page_title: Montessori education
hierarchical_section_title: Montessori education
caption_attribution_description: English: Children working on the phonogram moveable alphabet
context_page_description: The Montessori Method of Education, developed by Italian physician Maria Montessori, is a child-centered educational approach based on scientific observations of children. The method views the child as naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared learning environment. It attempts to develop children physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively. Montessori's method has been used for over 100 years in many parts of the world.
  Although a range of practices exist under the name "Montessori", the Association Montessori Internationale and the American Montessori Society cite these elements as essential:
  Mixed-age classrooms: classrooms for children ages ​2 ¹⁄₂ or 3 to 6 years old are by far the most common, but 0–3, 6–9, 9–12, 12–15, and 15–18-year-old classrooms exist as well
  Student choice of activity from within a prescribed range of options
  Uninterrupted blocks of work time, ideally three hours
  A constructivist or "discovery" model, where students learn concepts from working with materials rather than by direct instruction
context_section_description: The Montessori Method of Education, developed by Italian physician Maria Montessori, is a child-centered educational approach based on scientific observations of children. The method views the child as naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared learning environment. It attempts to develop children physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively. Montessori's method has been used for over 100 years in many parts of the world.
  Although a range of practices exist under the name "Montessori", the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and the American Montessori Society (AMS) cite these elements as essential:
  Mixed-age classrooms: classrooms for children ages ​2 ¹⁄₂ or 3 to 6 years old are by far the most common, but 0–3, 6–9, 9–12, 12–15, and 15–18-year-old classrooms exist as well
  Student choice of activity from within a prescribed range of options
  Uninterrupted blocks of work time, ideally three hours
  A constructivist or "discovery" model, where students learn concepts from working with materials rather than by direct instruction
  Specialized educational materials developed by Montessori and her collaborators often made out of natural, aesthetic materials such as wood rather than plastic
  A thoughtfully prepared environment where materials are organized by subject area, within reach of the child, and are appropriate in size
  Freedom within limits
  A trained Montessori teacher who follows the child and is highly experienced in observing the individual child's characteristics, tendencies, innate talents, and abilities
caption: Children working with a moveable alphabet at a Montessori school[1]
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