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What is Montessori? This
is not an easy question to answer, as so much has been written
and the total philosophy encompasses many factors.
The essence, perhaps, might be a sincere respect for
the child, and an endeavor to nourish and encourage all facets
of his development. The
kind of person each child will become is determined by many
factors, but the environment in which he lives has an extremely
strong influence.  The environment
surrounding a child is composed of many components beyond
the physical aspects of what kind of house and what material
possessions are available.
Though most of us wish to have many material advantages
for our family, it must be understood that these are not the
important factors in shaping a child’s development.
The
most important quality to be considered is, of course, love.
Genuine love, however, is not only an emotion, but also
involves a deeper understanding and desire to do what is best
for the loved one. This
is often very difficult, and many parents hinder their child’s
development unconsciously by not realizing all that she really
needs.
What
are the basic needs of a child?
The physical needs of the body are usually well met
with adequate and nourishing food, clothing, sleep, medical
attention, etc. The
quality for which mankind is most noted, however, is the soul,
including the mind and emotions, which distinguishes humanity
from all other creatures on this planet.
This soul needs special nourishment also.
To
become emotionally healthy, each individual has a need to have
what psychologists call a good self-image, or more simply, a
feeling of confidence and security.
A good self-image is based on countless daily happenings,
which lead a person to feel she is capable, useful and has a
place in life where she is wanted, needed and valued for who
she is. Psychologists
have become very much aware that it is the early years which
determine a large measure of the capacity for intelligence
of the mind. A
child’s curiosity and desire to learn can be stimulated and
encouraged, or that capacity can be stifled and lessened by
his environment. Parents
and teachers have a challenging responsibility to provide
an atmosphere which fosters a child’s curiosity and enables
him to explore and reach out in many directions.
Every child has a need for independence -- the more
things s/he can do by himself, the more self-confidence s/he
develops. What
a delight it is to see the radiant joy that lights up a child’s
face when he accomplishes a new task and cries “I can do it!”
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During these
early years, children are capable of learning a fantastic
variety and quantity of knowledge.
However, if a child feels pushed to learn something,
the usual result is a drawing back and delay in learning.
These years are very precious and fleeting.
The child’s joy of learning comes from shared enjoyment
and fun activities.
To
help a child learn to do things in a Montessori school, we
have what is called a prepared environment.
Everything is arranged attractively and is easily accessible
to each child. Each
activity is carefully thought out in advance, and all materials
needed are placed together so that the child can proceed on
his or her own. Order
is important, and all the children are encouraged to put things
back when they are finished with them.
This order makes the room more beautiful to look at
and live in, and also is quite practical as everyone knows
exactly where everything is.
Maria
Montessori considered humility and respect for the child as
essential qualities in a teacher, and said that the teacher
should be like a good servant.
By this she did not mean a slave always at beck and
call and doing everything demanded by the child.
A really good servant (an employee in today's language)
tries to foresee every need and think what the employer would
like. Every detail
is arranged carefully so that nothing is forgotten and, when
all is placed in readiness, the servant steps back unobtrusively
so as not to be in the way.
If a child is not doing something well, it is usually
because he has not yet fully learned how and needs further
help. It is useful
to analyze difficulties and break the task down into steps
that can be learned individually and then combined into a
whole.
There is
an old trite saying, “experience is the best teacher.”
No matter what you read or are told, you learn best
by actually doing something yourself.
Dr. Montessori recognized this important concept as
she stressed that the hand is the tool of the mind.
Purposeful activity is very much needed to help the
child develop herself and
her abilities. These
two words, develop herself, are the most important
to remember as it is only through he child’s own efforts that
learning really takes place.
It is our job, as parents and teachers, to assist by
providing opportunities for the child to engage in the appropriate
kinds of activity she needs.
Related
to the child’s activity is another very important Montessori
principle -- process, not product.
You may hear us say these words over and over again
as we want you to know that it is what your child does --
the process -- that is far more important than the work she
brings home.
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