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Semester: Autumn, 2020 ASSIGNMENT NO. 2

ROLL NO: BY626671 Reg No: 19BZB00169
Program : B.Ed (1.5 Year) Course Code: (8609)
Course: Philosophy of Education
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Q No1: Analyze Plato’s theory of education.

Ans: According to Plato, man's mind is always active. Man is attracted towards all
things, that he sees in his surroundings, and he runs after them. The educator
should take advantage of this propensity in the child and educate him. He should
pay attention to the objects which surround the child. Such objects should be
beautiful so that the child is naturally attracted to them and his curiosity is aroused.
The process of education advances through this constant interaction between the
stimulus by which the mind develops. For this reason the child should be kept in
beautiful environment. In fact, the human individual requires such an environment
not only in infancy but through his entire life, because. according to Plato, the
process of education is never complete. It continues throughout one's life. Plato
has laid the greatest stress on mental development in education. He conceives of
the state as an advanced mind. Education aims not merely at providing information
but at training the individual m is duties and rights as a citizen. Just as the state
evolves from the mind, the mind itself passes through all those stages of those
development through which the state passes. In Plato s opinion, the aim of
education is human perfection, and with this end in View, he suggests a curriculum
which Comprehends all subjects (Sharma, 2002).

Curriculum of Education
Plato's education has its objective in the realization of truth, a truth which is
comprehensive not limited or narrow. Plato, therefore, believes that development
of the mind, body and so is essential. For this reason, he has divided the curriculum
into three parts:
1. Bodily Development. Plato's philosophy believes bodily development to be
of the utmost importance in education, but this bodily development 1s
achieved not merely through exercise and gymnastic activity, but also
through a regulated and controlled diet. The educator must guide and train
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the educand to attend to his food. He must be a kind of doctor who advises
a particular kind of diet after acquainting himself with weaknesses of the
educand's body. This must be done in order to get rid of these debilities and
finally to lead to complete development of the body.
2. Educational Impressions. But it must be remembered that bodily
development is only a means to mental development, because a healthy
mind resides only in a healthy body. Although much importance is attached
to bodily development, even greater importance is attached to mental
development. Being under the influence of Pythagoras, Plato recommended
the teaching of mathematics as of supreme importance. The first step in the
teaching of mathematics is the teaching of arithmetic. Geometry and algebra
should then be taught. Plato believed that the teaching of mathematics can
remove many mental defects. In addition to mathematics, Plato considered
the teaching of astronomy as of great significance, as part of higher
education.
3. Training in Music. In order to achieve balance in education, Plato stressed
the value of musical training as a supplement to training in gymnastics.
Exercise is the source of bodily development while music helps in the
development of the soul. But music and literature taught to the student must
be capable of building character. Plato suggested that the child's curriculum
should be purged of all literature and musical epics which tended to generate
such qualities as cowardice, weakness, selfishness, egoism etc. He was
critical of the epics of Homer and other contemporary poets on this ground.
Plato considered balance in human life to be of the greatest importance,
because in the absence of such a balance, man should neither fulfil his social
obligations nor enjoy his own private life to the full.
Hence it can be concluded that Plato suggested a balanced curriculum for
education.

Role of Educator
In Plato's plan of education, the educator is considered to have the greatest
importance He is like the torch bearer who leads a man, lying in a dark cave, out of
the darkness into the bright light of the outside world. His task is to- bring the
educand out of the darkness of the cave into the light of the day. He is thus the
guide.
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In his methods of teaching Plato believes imitation to be of the greatest

importance, For he realizes that the child learns a great deal through imitation. He
will acquire the behaviour of the people among whom he is make to 1ive. Hence,
keeping in mind the status of the child, he should be made to live among people
from whom he can learn good habits and avoid bad ones.

Education According to Classes

Plato's plan of education does not envisage uniform education for one a accepted
the concept of social stratification. and suggested that since different individuals
had to perform different tasks in society, they should also be educated differently,
in order to train each one in his own respective sphere. He believed that a different
individuals are made of different metals. Those made of gold should take up
administration and government, while those made of silver were best suited for
trade and defence. Others made of iron and baser metals should become labourers
and agriculturists. The state must make different arrangements for the education
of these different kinds of people, although Plato implicitly agrees that education
of governing classes is of the greatest importance. The education of the other
classes in society does not concern him very much.

