Assignment Module 1
Assignment Module 1
Assignment module 1
Question no 1: write the biographical note on dr.maria Montessori in
your own words?
QUICK FACTS
Name: Maria Montessori
Birth Year: 1870
Birth date: August 31, 1870
Birth City: Chiaravalle
Birth Country: Italy
Gender: Female
Best Known For: Italian physician Maria Montessori was a pioneer of theories
in early childhood education, which are still implemented in Montessori
schools all over the globe.
Industries
o Education and Academia
o Writing and Publishing
Astrological Sign: Virgo
Schools
o University of Rome
Nationalities
o Italian
Death Year: 1952
Death date: May 6, 1952
Death City: Noordwijk aan Zee
Death Country: Netherlands
Name: Saman ahsan
Maria biography:
Montessori birth:
Maria Montessori was born in Ancon a, Italy, in 1870. When she was 12, her
parents moved to Rome and encouraged her to become a teacher, the only career
open to women at the time. She was first interested in mathematics, and decided on
engineering, but eventually became interested in biology and finally determined to
enter medical school.
Montessori education :
Name: Saman ahsan
In 1896 she became the first woman to graduate from the University of Rome
Medical School and joined the staff of the University's Psychiatric Clinic. As part
of her duties, she visited children committed to the insane asylums. She became
convinced these mentally deficient children could profit from special education and
studied the work of pioneers Jean Itard and Edouard Seguin.
Montessori was named director of the State Orthophrentic School in 1889. She
worked with the children there for two years. All day she taught in the school and
then worked preparing new materials, making notes and observations and reflecting
on her work. These two years she regarded as her "true degree" in education. To
her amazement, she found these children could learn many things that had seemed
impossible. This conviction led Montessori to devote her energies to the field of
education for the remainder of her life.
Dr. Montessori returned to the University of Rome to study philosophy,
psychology, and anthropology. She also served on the staff of the Women's
Training College in Rome (one of the two women's colleges in Italy at that time),
practiced in the clinics and hospitals in Rome and carried on a private practice of
her own.
In 1907 she was asked to direct a day-care center in a housing project in the slum
section of San Lorenzo, Italy. Montessori accepted, seeing this as her opportunity
to begin her work with normal children.
She was to have the care of sixty children between the ages of 3 - 7 while their
illiterate parents were working. The sparse furniture was similar to that used in an
office or home, and the only education equipment was the pieces of sensorial
apparatus, Montessori had used with her mentally defective children.
Montessori says she had no special system of instruction she wished to test at this
point. She wanted to compare the reactions of normal children to her special
equipment with those of her mental defectives. She attempted to set up as natural
an environment as possible for the children, and then relied on her own
observations of what occurred. After instructing the teacher in the use of the
Name: Saman ahsan
sensorial apparatus, she remained in the background, and waited for the children to
reveal themselves to her.
Soon they had taught themselves to write. They would read the words they had
written, but were uninterested in those anyone else had written. They then began to
read with the same enthusiasm that they had written, reading every extraneous item
in their environment - street signs in shops, etc. They showed little interest in
books; however, until one day a child showed the other children a torn page from a
book. He announced there was a "story" on it, and read it to the others. It was then
that they seemed to understand the meaning of books.
They began reading them with the explosion of energy they had previously
exhibited in writing and reading words encountered at random in their
environment. The process was interesting on three counts: one, spontaneity and
direction of this activity from the beginning belonged to the children; two, the usual
process of reading preceding writing was reversed; three, the children involved
were only four and five years old.
Word of Montessori's work spread rapidly. Visitors from all over the world
arrived at the Montessori schools to verify with their own eyes the reports of these
"remarkable children." Montessori began a life of world travel - establishing
schools and teacher training centers, lecturing, and writing. The first
comprehensive account of her work, The Montessori Method, was published in
1909.
In observing all these developments in the children, Montessori felt she had
identified significant and hitherto unknown facts about children's behavior. She
also knew that, in order to consider these developments as representing universal
truths, she must study them under different conditions and be able to reproduce
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them. In this spirit that same year, a second school was opened in San Lorenzo, a
third in Milan, and a fourth in Rome in 1908, the latter for children of well-to-do
parents. By 1909, all of Italian Switzerland began using Montessori's methods in
their orphan asylums and children's houses.
Montessori made her first visit to the United States for a brief lecture tour in 1912.
Question no 2:
Write a note on casa dei Bambini? Also explain how did Montessori
Method develop there?
Answer:
This year, Italian educator Maria Montessori had finally the chance to test her
program and ideas with the establishment of the first children’s school, the Casa
dei Bambini, which opened in one of the poorest districts of Rome.
