For more than a hundred years, the philosophy and achievements of Maria Montessori have been fulfilled, and the method of her work does not lose its relevance to this day. The effectiveness of the pedagogical system is confirmed by the results of scientific research. Gardens and schools that operate on this system can be found all over the world. Pupils of institutions surprise with their intellectual and creative abilities, as well as good manners.
Montessori Pedagogy is a method of raising children based on trust, freedom and the opportunity to express oneself. The key message of the pedagogical system: "Help me do it myself."
The first is always and in everything
Maria Montessori was born on August 31, 1870 in the Italian city of Chiaravalle. In the family, she was the only and beloved child. Maria's father, Alessandro Montessori, came from a family of Italian nobility. My mother's name was Renilda. As a girl, she bore the surname Stoppani, an ancient family whose representatives were very educated people. The mother’s brother, Antonio Stopani, was awarded a monument in Milan for his great contribution to science. At that time, Renilda was a fairly educated lady, but, unfortunately, she was destined for the fate of the keeper of the hearth and no more. Throughout her life, she helped her daughter as best she could, tried to invest in her a love of knowledge and independence.
When Mary was 12 years old, her family moved to Rome, so that the girl had the opportunity to get a better education. She was especially good at natural sciences and mathematics. Despite all the obstacles, the purposeful girl entered the technical school for young men, and later - at the medical faculty of the University of Rome. After graduation, she becomes the first female therapist and surgeon in Italy.
Clever, activist and just beautiful
In her student years, Mary actively fought for women's rights. She was chosen as a delegate to the International Congress of Women, which was held in Berlin. The girl knew how to make listen and hear, perfectly mastered oratory. With all this, she always looked beautiful, and she had no end to fans.
Personal tragedy
In 1896, she began working as an assistant at the University Hospital of Rome under the auspices of Santi de Santes. There she met her lover Giuseppe Montesano. The personal life of the Italian did not work out. She had to make a difficult choice between feelings and science. She chose the second. When she realized that she was pregnant, then, frightened by the condemnation of the Catholic environment, she decided immediately after childbirth to send the baby and nanny to a village near Rome. There is a myth that Mary abandoned her son to deal with other people's children, but in fact this is not so.
Most of the children at that time were brought up by tutors, and the Italian did nothing contrary to tradition. The only difference was that the baby lived with the host family. Maria spent more time with her son on the weekend than the average mother of that time. Montessori introduced her son to society only when he was 15 years old. Mario helped and supported his mother all his life, became her successor and, after her death, made a huge contribution to the pedagogical method of M. Montessori.
Work with children
In the clinic, her first meeting with babies who had disabilities takes place. At that time, these children were not treated and taught nothing, they were simply considered idiots and tried to protect society from them. After eating, the children crawled along the bare floor and collected bread crumbs, and then spat on balls of it. The situation in which the sick children were around the clock did not contribute to development and did not prompt useful activities. Maria watched them for a long time and made conclusions, which became the starting point for the appearance of the pedagogical system created by Montessori.
The essence of the method was to provide children, both sick and healthy, with a developmental environment. The crumbs must be given a space in which all world knowledge is concentrated. For clarity, they are presented through the standards of the main achievements of mankind. Every kid must go a path to the civilized world at a preschool age. The Montessori pedagogical system is built depending on the needs (sensitive periods) in the development of the child.
Sensitive periods
The development of the child according to the Montessori method occurs in accordance with the time intervals in which children simply and naturally learn certain skills and knowledge. This is the essence of the sensitive period. Its peculiarity is that it happens once in a lifetime and passes irrevocably, regardless of whether the child managed to use it or not. For example, at the age of 0 to six years, sensory development and the formation of speech occurs. Social skills arise and are fixed in the period from 2 to 6 years. To accustom the kid to cleanliness and order you need up to 3 years.
Other sensitive periods can be found in the works of the Italian teacher-innovator. Parents and teachers cannot influence the occurrence and duration of such periods. However, they must create an environment for the child from didactic materials or the so-called zone of proximal development.
The world of adults - a country of giants for children
Teacher Montessori first introduced the theory that children are uncomfortable living in an adult world. Every kid feels like a midget in Gulliver’s country. Our world represents for a child complete chaos, where a small person does not have rights and personal convenient space. Adult giants are often cruel, unjust, and impatient. Punishment may follow a simple oversight, such as a broken vase, but the baby just studies the world and has the right to make mistakes.
The teacher wanted to convey to parents and teachers that children are not toys in their hands. It is necessary to take into account their interests and needs. In order to raise a baby, you need to know him, but in order to understand the baby, you should watch him. And this is possible only with the child who was given freedom. Having sat the child at the desk, you will not see anything but a quick loss of interest. You can only observe how a personality manifests itself when the baby is truly passionate about something.
Discipline and freedom at the same time
The concept of freedom in the works of an Italian teacher should not be understood as permissiveness, but the independence of the child from the will of an adult. And this can be achieved by teaching kids to serve themselves independently and learn new things without the help of seniors.
