THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MONTESSORI METHOD PRINCIPLES
IN TEACHING ENGLISH TO THE PLAY GROUP PUPILS
OF SINGAPORE PIAGET ACADEMY MEDAN
A Thesis
Submitted to the English Applied Linguistics Study Program in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Magister Humaniora
By
RIRIS PANCA PUTRI Registration Number: 809112039
ENGLISH APPLIED LINGUISTICS STUDY
POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM STATE UNIVERSITY OF MEDAN
i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all, the writer would like to express the most gratitude to Jesus
Christ for His blessings in her life all the time.
This thesis would not also have been possible brought into existence without
the help and support of many people. The writer would like to express her big
gratitude to Dr. Didik Santoso, M.Pd and Prof. Dr. Berlin Sibarani, M.Pd as her
advisers, Prof. Dr. Sri Minda, M.S, Dr. Rahmad Husein, M.Ed and Dr. Anni
Holila Pulungan, M.Hum as her examiners. for their guidance, encouragement,
kindness, advice, times and long patience that they had spent for a very long time
on guiding and reviewing the writer.
The writer would like to express her thankful to her parents, St.Dariasa
Siahaan and Minar Sihombing; her sisters Eva Siahaan, SSi and Nogar Siregar,
Sevianna Siahaan, M.Pd and Tober Siregar, SE, Esther Siahaan, S.Sos, her
nephews Jeremy Siregar and Abraham Siregar, her husband Sandro Purba, ST, her
son Michael Purba, her mother in law, brothers and sisters in law, her beloved
families, relatives and friends specially Erna Oloviana, M.Hum and Rabiatul
Adhawiyah. And also, this thesis is dedicated for and her daughter Angelina Purba
and her sister Henny Siahaan, AMd who were in Heaven.
Medan, Juli 2016
ii ABSTRACT
Panca Putri, Riris. The Implementation of Montessori Method Principles in Teaching English to The Play Group Pupils of Singapore Piaget Academy Medan. A Thesis: English Applied Linguistics Study Program. Postgraduate School, State University of Medan. 2016
iii ABSTRAK
Panca Putri, Riris. Implementasi Prinsip-Prinsip Metode Montessori dalam Mengajar Bahasa Inggris kepada Murid-Murid Play Group di Sekolah Singapore Piaget Academy Medan. Tesis: Program Linguistik Terapan Bahasa Inggris. Pascasarjana, Universitas Negeri Medan. 2016
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Background of the Study
Teaching language to young learners is not the same compare with adults.
As Ashworth & Patricia (2005) state that learning although it is spontaneous and
unstructured, nevertheless it is steady and involving for the child. School as the
place to empower the students, has function to broaden the children’s range of
experiences. Pre-school period is very important in human life and education in
this period affects the life of child in the future. The transition from home to
school, whether it occurs at preschool or in kindergarten, marks an important
turning point in terms of language development. At home, children develop both
their physical and conversational skills in unstructured circumstances. The greater
part of their experience is often with one caregiver. Even when more than one is
involved, the number is usually limited and they are delighted to focus exclusively
on the child.
Dealing with the importance of pre-school education which gradually
increasing in the world and in our country, its condition should be implemented
during the education of 0-5 years old phase. It is considered to be the foundation
of an individual’s development. The most beneficial ways for this education is to
reach the intended aims. Pre-school is an important phase that prepares the child
for primary school. We can help the children develop their senses and learn
through experience by introducing the modern pre-school teachers to a
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center education environment as well as child-center educational tools and
equipment.
Nowadays, many schools declare their school as an international school
which has various activities and gives positive contributions for children
education. They claimed their school has a good system and concern to the
children’s psychological processes. Each school introduces their educational
system or approach is the best one in guiding the children in learning process.
Mostly, these schools are promoted by the educational practitioners from the
overseas with the students mostly are the certain ethnic heritage or from the rich
family.
On the other hand, with the modern education system is rapidly changing
today, the child centered educational applications are being defended within the
children’s rights as well. According to Ozerem and Kavaz (2011:12),
child‐centered as a modern approach is an efficient learning method. This method
enables children to develop their problem solving skills, creativity and
communicative skills. Children learn about the environment is a control-free way.
They decide what to do, how to do it, and which tools and materials to use.
Efficient learning method gives children the freedom of making their own choice.
This approach is related to Montessori Method. Montessori Method is based on
the child’s desire to learn.
In addition, according to Kayili and Ari (2011:2), Montessori Method
emphasizes that every child goes through a unique development process, and is a
unique individual and can learn in line with his/her capacity. Since children are
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necessary that they be exposed to a language in order to learn it. It is further
necessary that the speech to which children are exposed be related to objects,
events, and situations in the environment. Children will not learn language, if all
that they are exposed to be speech, no matter how many times it is uttered. The
sound form of a word must be associated with something that gives a clue as to
meaning. Without a sound meaning association, the mere utterance of the sound
form is of little communicative significance.
However, in teaching foreign language such as English for young learners, it
should be in joyfull atmosphere and the children enjoy the learning processes. In a
cheerful situation and meaningful condition, the children will understand the
material faster without feeling streesful. In Indonesian school todays, an English
subject has been skipped several years ago in Elementary school. It means in
pre-school learning a foreign language is not present.
