Dr. Maria Montessori, as the first female doctor to graduate medical school in Italy,
analyzed 60 children in Rome, examining how they learned. She discovered their effortless ability to absorb knowledge from their surroundings.

Nearly a century ago, she developed her unique teaching methods for promoting self-discipline and independence in kids during their preschool years, that is now in 7,000 schools bearing the Montessori name worldwide.

The kids are treated like little adults, in a highly enriched learning space, encouraged to follow their own natural curiosity, cultivating social skills through multi-age classrooms.

My Kawartha.com
Clark Kim
By Oct 27, 2004
 

Today, a look at Montessori schools, and the teaching methods and philosophy behind the alternative school program that began in Italy and has now spread across the world.

In the first six years of life, children should learn how to stand on their own two feet.

Dr. Maria Montessori meant that in the figurative sense, her unique teaching methods promoting self-discipline and independence in kids during their preschool years.

As the first female doctor to graduate medical school in Italy, Dr. Montessori analyzed 60 children in Rome, examining how they learned. She discovered their effortless ability to absorb knowledge from their surroundings.

Those initial findings nearly a century ago provided the basis of what is now referred to as the Montessori method of education. It has transcended both space and time with an estimated 7,000 schools bearing the Montessori name worldwide, including two in Peterborough.

Kawartha Montessori School (KMS) first opened its doors in 1982 at the Queen Alexandra Community Centre with just 20 students and principal Jane Stewart at the helm.

They later moved into a separate building on Cameron Street to accommodate the 75 children aged three to 12 -- junior kindergarten to grade 6 -- currently attending the south-end school.

Following the concept that children can teach themselves when placed in a highly enriched learning space and lead by their own natural curiosity, Ms Stewart has seen definitive results.

"Our five year olds are all reading because we started teaching phonics and letter sounds to the three-and-a-half year olds," she says.

"Our youngest students really have the excellent ability to absorb. They love to be at school."

In each of the four classrooms or "prepared environment," several different tactile and colourful learning materials are available to students who are free to choose any item that captures his or her interest.

Students dictate their own pace of learning while KMS teachers, who work in pairs, assist only by offering new experiences for children when the time is right.

With an added emphasis on educating the "whole child" in Montessori schools, social development is just as important as achieving high academic standards.

Those social skills are cultivated through multi-age classrooms where children of varying ages and abilities interact with one another. The younger students can learn from their older peers while they, in turn, can provide leadership and build mutual respect.

"They are encouraged to meet together and make consensus-based decisions," says Ms Stewart.

"The goal is to see each child reach his or her potential."

Dissatisfied and growing impatient with the public school system, Sue Beckwith brought her three children to KMS, looking for that "extra piece of help" to improve their academic results.

Ms Beckwith pulled her daughter Margot Aldis out of public school when she had difficulty reading in Grade 2.

"I said, 'That's not sufficient,'" she recalls.

Soon after hearing of the benefits associated with a Montessori education, she enrolled Margot and her two sons, James and Colin Aldis, at KMS.

"My kids ended up being above grade level; it was fairly dramatic," she says, adding her daughter, now in Grade 12, has continued to do well academically at Lakefield College.

For Ms Beckwith, the $8,500 tuition fee per year per child -- $4,000 for a half-day pre-school program -- was money well spent.

In comparison, Children's Montessori School (CMS), located downtown at the Peterborough Armoury on Murray Street, charges $725 per month -- $7,250 per school year -- for students in grades 1 through 8.

The tuition for full-time preschool and kindergarten students costs $350 per month and $275 per month for part-time students who attend the equivalent of three days a week.

Differences between Montessori schools exist and can vary greatly because the Montessori name itself is not patented. While that means anyone can start a new Montessori school, the successful ones follow the same basic principles.

"The method is based on working from the concrete level to the abstract level," says Deborah Sharp, principal of CMS since its inception in 1997.

As an example, she explains children can go from using sandpaper letters to spelling out words before writing it down with pen and paper.

"In public school, they teach all six year olds the same way."

The individual style of learning has caught on with more families uncertain about the future of public education. More than 90 students currently attend CMS, up from 10 students in just eight years.

"We're growing by leaps and bounds," says Ms Sharp, noting the newly renovated Armoury location is complete with six classrooms, a computer lab and a fenced-in playground.

Despite the growing popularity of the Montessori method of education, stereotypes and misconceptions still exists.

"Not all of our parents are affluent," she says.

"Middle-income earners make up the majority."

It's not an Italian language or religious school either.

"And people think it's a school for the gifted but it's also not the case," Ms Sharp says.

She adds, however, her Grade 8 graduates are very high achieving students and all do extremely well in high school due to their strong work ethic.

"All they know is they're doing the best they can do."

Cathy Kriss is more than impressed at the confidence her 10-year-old daughter Alexandra has shown.

"Socially, she's extremely mature; the kids help each other and, at the same time, they learn to be independent," says Ms Kriss, adding the teachers are incredible.

"They didn't treat them like little children. They treated them like little adults."

The proof is in the pudding as both Cameron Conquer, 11, and Tino Tzararas, 10, say they enjoy going to school at CMS.

"I'm learning a lot more," says Cameron, an aspiring pilot.

"They don't say, 'OK, you really have to focus on this,'" Cameron adds.

"They encourage you."

Montessori schools taking fertile minds to dizzying heights
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