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Early childhood education is of utmost importance to a child in helping him develop into a mature, confident and self-reliant adult. In the formative period spanning the first six years of a child’s life , a child’s brain is most receptive to external influences and marked by intense development. A child’s activity center is increasingly becoming the preferred choice of parents who wish to channelize their child’s energies as well as innate love for learning in the right direction. This blog will shed light on the unique role of activity centers in promoting holistic development of young children and the importance of professional education organizations for Montesori practitioners.
Student-Centered Learning: The Heart of Progressive Education
The approach of progressive education is in direct contrast to the direct instruction approach followed in conventional classrooms that relates to how students should actively participate in choosing how and what they learn. Proponents of this approach argue that the teacher should not dictate the learning experiences of students but students themselves should have the right to make responsible choices related to their learning. The concept of progressive education lies at the heart of classroom settings especially at the elementary level. An example of this lies in the childs activity centers that can be regarded as classroom-turned-workshops based on the idea of students participating in a set of activities throughout the day whereby each activity addresses a specific concept, sensory experience or subject area. The activity center follows a structured routine and carefully designed learning materials are provided to students to boost their powers of concentration and skill sets. There is no fixed curriculum but the child is free to engage in activities that stimulate his interest and arouse his inner curiosity. The emphasis is on practical learning whereby the child is made to learn through hands-on activities or use of concrete objects to build a foundation in mathematics, improve his problem -solving capabilities or vocabulary building.
Major Professional educational organizations for Montessori
1 ACEI
The forum of ACEI aims to facilitate access to education for every child by providing the relevant educational resources to primary and secondary educational institutions It hosts three different programs namely the Center for Education Diplomacy and Leadership that is driven to eliminate barriers caused by inequalities in gender and financing to foster inclusive learning; Secondly, Global Schools First that is concerned with assessing schools based on their ability to inculcate critical competencies in children required for academic and practical success and finally Innovative Exchange that aims to introduce innovative changes in curriculum , school design and technological tools to resolve academic difficulties for K-12 children.
2 AMS
The AMS is a global non-profit organization that is leading the way in Montessori research and acting as an advocate for Montessori educators in terms of policy development. It aims to train and guide Montessori teachers through mentorship, teacher education and professional development programs to enable them to deliver innovative and child-centered Montessori education. It also sets standards for the operation and processes of Montessori Schools and evaluates their performance to ensure they maintain high professional standards.
3 MEPI
MEPI is associated with developing and offering programs based on core Montessori principles and values to promote authentic Montessori education. It also provides networking and training opportunities to Montessori teachers to equip them with the resources , knowledge and tools that are conducive to creating a learning -oriented environment that bolsters a child’s natural curiosity and desire to learn. This not only promotes continuing development of teachers but contributes to higher standards of Montessori education that can instill mutual respect, empathy and understanding in the world community.
Advantages of activity centers
1 Favorable environment
Activity centers create an environment that supports the diverse learning needs of students so that students can learn at their own pace. They implement a specially designed curriculum that revolves around their specific needs to help them develop certain skills.
2 Independent decision-making ‘
Since the children get to choose their own activities and also how to explore them, this not only helps to fulfill their individual needs but also cultivates their self-confidence and autonomy. As the child goes about doing things for himself without relying on others, the true potential of the child will be revealed while making him more self-disciplined which is necessary for the upcoming developmental stages.
3 Develop team bonding
Activity centers provide children an opportunity to interact and communicate with their peers as well as cooperating with them in accomplishing a varied set of activities and tasks. . Over a course of time, this develops a sense of team spirit and nurtures their socio-emotional growth.
4 Creative learning
Activity centers promote a child’s capacity for creativity by allowing him to express his or her own ideas and creative impulses, The very purpose of activity centers is to make learning fun and a joy and not a competition for grades so that children make the most of the learning process without fear of the end-result. Utilizing play-based learning enables children to experiment, explore and discover concepts and skills in an engaging manner.
Conclusion
An activity center can be regarded as a bridge between a home and school that offers the best possible start for a child. Collaboration between professional education organizations and activity centers is central to achieving the goals of Montessori education through improvements in curriculum, training , quality assurance and innovative programs. This in turn enhances the effectiveness of learning centers to introduce childhood programs that facilitate learning for children that cater to various learning styles and levels.
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