‘Follow the child’ in Montessori lingo is described in context with ‘prepare the environment’ and ‘observe without judgement or interference’. When you understand the latter two statements then following the child makes coherent sense. Montessori believed that a child is born with and develops [insert appropriate pronoun] own interests, thoughts, ideas and purpose naturally. Adults […]
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Both the powerhouse that is the educator and physician Dr Maria Montessori’s and psychologist Jean Piaget’s stages and planes of cognitive development are quite insightful and useful to understand when parenting, teaching or involved with children in any capacity. Although Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development are more widely referenced in education, Montessori’s Planes of Development
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First of all you can’t teach character. Let’s start there! “The human personality forms itself by itself…” Maria Montessori, The Secret of Childhood, p. 31 Children are born with their own unique character; it is not something that anyone outside of self can develop. It can however be nurtured and supported by the environment surrounding the
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“It is a most unnatural and cruel thing to put people of the same age together. It is one of the most cruel things we do to children…” Page 331. Uh oh! What did Maria Montessori mean by this blanket statement? “In most schools there is first the separation of the sexes and then that
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Maria Tecla Artemesia Montessori, born in Italy on the thirty-first of August eighteen seventy, was a very determined and inquisitive individual whose works have reverberated in healing ways within education for over one hundred and fifty years. Simply a mind ahead of its time. Where It All Began… Her father was a soldier, civil servant
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When we are exploring the world of adolescence and looking through the lens of Montessori, we understand that she coins this stage as the Third Plane of Development; between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Rewinding a little bit; the first plane of development is between the ages of zero to six and children at
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“Is not nature full of magic, full of miracles ?” (Montessori, The Absorbent Mind, page 39) Imagine entering a whole new world; new sights, new smells, tastes, sounds, experiencing new sensations and having the journey of figuring it all out including the vehicle that you entered this new world in; your body. Everything you encounter
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It’s quite humorous to think adults teach the child how to talk and quite fascinating to understand how much that is far from the truth. Facilitate by modelling absolutely; but it is the child who teaches him or herself how to talk with an effort and conviction that is most admirable. We know that the
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Critical thinking includes, amongst other things, the ability to: analyse, interpret, draw inference, explain, self-regulate and problem-solve; the results of which enhance a child’s creativity, decision-making abilities and curiosity about the world they live in. Whilst ruminating on how Montessori practices support the development of this skill, it was apparent that it is intricately and
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Normalisation is a term used within Montessori pedagogy and practice to describe a child who is able to work consistently both independently and cooperatively without straying focus and with an inner joy and enthusiasm for the activity or ‘work’ being completed. The characteristics of a normalised child include being able to treat others and themselves with respect
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