Montessori
The Montessori approach is relevant to all children.
Maria Montessori was a pioneer in childcare. For those not familiar with her work, here’s the deal on how we bring her method to life in our nursery.
Maria Montessori...
Maria Montessori believed children under the age of six absorb knowledge spontaneously, without effort. They have an intense desire to become as independent as possible (sound familiar?!), by perfecting all the physical, mental and social skills that will form their personality. The aim is to encourage all children to use their inner resources to the full; to become independent, self-motivated learners who can work and play in harmony with their peers. We provide the perfect space for this to happen.
“The most important period of life is not the age of university studies, but the first one, the period from birth to age six. For that is the time when man’s intelligence itself is being formed.”
– Maria Montessori
Montessori design is intentional
and inviting for children.
Our nursery is expertly designed to be conducive to the principles of the Montessori method. Everything in our setting is handmade from wood by a local carpenter, in line with our ethos of empowering people within our community. We reuse and repurpose as much as we can, so materials like cardboard and treasures foraged from the forest feature heavily in our craft supplies and recreation areas.
Here’s the lowdown on the seven principles of the Montessori method:
1
A well-prepared environment
2
Freedom within limits
3
Respect for the child
4
Practical/life skills
5
Self-discipline
6
Play is work
7
Respect
And we live by Maria’s mantra:
“Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.”
Montessori in Nature.
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Maria Montessori believed that the outdoor environment was an extension of the indoor classroom, because nature provides endless opportunities for experiential learning. She wrote ‘Only through freedom and environmental experience is it practically possible for human development to occur.’ That’s why we focus on time in nature and work hard to bring the outdoors in.
The Montessori method and forest school education complement one another perfectly. Both disciplines share the same principles: