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VENO NEWS:INTRODUCING MONTESSORI PEDAGOGY
Date: 07-01-21

By Morenike Ololade Taiwo (AMI Primary Montessori Educator)
THE PURPOSE OF MONTESSORI EDUCATION.

A PREPARED ENVIRONMENT.

Dr Maria Montessori believed that no human being is educated by another person. He must do it himself or it will never be done. A truly educated individual continues learning long after the hours and years of he spends in the classroom because he is motivated from within by a natural curiosity and love for knowledge. Dr Montessori felt therefore that the goal of early childhood development (ECD) should not be to fill the child with facts from a pre selected course of studies but rather to cultivate the child's natural desire to learn. This is why the Montessori prepared environment starts with life orientation skills and activities.

HOW THE CHILD LEARN

The child retains the ability to learn by absorbing until he is around seven years old. Dr Montessori's philosophy is that his experience could be enriched by a classroom where he could work with materials that will demonstrate basic educational information to him. Over one hundred and fifty years of research have proved the efficacy her theory that a child can learn to write, read and calculate in the same natural way that he learns to walk and talk.

In a Montessori classroom/environment, the material invites the child to learn at his own pace, periods of interests and readiness.
Dr Montessori always emphasized that "the hand is the chief teacher of the child". In order to learn, there must be focused attention, concentration and coordination. The best way to achieve these three aims of learning, is by performing some task with his hands. The adult habit of doodling is a remnant of this childhood practice.
The whole of the Montessori materials in the classroom allows the child to reinforce his casual impressions by inviting him to use his hands for learning.

IMPORTANCE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD YEARS.

The university years of learning is not the most important period of life. The most important period of life is the early childhood development years, the period from birth to the age of six. The first plane (years) of life. This is the time when the man's intelligence itself, his greatest implement is being formed. Not only the man's intelligence, but the full totality of his psychic being and powers. The child has no greater need of his intelligent help than that of his early childhood development period and any obstacle that impedes his creative work will lessen the chance he has of achieving perfection.
Dr Montessori believed that the environment will have maximum impact on a specific trait during that trait's period of most rapid growth. For example, a starvation diet would not affect the height of an eighteen year-old , but could severely retard the growth of a one year-old baby. Since eighty percent of his child's mental development takes place before he is eight years old. The importance of favourable conditions during these early years of childhood development can not be over emphasized.

SENSITIVE PERIODS OF LEARNING.

These are periods of intense fascination for learning a particular characteristic or skill. For example, going up and down steps, putting things in order, counting, writing and reading. It is easier for a child to learn a particular skill during the corresponding sensitive period than at any other time in his life. The Montessori classroom takes advantage of this fact by allowing the child freedom to select individual activities which correspond to the child's periods of interest.

MONTESSORI PROGRAMS AND ENRTY AGE.

The age of entrance into Montessori classroom varies with individual school programs. A child usually enters a Montessori classroom/environment between the ages of three to eighteen months, eighteen to thirty-six months and three to six years depending on when he can be happy and comfortable in a classroom situation. He will begin with simplest exercises based on activities which all children enjoy. The materials which the child uses at ages three and four will help him to develop concentration, coordination, attention and working habits necessary for the more advanced activities he will perform at ages five and six. The entire program of learning is purposefully structured. Therefore, optimum results can not be expected either for a child who misses the early years of the cycle, or for one who is withdrawn before he finishes the basic years.
Parents should understand that a Montessori school is neither a baby sitting service nor a play school that prepares a child for traditional kindergarten. Rather, it is a unique cycle of learning designed to take advantage of the child's sensitive years of learning between three and six, when he can absorb information from an enriched environment.
A child who acquires the basic skills of writing/reading and arithmetic in this natural way has the advantage of beginning his education without drudgery, boredom or discouragement.
When a child pursues his individual interests in a Montessori environment, he gains an early enthusiasm for learning, which is the key to his becoming a truly educated person.
There is also the six to twelve years as well as the immersion years of eighteen months to ten years of learning both in English and an alternate language fully immersed.

INFANCY - 3-18 MONTHS

Montessoriâ€™s Infant Program is uniquely designed to be homelike and nurturing, Â while also stimulating intellectual growth, confidence, and a desire to explore.Watch out for more in our monthly journal.Stay tuned

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