I love the Montessori method, but I do not necessarily follow the Montessori Philosophy entirely.
The Torah says to educate a child according to his ways, and the Montessori method definitely embraces that.
The Montessori math materials are brilliant, I highly recommend them, but you need to study them first in order to teach them.
I love that Maria Montessori encouraged children to discover the world and learn new things though using all five senses, even reading.
I also love that in a Montessori classroom the children are free to roam around the room to find an activity that they are interested in.
In a Montessori environment, a child can work on what they are doing for as long as they wish. Should they want to work on math for 2 hours straight, they can do it. How awesome is that?
There is no homework or tests in a Montessori class. I love that too.
The teacher is not there to TEACH. She is there to help the child discover and learn. The teacher prepares lessons for the child to do by themselves, and she is there to assist should the child need assistance.
If a child is interested in something specific, the teacher finds ways for the child to discover this by engaging all five senses. The kids can't help but thrive in this way of learning.
If you have any questions regarding the Montessori method and how to incorporate it into your Jewish curriculum, feel free to e-mail me any time: Jewishmontessori18 AT gmail DOT com
