As Angeline Lillard pointed out in Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius,
the public school system in the United States is based upon two false
premises: schools should function like factories and children's heads
must be externally filled with knowledge (Lockean model of education).
In a Lockean model, the teacher crafts a lesson, determines what it may
stimulate in individuals and the class, and decides how that package
fits into the larger picture of his curriculum.
Alternatively, the Montessori philosophy is the most all-encompassing curricula in the constructivist model, which states that the child builds the adult she will become. The Montessori philosophy was developed by Maria Montessori in the early 1900s; she was the first woman to receive a medical degree in Italy and began her work with developmentally challenged children of whom society had limited expectations. Left to their own devices, Dr. Montessori observed these children molding bread crumbs into shapes on the floor and got the idea to use materials to aid their development. She poured over the research of Dr. Jean Itard (made famous by his work with "The Wild Boy of Aveyron") and Dr. Edouard Seguin and adapted their materials for developing the senses. Dr. Montessori believed and subsequently proved, to national and international astonishment, that with such tools and assistance, underdeveloped children could achieve on par with normal measurements of intelligence and pass the test to enter the public schools in Italy. Having made this discovery, Dr. Montessori wondered what she might be able to achieve with children of normal intelligence.
Shortly thereafter, Dr. Montessori found herself with the perfect opportunity. In a tenement complex in the slums, building developers, wishing to avoid the damage caused by children while their parents were at work, set aside a small space and budget for Dr. Montessori to set up a school. First, Dr. Montessori went about ordering small furniture to fit the space, brought in the Sensorial materials she had used with the developmentally challenged children, and recruited a teacher with the instructions to leave the children to their own devices and observe.
Gradually, the children began to reveal their natures, and Dr. Montessori adjusted the environment accordingly. For example, materials were first kept in a locked cupboard and the teacher took them out and returned them to the shelves. The children followed the teacher and watched her as she took them out and put them away. The teacher thought the children were being disobedient, but Dr. Montessori realized that the children wanted to complete the cycle of their work and restore order; henceforth, the children were given this responsibility. Dr. Montessori realized the importance of freedom of choice on a day when the teacher was late and the cupboard had been left unlocked: the children entered the classroom, chose materials, and returned them to the shelves independently and with a sense of peace. Afterward, the cupboard was left unlocked. As news traveled of Dr. Montessori's work with the children, people sent fancy dolls and lavish toys to contribute to the classroom. Dr. Montessori observed that when the toys were offered alongside materials which aided the child's development, the children always chose work over play; thus she removed the toys from the classroom. When the teacher offered a child a ribbon to pin to her shirt for completing a task, the child remained more interested in her work than external reward; thus, Dr. Montessori rethought the use of praise and rewards.
Of all of her observations, however, the most pivotal regarded the effect of sustained concentration on work. Dr. Montessori realized that when children engaged in and emerged from such concentration, they did so not with fatigue but with a sense of accomplishment and refreshment. As children entered more cycles of concentration, they became calmer, happier, and more loving toward each other. Dr. Montessori called this process normalization and watched as previously unkempt and unhealthy children began to radiate joy, peace, and health. Dr. Montessori's new children gained great notoriety and people traveled from far and wide to observe the Casa dei Bambini and its revolutionary philosophy of education.
Many years after Dr. Montessori discovered her philosophy, Dr. Angeline Lillard of the University of Virginia set out to research which areas of the Montessori philosophy are and are not supported by modern psychological research. Dr. Lillard was surprised to find that virtually, if not, all aspects of the philosophy are supported by current psychological findings. Dr. Lillard's clear organization of the philosophy and the research supporting it is beyond the scope of this piece, however, it supports the idea that children have sensitive periods during which they have an inclination, or passion, for learning a specific thing. For example, children from 0 to 6 are in a sensitive period for acquiring language, children from 2.5 to 4.5 are in a sensitive period for order and learning through the senses, etc. When provided materials that aid in such tasks and protection from interference, children enter into periods of seemingly impenetrable concentration to repeat and repeat that task toward mastery. They go on to choose other work in keeping with their sensitive periods, pulling themselves along by inner force, achieving what is not possible to be achieved after the sensitive period is passed, and bringing order to their world.