Faced with the problem of determining the class of each individual, Plato suggested
various kinds of tests to be conducted at different age levels. In the first place,
primary education will be given to all between the ages of seven and twenty,
following which a test shall be administered to everyone. Those who failed the test
are to be sent to labour in the various occupations and productive trades. The
successful candidates will be sent to the armed forces where training will be
imparted to them for the next ten years, This will again be followed by a test; the
failures will be compelled to remain in the armed forces while the successful ones
will be sent to Join the government. Then this governing class will be subjected to
further education in science. Later on, one from among the governing class will be
elected as the philosopher administrator whose task will be to look after the
government and education of the state. This individual will occupy the highest
position in the land, his word will be the law of the land. Apart from this supreme
individual, all other members or the govemin8 Class will continue to receive
education throughout their lives, most of this education consisting of teachings in
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philosophy. It is thus evident that Plato granted the highest place to philosophy in
his educational scheme (Shrivastava, 2003).

Q No 2: Describe the Impact of John Dewey’s Philosophy on Modern Education.

Ans: Educational Method

Dewey, himself a successful educational psychologist, has presented many novels
and useful ideas on educational methods in his two books, How We Think and
Interest and Efforts in Education.
1. Learning by doing. The most well-known principle enunciated by him is the
theory of learning by doing, in which the child learns best when he himself
performs actions related to particular subjects. The educator is not to stuff
the child's mind with information he himself has gathered throughout his
life, but to guide the child to those activities by which the child can develop
his own natural abilities and qualities. The child should be acquainted with
facts while he is engaged in activity relating to those facts. Besides, the child
should be confronted with practical difficulties and problems which he
should try to solve. Problem solving is a god technique because it adds to the
child's experience.
2. Integration of life and subjects. Dewey is of the opinion that there should be
integration between the child's life, his activities and the subjects he studied.
All subjects to be taught to the child should be arranged around his activities
in such a manner that he acquires knowledge in the process of doing
activities to which he is accustomed. Dewey's principle was later on adopted
by Mahatima Gandhi in his plan of basic education.
3. Catering to child interest. The next question that arises is that of designing
the method of teaching according to the child's interests. Dewey considers
interest and effort to be of supreme importance in the process of education.
The educator must understand the child's interest before organizing the
activities which are useful for the child. Given the opportunity to formulate
programmes on their own, children will be able to make programmes
according to their own interests. It is better if this effort is free of any fear or
compulsion, because only then can the children make a programme
independently. Once this is done, all school activity takes on the form of self-
willed activity. Dewey's ideas on educational methods later on led to the
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evolution of the project method in which the child was made to indulge in
those activities which helped in the development of enthusiasm, self-
confidence, self-reliance and originality.
4. Participation in collective activities. In a democratic educational pattern, the
child should be made to participate in collective activity which can help in
evolving a co-operative and social spirit.
This method of education is apparently very suitable inasmuch as it meets
the requirement of educational psychology. But in fact it has one inherent
shortcoming that if the education of the child is fashioned exclusively
according to the child's natural inclination he will remain ignorant of many
subjects. Besides, even his knowledge of other subjects will remain
disorganized, objections which are accepted by Dewey himself.

Impact on Modern Education

Many of Dewey's ideas have had great impact on modern eaucauon. dome
important facts in this connection are:
1. Impact on the aims of education. Nowadays, one of the important aims of
education is the teaching of democratic values. Dewey insisted on
developing social qualities in the child, In modern schools these aims of
education have been accepted as valid.
2. lmpact on educational methods. The greatest impact of Dewey's ideas is
seen in the methods of education in more recent times. Dewey suggested
that education should be based on the child's own experience, and also that
the method of teaching should vary according to the interests and
inclinations of each individual child. These ideas influenced modern teaching
techniques and led to active teaching in schools. One such school is the
Activity School. The project method is also a result of Dewey's ideas. Even in
the other schools, attention is paid to the principles of child psychology
which guide the educator in creating an atmosphere suitable for
developing social consciousness in the educand.
3. Impact on curriculum. The impact of Dewey's ideas on the subject of
curriculum led to the introduction of manual skill subjects into modern
curricula. Special importance is now being attached to various kinds of
games, objects, the use of certain tools and implements, etc. In selecting the
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subjects to be taught, attention is now paid to the individual interests and

