Montessori Education and Philosophy

“Help Me Learn to Do It Myself”

Maria Montessori

"The Desire to Learn to Do It Myself" is actually the underlying wish in the heart of every child. However, as busy adults in today's world, we often prefer to do it ourselves instead. We may lack the time or patience to teach them. In our rush to achieve results quickly, we forget that children enjoy the process. Yet, when adults do everything for children, it hinders the development of independence and self-discipline.

Montessori education allows the child to experience the process and instills the feeling of "I can do it myself." It fosters good work habits that will assist them throughout life and, most importantly, instills a sense of responsibility. The foundation of the Montessori philosophy lies in the belief that the child carries within them the potential of the person they will become in the future. For a child to fully reach their physical, intellectual, and emotional potential, they need freedom. However, this freedom must be attained through order and self-discipline.

According to Dr. Montessori, a child is not an empty vessel to be filled by adults; rather, they possess qualities such as the ability to concentrate for extended periods, willpower, positive social behavior, eagerness to learn, and orderly thinking, feeling, and acting. These are the characteristics of a psychologically healthy new child, according to Montessori.

In Montessori philosophy, the emphasis is on the "individuality of the child." Each child is an individual personality with unique developmental characteristics.

In a Montessori classroom, the emphasis is on 'working' with the real materials required by each behavior, rather than 'being at home'. While children are playing (actually working), they are also responsible for classroom order and the protection of their materials.
 

“MONTESSORI METHOD; IT INDIRECTLY TEACHES THE CHILD KNOWLEDGE AND HELPES THE CHILDREN TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES.”

Basic Principles of Montessori Education Maria Montessori established her education system based on the child. Compared to other education systems, Montessori education is an education system in which, thanks to the opportunities provided to children, they can make their own choices and control their mistakes as a result of their own actions, rather than the educator encouraging them. Montessori education basically focuses on the formation of personality. Maria Montessori expresses this clearly as follows: "In education, human personality, not method, should be taken into account."

• The child is special, unique.
• It is a unique entity.
• The child absorbs the material world around them, shaping the model of the person they will grow into in the future.
• "Children are the architects of humanity." These architects, unaware, strive to develop themselves according to their own rhythm, following the construction plan embedded within them.
• Adults cannot influence this development because they do not know the construction plan. However, untimely intervention by an adult can either disrupt this construction plan or lead it in the wrong direction.
• One of the cornerstones of Montessori education is the prepared environment. Children independently select Montessori materials from the prepared environment based on their individual interests and inclinations.
• In Montessori schools, children work with the materials they choose, at their own pace, and in the location of their preference. In a Montessori classroom, a child is free to make choices, think, and be creative in the organized prepared environment. The first condition for this freedom is "independence," the second is the "prepared environment," and the third is "free choice." This is also closely linked to their ability to think and reason. If children are not given the opportunity to move independently without adult assistance, placing them in a prepared environment would lose its meaning.
• Children are offered the opportunity to repeat activities as much as they desire. They can move on to new tasks once they have mastered the current one because everyone has a different pace in learning.
• Error control in materials occurs when the child discovers their own mistakes. There is no need for correction or approval from someone else. It allows the child to correct themselves, facilitating their independence from adults naturally.
• The real help a teacher can provide to a child is to present options clearly by following their sensitivity and interest, allowing them to unleash their creative power by avoiding interference.
• Montessori believes that discipline begins at birth and emerges in the child when the adult creates an atmosphere of love, respect, trust, and freedom. The adult should serve as a model for desired behavior and also directly guide the child toward such behavior.