What is Montessori Education?
Montessori education is an educational approach developed by Maria Montessori, which is based on accepting that every child has different needs, different learning speeds and a different temperament, by taking into account the needs and characteristics of the child from early childhood to adolescence. The aim of Montessori education is to be aware of the abilities of each child, to develop these abilities, to ensure that he is a self-sufficient individual and to maximize learning. The Montessori approach is child-centered, the individuality of the child is respected, and the child is given as much choice and responsibility as possible according to his age. The basis of the Montessori method is to create a free space where the child can realize his or her potential by providing order and self-discipline, and to allow the child to make mistakes, to correct these mistakes, to research and to try.
What Are Montessori Toys?
In the Montessori education system, each of the toys and materials is prepared for a single skill and is divided into five different groups. These groups are; daily life skills, sense, mathematics, language and cosmic education. Daily life skills materials and toys consist of all kinds of tools that the child may encounter in his daily life, where he can improve his skills such as hand washing, buttoning and eating. Cleaning kits, dinnerware, shoelaces, velcro, etc. are among the daily life skills toys. Montessori tools are real materials instead of miniature toys of materials used in daily life. Tools such as kitchen counters and dining tables are adjusted according to the height of the children, and the materials are presented to the child regularly and frequently so that the child can gain daily life skills. Daily life skills also prepare the child for the sensory, mathematics, language and geography group.
Sensory materials, on the other hand, contain tools that stimulate the child’s different sense organs. Bells, rollers, color boxes, sound boxes and touch tablets are some of the sensory materials.
Tools such as red and blue number sticks, sandpaper numbers, small and large number beads, and addition and subtraction boards create math materials. Language materials include tools such as sandpaper letters, adjective practice small and large animated alphabets, noun and verb cards, and grammar box, while animals, maps, models of the solar system, and spheres form cosmic education materials. The aim of the cosmic education group is for children to acquire information about the world and universe they live in.
Montessori toys allow to support baby development and child development in the best way in all areas.
Montessori Toys by Age Groups
In the Montessori approach, it is aimed to provide an environment suitable for each child’s age, development and abilities, so toys suitable for that age are used for each age group. Some of the toys recommended for each age group are as follows.
0-12 months toys;
● Books
● Mobile
● Rattle
● Mirror
● Grab pull toys
● Materials that improve the sense of touch, vision and hearing
1 year old toys;
● Throwing balls, shapes and objects out of holes
● Ring-to-bar
● A few piece puzzle with handles
● Blocks
● Color matching
2 year old toys;
● Puzzle
● Shapes
● Color matching
● Blocks
● Geometric towers
3 year old toys;
● Numbers
● Geometric Table
● Play Dough
● Grouping Tray
● Bead threading set
4 year old toys;
● Wooden fruit and vegetable cutting set
● Taste Bottles
● Number Bars
● lacing
5 year old toys;
● Sand tray
● sandpaper letters
● Ring Throw
● Wood repair/kitchen set
6 years old toys;
● World map puzzle
● Sand tray
● Carpet loom
● Multipurpose math Cubes
● Board games
How is Montessori Education Applied?
Montessori education aims to prepare the child for real life by supporting not only academic education but also the development of the baby and the child in many areas such as social, emotional and sensory areas.
Montessori education is quite different from the conventional, classical-style education system. The goal is to teach learning, especially at kindergarten age, and to create a free environment where children can acquire the skills they need in life and be creative.
In a classroom environment where children from different age groups are together and each student’s individuality and characteristics are respected, the teacher only guides. Before the activity, the materials are chosen according to the child’s interest and the child is free to choose what he wants, but he also takes the responsibility of collecting and putting away what he is playing.
Montessori in education; The child is offered a choice, there is no imposition, the child learns by experience, nature is a part of education, there is no punishment, real objects are used, the child is given responsibilities and tasks that he can do.
At What Age Does Montessori Education Begin?
Montessori education is a philosophy rather than an education system, so parents can start Montessori education from birth. It is appropriate for the child to start home activities at the age of 2 and a kindergarten that has adopted the Montessori method at the age of 3.
Montessori Activities
Some Montessori activities that you can apply at home according to age groups;
1 Year Montessori Activities;
● listening to music
● reading a book
● Activity to reach the toy; make the baby move forward by laying her face down and placing something she wants to reach a little ahead
● Object placement; to give objects to place in things like ice cubes, compartmented containers
2-Year-Old Montessori Activities;
● Preparing sensory baskets, putting materials in different textures, different sounds and different smells in the basket.
● building a tower
● Grouping objects
● Transferring materials from one bottle to another bottle
● walking on sand
3 Years Old Montessori Activities;
● reading a book
● listening to music
● singing
● Coloring pasta and making necklaces
● Moving trays
● Catching what’s in the water with a scoop
● Introduce yourself
4 Age Montessori Activities;
● reading a book
● Listening to music, dancing
● singing
● Holding objects with tongs and transferring them to another container
● Filling the glasses with water from the jug
● nailing
● Color match
● Painting
5 Age Montessori Activities;
● Telling a story
● Finding the difference between objects
● Sing, rhyme
● Painting with different materials
● Grouping objects
● Finding the missing number
● Making cakes, cookies
6 Years Old Montessori Activities;
● Telling the story in the picture
● Sorting events in pictures
● Calculating grains with materials such as beads, stones and toys
● Writing on the blackboard with chalk
● Writing with sandpaper letters
● Shining shoes
● Deleting a table
● Making cake cookies