Early childhood education across the world has been influenced by the pioneering work of Maria Montessori, and this book provides a complete overview of Montessori pedagogy and practice. It considers the Montessori approach within the context of early childhood education and care, and examines it in the light of new insights from the fields of neuroscience and child development.

By helping the reader understand the influence of Montessori on contemporary early years policy and practice, the book outlines ideas relevant to all early years settings, and suggests ways for all early childhood educators to apply these ideas in practice.

The book looks in detail at:

  • The Montessori story
  • The child as worker and the adult as observer
  • Developing independence and concentration
  • Using the senses to build the foundations for learning
  • Early communication and language
  • Early mathematics
  • Cultural knowledge and understanding
  • Maria Montessori, and other early childhood pioneers

Within each chapter are definitions of the key concepts of the Montessori approach, questions for reflection and discussion, activities and suggestions for further reading. This book focuses on the 3 to 6 age range.

Montessori in Context

Montessori in context

Chapter Objectives

  • To locate the Montessori approach to early childhood education in a broader historical context.
  • To link Dr Montessori's contribution to her predecessors and contemporaries in the field.
  • To consider how Montessori ideas might contribute to the field of early childhood education into the future.

The first Montessori school opened one hundred years ago in the first decade of the twentieth century. In the first decade of the twenty-first century Montessori schools continue to flourish around the world. The method was originally devised for children of the slums, but in the last hundred years children of all backgrounds have attended Montessori schools. Uniquely among approaches to early childhood education in use today, the Montessori approach provides a bridge from the present to educational ...

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