abilities of the child.
4. Impact on discipline. As a result of Dewey's theorizing on the subject of
discipline, now the educand is entrusted with much of the work done in the
school. In this manner the educand is trained in self-control and democratic
citizenship. Apart from this, once the educand has to face responsibility, he
is compelled to think scientifically and reason out things for himself.
5. Universal education. Dewey's thinking and ideal also led to faith in universal
and compulsory education. Education aims at the development of
personality. Hence every individual must be given the opportunity to develop
his personality through education. The current stress on the scientific and
social tendency owes much to Dewey's influence. He pO1nted out that
education was a social necessity, in that it was not merely a preparation for
life, but life itself. It aimed at the development of both the individual as well
as society. 1his, leads to the comprehensive development of the individual.
(Ornstein & Levine 2008, Sharma, 2002; Shrivastava, 2003).

Q No 3: Develop a teaching method based on Muslim philosophy of education.

Ans: In the field of education, there are enormous contributions of Muslim

philosophers. It is not necessarily concerned with religious issues. Muslim
philosophers emphasızed on logic, reality, freedom of will, sources of knowledge
and many more. The Quran and Greek philosophy has very much influenced
Muslim philosophers. Muslim Philosophers tried to harmonize the philosophical
perspectives of Greek philosophy with the tenants of Islam. Muslim Philosophers
have generally tried to synthesize science , religion and philosophy and attempted
to define their subject matters in such a manner that they are found to be balancing
to one another rather than coming in conflict with one another.

Muslim Philosophers tried to answer the enduring questions of philosophy. The

nature of reality, the functions, and limits of the human reason, truth, freedom,
ethics and in essence, how we should live are fundamental questions that have
never left the stage of philosophy. This unit entails in detail the contributions of
Muslim philosophers in education.
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In Islam there is no such thing as knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Knowledge
has no value and virtue in and by itself, but the actual virtue lies in bringing human
kind closer to Allah. The view that knowledge is the path that leads to Allah
highlights two things about Islam. Firstly, the knowledge in Islam is important for a
Muslim’s spiritual growth and development. Secondly, since knowledge is acquired
through the active process of going beyond what one already knows, critical
thinking is essential for a Muslim to grow intellectually and
spiritually. It further suggests that intellectual growth without spiritual
development is aimless wandering, and spiritual development without the
intellectual component is meaningless.

Besides, an authentic Islamic vision of education has the power to re-animate a

truly holistic conception of education which encompasses not only the higher
intellectual faculties, but also the realization that human excellence is inseparable
from beauty and virtue and should never be limited to an individualistic concept of
personal achievement, mastery and success. This is a vision of tauhid, in which
cognitive, moral and spiritual function are all intertwined and interdependent, and
necessarily actualized in right action.

From the context of philosophy, Islamic Philosophy is based on divine revelation,

which is the Al-Quran and the As-Sunnah. According to Hassan Langgulung (1979),
the basis of Islamic Philosophy are the believe in God (Allah), the believe in God’s
devotees, the believe in divine revelation that had been gave to the prophets, the
believe that human has a potency within the development of morality and
spirituality, the believe that each individual is responsible for his action, the belief
in life and life after death, and also the belief on universal similarity among the
Muslims. Based on these aspects, a balance and holistic individual is able to be
produced through the appreciation towards Islamic Philosophy of Education. It is
parallel with the implementation of National Philosophy of Education that based
on God’s devotion in producing the individual that physically, emotionally,
intellectually, spiritually and socially balanced (Mok Soon Sang, 2004).

Pragmatism
Each elements of Islamic Philosophy of Education are entirely focused, as this
philosophy stresses towards the correlation of knowledge, belief and practice.
Based on the definition of philosophy from the characteristic of philosophy, the
realm of philosophy is deeply looking towards the fact, value, knowledge and God.
For instance, the aspect of cleanliness is very important in Islam. There are many
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arguments regarding the factor that cleanliness has been stressed in Islam, as it is
closely related to Muslims’ belief as well as the human’s wellness. This is parallel
with the principle of pragmatism that believe the medium of knowledge has a
quality of truth if it is able to be practiced within the daily life of human.

The member of pragmatism also believes that knowledge integrated between

acquired knowledge and revealed knowledge. Based on the knowledge regarding
the cleanliness, the epistemology about this aspect is stated in Quran and has been
known as the sahih ilmu wahyu, while the ilmu akal is based on logical thought.
Logically, the aspect of cleanliness should be concerned as carelessness will cause
a lot of problem in our daily life. Thus, Islamic Philosophy of Education naturally
pragmatism because it combines acquired knowledge and revealed knowledge,
which cannot be separated.