To liberate the child to construct herself along the path of her sensitive periods, the Montessori philosophy is based on a three-way interchange between the directress, the child, and the prepared environment. The role of the directress is to connect the child to the prepared environment, so she can achieve normalization through work. The school day is organized around one or two three-hour work cycles. Additionally, Montessori classrooms are organized into multi-age groups based on the developmental tasks of each age: 0-3 (assistance to infancy), 3-6 (primary), 6-9 (lower elementary), 9-12 (upper elementary), etc. Each classroom should have between 25 and 35 children depending on the experience of the teacher; having more students is ideal so that children will not become dependent on or distracted by adults. In this environment, younger children can seek older ones for help or to observe their work; and older children can reinforce their understanding of materials by teaching them and build confidence and community spirit by helping the younger child. Children stay in a classroom for approximately three years and move to the next level at an individually determined pace.
The directress's role in the classroom begins as one of an attractive storyteller, drawing children in almost seductively to harness energy and and hold attention. In these early days, the teacher may lead children in Grace and Courtesy lessons on classroom rules such as how to walk around rugs or how to push in chairs. She may also introduce children to the Silence Game and Walking the Line to practice self-control and whole-body coordination.
Once a connection has been made between the children and the directress, the directress will begin to introduce children to the materials in the environment. Usually beginning in Practical Life, the directress introduces materials one at a time to individual children. The directress will give many lessons in a day, often several to each child, expanding the number of materials from which a child can choose. At first the children flit quickly between materials, instead of settling down to work on and repeat one. When the first period of concentration occurs, however, the process of normalization has begun. Each subsequent period of concentration will deepen the child's state of calm, and the child will begin to move between the different materials she has been taught on her own accord, repeating them many times.
As the children in the classroom become normalized, the role of the teacher changes. She is no longer a beaming light to moths, but begins to dim her glow. Her focus becomes one of scientific observation of the children: knowing when to connect them to new materials and which materials to introduce. She knows that the Practical Life materials help children build concentration, confidence, and control of their bodies; they also serve as a transition between home and school and as a means for absorbing culture since Practical Life involves activities the child has observed. Between two-and-a-half and four-and-a-half children also have a sensitive period for spatial relationships, matching, sequences, and order; and are in a sensitive period for distinguishing between and learning through the senses. At this time, the directress introduces Sensorial materials. After age four, the directress begins to introduce Language and Mathematics materials; as well as Cultural Materials, which include botany, geography, music, and art.
In order to connect the children to the environment, the directress must have a superior understanding of all the materials: the order in which they are kept on a tray or on a shelf, the skills they isolate, the sensitive periods they serve, the timing and sequence in which they should be introduced, and the precise wording and movements with which they should be introduced. Each day, the directress and her assistants must pay attention to the smallest details in the classroom. All of the sewing cards and math and language papers must be stocked; all of the pencils must be sharpened; tables need to be cleaned of extra markings; paint should not be chipped off of the Pink Tower or Red Rods; all pieces of materials must be present; and materials should sit at the edge of shelves inviting use. The directress prepares the environment and facilitates the connection between the child and materials. Then the child pulls herself along according to her sensitive periods and through the sequences of materials, in an intrinsically motivated, frictionless absorption of concrete knowledge, and a pursuit of mastery of the material and the self.
Sometimes barriers exist which prevent the child from being normalized. Perhaps the child is constantly entertained by television and video-games in the home and has difficulty focusing on work, or the child is not given sufficient boundaries at home. It's important that the directress prevents children who are not normalized from disrupting the concentration of peers. She does this through positive re-directing and restricting the freedom of the child (i.e. child must work at her side), so that the child will choose to reform and regain her freedom. The directress must keep a journal on these, and all children, to keep track of her vision for how psychic deviations can be normalized through work and how the human tendencies can unfold.