Name: Saman ahsan
Montessori had studied philosophy and psychology and graduated in 1896 from
Rome University Medical School. She was the first Italian woman to qualify as a
physician, and was first appointed assistant doctor at the Rome University
Psychiatric Clinic. She developed an interest in the diseases of children. In 1901,
she became Director of the new orthophrenic school, attached to the University of
Rome. The school was formerly used as the asylum for the “deficient and insane”
children of the working class and poor, most of whom were probably retarded or
autistic. She insisted that the staff recognize her patients’ need for stimulation,
purposeful activity, and self-esteem.
Maria Montessori rapidly became well known. She began to accept speaking
engagements throughout Europe on behalf of the women’s movement, peace
efforts, and child labor law reform. In 1904 she became a professor, and occupied
the chair of Anthropology and the Chair of Hygiene at the Magisterial Femminile in
Rome, one of the women’s colleges in Italy.
This entailed developing a concern for others and discipline and to do this children
engaged in exercises in daily living. These and other exercises were to function like
a ladder – allowing the child to pick up the challenge and to judge their progress.
‘The essential thing is for the task to arouse such an interest that it engages the
child’s whole personality’ (Maria Montessori – The Absorbent Mind).
n the Casa die Bambini, the educator served as a director of activities rather than as
a teacher in the conventional sense. Montessori argued that the educator’s job is to
serve the child; determining what each one needs to make the greatest progress, to
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facilitate the natural process of learning. The teacher was the ‘keeper’ of the
environment. He or she was to be a trained observer of children. The activities of
the director are geared to each child rather than to group-centered teaching and
learning (here there are a number of parallels with Dewey). The success of her
method then caused her to ask questions of ‘normal’ education. She believed she
could apply her revolutionary ideas to the education of the normal child, and to this
end she embarked on a program of intensive studies at Rome University. Dr.
Montessori succeeded brilliantly and received world acclaim.
Many elements of modern education have been adapted from Montessori’s theories.
She is credited with the development of the open classroom, individualized
education, manipulative learning materials, teaching toys, and programmed
instruction. In the last thirty-five years educators in Europe and North America
begun to recognize the consistency between the Montessori approach with what we
have learned from research into child development.
Since 1907, Montessori Schools have been established in over fifty countries. After
her death in 1952, her works have achieved greater popularity than ever before, and
the growth of Montessori schools in North America is reaching phenomenal
proportions. Ottawa Montessori Schools have retained the purity of Dr.
Montessori’s principles of education. More and more, psychological research is
confirming Montessori’s observations about the unfolding of learning in the child.
Name: Saman ahsan
Her method of instruction was a carefully organized one that followed her
discovery of the patterns of human growth and development.
Between 1912 and the end of her life, she put her ideas into twenty-five books and
pamphlets on various aspects of her educational theory and practice. Of particular
note are Dr. Montessori’s writings on Education for Peace that led to her
nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1948. It was Dr. Montessori’s belief that if
worldwide peace and harmony were ever to occur, we must start with the young
child. One has only to observe a Montessori class of mixed religions and ethnic
backgrounds all working and socializing in harmony to know this is true.
Today there is a growing consensus among psychologists and developmental
educators that many of her ideas were decades ahead of their time.
Question no 3:
Concentration:
According to Maria Montessori children work until they reach to their goal. They
are very enthusiastic about the work which makes them select and concentrate on
different activities which lead them to make them perfect in their inner
development.
The teacher or an adult should follow the child rather them to motivate him to do
work. When a child works in different areas of human activity at specific time that
lead them to develop the awareness and usage of doing. The teacher should not
ignore their inner urge of doing activities.
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When a child does activities again and again or when there is a spontaneous
repetition of an activity is done with great interest the result is concentration .The
child concentrates more when they found right conditions. And condition is just a
beginning not an end.
Need order :
Maria discovered that children really need an order in their life. She found out when
she saw her children putting their things back to their places; same in the case of
values, functions and other human activities. The child wants to learn by practice
that is the truth, the need to see it being practiced. Montessori students in this age,
built up their personalities, they needed consistency in all aspects of environment.
Freedom of choice:
Normality refers to human power working in unison or in collaboration. Dr. Maria
says that during the early childhood it is possible to rectify any developmental error
and bring the child back to normality. The child should work individually and with
freedom. All activities are very important to bring child back to normality.
Sensorial concept:
A child needs those activities which help him to develop sensorial concepts,
language, arithmetic art, and culture. These are very important for building of
child’s personality. Montessori found that these activities can bring intelligence in
the children as they love to perform these activities.
A child could assimilate that the knowledge which people think that this kind of
knowledge is too complex for the children but according to Maria Montessori if that
knowledge present in rightful manner or condition, that would be easy for them to
digest.
