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The first years of a child's life are crucial for cognitive development. One
psychologist claims that 50 percent of a child's adult intellectual capacity is formed by age four, and 80 percent by age eight. During the early years the child builds the basic mental structure (or mental order) that he/she will use for life, and the child develops a basic attitude toward learning and towards himself or herself.
The Toddler class serves as the foundation of the child's education. A toddler undergoes rapid development by means of a mind that is constantly absorbing impressions from the environment, at first rather like a camera and then more self-consciously. This child is continuing the process, begun at birth, of developing language, coordination of movement, and independence. All of this is facilitated by the child's active participation, interacting with his/her environment, which at CMS is the prepared environment of our Toddler community.
Between ages 3 and 6 children continue to exhibit great curiosity and to have a tremendous capacity for learning. They love to explore color, form, sound, and texture, as well as many other aspects of the world around them. They continue to explore with their senses by touching, looking, hearing, etc. They absorb facts about the world, including the names of things. They acquire independence by learning to do things for themselves, to concentrate, to better use spoken language, to make increasingly coordinated movements, to read, to write, to grasp numbers, to be well mannered, and to make informed choices. Like the toddlers, the children in the Primary classes benefit enormously from a classroom that is specifically designed to enable them to take advantage of their readiness to learn. A Montessori program for children 3 to 6 is unique in that it offers a carefully prepared classroom full of scientifically designed materials and equipment. At Chesapeake Montessori School every teacher is trained to observe each child and to present the activities and materials for which the child is ready. Most lessons are individualized. Our goal is that a child's experience in a Primary class be enjoyable and an aid to his/her developing independence. Thus we help to further a child's cognitive growth and the development of his/her creativity, social skills, love of learning, self-confidence, and power of concentration.
The Elementary program builds upon the foundation laid in the Primary class. Dr. Montessori found that children ages 6 to 11 have their own special sensitivities for learning. These children need a different kind of prepared environment than children 2 1/2 to 6, and they need different types of lessons. In a Montessori Elementary class children are helped to take advantage of their special needs: to explore reasons and causes; to use their powers of abstraction to learn about things which they can not perceive directly; to work with other children on projects; and to work in an environment wider than the classroom (the outdoors, the resources of the community, etc.). Each child is helped to integrate various aspects of the curriculum so that he/she can better see relationships between physical, biological, and cultural phenomena. The Elementary child's capacity for abstraction allows his/her imagination to explore everything from the origin of the earth to the reaches of outer space. This program offers a high degree of individualized instruction and work. Introductory lessons, called "keys", are given to start the children working in a particular subject area. They present the essentials of each subject in a way that will stimulate the child's desire to learn. The lessons use concrete or illustrative aids at first; then a child is shown how to work in the abstract. Many unique Montessori materials and activities are used to help the child make this transition. In a Montessori Elementary class a child is given lessons in many areas not necessarily included in the standard school curriculum, and exploration and research can take the child into much greater depth than is achieved in a standard classroom. Much of the work is done spontaneously; therefore, a child's knowledge is more likely to become a part of him or her.
Recently the results of a new study measuring the impact of a Montessori Primary/Elementary education were published. This well-designed study compares the academic achievement of two groups of students (about 200 students in each group) who graduated from high schools of the Milwaukee Public Schools between 1997 and 2001.
One group consisted of students who attended Montessori schools through the 5th grade. The comparison group did not attend Montessori schools, but was a carefully matched sample, consisting of students similar to those in the Montessori group in terms of gender, race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, and the quality of the high school attended (which included a college preparatory high school, an International Baccalaureate school, and a school for those talented in the arts.
Test scores and grade point averages (GPA's) for both groups of high school students were compared. Tests used were the ACT (similar to the SAT), the WKCE (Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination). The students who had attended Montessori schools from ages 3 to 11 significantly outperformed the comparison group on Math/Science scores. The Montessori group had a higher GPA than the comparison group in all subjects. Thus, the study supports the hypothesis that Montessori education has a positive long-term impact.
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"...the most important period of life is not the age of university studies but the first one, the period from birth to the age of six. For that is the time when Man's intelligence itself, his greatest implement, is being formed."
Maria Montessori |
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