Individual use of materials permits a varied pace that suits many skill levels in the classroom. A child younger or slower can work for many weeks on the same computer without affecting other members of the class. Advanced children in the same room can be moved from one piece of equipment to another very quickly, avoiding the boredom of waiting for others to catch up. Children with a high level of skill are constantly challenged by the wide variety of materials and its many uses.
It is a well established fact that children mature at very different rates and periods of preparation for academic subjects vary widely. Since the interest is stimulated and materials are at hand whenever a child is ready, some youngsters in a Montessori class begin to read and calculate at an unusually young age. However, early learning is not the norm, nor was never the aim of Dr. Montessori. His only dream was that the learning experience should occur naturally and joyfully at the right time for each individual child. “It is true, we can not take a genius;” Dr. Montessori once wrote, “We can only give each individual the opportunity to fulfill their potential to become an independent, safe and balanced human being.
No Comments Yet