Inner satisfaction:
Montessori figure out that discipline should not be imposed on children. If a child is
satisfied, he would start respect others. He may learn discipline unintentionally.
Real discipline comes along with freedom.
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If a child is satisfied he or she starts respect elders because real obedience is based
on love, respect and faith.
Right environment:
She was confident that the child’s behavior rely on the environment. If a child
couldn't get the environment for development, when his or her inner needs do not
fulfill, he becomes stubborn, disobedient and destructive. So we should provide him
or her suitable environment and condition for development and Montessori is the
right place for that.
She discovered that children love to do their household work. They believe in a
statement that “Help me Do it myself” but parents don’t pay any heed towards this.
So, she says we should trust the child.
Maria had a view that we should provide a very good environment to the student in
order to attain good result. For this purpose, she used child size table and chair
rather than heavy desk. She discovered the child wants everything according to its
size. Tables were so small and light in weight so two children could easily move it.
Another very important point which she had discovered is traffic pattern. She figure
out that a room where children had to stay, it should not be congested and
overloaded. The children love to sit on the floor so that’s why she put a lot of rugs
and mats for children where they sit and do activities.
Maria observed that the building and outside environment should be according to
the size of a child. For instance toilet, low sink, windows, shelves, garden tools etc.
designed in child sized.
Question no 4 :
Explain sensitive periods and write short notes of the following?
a) Sensitive period for language
b) Sensitive period for mathematics
c) Sensitive period for movement
Name: Saman ahsan
Sensitive periods :
A sensitive period refers to a special sensitivity which a creature acquires in its
infantile state, while it is still in a process of evolution. It is a transient disposition
and limited to the acquisition of a particular trait. Once this trait, or characteristic,
has been acquired, this special sensitivity disappears.
Very specific characteristic of a living creature is thus attained with the help of a
passing impulse or potency. Growth is therefore not to be attributed to a vague
inherited predetermination but to efforts that are carefully guided by periodic, or
Name: Saman ahsan
It does not mean that all is lost! For example, it is easier for a child to learn a
second language in his early years. If the child did not have that opportunity, then
learning another language will require a conscious effort.
This sensitive period lasts from birth (even in utero) to 6. Today’s sciences
corroborate the existence of a sensitive period to language. Neuroscience has shown
that the window of opportunity for language acquisition begins to shut at around 5
years old.
Name: Saman ahsan
Maria Montessori used to say that Montessori said that “the only language men will
ever speak perfectly is the one they learn in babyhood, when no one can teach them
anything.
During the sensitive period to language, it is also very easy for a young child to
learn another language.
A child by the age of 6, will have acquired an extensive vocabulary, basic sentences
patterns and the inflections and accent of his mother’s tongue. That is with almost
no direct teaching!
Language refers not only to the oral language but also to reading and writing. Maria
Montessori observed that children started to write then to read.
It is particularly important to talk to your child in adult to child manner, using the
proper vocabulary and not a baby language.
Books, reading, storytelling and puppets are great activities that help the child to
develop his language.
The environment that we prepare gives the opportunities for the child to crawl, pull
up and to move freely.
Name: Saman ahsan
We must allow freedom of movement and avoid the trap of baby devices like
playpens and jumparoos, that are supposed to keep our baby safe. Those devices are
only convenient for us. Although, the way we parent today may force us to use
them as we are often parenting on our own for long hours. If you need a playpen or
jumparoos to keep your child safe while you take a shower, try to limit the use to
very short period of time.
We have to give them toys or materials that improve the movement of the hand and
improve eye/hand coordination.
We need to give our children constant opportunities, so they can refine their skills.
This is when the child starts using both hands in coordination of fine movements.
He is now able to hold small items with pincer grip and release voluntary.
The child acquires this coordination through repetition of purposeful motor activity.
Regular visits to the park and outdoor environments are likely to help with this
sensitive period.Children go through phases of maximum effort During this period.
They want to carry heavy loads and they want to push.
Maria Montessori’s use of the term, ‘The Mathematical Mind,’ refers to the unique
tendencies of the human mind, such as order, exactness, exploration, and
orientation. Humans also have the unique abilities to imagine, create, and think
abstractly. Montessori designed her math materials to incorporate the natural
capabilities of a All children have mathematical tendencies, and all children should
be able to enjoy mathematical studies.
Dr. Montessori proposed that the introduction of mathematics during the period of
the absorbent mind (0-6 years) enables the child to form positive associations with
numbers, which can be carried on throughout life. The key is to provide the child
with hands-on experiences. For the young child, an explanation is not enough. Dr.
