This is a type of education that involves the use of didactic materials, bringing about normalisation hence: independence. This type of education was birthed by Dr. Maria Montessori, she is of Italian descendant, her father worked in the military and her mother was a civil servant, her mother was more educated than her father.
Dr Maria Montessori was born on August 31. 1870. She was born in Chiaravalle in the province of Ancona Italy. During that time women were not allowed to study courses like Medicine, Engineering etcetera because they were seen as weaker vessels. Women were allowed to study Teaching.
Dr. Maria Montessori did not want to become a teacher, she wanted more, so she told her parents that she wanted to become an engineer, her parents were worried at first, they later agreed and moved to Rome. She was in an all-boys technical school.
During her study at the technical school, she studied a borrowed course in biology, she became interested in studying medicine, remember at that time women were not allowed to study medicine, her parents got her lesson teacher, she took part in the examination and passed with becoming first position. She was denied admission. She wrote the examination the second time and she passed and was admitted in the school to study medicine.
She was the female who studied medicine at that time, she graduated and was given the hard responsibility of working with mentally retarded in the hospital (idiots). She noticed that whenever the ‘ idiots’ finishes eating they will play with the crumbs of the leftover food with their hands. This discovery lead to her popular quotes ‘the hands are the pathway to human intelligence’.
She observed that if the ‘idiots’ could manipulate food items with their hands then there is so much more they could. She later contacted her friends. Edoarud Seguin and others to construct materials for teaching these idiots, these were not just materials they are didactic materials that is, materials that have inbuilt correction of errors.
The only way she could help the ‘idiots’ was to observe and also for her to become a teacher. The teaching profession which she had rejected all along. See how the rejected stone became the corner stone. She approached the challenges of education as a scientist rather than as an educator or philosopher. The classroom as an educational laboratory in which to observe young children and to try out new ideas and techniques.
Her method is founded on the belief that providing a warm and secure environment enables children to most absorb information. Montessori saw that children learn best by doing and that happy self-motivated learners form positive images of themselves as confident, successful people. She created specially designed resources to foster independence and a love of learning.
It soon became apparent that Dr. Montessori had developed a highly effective method of teaching which could be used with great success with every child. She began to travel the world establishing schools lecturing about her discoveries and writing many articles right up to her death in Holland in 1952 at the age of 82. She was a true pioneer of Child-centred education.
In many other classrooms, lessons are presented to the whole class and sometimes small groups. In Montessori Schools the general rule is reversed.
Most of the time, the teacher presents lesson to individuals. Other children can watch if they are interested. In this way, the teacher can address specific needs of a child and can run respond to individual child’s interest and level of understanding. The child does not have to sit through something that he or she is not ready for. This individual attention also helps the teacher to be much more familiar with each child. Thus, the teacher understands the child more.
In a Montessori classroom, on the other hand, children learn by practising with apparatus which embodies the concept. For example, in learning shapes in a non-Montessori school, learning about shapes involves listening to the teacher talk about shapes and drawing with a chalk on the board. Montessori children trace real figures and make designs. They fit different shapes together to make patterns. They make fine discrimination by fitting shapes into the correct corresponding holes.
The Montessori teachers are trained to teach respect and positive values through their modelling the way they teach. The Montessori do not use sarcastic statements or put down and try not to humiliate or embarrass the child.
The Montessori curriculum is a holistic curriculum. It does not just teach the child cognitive and psychomotor. Its fundamental capacity is how to control movement (motor movement) and to feel and have emotions (affective and emotional, development). Montessori program helps the child develop a strong foundation in Language. Mathematics. Physical and cultural education, Zoology. Botany. Physical science. History and Arts. Children learn practical skills such as cooking, carpentry and sewing. Most importantly they learn how to contribute positively to the society.
The classroom is also known as a prepared environment, it is prepared by a Montessori expert, it involves displaying materials in an attractive and orderly manner. Materials are displayed on shelves. The materials are carefully designed and thoroughly researched to fit the developmental needs and characteristics of children.
Some of the popular Dr. Maria Montessori quotes are: “Respect all the reasonable forms of activity in which the child engages and try to understand them.” “As soon as concentration has begun, act as if the child does not exist.”
“Preventing conflict is the work of politics; establishing peace is the work of education.” “Education should not be mainly to seek knowledge but also to release potentialities.” “The basic error is to suppose that a person’s will must necessarily be broken before it can obey.” “The hands are pathway to human intelligence.” “The child who concentrates is immensely happy.” And lastly, “The goal of early childhood is to activate child’ s desire to learn.”
* Ms. Teni Alfa is an Abuja-based Montessori teacher.