Metaphysic
From the view of metaphysic, the thought of Islam concentrates on the aspects
between human, human and God, and human with the environment. Obviously,
Islamic Philosophy of Education teaches humans to recognize their Creator, that is
Allah, and the way they should behave for each of the relation.

For instance, based on the principles that support the thoughts of Islam towards
nature, it is stated that the nature is belong to Allah, not human. Thus, natures need
to be protected including the ecological balance. Humans are forbidden to exploit
the sources of nature since nature has been created by Allah to reinforce human’s
life.
According to this principles the Islamic Philosophy of Education stresses on the
good relation between human and nature. Moreover, in order to overcome the
social problem among teenagers for instance, the awareness towards their
responsibility as the khalifah Allah is able to bring them to the ‘right path’.

Therefore, education in Islam is to reinforce the self potential of an individual. From

the aspect of intellectual, each human has already been provided with the ability
to empower the knowledge and truth. From the aspect of physical, human has the
ability to develop the strength and resistance. Thus, with education, human will
gain the sense of perfection in their life and also able to strengthen their civilization.
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Q No 4: Compare curriculums developed on the bases of modern philosophies of

education.

Ans: Philosophy and the Curriculum

Nowhere is this dependence of education on philosophy more marked than in the
question of the curriculum. In the first chapter of his work on Education Spencer
asserts that in the determination of the curriculum "our first step must obviously
be to classify, in the order of their importance, the leading kinds of activity which
constitute human life"

To this principle there can be but little objection. But immediately we seek to fix
the relative value of subjects, to classify them "in the order of their importance,"
differences of aim and of philosophy emerge and confuse the issues.

Smith, Stanley and Shores speak of moral authority as one of the chief guides of
curriculum building. They say that 'moral authority is derived from fundamental
principles of right and wrong. Evidently, the problem is philosophical.

According to Spencer, the building of a curriculum should be based on the main

human activities. He fixes the relative value of subjects in order of their importance;
e.g., he gives first place to subjects that relate to self-preservation.

According to the naturalists, the present experiences, activities and interests

should be the guiding factor. The idealists, the child's present and future activities
are not important at all in the curriculum construction. The experiences of the
human race as epitome in sciences and humanities should provide the primary
Consideration in deciding a curriculum.

The idealist does not emphasize one subject in preference to a in great importance
to the quality of personal greatness which some some subjects have in abundance.
The idealist's point of view is subjective, as opposed to merely values.

The pragmatists emphasize the principle of utility as the main criteria lo nature of
curriculum. Lodge in "Philosophy of Education" writes:

"All Subjects on the curriculum will be used to develop mastery over to solve new
problems rather than to train memory capable of flawless reproduction of
systematic contents."
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The realists think that a bookish, abstract or sophisticated curriculum is useless.

They want to concentrate on realities of life. They emphasize the importance of
subjects that fall within the range of natural science.

The surprising and welcome interest and activity recently manifested in the
problem of the curriculum is at present arrested for the want of a philosophical
criterion. Thus Bode in "Modem Educational Theories", remarks that unless we
have some sort of guiding philosophy in the determination of objectives we get
nowhere at all.

Briggs in discussing Curriculum Problems says: "It is just here that education
seriously needs leaders leaders who hold a sound comprehensive philosophy of
which they can convince others, and who can direct its consistent application to
the formulation of
appropriate curricula."

The philosopher, on the one hand, looking at life from the idealistic standpoint
believes that work can, and ought to, be humanized, that man should be able to
find satisfaction in his labour, that "we have somehow to discover there a
theatergoer the attainment if not of the highest, certainly of genuine spiritual
values. The educationist, on the other hand. has assumed a principle of
'compensation'.

It is not without significance that almost the best plea ever made for practical work
in schools was penned by one of the most 1dealistic of educational philosophers
namely, Frobel

The above discussion indicates that the probIem of curriculum construction is

philosophical in terms of the philosophical beliefs held by a group of people.