Montessori wrote:
“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by
listening to words but by experiences in the environment.”
At a certain point in development, usually around the age of four, the child enters
the sensitive period for numbers, and the child’s mathematical nature awakens. She
graduates from purely sensorial explorations to interest in specific measuring and
counting. Once begun, the child progresses through the math materials sequentially.
The first group of exercises is work with numbers 1 to 10. The child learns the
quantities from 1 to 10 through a very concrete experience with the number rods.
After this, we introduce symbols and the child learns to associate quantity and
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symbol with the number rods and cards. The sandpaper numbers isolate the symbols
for the quantities, and tracing them prepares the hand for writing numerals.
Question no 5:
Traditionally, schools group children by age. In any one classroom, children are
usually all the same age, with the largest gap in age being 6 months to a year.
Children all learn the same material at the same time and the curriculum is based on
the pace of the average student – children feel left behind if they struggle with a
concept, and they feel bored by repetition of something they have already mastered.
Name: Saman ahsan
“The main thing is that the groups should contain different ages because it has great
influence on the cultural development of the child. This is obtained by the relations
of the children among themselves.”
According to Montessori “There are many things which no teacher can convey to a
child of three, but a child of five can do it with ease.” In other words, the multi-age
classroom gives children the chance to learn from each other.
Furthermore, research shows that older children often develop a mentor role in
mixed-age classrooms, helping everyone practice pro-social behaviors such as
sharing, helping, and more!
4. Builds Self-Confidence
In our mixed-age classrooms, the younger children look up to the older ones as role
models and the older children look forward to the opportunity to be mentors. This
mentorship role helps older children develop self-confidence and leadership skills.
5. Provides Stability
Children remain with the same teacher and group for a 3-year cycle, allowing each
educator to better observe the unique needs of students and to more clearly
understand and encourage the development of their individual learning styles.
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How often do people divide by age group in the real world? Not too often! Mixed-
age classrooms better prepare children for the “real world,” in which they’ll interact
with other people of a range of ages, experiences, and abilities.
Spiritual embryo:
Those movements, which take longer to master, are voluntary and not instinctual.
“A child develops not simply as a member of the human species, but as a person.”
Children are capable of becoming anything and that potential is present from birth.
Look at the wide eyes of a baby. They absorb everything, preparing to speak and to
walk. These impulses to absorb and learn are as delicate as the child. “Just as a
physical embryo needs its mother’s womb in which to grow, so the spiritual embryo
needs to be protected by an external environment that is warm with love and rich in
nourishment, where everything is disposed to welcome and nothing to harm it.”
Children mold themselves by interacting with their surroundings. By taking
seriously the notion that children shape themselves, our roles as caretaker’s shifts
from the shapers of children to being their guides. Rather than pointing out where
they should go, we must listen to where the child wants to go, and help them to
arrive safely.
Name: Saman ahsan
The absorbent mind describes a child's ability to take in information through their
environment and their experiences by using their own “mental muscles” This ability
begins from the moment of birth and lasts till the age of about six.
This occurs in the first plane of development and is divided into two subcategories.
From ages 0-3, a child is considered an unconscious absorber. From the ages 3-6,
the child absorbs information in a conscious manner.
Parents hear the phrase and often interpret it to mean that they should take
advantage of this period of rapid brain development and teach their child everything
the parent knows, or even worse, everything under the sun.
Dr. Montessori noted in her book by the same name that a newborn progresses from
being able to do essentially nothing but flail their limbs, to crawling, then walking
and talking. None of this needs to be taught to a baby; they simply achieve this
milestone with the passing of time and taking in what they hear.
This opens the idea to the concept that children don’t owe their development to
their parents. It's the child who develops into the adult.
Prepared environment:
“Children acquire knowledge through experience in the environment.”Doctor
Maria Montessori
place. Furniture is light and child-sized, learning materials are designed to fit
in children’s hands, and everything is designed to be open and accessible. The
prepared environment activates a love of learning through curiosity, stability,
and the freedom to choose.
b. Features of the Prepared Environment
c. Structure and order
d. Clearly defined curriculum areas
e. Materials are displayed in progression order
f. Left to right orientation
g. Freedom of movement and choice
h. Emphasis on independence
i. Freedom within limits
No completion :
In Montessori house no two children are ever compared each other .it respect
individual difference and varying pace at which different children progress in
various fields .
No test or examination:
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Every child is free to learn in the class room at his own pace. For assessment
Montessori teacher maintain individual observation sheets and portfolios this is not
for comparison but for the record keeping purpose.
No reward or punishment. Dr Montessori prohibited the use of punishment and
rewards of any kind. Praise, help or look may be enough to interrupt him or destroy
the tempo of activity .