Is the Montessori approach play based?

According to the movement's founder, Maria Montessori, “Play is the work of the child.” Her vision was to combine play with learning and satisfy a child's curiosity while still allowing them to have fun. Throughout Montessori history, play has been an integral part of the curriculum.

Is Montessori considered play based?

While the Montessori style of school incorporates many elements of play-based learning, it's not entirely correct to assume that they are one in the same. In fact, there's glaring differences between the two that are important to know if you are deciding between the two.

Does Montessori believe in play?

Instead of some activity being work and some activity being play, activity should be understood as work/play. Lillard (2013) asserts Montessori thought work is play, and play is work, unless children play pretending or engage in fantasy play (Lillard & Taggart, 2018).

Is Montessori structured play?

The Montessori Method considers play to be a child's work.

Often, we think children need structured activities to learn some of those academic or kindergarten readiness skills such as phonics, reading, writing, numbers, or colors.

What is the Montessori approach based on?

The Montessori method is a child-centered approach to education that emphasizes hands-on learning, independence, and respect for a child's natural psychological development. It operates on five key principles: respect for the child, the absorbent mind, sensitive periods, the prepared environment, and auto-education.

What is Play-Based Learning?

What does Montessori say about play?

Maria Montessori said, “Play is the work of the child.” When children are allowed to explore their world through meaningful activities, they can learn an unfathomable amount about their world. In a prepared environment, such as a Montessori classroom, children can both experience and play at the same time.

What is the Montessori approach in a nutshell?

Montessori is a method created with the needs of individual children in mind. It provides freedom and independence within a structured environment and respects the natural development of the brain as well as individual needs and interests. Montessori is a preparation for life.

What type of play is Montessori?

We believe in imaginative play—costumes, make believe, fantasy—through the early years. This kind of play is not emphasized in Montessori until school age. We believe in a mix of open-ended and guided play (when helpful) for children.

Is Montessori work vs play?

Our friends at Merriam-Webster define work as “something produced or accomplished by effort, exertion, or exercise of skill; something produced by the exercise of creative talent or expenditure of creative effort.” Montessori herself saw no difference in a young child's “work” and “play” – they are one and the same.

Why does Montessori not allow pretend play?

1) The issue is not with the “pretend play” but with the materials. Dr. Montessori wanted the child to gain an experience through the actual experience of cooking, for example, not pretending to cook. She believed that pretend play often comes from watching older siblings and adults.

What is not allowed in Montessori?

You may or may not already know, but Montessori schools discourage the introduction of fantasy to young children (children under the ages of 5 or 6). This means we do not use play kitchens, have a dress-up area in the classroom, or rely on books with dragons and fairies.

How to do Montessori play?

Why is play called work in Montessori?

Montessori schools call all of the children's activities “work.” While “work” sounds like a serious endeavor, Dr. Montessori observed that children exhibit joy and experience this purposeful activity as play.

Do kids in Montessori get homework?

In a Montessori class, children are motivated to discover why and how things work. Therefore, homework, in a Montessori sense, is work that the child does at home, as an extension of his or her educational exploration. Many activities may constitute homework, including household chores.

What is the opposite of Montessori method?

In a Waldorf school or preschool, the role of the teacher is traditional; children are seated and the teacher leads the class. The teacher chooses the curriculum, and children learn the same lesson altogether. The teacher or director in a Montessori setting plays a very different role than in Waldorf schools.

What type of child does best in Montessori?

Montessori education sparks curiosity in children by allowing them to explore and discover the world around them in a hands-on, experiential way. Naturally curious children who desire to learn will thrive in a Montessori environment. Montessori education also emphasizes collaboration and social skills.

What is so special about Montessori approach?

Beginning at an early age, Montessori nurtures order, concentration, and independence. Intentional classroom design, materials, and daily routines support the student's emerging “self-regulation” (the ability to educate one's self, and to think about what one is learning), in toddlers through adolescents.

What is an example of a Montessori approach?

With Montessori play, activities are fun and done for their own sake, not to accomplish a goal. For example, a child may make a drawing or create a sculpture, not to have something in the end, but because the act of drawing or sculpting is fun.

What is unique about the Montessori method?

Specialized Materials that Stimulate Learning – Unlike traditional schools which often rely heavily on textbooks or workbooks, Montessori schools utilize a range of beautiful, hands-on materials and tools which foster a deep sense of concentration and a curiosity about the world.

What is the value of play in Montessori?

Play is the most valuable way that children learn. Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength.

What are the 5 Montessori methods?

At Casa Dei Bambini Montessori School, we wholeheartedly believe in these five guiding principles that underpin the Montessori philosophy: respect for the child, the absorbent mind, sensitive periods, the prepared environment, and auto education.

When should I start Montessori play?

Because most Montessori schools are preschools, the ideal age to begin Montessori education is 3 years of age. Some parents, however, choose to enroll their children in Montessori from infancy, usually between the ages of 8 weeks and 18 months.

How do Montessori kids do?

Rather than learning largely from what teachers and texts say to them, children in Montessori programmes learn largely by doing. Because they are doing things, rather than merely hearing and writing, their learning is situated in the context of actions and objects.

Why does Montessori discourage color?

Montessori schools emphasize calm, muted colors and items that reflect real-world, natural beauty. Why? For the same reason that we focus best when our workspace is calm and uncluttered, children learn better in spaces that promote calm and concentration.

Why don t Montessori toys have color?

Why don't Montessori toys have colour? They do! It's a common misconception that Montessori toys must have that natural wood look. Montessori welcomes colour but does prefer softer, more muted tones than the bright primary colour palette you often see on plastic toys.