Montessori Philisophy Essay Example for Free

Montessori Philisophy EssayIntroductionThe fry at birth appears almost nonhing. He cannot walk, cannot talk and he cant even work through on his own. The same tyke within two years engages so much. He can walk, run, talk continuously. Maria Montessori calls the child during this formative peak, a ghost comparable Embryo. The human being is provided with two conceptusnic mensess. One is pre-natal and another one post-natal. The pre-natal period is the period when the physical exploitation takes place. All beings live with exactly pre-natal period. But the human being has another embryonic period which is post-natal. Any animal immediately after birth starts to walk, eats on his own and it go forth be a complete animal whereas the man has a prolonged infancy in order to become independent.Montessori biographyAn Italian educator of the archean 20th century Maria is remembered as the founder of the famous Montessori Method of education Maria Montessori was born in the town of Chiaravalle in the province of Ancona, Italy on 31 august 1870She developed interest and biology became her great passion. She persisted and became the starting woman in Italy to earn the degree of doctor of medicine. She was appointed at the psychiatric clinic in the University of Rome. She worked with special need children and became deeply interested in their education. In 1904 she was appointed as professor of anthropology at the university. She died in 1952.Birth of a method actingIn 1906, she was appointed as a co-director of a new training institute for special education t severallyer. Her studies led her to observe the method of teaching children with capable and festeringal disabilities. Many of the children made unexpected gains and the program was proclaimed success. In 1907, Maria accepted a new challenge to open infant rail in a slum clearance rehousing program in Rome. The first school, in sanLorenzo, It was called Casa dei bambini, a quality learning envir onment for young children. Utilising scientific observations and consume gained from her earlier work from young children she designed learning materials and environment that foster the children natural desire to learn. In 1910, the Montessori Method became worldwide creating a new education. upstart EducationThe new education is a innovation but a revolution without violence. It is the non-violent revolution. (Maria Montessori, The Absorbent estimate, Translated from Italian by Claude A.claremont.Newyork,1967,p.215) Dr. Maria Montessori called for a revolution in society to human development and education. According to the philosophy of new education character building is a question of auto construction and children essential be helped in their own work of constructing their character. There is only one problem, and it is human development in its totality once this is achieved in any unit-child or nation everything else follows spontaneously and harmoniously (Maria Montessori, To Educate the human potential, kalashetra publication,adyar,madras,1961,p 13.)The aim of education is the balanced development of personality-the whole personality, the integrated personality.Spiritual embryoMontessori compared the process of mental and phantasmal development to the physical unfolding of human organism. This post natal work is a constructive activity which is carried on the baby what may be called the formative period and it makes the baby into a kind of spiritual embryo. A new born child has no hereditary models of behaviour to follow heretofore he has potentialities able to bring about his development, and these are done by making use of outer world.The clock have changed, turning its attention and energies to the breakthrough of the child and the development of the great potentialities of the human personality in course of construction (Maria Montessori, Discovery of the child, ABC-clio ltd,1948)Maria Montessori called these potentialities as nebulae as the y are the productive energy which guides the child to absorb from his environment. The growth and psychic of childs development are driven by an leave behind power and a vital impel called horme that makes the child to do what he needs to develop. Only nature, which has established certain laws and determined the needs of the human being in course of development, can visit the educational method to be followed. According to Montessori in that location are eight natural laws.Law of workMontessori describes through work the urge of child is met and his tautness to activity likewise increases and the child reaches a psychic integration state of normalisationLaw of independenceThe child conquest of independence is the staple whole tone in what is called his natural law of development. At birth the child leaves his mother womb and this makes him independent of his bodily process. To be independent the child mustinessiness draw without the help of others.Development of willMo ntessori believes that decision made by the child on any activity and action taken by the child is the basic for will development. There are three storys of development in will. In first stage the inner urge directs him to do the activity several times by which he gains control over himself and his environment. In second stage he gains power over himself and gets disciplined and accepts the responsibility for his action. In third stage the child gains power to obey. The child turns his power of obedience towards someone else.Power of attentionWhen the child is placed in a environment favourable to his spiritual growth, the child fix his attention upon an object, will use it for the purpose for which it was constructed and will continue to repeat the same exercise .In fact, the attention of the little child was not artificially maintained by a instructor, it was an object which fixed