Dr. Maria Montessori recognized that children are not all the same when it comes to learning, and therefore should not be taught as if they were. In a Montessori classroom, for example, a lesson on the cardiovascular system will often be taught in a series of steps: Note-taking based on a teacher-led lesson and student-driven library/internet research; drawing and/or the completion of diagrams; and the hands-on manipulation of a model of the heart. Students are guided by the teacher but are also expected to be both self-directed in their learning and to collaborate with their peers.
Although some of the tools and methods may have evolved, the fundamental tenets of the Montessori philosophy continues to hold true today. And we know that how? Because 110 years of proven success tells us so.
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