Contributed by Caiwen Yong:
Once upon a time, in the very poor Italian quarter of San Lorenzo, lived 50 children between the ages of 2 and 6 years. These children lived in an area of high crime rate, very poor hygiene, and left to their own devises. These children were described as wild and mischievous and causing damage to the property in the area. An effort was made by some wealthy people to ‘do something about it’.
In another part of Rome at this time, a young Maria Montessori was gaining repute, being the first woman to graduate from the University of Rome Medical School, and for her work towards women’s rights and education for intellectually disabled children. Montessori was invited to participate in the initiative at San Lorenzo. She soon found an assistant and together they began the first Casa dei Bambini or ‘Children’s House’ in 1907.
There, Montessori made tremendous discoveries into the nature of child development and the science of observation. These discoveries were so profound and her work at the Children’s House so effective that before long, celebrities and royalties of all sorts came to visit this community of apparently independent, self-disciplined, self-educating community of little people. So what were these discoveries and what did she observe?
Montessori observed that children were born with something like an inner guide for helping themselves learn, hence they were so inquisitive and fearless in their exploration. She observed that at this age, children needed to be in contact with real things, touch and move things with their hands and bodies, that they were concrete and sensorial explorers. This inner compass leads them towards activities that are just right for them and just right according to their interests. As long as they were shown how to be and how to use the objects they took, children learned peacefully, thoroughly and developed socially positive characteristics.
Montessori also observed that as children explored, they often repeated activities that may seem mundane to adults, opening and closing bottles 20-30 times or doing the same puzzle 40 times at one go despite other children singing and dancing in the same room. These acts of spontaneous repetition and concentration affected the children in many ways. As they repeated actions, their movements became more co-ordinated and their fine motor skills developed and they became more capable of doing everyday things for themselves. Because these children were allowed the time to repeat and ‘do their thing’ without interruption from people asking them what they were doing or wanting their attention, they became capable of long periods of concentration. Their ability to concentrate allowed these children to achieve incredible intellectual feats, notably in early age, literacy and numeracy. Their independence and self-sufficiency allowed them to be around other children peacefully, to socialize positively, and well, to use these ‘powers’ for good, so to speak.
During the early Casa dei Bambini days, many of Montessori’s affluent friends donated expensive and beautiful toys and dolls to the children. But Montessori observed that children responded to these toys with transient interest. She discovered that children had a very different idea of beauty and purpose of things, and that they preferred to do things with real materials, do real washing and cleaning, instead of pretending to do so. They wanted to be involved in their environment and community productively instead of sitting in a corner again, pretending to do so. She observed that they preferred to participate in real conversations rather than just pretending to have conversations with dolls, if only they were given the opportunity.
Montessori observed that as the world modernized, and our physical and social landscape changed, it became difficult to allow children to develop as nature had meant for them too. Children have an inner need to adapt and be ‘like us’ but are often relegated to ‘children things’. Social obligations and restrictions kept children out of many learning and exploration opportunities. There were few places for children to be safely by themselves. To support a child’s natural development, Montessori recommended a child-friendly environment which included:
- Carefully selected activities made of natural materials, activities including those of daily life
- A strong sense of order, such as the way the consistency of the rules of the community, the way things are kept and arranged, or the routine of the child, all of which allow the child to feel safe in his exploration
- An observant and humble adult who respected the child’s role in his own development and who could keep the sense of order in the environment.
- An attitude of faith and high expectations of children and their budding and ever- changing abilities
These considerations can be implemented at home right from birth. In fact, it is often cheaper to furnish your baby or toddler’s home life by adopting a Montessori approach. And it is definitely worth making the effort to gather around yourself, a group of like-minded parents as you make this journey.
In considering a Montessori educational setting for your child, it is important to be aware that Montessori never patented her method or the use of her name in the adaptations that arose after she passed away. So, it is best to visit a setting and research well when you are making your decision.
This posting was contributed by Caiwen Yong who runs Montessori lead playgroup
South Kensington Children Working at the lovely Evolve Wellness Centre. Classes are every Monday from 10-11am.
