The Essence of Montessori Learning
Maria Montessori believed "that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being.” With this understanding, Montessori learning developed a system to give children the environment and tools they need to grow at every stage in development. Known as the "miracle children" in the 1940s, Montessori's young pupils were observed to be self-managing, self-disciplined and gracious to their peers -- so different from what you would expect of a little mess-maker. Montessori explained that "children are capable of initiating their own learning experiences." (1) By implementing a Montessori learning environment, you can encourage your children to be motivated by the reward that comes with learning something new.
Anyone Can Implement Montessori Learning
The purpose of education is not prepare children for a job, rather it is "...to help people become full human beings and members of the human community” said Andre Roberfroid, Former President Association Montessori Internationale. (2) Whether you are a teacher at a Montessori school, a parent of a Montessori student or want to implement a Montessori environment for homeschooling or other purposes, the use of simple and versatile materials are important. The key distinction from normal toys is that Montessori toys are simple and create minimal distractions. Many of the materials used in a Montessori environment can be adapted to each stage of brain and body development.
Arts and Creativity in Montessori Learning
Montessori, the largest pedagogy in the world, with over 22,000 international schools, places a heavy importance on art and creativity. “Art is fundamental to children’s creative, visual, sensorial, and emotional development.” Implementing art into the Montessori curriculum can help children develop propensities that make the learning process flow such as, "curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity." (3) Encourage children to explore their creative abilities with art supplies at eye level, giving them the agency in their own learning. Check out how you can turn a folder into a dry erase book with peel-n-stick Opti-Rite MSA dry erase covering.
“Art is fundamental to children’s creative, visual, sensorial, and emotional development.” (3)
Montessori Activities for Preschool through 5th Grade
You can use magnetic dry erase wallpaper and magnets for any age group and academic area. These Montessori dry erase kits can captivate your young learners in areas such as counting, matching, comparing and contrasting, all while exposing them to the beginnings of subjects like biology, math, art and more. Montessori learning can be carried into high school and beyond, but these activities focus on children ages 1-10.
From basic counting to mathematics |
Dressing up is a practical skill |
Geography basics... land and sea |
Getting comfortable with letters |
Versatile Montessori Learning Dry Erase Products
No matter what developmental stage your child or student is at, you can adapt these dry erase Montessori products according to their interests and abilities. Our dry erase lapboards and magnet sheets are completely customizable. Design and upload your own Montessori board or choose from any shown on our website. Lapboards can be paired with Opti-Rite MSA dry erase covering to create a more interactive and versatile learning experience. Check out our favorite Montessori dry erase products below.
Dry Erase Lapboards | Custom Magnet Sheet | Magnetic Whiteboard Wallpaper |
Why Choose OptiMA?
We are a small business making our products in the USA. We specialize in dry erase boards, dry erase wallcoverings, portable dry erase units, high-quality custom printed whiteboards, fast shipping, and five-star customer service. Over the last three decades, we've worked hard to deliver industrial quality whiteboard solutions that won't break customers' budgets.
Sources
- https://sapientiamontessori.com/montessori/montessori-at-home/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZFajh6uVWM&ab_channel=InsideMontessori
- https://montessoriacademy.com.au/art-process-montessori-education/
Please give us a call at 866)-366-1500, and we would love to help you with any further questions!