that attention, corresponding to some internal pulse.Development of intelligenceAccording to Montes sori, Intellectual development is authoritative as it helps a child to know as well as explore the environment. Through the developing thoughts, a child is endowed with the necessary instrument of interacting with the environmentDevelopment of imagination and creativityImagination helps provide understanding to knowledge it is a fundamental facility through which child makes sense of the world, and it also plays a key role in the learning process. A basic training for imagination is the listening to storytelling. The things that we touch, see and hear coalesce into a watch via our imagination. Imagination is the power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality. That is the spiritual embryo self-constructs him to become a unified personality. This self-construction is aided internally (mentally) and externally. Internal aid includes the absorbent mind and the clarified periods.Absorbent mindMontessori observed that young children learn in a unique way from prenatal life to about six years old. Since the neonatal has to learn everything, (he has no tools other than reflexes to survive)he must dramatise his survival skills in some other way. A child absorbs knowledge directly into his psychic life. A child learns by taking in everything close to him and constructs himself. Using his senses he creates himself without thought or choice. This mentality of child is absorbent mind. Montessori saw absorbent mind in two phases.Unconscious mind (0-3 yrs)At birth, the spiritual embryo has no knowledge or impression in him, it is totally empty. It has to start from nothing. At this stage the child absorbs all impressions from his environment unconsciously. (I.e. the child does not know that he has taken all this with in him) To do this he has no other tools other than his reflexes to survey. At this point the child is like a sponge. He absorbs all informations without any filters. This process takes pl ace naturally without any thought or choice. This is called unconscious mind or unconscious creation mind. Once these information are incorporated in his schemas, it will be end of his third year, and he has developed his mental muscles. This conceptualisation of the unconscious mind is used for later development and activity, after three years, a trans takes place from unconscious mind to another phase called conscious mind or conscious work mind.Conscious mind (3-6 yrs.)In this stage the childs ability to focus, use his energy, and capacity to absorb, information in tremendous. This helps in developing emotions and intellectual aspects. From three years of age he moves to the conscious mind using the impressions developed and created during his first three years. This memory which absorbs images into individuals life is called gifted memory or mneme. Any impedance which lessons the creativity in this age reduces the perfections. At this age they have a good creative power and ima gination. He learns how to understand, ability the reasons and his mathematical mind compels him, to perfect himself.Sensitive periodsMontessori observed a cognitive plan which determines the unique emotional and intellectual qualities of each child. These qualities develop through what Montessori referred to as the sensitive periods. Montessori identified six different sensitive periods from birth through age six.Sensitivity to orderDuring this period there is a need for a precise and determined environment, which can be observed by the joy which children show at seeing things in their meet places. The presence of this period is more evident when the order is somehow interfered with. Order is one of the needs of life which, when it is satisfied, produces a real happiness (Montessori, The Secret of Childhood. Ballantine Books, 1973, 52). eruditeness through their five sensesChild is sensitized to sensory order in other words, to the difference s things, that some are soft or hard, that objects have colour, different colours, and shapes of the same colour. He needs to reconcilely explore his prepared world so he can differentiate these qualities There is nothing in the intellect which was not first in some way in the senses, and senses being explorers of the world, opens the way to knowledge. Maria Montessori.Sensitive to impetusThe sensitive period for movement is most intense during the first year of life. By about twelve months many babies take their first steps. An infants need to walk is so strong that he becomes upset if he is impeded. The childs rhythm is so much slower than our own. He walks to perfect his walking whereas we walk with purposeful intent.Sensitive to languageDuring sensitive period for language, no one teaches the child to talk. His language develops naturally like a spontaneous creation of all auditory stimulation surrounding the baby, it is the human vox that he deeply hears and imitates. By six months, he is uttering his first syll ables, and by about two years old he explodes into language. He dialog and talks non-stop.Sensitive to small objectA child has the urge to pay attention to small objects from two years of age. Sensitivity to small objects is an important development because it helps widen the childs power of observation and allows the child concentrate his intellectual power on a specific problem.Principles of Prepared EnvironmentThe first aim of the prepared environment is, as far as it is possible, to render the growing child independent of the adult. (Maria Montessori. The Secret of Childhood Fides Publishers, 1966.) Her life and work,cosmo publication.newdeldi,2009,p246)Montessoris idea of the prepared environment was that everything the child came in contact with would aid and maximize independent learning and exploration. Children are free to choose and