Montessori Method of teaching...?

Montessori education was developed in Italy, refined in India and is prolific throughout the world. I have been to Montessori schools from Australia to Scandinavia, California to Nepal. It is a method of teaching, of introducing knowledge as well as a multi-cultural integrated educational curriculum.

With that said, there is a problem in adapting it when a culture is so based on rote memorization that parents and non-Montessori educated administrators can not see the actual learning that takes place with the materials. In cultures who believe that the purpose of school is to force feed facts into children's brains and have them regurgitate them on a high stakes test, the Montessori Method, although proven to work even in this situation, has a hard time being accepted.

I know this all too well since I have worked in and studied enough of these countries and have seen excellent Montessori instructors give up altogether or focus teaching the children of expat's. It's so sad. Yet, through out the years I think that I have figured out a way to make Montessori education palatable to people in this situation. It will take a lot of initial work, but for a dedicated person, it could be rewarding.

If you are interested, please feel free to contact me.

I bought books to teach my daughter (when she was a toddler) using Montessori classroom techniques, and from the activities in the book, I can't see how they wouldn't adapt to all cultures. Its mainly about teaching concepts - math, art, scientific, reading, geography, observation skills, improving manual dexterity - and these are things which aren't really cultural - unless you're going to teach children from a culture which is against one of the concepts Montessori teaches to children. Personally I've found some of the activites went very well on my daughter, like the alphabet recognition, the counting, the manual dexterity activities, artistic activities. Some other activities however didn't interest her a lot, but Montessori's philosophy is really to allow children to freely choose whatever activities interest them and for educators to "go with the flow" and not enforce any activities onto a child if they do not seem interested, so I wasn't stressed out about her rejection of certain activities.

There was never any mention of religious education in the books I have, or about teaching social behaviour - towards the fourth year of age, the book does recommend educational games which the child can play with another child of the same age, but all in all, the concepts being taught are of a pretty universal nature and I cannot see how people from different cultures will be offended by, or find difficult to follow.

The Montessori method is an amazing way of learning and teaching. It allows children to follow their natural motivation to learn and seek knowledge and new experiences, and to develop a love of learning. It is certainly able to cross cultures, there are Montessori schools around the globe. I am constantly amazed at how much the materials, the way of teaching, and the Montessori culture just makes sense! Each person is unique, and that doesn't begin when they are adults. The Montessori method of education gives children room to develop the person they will turn into!

a good friend of mine is a montessori teacher. i think it would be easily adapatable to any culture. the musical toys are adapted for a western scale but the math and science would carry over no problem.

The Practical life area is my favorite! As far as adaptation ,I believe in the USA conformity could be an issue...

"Know with certainty that knowledge derives of logical scholarship. Wisdom is but a result of knowledge, perception, and understanding. Those who do not obey these simple rules merely hinder education." Wis. 9.8.

Wis. 9.8, fr. Book of Common Sense, lauded by Heralds, concorded by Regents at Athens during the third Summit of Pokeenan Tous.

Because school is not about education (which literally means "leading out") or learning. It's about conditioning the next generation of wage slaves to be obedient automatons.