The Ultimate Montessori Blog

Montessori is a name familiar to many but often with unreal associations. Several practicing Montessori Houses of Children gave us several reports about how the Montessori philosophy is misconstrued. This attempt will throw light, we hope, on clearing such misconceptions.

One of the myths is that the Montessori method is meant for rich children and not for the poor children. We can address this thought in a few ways.

1. The Montessori method is for children. Dr. Maria Montessori would say that the children are in the process of creating the adult. She would even say that this is the COSMIC TASK of the child. From that point of view all children are the same. The children are neither rich nor poor. It is the parents who have wealth or don’t. So it would be a fallacy to say that Montessori method is for rich children only.

2. This idea has become widespread because Montessori has become synonymous to preschool education. Between the age 3 and 6 the child needs to learn by working with his hands and senses. Therefore the need of equipment. It is a little known fact that the Montessori method is applicable to all age groups of childhood. The need for such equipment will not be necessary for the period other than 3–6 years.

3. Persons engaged in assisting children in their development feel very sad when such statements are made implying that expenses made for children are unnecessary or redundant. This seems to imply that the children do not deserve such expenditure made for their sake.

4. The above thoughts leads to another which can be more positive that the richness of experience during the formative years is a great investment, we can make in enhancing human resources. So instead of saying that the method is for children of rich parents why not try to spend the money to make facilities available to the children of poor parents. It is bound to fetch rich dividends. It is often that the children of poor parents are rich in their everyday experiences. Their consciousness with regard to the world outside is easily and quickly built. They can deal with their problems better. Teachers practising the Montessori approach with children of parents belonging to the lower income group can quote many rewarding experiences which reveal the development of the child’s personality.

5. Working out the economics of establishing and managing a Montessori House of Children for children we find that the expenses are high in the beginning while we invest on learning materials. When the materials are used in a House of Children which follows the method in its true spirit there should be no need for replacement of the material for many years. It is a known fact, such Houses of Children report to us that they have had their materials in good condition even after ten or twelve years. If such is the case then how can we call it expensive and, and therefore, fit for children of rich parents only.