Alternatively, the Montessori philosophy is the most all-encompassing curricula in the constructivist model, which states that the child builds the adult she will become. The Montessori philosophy was developed by Maria Montessori in the early 1900s; she was the first woman to receive a medical degree in Italy and began her work with developmentally challenged children of whom society had limited expectations. Left to their own devices, Dr. Montessori observed these children molding bread crumbs into shapes on the floor and got the idea to use materials to aid their development. She poured over the research of Dr. Jean Itard (made famous by his work with "The Wild Boy of Aveyron") and Dr. Edouard Seguin and adapted their materials for developing the senses. Dr. Montessori believed and subsequently proved, to national and international astonishment, that with such tools and assistance, underdeveloped children could achieve on par with normal measurements of intelligence and pass the test to enter the public schools in Italy. Having made this discovery, Dr. Montessori wondered what she might be able to achieve with children of normal intelligence.
Shortly thereafter, Dr. Montessori found herself with the perfect opportunity. In a tenement complex in the slums, building developers, wishing to avoid the damage caused by children while their parents were at work, set aside a small space and budget for Dr. Montessori to set up a school. First, Dr. Montessori went about ordering small furniture to fit the space, brought in the Sensorial materials she had used with the developmentally challenged children, and recruited a teacher with the instructions to leave the children to their own devices and observe.
Gradually, the children began to reveal their natures, and Dr. Montessori adjusted the environment accordingly. For example, materials were first kept in a locked cupboard and the teacher took them out and returned them to the shelves. The children followed the teacher and watched her as she took them out and put them away. The teacher thought the children were being disobedient, but Dr. Montessori realized that the children wanted to complete the cycle of their work and restore order; henceforth, the children were given this responsibility. Dr. Montessori realized the importance of freedom of choice on a day when the teacher was late and the cupboard had been left unlocked: the children entered the classroom, chose materials, and returned them to the shelves independently and with a sense of peace. Afterward, the cupboard was left unlocked. As news traveled of Dr. Montessori's work with the children, people sent fancy dolls and lavish toys to contribute to the classroom. Dr. Montessori observed that when the toys were offered alongside materials which aided the child's development, the children always chose work over play; thus she removed the toys from the classroom. When the teacher offered a child a ribbon to pin to her shirt for completing a task, the child remained more interested in her work than external reward; thus, Dr. Montessori rethought the use of praise and rewards.
Of all of her observations, however, the most pivotal regarded the effect of sustained concentration on work. Dr. Montessori realized that when children engaged in and emerged from such concentration, they did so not with fatigue but with a sense of accomplishment and refreshment. As children entered more cycles of concentration, they became calmer, happier, and more loving toward each other. Dr. Montessori called this process normalization and watched as previously unkempt and unhealthy children began to radiate joy, peace, and health. Dr. Montessori's new children gained great notoriety and people traveled from far and wide to observe the Casa dei Bambini and its revolutionary philosophy of education.
Philosophy
Many years after Dr. Montessori discovered her philosophy, Dr. Angeline Lillard of the University of Virginia set out to research which areas of the Montessori philosophy are and are not supported by modern psychological research. Dr. Lillard was surprised to find that virtually, if not, all aspects of the philosophy are supported by current psychological findings. Dr. Lillard's clear organization of the philosophy and the research supporting it is beyond the scope of this piece, however, it supports the idea that children have sensitive periods during which they have an inclination, or passion, for learning a specific thing. For example, children from 0 to 6 are in a sensitive period for acquiring language, children from 2.5 to 4.5 are in a sensitive period for order and learning through the senses, etc. When provided materials that aid in such tasks and protection from interference, children enter into periods of seemingly impenetrable concentration to repeat and repeat that task toward mastery. They go on to choose other work in keeping with their sensitive periods, pulling themselves along by inner force, achieving what is not possible to be achieved after the sensitive period is passed, and bringing order to their world.
To liberate the child to construct herself along the path of her sensitive periods, the Montessori philosophy is based on a three-way interchange between the directress, the child, and the prepared environment. The role of the directress is to connect the child to the prepared environment, so she can achieve normalization through work. The school day is organized around one or two three-hour work cycles. Additionally, Montessori classrooms are organized into multi-age groups based on the developmental tasks of each age: 0-3 (assistance to infancy), 3-6 (primary), 6-9 (lower elementary), 9-12 (upper elementary), etc. Each classroom should have between 25 and 35 children depending on the experience of the teacher; having more students is ideal so that children will not become dependent on or distracted by adults. In this environment, younger children can seek older ones for help or to observe their work; and older children can reinforce their understanding of materials by teaching them and build confidence and community spirit by helping the younger child. Children stay in a classroom for approximately three years and move to the next level at an individually determined pace.
