Maria Montessori (Italian: 1870 – 1952)
Montessori’s interest in education sprang up from her observations of retarded children. She felt that education should be based not only on the responsiveness of children’s senses but also on their own desire to master skills. She emphasized that the child is deeply interested in “work” which adult consider play, and she developed a set of materials which were self-correcting, to be used in a sequence from simple to complex and required the minimum guidance of teachers.
These auto-education aids consisted of puzzles, insert boards, counting devices, sand paper letters, buttoning and lacing frames, etc. By 1907, schools using her methods started operating all over the world.
According to Dr. Maria Montessori, “A child's work is to create the person she/he will become.” Children are born with special mental powers which aid in the work of their own construction. But they cannot accomplish the task of self-construction without purposeful movement, exploration, and discovery of their environment—both the things and people within it. They must be given the freedom to use their inborn powers to develop physically, intellectually, and spiritually. A Montessori classroom provides this freedom within the limits of an environment which develops a sense of order and self-discipline. Also basic to Montessori's philosophy is her discovery of Sensitive Periods in children's development. During these periods children seek certain stimuli with immense intensity, to the exclusion of all others. So it is during this time that a child can most easily master a particular learning skill. Dr. Montessori devised special materials to aid children in each Sensitive Period. It is the responsibility of the teacher to recognize these periods in individual children and put them in touch with the appropriate materials in the classroom environment. The focus of Montessori education continually changes to adapt to the child's natural stages of development. The Montessori approach is concerned foremost with the development of human potential. This approach is based on "following the child", on recognising the developmental needs and characteristics of children of each age group and constructing the corresponding environment that best meets these needs. Maria Montessori observed that the child moves to adulthood through a series of developmental periods which described as Planes of Development. Each period is different but is built on the foundation of the preceding one with the Montessori environment and approach tailored to meet the child's needs at each stage. There are four planes of development. This Planes of Development are the basis for the three year age groupings found in Montessori school classes: ages three to six; six to nine; nine to twelve; and twelve to fifteen.
In the first plane from birth to age six, the child is characterised by his or her 'absorbent mind', absorbing all aspects of his or her environment, language and culture. In the second plane from age six to twelve, the child uses a 'reasoning mind' to explore the world with abstract thought and imagination. In the third plane from twelve to eighteen, the adolescent has a 'humanistic mind' eager to understand humanity and the contribution he or she can make to society. In the last plane of development from age eighteen to twenty four, the adult explores the world with a 'specialist mind' taking his or her place in the world. Maria Montessori believed that if education followed the natural development of the child, then society would gradually move to a higher level of co-operation, peace and harmony. Dr. Montessori (1972) stated that in order for the child to develop two factors must be present. 5. One factor is a prepared environment that looks after the child’s physical health as well as the spiritual life. 6. The second factor is the ability of the child to move freely in his/her environment where there can be found constructive activities for the child’s development. 7. These two factors allow the child to learn and enjoy more fully such things as: movement in education, sensory education and music, and intellectual education. She also stated that the child needs an adult who is to give him/her guidance with his/her work and who will take into account the child’s needs. Dr. Montessori further stated that in such an environment the child works very hard, is observant and is not destructive.
Montessori’s interest in education sprang up from her observations of retarded children. She felt that education should be based not only on the responsiveness of children’s senses but also on their own desire to master skills. She emphasized that the child is deeply interested in “work” which adult consider play, and she developed a set of materials which were self-correcting, to be used in a sequence from simple to complex and required the minimum guidance of teachers.
These auto-education aids consisted of puzzles, insert boards, counting devices, sand paper letters, buttoning and lacing frames, etc. By 1907, schools using her methods started operating all over the world.
According to Dr. Maria Montessori, “A child's work is to create the person she/he will become.” Children are born with special mental powers which aid in the work of their own construction. But they cannot accomplish the task of self-construction without purposeful movement, exploration, and discovery of their environment—both the things and people within it. They must be given the freedom to use their inborn powers to develop physically, intellectually, and spiritually. A Montessori classroom provides this freedom within the limits of an environment which develops a sense of order and self-discipline. Also basic to Montessori's philosophy is her discovery of Sensitive Periods in children's development. During these periods children seek certain stimuli with immense intensity, to the exclusion of all others. So it is during this time that a child can most easily master a particular learning skill. Dr. Montessori devised special materials to aid children in each Sensitive Period. It is the responsibility of the teacher to recognize these periods in individual children and put them in touch with the appropriate materials in the classroom environment. The focus of Montessori education continually changes to adapt to the child's natural stages of development. The Montessori approach is concerned foremost with the development of human potential. This approach is based on "following the child", on recognising the developmental needs and characteristics of children of each age group and constructing the corresponding environment that best meets these needs. Maria Montessori observed that the child moves to adulthood through a series of developmental periods which described as Planes of Development. Each period is different but is built on the foundation of the preceding one with the Montessori environment and approach tailored to meet the child's needs at each stage. There are four planes of development. This Planes of Development are the basis for the three year age groupings found in Montessori school classes: ages three to six; six to nine; nine to twelve; and twelve to fifteen.
In the first plane from birth to age six, the child is characterised by his or her 'absorbent mind', absorbing all aspects of his or her environment, language and culture. In the second plane from age six to twelve, the child uses a 'reasoning mind' to explore the world with abstract thought and imagination. In the third plane from twelve to eighteen, the adolescent has a 'humanistic mind' eager to understand humanity and the contribution he or she can make to society. In the last plane of development from age eighteen to twenty four, the adult explores the world with a 'specialist mind' taking his or her place in the world. Maria Montessori believed that if education followed the natural development of the child, then society would gradually move to a higher level of co-operation, peace and harmony. Dr. Montessori (1972) stated that in order for the child to develop two factors must be present. 5. One factor is a prepared environment that looks after the child’s physical health as well as the spiritual life. 6. The second factor is the ability of the child to move freely in his/her environment where there can be found constructive activities for the child’s development. 7. These two factors allow the child to learn and enjoy more fully such things as: movement in education, sensory education and music, and intellectual education. She also stated that the child needs an adult who is to give him/her guidance with his/her work and who will take into account the child’s needs. Dr. Montessori further stated that in such an environment the child works very hard, is observant and is not destructive.
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