Idealism
Idealism is a philosophical approach that has as its central tenet that ideas are the
only true reality, the only thing worth knowing. In a search for truth, beauty, and
justice that is enduring and everlasting; the focus is on conscious reasoning in the
mind. Plato, father of Idealism, espoused this view about 400 years BC. in his
famous book, The Republic Plato believed that there are two worlds, The first is the
spiritual or mental world, which is eternal, permanent, orderly, regular, and
universal. There is also the word appearance, the World experienced through sight.
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touch, smell, taste, and sound, which is changing, imperfect, and disorderly. This
division is often referred to as the duality of mind and body". Reacting against what
he perceived as too much of a focus on the immediacy of the physical and sensory
world, Plato described a utopian society in which "education to body and soul all
the beauty and perfection of which they are capable a an ideal. In his allegory of
the cave, the shadows of the sensory world must be overcome
with the light of reason or universal truth. To understand truth, one must pursue
knowledge and identify with the Absolute Mind. Plato also believed that the soul is
fully formed prior to birth and is perfect and at one with the Universal Being. The
birth process checks this perfection, so education requires bringing latent ideas
(fully formed concepts) to consciousness.

In idealism, the aim of education is to discover and develop each individual's

abilities and full moral excellence in order to better serve society. The curricular
emphasis is subject matter of mind: literature, history, philosophy, and religion.
Teaching methods focus on handling ideas through lecture, discussion, and Socratic
dialogue (a method of teaching that uses questioning to help students discover and
clarity knowledge). Introspection intuition, insight, and whole-part logic (The
fallacy of composition arises when one infers that something is true of the whole
from the fact that it is true of some part of the whole) are used to bring to
consciousness the forms or Concepts which are latent in the mind. Character is
developed through imitating examples and heroes.

Realism
Realists believe that reality exists independent of the human mind. The ultimate
reality is the world of physical objective. The focus 1s on the body/objects. Truth is
object what can be observed. Aristotle, a student of Plato who broke with his
mentor’s idealist philosophy, is called the father of both Realism and the scientific
method. In this metaphysical view, the aim is to understand objective reality
through “ the diligent and unsparing scrutiny of all observable data." Aristotle
believed that to understand an object, its ultimate form had to be understood,
which does not change. For example, a rose exists whether or not a person is aware
of it. A rose can exist in the mind without being physically present, but ultimately,
the rose shares properties with all other roses and flowers (its form), although one
rose may be red and another peach colored. Aristotle also was the first to teach
logic as a formal discipline in order to be able to reason about physical events and
aspects. The exercise of rational thought is viewed as the ultimate purpose for
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humankind. The Realist curriculum emphasizes the subject matter of the physical
world, particularly science and mathematics. The teacher organizes and presents
Content systematically within a discipline, demonstrating use of criteria in making
decisions. Teaching methods focus on mastery of facts and basic skills through
demonstration and recitation. Students must also demonstrate the ability to think
critically and scientifically, using observation and experimentation. Curriculum
should be scientifically approached, standardized, and distinct-discipline based.
Character is developed through training in the rules of conduct.

Pragmatism
For pragmatists, only those things that are experienced or observed are real. In this
late 19th century American philosophy, the focus is on the reality of experience.
Unlike the Realists and Rationalists, Pragmatists believe that reality is constantly
changing and that we learn best through applying our experiences and thoughts to
problems, as they arise. The universe is dynamic and evolving, a "becoming" view
of the world. There is no absolute and unchanging truth, but rather, truth is what
works. Pragmatism is derived from the teaching of Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-
1914), who believed that thought must produce action, rather than linger in the
mind and lead to indecisiveness.

John Dewey (1859-1952) applied pragmatist philosophy in his progressive

approaches. He believed that learners must adapt to each other and to their
environment. Schools should emphasize the subject matter of social experience.
All learning is dependent on the context of place, time, and circumstance. Different
cultural and ethnic groups learn to work cooperatively and contribute to a
democratic society. The ultimate purpose is the creation of a new social order.
Character development is based on making group decisions in light of
consequences.

For Pragmatists, teaching methods focus on hands-on problem solving,

experimenting, and projects, often having students work in groups. Curriculum
should bring the disciplines together to focus on solving problems in an
interdisciplinary way. Rather than passing down organized bodies of knowledge to
new learners, Pragmatists believe that learners should apply their knowledge to
real situations through experimental inquiry. This prepares students for citizenship,
daily living, and future careers.
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Existentialism
The nature of reality for Existentialists is subjective, and lies within the individual.
The physical world has no inherent meaning outside of human existence. Individual
choice and individual standards rather than external standards are central.
Existence comes before any definition of what we are. We define ourselves in
relationship to that existence by the choices we make. We should not accept
anyone else's predetermined philosophical system, rather, we must take
responsibility for deciding who we are. The focus freedom, the development of
authentic individuals, as we make meaning of our lives.

