Benefits of individual, paired and group lessons in a Montessori children's house

Abstract

Presentations, or lessons, are one of the foundations for children's learning in the Montessori environment. Maria Montessori contended that lessons should be given individually; however, through this study, the researcher explored the benefits of individual, group or paired lesson presentations. Results indicated that depending on the student, the lesson, and the guide there are different times when a teacher could benefit from the use of any of the three: group, paired or individual lessons. After interviewing several teachers, their input was analyzed to find patterns in why they chose group vs. individual lessons and the benefits or disappointments they have faced when giving group lessons. Some of the frequent reasons for choosing to conduct group lessons were: following the child or material to be presented works better in small groups such as grace and courtesy or golden bead addition. Individual lessons have benefits as well such as less distractions and lessons catered to each child's specific learning needs.