Seven Points of the Montessori System

1. Each child works at his own pace. Hence the quick child is not held back by the slow; nor is the latter, in trying to keep up with the former, obliged to flounder along helplessly out of his depth. Each stone in the mental edifice is well laid before the next is added.
2. Since the child works from his own free choice, without competition or coercion, he is freed from danger of over strain, feelings of inferiority, or other experiences which are apt to be the unconscious cause of profound mental disturbances in later life.
3. It has proved itself of universal application. Within a single generation, it has been tried with complete success with children of almost every civilized nation. Race, color, climate, nationality, social rank, type of civilization--all these make no difference to its successful application.
4. The Montessori method develops the whole personality of the child, not merely his intellectual function, but also his powers of deliberation, initiative, and independent choice, with their emotional compliments. By living as a free member of a real social community, the child is trained in those fundamental social qualities which form the basis of good citizenship.
5. The Montessori system encourages self-discipline, self-knowledge, and independence, as well as enthusiasm for learning, an organized approach to problem-solving, and academic skills.
6. Most children appear to adjust readily to new situations when they go from Montessori to traditional classroom environments. In all likelihood this is because they have developed self-discipline and independence in the Montessori environment.
7. In a Montessori class, a child is not pushed to intellectual accomplishment. He is given the keys to exploration through sensorial material, which is an aid to classifying and organizing the impressions his mind already holds. Intellectual exploration forms the backbone and structure of all the creative work in a Montessori classroom. Voluntary repetition of an exercise by a child without suggestion or command is a phenomena common in Montessori classrooms throughout the world. To repeat is to acquire understanding, to demonstrate concentration, to work toward perfection.