Essentialism
Essentialists believe that there is a common core of knowledge that needs to he
transmitted to students in a systematic, disciplined way. The emphasis in this
Conservative perspective is on intellectual and moral standards that schools should
teach the core of the curriculum is essential knowledge and skills and academic
rigor. Although this educational philosophy is similar in some ways to Perennialism,
Essentialists accept the idea that this core curriculum may change. Schooling should
be practical, preparing students to become valuable members of society. It should
focus on facts-the objective reality out there--and "the basics," training students to
read, write speak, and compute clearly and logically. Schools should not try to set
or influence policies. Students should be taught hard work, respect for authority,
and discipline. Teachers are to help students keep their non-productive instincts in
check, such as aggression or mindlessness. This approach was in reaction to
progressivist approaches prevalent in the 1920s and 30s. William Bagley took
progressivist approaches to task in the journal he formed in 1934. Other
proponents of Essentialism are: James D. Koerner (1959), H. G. Rickover (1959),
Paul Copperman (1978), and Theodore Sizer (1985).

Progressivism
Progressivists believe that education should focus on the whole child, rather than
on the content or the teacher. This educational philosophy stresses that students
should test ideas by active experimentation. Learning is rooted in the questions of
learners that arise through experiencing the world. It is active, not passive. The
learner is a problem solver and thinker who make meaning through his or her
individual experience in the physical and cultural context. Effective teachers
provide experiences so that students can learn by doing. Curriculum content is
derived from student interests and questions. The scientific method is used by
progressivist educators so that students can study matter and events systematically
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and. first hand. The emphasis is on process-how one comes to know. The
Progressive education philosophy was established in America from the mid 1920s
through the mid 1950s. John Dewey was its foremost proponent. One of his tenets
was that the school should improve the way of life of our citizens through
experiencing freedom and democracy in schools. Shared decision making, planning
of teachers with students, student-selected topics are all aspects. Books are tools,
rather than authority.

Reconstructionism/Critical Theory
Social Reconstructionism is a philosophy that emphasizes the addressing of social
questions and a quest to create a better society and worldwide democracy.
Reconstructionist educators focus on a curriculum that highlights social reform in
aim of education. Theodore Brameld (1904-1987) was the founder of the
Reconstructionism, in reaction against the realities World War 2. He recognized the
cruelty or the potential for either human annihilation through technology and
human cruelty capacity to create a beneficent society using technology and human
compassion. George Counts (1889-1974) recognized that education was the means
of preparing people for creating this new social order.

Critical theorists, like social reconstructionists, believe that systems must be

changed to overcome oppression and improve human conditions. Paulo Freire
(1921-1997) was a Brazilian whose experiences living in poverty led him to
champion education and literacy as the vehicle for social change. In his view,
humans must learn to resist oppression and not become its victims, nor oppress
others. To do so requires dialog and critical consciousness, the development of
awareness to overcome domination and oppression. Rather than "teaching as
banking," in which the educator deposits information into students' heads, Freire
saw teaching and learning as a process of inquiry in which the child must invent and
reinvent the world.

For social reconstructionists and critical theorists, curriculum focuses on student

experience and taking social action on real problems, such as violence, hunger,
international terrorism, inflation, and inequality. Strategies for dealing with
controversial issues (particularly in social studies and literature), inquiry, dialogue,
and multiple perspectives are the focus. Community-based leaning and bringing
the world into the classroom are also strategies (Cohn, 1999).
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Q No 5: Describe the Montessori system of early childhood education.

Ans: The Early Childhood Environment

In a Montessori Early Childhood classroom, highly trained teachers create a
customized environment crafted to her unique abilities, interests, and learning
style.

This approach to learning is “hands-on.” Dr. Maria Montessori believed (and

modern science has affirmed) that moving and learning are inseparable. In the
prepared classroom, children work with specially designed manipulative materials
that invite exploration and engage the senses in the process of learning.

All learning activities support children in choosing meaningful and challenging

work at their own interest and ability level. This child-directed engagement
strengthens motivation, supports attention, and encourages responsibility.

