How Montessori Education Gives Your Child An Edge
The Montessori method is probably one of the oldest and most revered ways of education.
Yet, there is a common concern many parents have: “Will my child be able to adapt to traditional school after Montessori preschool?” This concern is a valid one.
After all, Montessori education is very different from mainstream traditional schooling.
Here, we have no homework or tests and children work with utmost independence to learn concepts at their pace. So, at ILM Montessori we often see excited parents of prospective students ask us if their child will be able to adapt to traditional school later on.
We give them a detailed answer and we’ll share the same here.
Spoiler alert: Children from Montessori backgrounds THRIVE in traditional schools and beyond!
Thanks to its hands-on and comprehensive approach to all areas of children’s development
(i.e.: academic, social, and emotional) Montessori students have an edge that often helps them adapt better than their traditional counterparts.
Self-learning and Independence:
The Montessori method promotes self-learning. In the Montessori classroom, children decide their agenda, work, and engage with materials for as long as they choose. There’s no rigidity or coercion, just a structured environment for their exploration. Children are encouraged to explore and be responsible for their own learning, making them self-motivated and excited. The flexibility and structure Montessori provides help children reflect and hone their decision-making skills.
Children begin loving the subjects when they are allowed to explore at their own pace. This is because the child isn’t forced to learn and in the process finds a way of learning and exploration that works for them.
The autonomy a child gets helps them regulate themselves and become responsible for their learning. Self-learning gives children a huge advantage in traditional schools where there is a significantly lower teacher to student ratio.
An ILM student painting meditatively
Mixed-Age Classrooms:
The mixed-age classrooms help prepare children for a variety of situations. Children interact and learn from each other. In the process, children improve communication, cooperation, and other important social skills.
The real world is much like a mixed-age classroom, not a meticulously homogenized traditional classroom.
Mixed-age classrooms are also more collaborative than competitive because children are at different developmental stages. And this is a real win-win for all the children of a class.
Children of different ages support each other with learning
Strong Focus on Basic Skills:
There are many different ways to teach a concept or subject. Math, for example, can be taught in many different ways. How we teach the subject translates into how much the child likes the subject. Terrorize the child, and they’ll loathe numbers. We focus on getting the basics right.
In the classroom, children aren’t dropped in the sea of numbers to fend for themselves. They work with materials that help them understand the fundamentals of mathematics. Spending this time upfront reaps benefits for years to come. When children have a rock-solid foundation, they are equipped with skills to tackle bigger ‘problems’(pun intended) with ease and determination.
These skills give students from Montessori backgrounds a significant advantage in the traditional school system where the ‘why’ isn’t explored and the curriculum needs to be rushed through before the end of the semester.
Montessori materials for deep learning
Individualised Attention:
Traditional schools focus on grades and have a lower student-to-teacher ratio, lacking the individual attention Montessori students get.
Montessori classrooms are designed in a way that gives students personalised attention. Since children engage with materials at their own pace, each child naturally has a different timeline. Teachers personally aid and attend to students in their self-learning process when they encounter bottlenecks.
Personal support and guidance wherever needed
Social skills:
Children in the Montessori classroom are taught to respect each other and work in collaboration. Here, diversity is embraced and respected. Children learn about diverse cultures and traditions. Developing a child’s emotional quotient is also a huge area of focus in the Montessori classroom. Children are taught to express themselves, resolve conflicts, uphold boundaries, understand, and respect each other.
For example, here’s a class on Non-Violent Communication we had for our students at ILM.
https://youtu.be/XQO-MMwuy8k?si=Zv8dA04YMVpZ4b6a
A class on Marshall Rosenberg's Non-Violent Communication at ILM
There are plenty of ways to support the all-round development of a child using the Montessori method. Studies show a Montessori background far beyond the classroom. Starting early and laying the foundation of education right offers is crucial. The Montessori method offers this immense advantage to students early on so they can thrive in the classroom and beyond!
Keen to learn more about how we work at ILM? Reach out to us on our number +91 99000 25633.