The Montessori method enables the genius to unfurl itself from within the child who is to many an adult a mystery amidst enigma.

“All children are born geniuses, 9999 out of 1000 are swiftly, inadvertently degeniused by grown-up”...Buckminister Fuller.

Every child is born with a thirst; a hunger for knowledge and they can only learn what humanity has learnt by trial and error. We can learn from mistakes, but we tell the child “don’t make mistakes” .We seem to have forgotten that some of the greatest scientific discoveries were infact due to “mistakes” made by some scientists-The discovery of Penicillin.

When dealing with children we in our ignorance, out of love and concern of the child’s future, act as though we know all the answers and curtail the child’s spontaneous acts of exploration, so that the child does not make “mistakes”. Thus we systematically encourage the child not to think-Lack Of Responding Power Kills The Genius In The Child.

The Montessori method, which was discovered by Dr. Maria Montessori (Italy’s Fair Lady Doctor) does not aim at teaching. It does not equate education with imparting knowledge. It aims at assisting the development that is taking place in the child. The child is an entity unto himself, a pole of humanity. The future adult cannot be constructed harmoniously if the child has not been able to develop harmoniously.

Dr Maria Montessori sees the child as the “Father of the man”. The method firmly believes that the child learns by his own experiences and provides him with vast and varied experience. The environment is set up with various apparatus from the field of Practical Life, Sensorial activities, Language, Mathematics and Culture. Under the heading of Culture we group together subjects like botany, geography, science, art, music etc.

The use of the apparatus is demonstrated to the child and once it has been done, the child is free to use it as often and for as long as he wishes. He is free to experiment with the material as long as he does not abuse it. Therefore he learns from his own experience. As more demonstrations are given the child has more activates to choose from and may move around freely choosing what he needs to do. Hence at any given time different children are doing different activities from different fields. The age groups vary from 2.5 years to 6 years. Thus forming a mini society of their own.

The Practical life exercises help the child to acquire co-ordination of movement, become independent and develop the social skills needed to live as members of the society.

The Sensorial Material enables the child to develop the ability to observe and compare with precision. These activities pilot the child to more complex activities.
Mathematics is later formally introduced by means of concrete materials that enable the child to fully understand the quantities. It helps them realize that quantities and numbers in each of these hierarchies rage from 1 to 9. Similarly they are helped to carry out the various operations like addition, subtraction etc. with understanding.

Language is introduced to the child so that he can first develop the spoken language skills i.e. to acquire vocabulary and learn how to converse in the medium of instruction. They are introduced to phonetics and can thus write, spell and read fairly confidently by the time they are 6 years old.

Education is not something, which the teacher does, but it is a natural process, which develops spontaneously in the human being.

A Comparison of Traditional Pre-School Education and Montessori