The Directress's Role
The directress's role in the classroom begins as one of an attractive storyteller, drawing children in almost seductively to harness energy and and hold attention. In these early days, the teacher may lead children in Grace and Courtesy lessons on classroom rules such as how to walk around rugs or how to push in chairs. She may also introduce children to the Silence Game and Walking the Line to practice self-control and whole-body coordination.
Once a connection has been made between the children and the directress, the directress will begin to introduce children to the materials in the environment. Usually beginning in Practical Life, the directress introduces materials one at a time to individual children. The directress will give many lessons in a day, often several to each child, expanding the number of materials from which a child can choose. At first the children flit quickly between materials, instead of settling down to work on and repeat one. When the first period of concentration occurs, however, the process of normalization has begun. Each subsequent period of concentration will deepen the child's state of calm, and the child will begin to move between the different materials she has been taught on her own accord, repeating them many times.
As the children in the classroom become normalized, the role of the teacher changes. She is no longer a beaming light to moths, but begins to dim her glow. Her focus becomes one of scientific observation of the children: knowing when to connect them to new materials and which materials to introduce. She knows that the Practical Life materials help children build concentration, confidence, and control of their bodies; they also serve as a transition between home and school and as a means for absorbing culture since Practical Life involves activities the child has observed. Between two-and-a-half and four-and-a-half children also have a sensitive period for spatial relationships, matching, sequences, and order; and are in a sensitive period for distinguishing between and learning through the senses. At this time, the directress introduces Sensorial materials. After age four, the directress begins to introduce Language and Mathematics materials; as well as Cultural Materials, which include botany, geography, music, and art.
In order to connect the children to the environment, the directress must have a superior understanding of all the materials: the order in which they are kept on a tray or on a shelf, the skills they isolate, the sensitive periods they serve, the timing and sequence in which they should be introduced, and the precise wording and movements with which they should be introduced. Each day, the directress and her assistants must pay attention to the smallest details in the classroom. All of the sewing cards and math and language papers must be stocked; all of the pencils must be sharpened; tables need to be cleaned of extra markings; paint should not be chipped off of the Pink Tower or Red Rods; all pieces of materials must be present; and materials should sit at the edge of shelves inviting use. The directress prepares the environment and facilitates the connection between the child and materials. Then the child pulls herself along according to her sensitive periods and through the sequences of materials, in an intrinsically motivated, frictionless absorption of concrete knowledge, and a pursuit of mastery of the material and the self.
Sometimes barriers exist which prevent the child from being normalized. Perhaps the child is constantly entertained by television and video-games in the home and has difficulty focusing on work, or the child is not given sufficient boundaries at home. It's important that the directress prevents children who are not normalized from disrupting the concentration of peers. She does this through positive re-directing and restricting the freedom of the child (i.e. child must work at her side), so that the child will choose to reform and regain her freedom. The directress must keep a journal on these, and all children, to keep track of her vision for how psychic deviations can be normalized through work and how the human tendencies can unfold.
The
directress must also work toward a positive dialogue with community
members to create consistency for the child. In a primary class,
community members mostly include family members and staff in the
school. A directress may develop a dialogue through one-one-one
meetings with parents, a parent newsletter, a parent book group, and
observations in the classroom with a follow-up with staff. A directress
may collaborate with staff members to achieve consistency through staff
trainings (both internal and external) and by fostering an open
environment for giving and receiving feedback.
The Montessori philosophy is a science and an art. The primary classroom serves a population of children with a limitless capacity to absorb who are currently neglected by our public school system. This is an area with enormous opportunity for national and international growth.
The Montessori philosophy is a science and an art. The primary classroom serves a population of children with a limitless capacity to absorb who are currently neglected by our public school system. This is an area with enormous opportunity for national and international growth.
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