Maria Montessori believed also that the first six years were very important to the holistic and spiritual development of the child.[1] During this period, “the young child incarnates the world around him and the things he sees are not just remembered, they form part of his soul”.[2]
For Montessori, the education process involves the whole child,[3] who learns through his senses[4] via a curriculum divided into several main areas:
- In the practical life area, the children learn the movements of everyday life (such as cleaning, polishing, cooking, dressing), These movements (spooning, tweezing, pouring, twisting lids) prepare the child for the task of writing.[5] For Montessori, before a child can write, the hand and body need to be prepared.[6]
- In the sensorial area, children explore the use of sound, smell, taste, touch and sight to their fullest since Montessori believed that if the child had the “opportunity to develop in all aspect when very young, the older child would have endless possibilities to explore.”[7]
- The language area is an extension of the practical life works. When fine motor are more developed, for Montessori, children are then naturally drawn to writing and drawing and the learning process naturally evolves, from telling stories, to writing them down and reading the stories of others.[8]
- The mathematical area is an extension of the other areas. For example, the concept of quantity is first taught by giving the child objects to hold in the hand. Then, the symbol is introduced and the writing of numbers is taught using touch and movement. The mathematical learning process draws on the movements learned in practical life and the discrimination abilities acquired through the sensorial materials.[9]
The Montessori method is a child centered method of education that is based on the idea that exploration is the beginning of all learning and leads to the education of the whole child.
[1] T. David, K. Goouch, S. Powell, The Routledge International Handbook of Philosophies and Theories of Early Childhood Education and Care, p. 35 (2016).
[2] M. Montessori, To Educate the Human Potential, p. 63 (1973).
[3] K. Calvin-Campbell, Supporting the Development of the Whole Child through Orff Schulwerk, Montessori and Multiple Intelligences, p. 13 (ERIC report)(1998).
[4] M. Montessori, The Montessori Method, p. 215 (1964) (stating that “the education of the senses must be of the greatest pedagogical interest”).
[5] See above Calvin-Campbell, p. 11.
[6] See e.g. Andrea Hendon Busch, Montessori Made Easy: Practical Life Lessons, p. 6 (2013).
[7] See above Calvin-Campbell, p. 11.
[8] See e.g. C. Soundy, Portraits of Exemplary Montessori Practice for all Literacy Teachers, Early Childhood Journal, p. 127-131 (2003).
[9] See above Calvin-Campbell, p. 13.