- What is it, and how can you raise happy and free children?
The adult must be a “guardian angel” and let the child express himself. Recreating environments that can help the child to interface with everyday life and provide educational objects designed specifically for this purpose increases the child’s intellectual development. Not interfering will allow the child to self-correct and think of solutions to solve any obstacles
- The origin of the “Children’s Homes.”
The Montessori Method completely revolutionized the concept of education and education of the child. Maria Montessori founded her first “Children’s Home” in Rome in 1906. A real Montessori movement was born from her work and her works. A movement that spread not only throughout most of Europe but also internationally.
Children’s Homes were born in Spain, Holland, England, and America. Real international courses were held to learn and apply this new method.
- The teacher’s role
The role and the work of the teacher changed direction completely compared to the traditional teaching methods. For the educators who embraced Montessori’s ideology, in fact, it was not so easy to practice it. It was very difficult to depart from the classic teaching method. This is because the teacher must learn to separate the work he can do, and can not do. In order to succeed in this goal, he must always practice a careful psychological study of his behavior. Only in this way will he be able to make the child express his spontaneity.
The teacher must, therefore, become an observer and “study” the behavior of the child. His lessons should be short, simple, and objective. For example, when making an object known to the child, the teacher should explain its functionality as quickly as possible and in very simple words. He should then leave the child free to act accordingly. He should not insist on using the object in the wrong way, much less intervene to help him use it well.
By interfering with the child’s work, the teacher will take away his dignity and freedom to do so on his own. Moreover, he will not give him the opportunity to correct himself. The teacher, only later, will go to explain the same object to the child. Maintaining his brevity and simplicity in illustrating to him, he will simply return to observe his work.
“Never help a child while he’s doing a task in which he feels he can succeed.”
(Maria Montessori)
- Individual lessons
The teacher must stimulate life and let it develop freely. To make this possible, an important change was introduced in the Children’s Homes: the individual lesson. The teacher does not explain to the whole class, for example, the function of an object. He explains a different object to each child individually and studies its behavior.
With the group lessons of traditional teaching methods, the spontaneity of the child is lost because he will never act individually. The child will respond and react collectively by not expressing his or her personal intention and learning.
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- The Montessori environment
The furnishing of the environment in the Montessori Method plays a fundamental role. The Montessori Method, in fact, starts from recreating environments built “within the reach of the child.” Maria Montessori brought great aesthetic and functional changes to children’s homes. For example:
- The table and the chair, light and easy to move for the child himself
- Small armchairs where the child can sit
- Lockers and coat racks at child’s height
- Washbasins, mirror and low shelves with all the cleaning kit for teeth, hands, face…
- Practical objects that are easy to take and use
In short, a true reproduction of an accessible and familiar environment. In this way, the child has the possibility to move freely and above all, to learn to ‘move.’ Reproducing the domestic environment and making children repeat the acts of practical life such as hanging their coats, tidying up, sweeping, brushing their hands and teeth, are all practical life exercises that empower children and teach them the sense of order and cleanliness.
Another determining factor in the Montessori environment is to present children with interesting objects, with bright colors and nice ornaments. It is precisely the objects that attract the child and arouse him what to do with them (“take me,” “use me”). For them to be able to use them on their own, and for what they arouse, gives the happy satisfaction of a complete sense.
“To help a child, we need to provide an environment that allows him to develop freely.”
(Maria Montessori).
- Pikler Triangles and Other Helpful Montessori Tools
To aide in the development of children in a Montessori environment, that is where toys such as the Pikler Triangle come into play. Pikler triangles and other Montessori toys allow for the child to hone in on their gross motor skills and truly excel. For more information regarding Montessori toys and the Montessori method you can visit www.Montessoriclimber.com
– Scott