Montessori School: What distinguishes the school model?

An alternative to the regular school is the Montessori school. It differs from regular schools primarily in its teaching methods, but is based more on state curricula than, for example , Waldorf schools do. The Montessori school is based on the ideas of the Italian reform pedagogue Maria Montessori. She was of the opinion that children should be respected in their personality and, according to their own learning pace, should learn independently.

Montessori school in Germany

The first German Montessori school was opened in Jena in 1924. There are now over 400 Montessori schools throughout Germany. The focus is on preschool and elementary school. More than half of the Montessori schools are private schools and are independently sponsored. This means that they do not receive any state funding and therefore have to finance themselves in part or completely. The sponsors are often Protestant or Catholic churches or parent initiatives. But there are also state schools that offer Montessori courses.

Montessori school concept

The Montessori school focuses on the individual abilities, gifts and talents of the students. Her methods should strengthen the children’s own will and encourage independent thinking and acting. The concept of the Montessori school also includes a certain developmental perspective, a special learning environment with its own teaching materials and a special role for the teacher:

• Sensitive phases: In the so-called “sensitive phases”, children are particularly receptive to the development of certain skills, such as language or motor skills. With appropriate educational incentives, it is easier for children in these phases to concentrate and to grasp formal and content-related topics better, faster and more permanently. The educator must recognize these time phases and encourage the children accordingly.
• “Prepared environment”: This term is based on the idea that teaching materials that correspond to the children’s natural learning interests are accessible to everyone in the classroom and are presented at eye level. The Montessori materials include, for example, strings of beads for arithmetic or wooden letters for learning to read and write. The materials are always only available once, with the aim of improving social behavior among each other. In addition, there are also textbooks, which, however, are often only used from the third grade onwards.
• Role of the teacher: According to the principle of Montessori pedagogy: “Help me to do it myself”, the teachers in the Montessori school play more the role of a helper. They accompany the development process of the children by explaining the use of the teaching materials and being available as contact persons. They also maintain some order by stepping in when a child isn’t coping, motivated, or disruptive.

Lessons in the Montessori school

Lessons in a Montessori school take place in mixed-age and mixed-ability classes, which are usually supervised by two teachers. If necessary, the students can call on the help of the teachers, but they can also help other children themselves and thus learn from each other. The mutual give and take creates a strong class association.

• Free work: During the free work, the students of the Montessori school can decide for themselves which topic they want to deal with. Every child can work independently with the special Montessori teaching materials and follow their own working rhythm. They are encouraged to repeat the learning content independently and to optimize the learning pace for themselves. In free work, the focus is on “learning on your own initiative”, because Montessori pedagogy assumes that every child has a natural joy in learning. In the secondary levels, i.e. from the fifth grade, the proportion of free work decreases and more long-term project work is carried out.
• Bound subject lessons: After the free work, bound, guided subject lessons take place in the Montessori school, for example in English or mathematics. The content is differentiated: while some students are learning addition, others are already dealing with subtraction. Class tests are written depending on the performance level of the respective student.

Are there grades at the Montessori school?

There are also school grades at a Montessori school. However, these are often only awarded from the eighth grade. Before that, the students receive detailed report certificates from their teachers, sometimes with grades if they are desired. The Montessori students receive feedback on their learning success in personal discussions with their teachers, which they can request themselves at any time. In addition, as soon as they can write, they keep a notebook in which they document their daily routine and in which the teacher copies the learning progress of the students.

Qualifications from the Montessori school

In most cases, the same qualifications can be acquired at a Montessori school as at a regular school. However, there are only a few Montessori schools that also lead to the Abitur. Depending on the federal state, it may also be necessary to take the exams externally at a state school. Special difficulties with such a change, which result from the special pedagogical design of the Montessori school, cannot be observed.

Cost of the Montessori school

Attending a Montessori school is rarely free . Most are private schools and must fund themselves. Therefore, school fees are usually staggered according to the income of the parents, which can be between 80 and 500 euros per month . In the case of particularly gifted children or low-income families, however, there is the possibility of a scholarship. It is best to find out for yourself at the respective Montessori school which financial aid you can claim.