Meanwhile, in Singapore Piaget Academy Medan, the young learners of
Play Group Two is taught English language. It is still argued whether teaching a
foreign language is helfpul for the young learners or Montessori principles
appropriate to the young learners on pre-school specifically as EFL young learners
in Indonesia. Thus, there is indeed a need for doing a research in order to
investigate the teachers in applying the principles of Montessori Method and how
do the teachers apply the role of teachers as assigned by Montessori Method.
The goal of both Montessori and traditional preschools is the same; to
provide learning experiences for children. The biggest differences lie in the kind
of learning experiences each school provides and the methods they use to
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because they help shape how a child learns, their work habits and their future
attitude towards themselves and the world around them.
In Singapore Piaget Academy, they teach English by using it along the
school hour. They teach the alphabets by pronouncing the letter sounds. This is
done to help the child learn how to read more quickly even at a very young age.
The teaching method is what the writer think is interesting for the writer to
observe because this teaching method is still fairly new and maybe someday we
can use in our educational curriculum. The writer wants to find out how the
implementation of Montessori Method in Singapore Piaget Academy Medan
whether the school is really pure using the Montessori Method or any combination
between Montessori Method and traditional method.
1.2 Research Problems
In relation to the background, the problems are formulated as the following:
1. What principles of Montessori Method are implemented by the teacher in the
classroom?
2. How are the principles implemented by the teacher in the classroom?
3. Why are the principles implemented by the teacher the way they are?
1.3 The Objectives of the Study
Related to the problems, the objectives of the study are:
1. To describe the principles are implemented by the teacher in the classroom.
2. To describe the process of the principles are implemented by the teacher in
the classroom.
3. To describe the reason of the principles implementation by the teacher the
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1.4 The Scope of the Study
To improve the children’s creativity, self-care, problem solving and social
skills, the role of the teachers is really important. There are several English
instructions that should be enhanced by the teachers in Montessori pre-school
such as preparation, application, and evaluation. In this research, the source of the
data will be limited on the application of Montessori principles in teaching the
young learners by the teacher and how do the the teachers apply the role of
teachers as assigned by Montessori Method in teaching English language to the
children in Singapore Piaget Academy Medan.
1.5 The Significance of the Study
The finding of the study will be expected to be useful for theoretical and
practical aspects. Theoretically, the research findings will be expected to enrich
the theories of language teaching strategies, specifically teaching foreign language
to the young learners.
Practically, findings are expected to be useful for teachers, headmasters/
stake holders for developing and increasing the science of language teaching for
children and the media for young learners. Then, for other researchers who are
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CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
5.1 Conclusions
After analyzing the principles of Montessori Method, the conclusions were
drawn as follows:
1. Based on the research findings, there were only four principles implemented by
the teacher in the classroom. They are (1) Respecting the Child, the teacher
showed their respect for children when they helped them do things, learned for
themselves, and developed the skills and abilities for effective learning
autonomy, and positive self-esteem; (2) The Absorbent Mind, the teacher
helped the children to educate themselves through experiences and
environment; (3) Sensitive Periods, the teacher must observe some certain
behaviors of the children which were different to each child. So, the teacher
could provide the setting for optimum fulfillment; (4) The Prepared
Environment, the teacher prepared the environment through materials and the
teacher’s experiences available for children in an orderly format.
2. The process of principles implementation by the teacher in the classroom by
selecting interesting activities and must provide a great variety of them.
Because teaching young learners is different from teaching adults. Young
children tend to change their mood every minute and they find it difficult to sit
in duration of time. The children should be enabling to learn on their own in a
set environment where they choose their own materials. A pre-school
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environment set based on Montessori materials on shelves which pre-school
children can reach. The learning environment is set by the teacher after
objectively only by organizing the materials from simple to complex. Teacher
should be good observer and only intervene when the child requires guidance.
The material used in education should be ordered from simple to complex in
shape and usage, should prepare the child for the next learning. Montessori
education is to make child independent and prepare the most suitable
environment to support child's development. There are light, portable furniture
that are suitable to child's height and proportioned to their body, drawers and
doors that are easy to open and close, soaps that fit to their hands' size, etc.
3. The reason of the principles implementation by the teacher the way they are
because the teacher wants to creat children to be bilingual in English language
as the second language, and to create outstanding young children who are
independent, discipline, responsible, and creative by providing a type of
learning system which is Montessori. It is a type of learning approach that
provides attractive set of educational materials and books, creative teachers and
supporting environment. Children learn English language actively at school,
and they learn English language from listening, speaking, reading and writing
lessons. The school used the Montessori Method which is combined with
Singapore curriculum. The teachers were from Phillipines who were familiar
with Montessori Method.
5.2 Suggestions
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1. Students of English Applied Linguistics Study can explore and investigate
some other phenomena of Montessori Method in any international schools in
order to reveal more principles and reason of the implementation of Montessori
Method in Medan.
2. It is also suggested for the stakeholders of Singapore Piaget Academy to train
the teachers and assistants who have not got a certificate of Montessori Method
through seminars and trainings to get the same vision and treatment in teaching
the students.
3. It is also suggested to Play Group teachers that Montessori approach is a kind
of modern lerning style that can be implemented in their schools. From those
materials of Montessori learning style, an output of a child is formed, a child
will grow to be an extra ordinary respected and talented person especially in
mastering English as his second language, in cognitive, motorist and social
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