Maria Montessori's method briefly:
- Each kid independently chooses a type of activity. The child learns to listen to his inner "I", to understand that he is interested in this very moment.
- Minimizing adult care. She should be present only in cases where the baby himself asks for it. Independence makes a child more confident in his abilities, teaches to adequately evaluate personal achievements.
- Children grow up and learn in a specially organized environment. Didactic material should be freely available for every child. There are rules that everyone must follow.
- Teaching children of different ages in one group. This is good for both older children and younger ones. Little pupils reach for elders, and big guys help the crumbs.
- The training material is designed so that the child can independently find and correct their mistakes.
- There are no better or worse students. Achievements of the child can only be compared with previous results.
Regardless of whether the Montessori method is used at home or in educational institutions, the same rules exist everywhere:
- Worked - take it with you.
- Work with the material takes place on an individual rug.
- You cannot make noise in the class; we move quietly. The kids are immediately taught to silently carry the chairs.
- The rule of respectful coexistence: your freedom ends where the personal space of another begins.
Cons of the system
Followers of the pedagogical system noted the enormous benefit that the Montessori method brings. Reviews about pitfalls can be found much less often.
Childhood without a fairy tale. Dr. Montessori believed that fairy tales distort the idea of reality. After all, Kolobok cannot run away, and animals can not speak the human language. The system, however, focuses on logic and rationality, develops the left hemisphere so that the child can draw conclusions, make decisions and be responsible for actions. The technique does not prohibit reading books, but advises giving preference to stories with real stories.
No bans. Montessori education does not include prohibitions or punishments. In a kindergarten or school, the child may not listen to the teacher, eat from someone else's plates, walk around the office during class, run along the corridor. The teacher has no right to make comments to him, because the child himself must understand that the mess is bad, that you can not offend other children. The teacher can only watch what is happening. Domestic psychologists do not recommend using the Montessori method in front of the school. Preschool education in our country should include the concept of obedience. Children after graduating from the kindergarten under an innovative program are reluctantly taken to school with a classical education system. Future schoolchildren are advised to “re-educate” in an ordinary kindergarten, because a student may simply not sit in the lesson. He does not suspect that you need to listen to the teacher.
Zoning space
Dr. Montessori made a great contribution to the upbringing of children. The method that she developed involves dividing the space where children are engaged into zones. There are only five of them. The kid independently chooses a zone for classes and spends in it as much time as he likes.
- Practical area. Here are household items that adults deal with every day. A kid under the supervision of a teacher can water flowers, wash, iron with a real iron, sew. Montessori parenting involves self-care. The wards take turns setting the table, clean up after dinner, wash and wipe the dishes.
- Sensory area. Here is material that teaches you how to determine the characteristics of objects: color, shape, size, weight.
- Language zone. Here is the didactic material for teaching writing and reading.
- Math zone. Here the kid studies the numbers, the number of subjects, the score, mathematical examples. Work is underway with the "golden material".
- Space zone. Here are maps, globes, material for studying weather phenomena and everything that introduces children to the outside world.
Classes for preschoolers using the Montessori method are to work with certain materials. Let's look at them.
Sensory development:
- Frame with clasps. On it are hooks, buttons, zippers, laces. With the help of such a simulator, the child learns to dress independently.
- Brown staircase. Helps children to determine the concepts of big-small, thick-thin.
- The pink tower. Reminds a children's pyramid. Teaches you to compare objects with each other in size.
- Red rods. The child gets acquainted with the concepts of "longer", "shorter."
We develop speech:
- Letters made of paper with the effect of velvet or decorative sand.
- Metal tabs in the form of a variety of geometric shapes are used to prepare your hands for writing.
Mathematical abilities:
- Red-blue rods. 10 rods included. By manipulating them, the child learns elementary counting and mathematical operations.
- Box with spindles.
- Geometric bodies.
Parenting at home
Recommendations for parents who want to use the Montessori method at home:
- Create a comfortable living environment for your son or daughter. The child should be able to climb or get off the bed independently, wash without assistance, hang up his things in the closet or on hooks suitable for him in height.
- Give your child the opportunity to help adults with the housework. Teach you how to wash cups, buy a small scoop and a broom, allow watering the flowers. The kid should know that he has household chores. This is clearly stated in his program, Dr. Montessori.
- The method is based on freedom of action. Do not disturb the child.
- Divide the children's room into zones according to the procedure. Provide your child with didactic materials for classes. They are quite expensive, so parents should think about what they can do with their own hands. Today you can find a lot of ideas and workshops on the production of training materials.
The system does not offer children template activities, but simply pushes the child to action and provides a large selection of materials.
Conclusion
An educational institution using the educational method of Maria Montessori can be compared with a small separate planet of children, where there are their own established orders and there is no place for permissiveness. But at the same time, the kids learn to understand their emotions and feelings, acquire the skills of independence and the solution of domestic issues. Nobody and nothing interferes with the development of the abilities of a small person. The system does not offer children template activities, but simply pushes the child to action and provides a large selection of materials.