Preschool in Springfield, MA 01129
A Montessori education places an emphasis on the development of a child by encouraging their independent learning. Maria Montessori believed that a child actively participates in the learning experience, as such; the classroom is designed to enhance a childs cognitive and social development. Instruction is organized but also adapts to each students needs and style. Children are allowed to learn at their pace and encouraged to collaborate and help other children in the classroom.
Montessori Education is named after Maria Montessori. Born in the town of Chiaravalle, in the province of Ancona, Italy, in 1870, she became the first female physician in Italy upon her graduation from medical school in 1896. In her medical practice, her clinical observations led her to analyze how children learn, and she concluded that they build themselves from what they find in their environment. She founded the first Casa dei Bambini, or "Children’s House which became the basis for the Montessori method of education and integrated Montessori’s scientific observations of children’s almost effortless ability to absorb knowledge from their surroundings, as well as their tireless interest in manipulating materials. Every piece of equipment, every exercise, every method Montessori developed was based on what she observed children to do “naturally,” by themselves, unassisted by adults. Children teach themselves. This simple but profound truth inspired Montessori’s lifelong pursuit of educational reform, methodology, psychology, teaching, and teacher training—all based on her dedication to furthering the self-creating process of the child. Today, Maria Montessoris work lives on through the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI).
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