Understanding Montessori

The Purpose of Montessori Education

Dr. Maria Montessori believed that no human being is educated by another person.  She must do it herself or it will never be done.  A truly educated individual continues learning long after the hours and years she spends in the classroom because she is motivated from within by a natural curiosity and love for knowledge.  Dr. Montessori felt, therefore, that the goal of early childhood education should not be to fill the child with facts from a preselected course of studies, but rather to cultivate her own natural desire to learn.

In the Montessori classroom this objective is approached in two ways:  first, by allowing each child to experience the excitement of learning by her own choice rather than by being forced, and second, by helping her to perfect all her natural tools for learning, so that her ability will be at a maximum in future learning situations.  The Montessori materials have this dual long-range purpose in addition to their immediate purpose of giving specific information to the child.

Watch Westminster Patch for future articles on Montessori education from the Montessori School of Westminster. 

Founded in 1974, MSW is a private, non-profit school serving children ages two through the middle school years.  It provides auxiliary care programs and summer camp to meet the needs of its families.  It is a member of the Association of Independent Maryland Schools and the American Montessori Society, and is a certified green school by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).  Visit the MSW 27-acre hilltop campus just north of Westminster by calling 410.848.6283 or emailing us at Radcliffe@themsw.org.

From a Parent’s Guide to the Montessori Classroom: Aline D. Wol