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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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