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MATERIALISED  ABSTRACTION

According to Montessori, materialised abstraction is a logical and developmentally appropriate progression for the child. The child is first introduced to a concrete material that embodies an abstract idea such as size or colour (e.g. colouring tablets). Through practical handling, the child's mind grasps the idea inherent in the material and forms a generalisation and finally an abstraction of it. In this way, the child can gradually grasp the same idea in symbolic form.

MATHEMATICAL MIND

All babies are born with a mathematical mind, which means that they have a natural willingness to learn things that improve their ability to be accurate, observe, compare, classify and organise. Humans are naturally inclined to calculate, measure, reason, abstract, imagine and create. This vital part of intelligence needs to be helped and supported by a prepared environment in order to develop and function.

MAXIMUM EFFORT

Children seem to have a tendency for difficult or hard work that tests their abilities. This gives them a sense of their growing strength. They cheer when they are allowed to exert themselves to the maximum. For example, a young child will have difficulty carrying a tray of juice glasses or pushing a heavy wheelbarrow. Children of primary school age and adolescents also show this need for effort and achievement as they grow up, if they are allowed to choose appropriate challenges themselves and exert themselves voluntarily.

MIXED-AGE-GROUPS

In Montessori education, the individual child and their individual learning development are the starting point for teaching. The more diverse the learning group, the greater the opportunity to benefit from each other. Younger pupils learn from older pupils, who in turn consolidate what they have learnt through repetition. This applies to Montessori children's homes as well as Montessori schools. In Montessori primary schools, children learn together from Year 1 to Year 6 or from Year 1 to Year 3 and Year 4 to Year 6. In adaptation to the classical school system, children can also study and learn together in a learning group from Year 1 to Year 4. The Montessori pedagogy basically provides for pupils at Montessori secondary schools to learn together from Year 7 to Year 12/13. However, in line with the school system, years 7-10 and years 11-12/13 are grouped together.

MONTESSORI MATERIAL 

Children and young people in the Montessori environment learn from the concrete to the abstract. In the Montessori Children's Centre and in the Montessori Primary School there is a wide range of materials for this purpose, which were developed by Maria Montessori on the basis of her observations. In these materials, she made abstract aspects, such as numbers, concrete and tangible. Montessori teachers speak of materialised abstraction in this context. The design and structure of the materials are well thought-out, small-step paths from the tangible to the abstract. In principle, the material always serves the individual development of the child or young person and is therefore also referred to as development material.