Maria
Montessori was born in Chiatavale, Italy in 1870. Montessori was supported by
her mother to study maths, science and later medicine; she enrolled to study
medicine in the University of Rome Medical School in 1892. Montessori worked
for ten years with women and children and she became interested in children
with mental disability, after a lot of observation she decided that children
with mental disabilities needed suitable education more than medical treatment;
this is when she became interested in education. She worked with teachers in
Rome and then went back to study education and anthropology in the University
of Rome, in 1906 she set up a nursery in a newly built social housing estate, during
this time education was compulsory at the age of six but the director of the housing
wanted Montessori to care for children under that age while their mothers
worked. In 1907, she opened her first childrens house called Casa dei Bambini,
a lot of people became interested and she was astonished as well as everyone
else as the children were progressing both socially and intellectually.
Montessori
believed that each child is unique and she believed that adults should trust
the child to have its own ability to learn to grow up and become an adult.
Montessori believed that children developed in stages or
planes and that each stage had its own unique qualities and characteristics.
They had to be reflected in the environment and in the strategies employed by
the adults when facilitating the children’s learning.
(Bringing the Montessori approach to your early years
practice. page 9)
The three stages are, the absorbent mind, this stage is from
conception to the age of six, childhood, this stage is from six until the child
reaches twelve years old and the third stage is adolescence, this id from
twelve to the age of eighteen. These age bands are approximate and were called
sensitive periods.
During the absorbent mind stage, humans need stimulation and
opportunity to help develop their brain through active learning and exploring
using their senses. During this stage children acquire certain skills and
abilities, Montessori calls theses sensitive periods, there are six key
sensitive periods in this stage, these are; order, movement, small details,
language, refinement of the senses and the social aspects of life. The teacher
should focus when they observe the child during this stage so they can provide
appropriate learning opportunities for the child.
The second stage is childhood, Montessori described this stage
as the ‘calm stage’ According to Isaacs B, this stage is when the child is very
keen to learn and are eager to belong to a group.
Montessori saw that the environment was crucial for children
for spontaneous learning. The environment has to be safe for the child to be
able to explore freely, the environment has to be stimulating so the children
feel as if they want to learn in the environment. According to www.dailymontessori.com, Montessori refers
to work as an activity the child does or what many people may call play. Their play
is their work and they enjoy it. According to Isaacs B, From the Montessori perspective the favouritible environment is characterised by: accessability and avvailability, freedom of movement and choice, personal responsibility, reality and nature and beauty and harmony.
Maria Montessori believed that the children should gain independence
and to be able to do things for themselves. She liked the child to decide what
they wanted to do and dress themselves so whilst they were doing this they were
also gaining independence. She believed that by children being able to do
things for themselves that there would be an increase in their self belief,
self confidence and self esteem and that they may carry it on with them throughout
their lives.
