What Exactly Is a Montessori School?
A school is an educational establishment designed to offer various learning spaces and learning opportunities for children under the care of qualified teachers. Most developed countries have systems of public formal schooling, which can be mandatory. In such systems, children progress from a series of kindergarten up to intermediate schools, and then higher schools. In some countries, the primary and secondary school systems are separate, and the child goes to school only at the high school. In developing countries, the school system often combines the kindergarten, primary and secondary school systems.
A primary school usually starts at nursery school, where children are taught basic learning skills by teachers who have received special training in those fields. Special education teaching is another branch of primary teaching. Here, children with special needs are taught by trained specialists. These include speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical education trainers and health professionals.
After primary school, most children continue their education in either a junior or secondary school, where they complete various courses under the guidance of teachers who have received special training in those fields. Most young children begin attending primary schools at age six, but this is not always the case in some countries. There are also schools for boys and girls, which may start earlier in some places. In most developing countries, the educational institute is a separate structure that is built separately from the primary school, sometimes operating within the same compound.
In most cases, children attend primary schools for different types of purposes. For instance, girls attend primary schools to gain admission to girl’s schools, while boys go to primary schools to gain admission to boy’s schools. In the US, girls usually attend a girl’s school, while boys go to a boy’s school. In some countries, the two structures are blended, with primary schools operating separately for different types of students. This is especially common in the United States, where there are almost half a dozen different types of primary schools.
Private special education schools usually concentrate on a particular subject, such as art, music, science, mathematics or English. These schools usually come up with a set curriculum based on these disciplines. Special education, however, is a subset discipline of Montessori education, and involves the study of any form of learning experience, from the cognitive process of a baby through the preschool years. There is a huge variety of disciplines that fall under the umbrella of Montessori education, and each one offers an individualized approach to educating young minds. Montessori schools, therefore, can offer specialized academic instruction, artistic programs, therapeutic activities and even foreign language courses.
The main aim of a Montessori school is to provide a full form of education that is highly flexible, and which meets the requirements of parents. This means that the Montessori school cannot be accused of being a reformatory, as such. The emphasis is on the development of personal responsibility within a balanced educational environment. Whether this is taught in the classroom through various full forms of Montessori methods, or is taught in a more naturalistic way through home study courses, the result is a highly intelligent and socially aware young person.