work on activities at their own pace. There are generally six aspects, or principles, to the Prepared Environment, Freedom, Structure and Or der, Beauty, Nature and reality, Social Environment, Montessori materials.FreedomMontessori believed that a child must be free to explore and follow his own natural impulses, thus developing his potential and increasing his knowledge of the world around him. Young mountain must have enough freedom to allow them to act on individual initiative. But in order that individual action should be free and useful at the same time it must be restricted with certain limits and rules that give the necessary guidance. (Montessori, M. (1994). From Childhood To Adolescence, Oxford Clio press, p73)Within the prepared environment, the child must experience freedom of movement, freedom of exploration, freedom to interact heartyly, and freedom from interference from others.Structure and OrderStructure and Order in the Montessori classroom accurately spring the sense of structure and order in the universe. By using the Montessori classroom environment the child begins to internalize the order surrou nding him, thus making sense of the world in which he lives. If there is not order to his environment, the childs sense of reason may be off since he will not be able to validate his findings.Atmosphere and BeautyMontessori environments should be beautiful, reflect peace and tranquillity. The environment should invite the learner to come in and work. This gloriole is easily seen by the attitude of those working there, both child and adult.Nature and RealityMontessori believed that we should use nature to inspire children. She continually suggested that Montessori teachers take the children out into nature, quite an than keeping them confined in the classroom. This is why natural materials are preferred in the prepared environment. It is here where child-size real objects come into play. Furniture should be child-size so the child is not dependent on the adult for his movement.Social EnvironmentAs children develop, they become more socially aware, preparing to work and play in grou ps. This social interaction is supported throughout the environment and is encouraged with the nature of multi-age classroom settings. A prepared environment only with a Montessori teacher becomes a whole. The children and the teacher unite to form education whole which is dynamic and continuous process of development for both of them.Montessori materialsThe materials must aid the internal formation of the child. The material must correspond to the childs inner needs. This means that materials must be presented at the right moment of the childs development.Periods of developmentThe four Planes (or phases) of development is an overall vision of Montessoris developmental psychology from infancy to adulthood.3 9 15 21Birth first 6 second 12 third 18fourth 24 24First period (0-6 years)This period is marked by rapid and intense changes in the overall development physical, cognitively, socially, emotionally. Second period (6-12 years)Montessori observed changes in children focus and direc tion in their development. Childrens focus change from one of self-creation to the development of social being. Third period (12-18 years)Montessori regarded adolescence as a period of great vulnerability and a period of self-construction.The Role of the instructorDr. Montessori believed that the teacher should focus on the child as a person quite a than on the daily lesson plans. Although the Montessori teacher plans daily lessons for each child, she must be alert to changes in the childs interest, progress, mood, and behaviour.ChildobserverProviderTeacher EnvironmentPreparerTeacher and child has two folds of role to play. Teacher is an observer observing the child in the environment. Preparer-prepares the friendly environment for the child.Maria Montessori offered some general principles of behaviour for teachers in the Montessori classroom. The teacher becomes the custodian of the environment. All the apparatus is to be kept meticulously in order, perfect condition the teacher also must be tidy and clean, lull and dignified When the child begins to show interest in any activity, the teacher must not interrupt, because this interest corresponds with natural laws and opens up a whole bout of new activities exist. The duty of the teacher is only to present new things when she knows that a child has exhausted all the possibilities of those he was using before.Montessori teachers are the dynamic connexion between children and the Prepared Environment. They systematically observe their students and interpret their needs. They are constantly experimenting, modifying the environment to meet their perceptions of each childs needs and interests, and objectively noting the result. They prepare an environment meant to facilitate childrens independence and ability to freely select work that they find appealing. They observe and evaluate each childs individual progress. They respect and shelter their students independence. They are diagnosticians who can interpret patterns of growth, development, and behaviour in order to better understand the children and make necessary referrals and suggestions to parents.ConclusionFrom birth to adulthood a child undergoes development and transformation within him. To be able to develop themselves fully, children need a special inner tutor which Montessori referred to as absorbent mind and sensitive period. The natural laws that govern the child normal psychic developmentsduring the varies period of development are revealed during his construction. With his inner potentials, and the sensitive periods with a prepared environment and a teacher, the childishness period undergoes varies transformation. By this the child gets normalised and become an unified personality in the society.