Uninterrupted blocks of work time (typically 2+ hours in length) allow children to

work at their own pace and fully immerse themselves in an activity without
interruption. Your child’s work cycle involves selecting an activity, performing it
for as long it remains interesting, cleaning up the activity and retuning it to the
shelf, and making another work choice. This cycle respects individual variations in
the learning process, facilitates the development of coordination, concentration,
independence, and a sense of order, while facilitating your child’s assimilation of
information.

A Montessori Early Childhood classroom feels more like a home than a school.
You won’t see desks, nor will a teacher stand at the front of the room delivering
a lesson to the whole class. Instead, you’ll see children happily working
individually or in small groups, at tables or on the floor near small mats that
delineate their own space.

Specially designed learning materials are displayed on open shelves, easily

accessible to the children. Classrooms also include low sinks accessible to the
children, child-sized furniture, cozy spaces for quiet reading, reachable shelves
with work available for free choice, and child-sized kitchen utensils so the
students can eat, prepare, and clean up their snack on their own. Teachers gently
guide students to help maintain the organization and cleanliness of this
environment to keep it orderly and attractive, and to help your child understand
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how to care for materials and clean up after themselves—skills you will be happy
to observe carrying over in your home.

What your child will learn: Rigorously trained teachers carefully observe their
children in the Early Childhood environment, identifying their interests and
abilities and developing personalized learning plans tailored to each child’s needs.
They guide the learning, introducing new lessons and levels of difficulty as
appropriate. The teacher offers the encouragement, time, and tools needed to
allow children’s natural curiosities to drive learning, and provides choices that
help them learn, grow, and succeed.

After participating in a demonstration of a material from a teacher, your child is

free to choose activities and to work on her own or with a partner for as long as
she wishes. Since there is usually only one of each material, your child will develop
patience and self-control as she waits for a material to become available.

The Montessori Early Childhood curriculum follows a 3-year sequence. Because

the teacher guides your child through learning at her own pace, her individualized
learning plan may exceed the concepts she would be taught in a classroom
environment in which all children learn the same concept at the same time.

As children move forward, they develop the ability to concentrate and make
decisions, along with developing self-control, courtesy, and a sense of community
responsibility.

In Montessori schools, academic growth is seen as just one part of children’s

healthy development. The method nurtures their social, emotional, and physical
growth, ensuring that they are, as Dr. Maria Montessori put it, “treading always in
the paths of joy and love.”

Practical Life
Children learn daily-life skills, such as how to get dressed, prepare snacks, set the
table, and care for plants and animals. They also learn appropriate social
interactions, such as saying please and thank-you, being kind and helpful, listening
without interrupting, and resolving conflicts peacefully. In addition to teaching
specific skills, Practical Life activities promote independence, and fine- and gross-
motor coordination.
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Sensorial
Children refine skills in perceiving the world through their different senses, and
learn how to describe and name their experiences—for example, rough and
smooth, perceived through touch. Sensorial learning helps children classify their
surroundings and create order. It lays the foundation for learning by developing the
ability to classify, sort, and discriminate—skills necessary in math, geometry, and
language.
Math
Through hands-on activities, children learn to identify numerals and match them to
their quantity, understand place-value and the base-10 system, and practice
addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They also explore patterns in the
numbering system. With an exploratory approach, children do more than just
memorize math facts; they gain a firm understanding of the meaning behind them.
Language
Activities throughout the Early Childhood classroom teach language, help children
acquire vocabulary, and develop skills needed for writing and reading. The ability
to write, a precursor to reading, is taught first. Using hands-on materials, children
learn letter sounds, how to combine sounds to make words, how to build
sentences, and how to use a pencil. Once these skills are acquired, children
spontaneously learn to read.
Cultural Studies
A wide range of subjects, including history, geography, science, art, and music, are
integrated in lessons in the cultural area of the curriculum. Children learn about
their own community and the world around them. Discovering similarities and
differences among people and places helps them develop an understanding and
appreciation of the diversity of our world, and a respect for all living things.

Montessori materials are not only beautiful and inviting, but ingenious. They teach
only 1 skill at a time to allow the child to work independently and master the
intended concept. The materials are also “self-correcting.” This means the child is
able to identify if they have done an activity accurately and try again without
intervention from a teacher. For example, if a large block is stacked atop a tower
of shorter blocks, the tower will fall down. Working with self-correcting materials
helps children develop confidence and self-sufficiency and promotes critical
thinking. In a sense, they become their own teachers—a skill that will last for life.