The Child at the Heart of Education: The Child-Centred Approach

The most important distinction of Montessori education is that it does not shape the child to fit the curriculum; it shapes the curriculum to fit the child. This is a radical and loving stance that accepts every child is unique and cannot be squeezed into a standard, one-size-fits-all mould.

The Teacher as a Guide

In traditional settings, the teacher is a figure who stands at the front of the class and passes knowledge down from above. In Montessori, the word "guide" is usually preferred to "teacher". The guide's job is not to talk constantly or deliver lessons, but to observe.

Recognising which sensitive period a child is in is the guide's most important task. If a child is completely absorbed in numbers and quantities that week, the guide directs them towards the mathematics materials. The moments when a child is concentrating are precious and are never interrupted without reason.

What Does It Mean to Respect a Child?

• Respecting their pace: Some children learn to read at four, others at six. In a child-centred approach, no one is considered late, and children are not compared with one another.
• Respecting their choices: The child chooses the material they will work with in the classroom. Work that begins by the child's own choice fuels intrinsic motivation.
• Respecting their mistakes: Most Montessori materials have a built-in "control of error". When a child puts the wrong piece in a tower, the tower falls. The child does not need a teacher's warning; the material itself shows what is right. This lets the child take risks without fear of criticism.

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In the Montessori philosophy, respect for a child is no different from respect for an adult. We kneel down to children's height, make eye contact and listen carefully to their ideas.

Explore Further

If you are wondering in what kind of environment children experience this freedom, read our article "The Prepared Environment: A World Open to Children's Discovery".

Read it here