assigned to learn. When a teacher serves to observe the learning process rather than take a huge part in it, the child is able to establish what can be their own strengths and weaknesses in order to find the perfect study habit. Teachers believe there is a window of opportunity between the ages of four and seven that a child can learn as much information as possible and that in this period, the child is not prone to accepting authority. This is why the teacher remains detached from the learning so the children can experience this concept themselves.
They also realize that once a child becomes interested and focused on a concept, there is a period of concentration that follows where the child can retain a myriad of information. The Montessori Method recognizes these periods and makes sure to give the child enough time to pursue and act on that concentration. The Montessori Method of education is perfect for any child who wants to be able to set their own standards for success.