|
920.499.8900
Montessori Approach & Philosophy:
The “whole child” approach. The primary goal of a Montessori program is to help each child reach full potential in all areas of life. Activities promote the development of social skills, emotional growth, and physical coordination as well as cognitive preparation. The holistic curriculum, under the direction of a specially prepared teacher, allows the child to experience the joy of learning, time to enjoy the process and ensure the development of self-esteem, and provides the experiences from which children create their knowledge.
The “Prepared Environment”
In order for self-directed learning to take place, the whole learning environment room, materials and social climate-must be supportive of the learner. The teacher provides necessary resources, including opportunities for children to function in a safe and positive climate. The teacher then gains the children’s trust, which enables them to try new things and build self-confidence.
The Montessori materials
Dr. Montessori’s observations of the kinds of things which children enjoy and go back to repeatedly led her to design a number of multi-sensory, sequential and self-correcting materials which facilitate the learning of skills and lead to learning of abstract ideas.
The role of the Montessori Teacher differs considerably from that of a traditional teacher. She observes and assists the child according to the child’s individual needs and interests. She is trained to recognize periods of readiness and to demonstrate the correct use of the material to the children. She reinforces in a positive manner. At times she may encourage a hesitant child.
At other times, she may divert a child who chooses material beyond his/her ability. She protects the child’s integrity and allows the child to have the freedom of choice to make decisions. The child’s decisions are expected to reflect a sense of responsibility. He/She is helped by the teacher's manner, which is firm and consistent, yet patient and gentle.
Creativity flourishes in an atmosphere of acceptance and trust. Montessorians recognize that each child, from toddler to teenager, learns and expresses himself/herself in a very individual way.
Music, art, storytelling, movement and drama are part of every American Montessori program. But there are other things particular to the Montessori environment which encourage creative development: many materials which stimulate interest and involvement; an emphasis on the sensory aspect of experience; and the opportunity for both verbal and nonverbal modes of learning.
Our VISION
Royal Montessori Academy’s vision is to establish and maintain a school that strives for excellence by providing accessible quality Montessori education in the Green Bay, Wisconsin area. Our aim is to prepare children to reach their full potential and to play a responsible role in protecting the global environment and fostering peace and harmony with natural processes and community interests.
Montessori
Traditional
- The method respects individual differences
- Emphasis is on conforming to the group
- The learning process is student-centered and emphasizes self-motivation
- Emphasis is on grades, punishments or rewards as motivating factors
- Multi-age grouping is practiced so that students may learn “horizontally” from observation of other people’s work, directly or indirectly
- Students are grouped chronologically to suit teachers’ pre-planned class lessons
- Students learn at their own pace, free to complete a project or pursue a subject as deeply as they wish, according to personal enthusiasm
- Subjects are taught in lecture form and students must change classes and attend lessons all at the same time
view all
- The method respects individual differences
- Emphasis is on conforming to the group
- The learning process is student-centered and emphasizes self-motivation
- Emphasis is on grades, punishments or rewards as motivating factors
- Multi-age grouping is practiced so that students may learn “horizontally” from observation of other people’s work, directly or indirectly
- Students are grouped chronologically to suit teachers’ pre-planned class lessons
- Students learn at their own pace, free to complete a project or pursue a subject as deeply as they wish, according to personal enthusiasm
- Subjects are taught in lecture form and students must change classes and attend lessons all at the same time
- Students learn by practicing their subject matter while in school, under the supervision and assistance of their teacher
- Students must practice on their own and be graded on work they have done at home without benefit of close monitoring
- The classroom is used as a library or resource room for studying and completing projects: students are free to move as needed and are active participants in building their own knowledge
- Students work at desks, passively listening to lecture for directions and instructions. Passive learning is more tiring and the school work day has to be divided into periods with planned interruptions
- Students avail themselves of concrete materials, scientifically designed to enhance conceptual thinking. The materials are graded by difficulty and adapt to the maturity of individual students. These tools bring about knowledge based on experience
- Learning takes place primarily through memorization and repetition of abstract concept. Group learning impedes the implementation of multi-sensory and experiential approaches to learning
- Testing is built into the Montessori method as the third period of the “three-period lesson” and is a teaching technique that is applied routinely on an individual bases. The purpose of all testing here is to allow self-correction, repetition and achieve competence at one’s own pace
- Scheduled testing does not take into consideration the preparation of each individual student. It assumes that all student learn at the same rate. Tests are not designed as teaching tools, but rather as rewarding or punitive methods. The pass or fail grades simple reflect if a student has conformed or not to class standards
view less