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Dr. Maria Montessori's (1870-1952) Big Idea Harmoni Adkins

Maria Montessori's approach to education is student-centered. Montessori's learning theory is based upon placing children in a well structured and planned environment that allows a child to follow their interests. In a Montessori environment children are not forced to learn, rather their learning is guided by their interests and developmental level by learning directly from their environment or from other children. Montessori classrooms accomplish this by providing a free and open area where the children are given freedom to choose which activities they engage in and manipulative thats provide active learning to occur within appropriate development levels.

Maria Montessori believed that children learn and develop naturally when they are motivated. Additionally, teachers within a Montessori educational environment do not directly teach students. Instead, teachers follow the lead of the children and observe their actions in order to ascertain their individual developmental needs. By observing each child, the teacher is then able to make decisions about the materials that are placed within the classroom. Montessori teachers also guide the children's learning when interacting with new materials. Because children are discovering their environment and learning in an organic way, children are able to question and investigate their environment.

It is believed that children who have an educational experience that is based upon Montessori's theory are highly motivated, independent, self-confident, and self-disciplined learners. Montessori's learning theory is strongly connected to Rogers and Dewey. Rogers believes that one person's learning can only be facilitated by another's learning and Dewey's theory involves education to be most effective when learning and experience are interconnected.

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