THE PHILOSOPHY

Maria Montessori, often considered the first female physician in Italy, innovated the Montessori approach to education. The Montessori method concentrates on the specific developmental needs of the child. Montessori believed that everyone learns differently, and at their own pace. She created a new type of classroom, a prepared environment, to accommodate and stimulate the individual interests of her students. The Montessori method has successfully been practiced for over a century. Here, at Baan Dek, we’re proud to recognize and carry on that tradition.

THE APPROACH

The paradox of education is that once you learn something new, you disrupt the way things once were. What makes Montessori so relevant today, is that it prepares children for real world experiences. The focus is not on how to memorize, recite, or even how to solve a problem, but instead how to think through, understand, and ultimately invent new questions, for tasks yet to be determined. In a very real way, we believe that Montessori was the only system of education adequately prepared to address the unique challenges of the twenty-first century.

Programs

The Montessori method, philosophy and materials help satisfy the natural tendency of children to follow their interests. As they actively explore the classroom, an emphasis is placed on process, rather than product, and children develop a sense of order, independence, and concentration, as they participate in a community of learners. In a phrase, Montessori offers children the opportunity to form a concrete appreciation of abstract concepts.

Accredited

One of the most important things to consider when choosing Montessori, is if the Montessori school that you are interested in is certified and if the teachers are Montessori trained. Anyone can use the Montessori name, as Montessori never patented her method, so it’s important to research the qualifications of the school. Baan Dek is the first and only accredited Association Montessori Internationale in the state of South Dakota.

What Makes Montessori Great

• ✓ Emphasis placed on cognition & social formation.
• ✓ Teacher as guide of classroom.
• ✓ Environment and method promote self-discipline.
• ✓ Primarily individual instruction.
• ✓ Teacher encourages collaboration.
• ✓ Mixed-age group of children. Child chooses their own work.
• ✓ Self-teaching materials help child learn concepts.
• ✓ Child is allocated time to complete lessons.
• ✓ Learning pace set by individual student.
• ✓ Internal reinforcement of learning success.
• ✓ Personal feelings of progress.
• ✓ Child is free to work in the classroom.
• ✓ Group participation elective.
• ✓ Self-care learned.

Visual Encyclopedia

One of the primary reasons there are so many misconceptions about Montessori is because it contains so many layers. Beneath the surface of the activities and materials, an abundance of theories swarm. Over the years, and in a concerted effort to make Montessori more transparent, we’ve collected a series of visuals, to try to extrapolate the rich and fertile soil of Montessori. In many respects, it’s one of those things that needs to be seen, to be believed.

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