MARIA

MONTESSORI 2
Revolutionary
Discoveries
Montessori Philosophy
GRE
EN
Revolutionary
Discoveries
Discovery of the GRE
child’s natural EN
spontaneity and self-
discipline.
1
AMAZING POWER OF
CONCENTRATION
 AMAZING POWER OF
1 CONCENTRATION
● Misconception of the adult about the
child: Children have no willpower to
concentrate.
A child naturally possesses
“A concentration so profound that it seemed
to have isolated her mentally from the rest of
her environment.”
 AMAZING POWER OF
1 CONCENTRATION
Ex: A child cannot be easily distracted when
engaged/concentrated in a certain activity
(i.e., taking the cylinders out, mixing them,
and replacing them in their sockets)
2
LOVE FOR
ORDER
2 LOVE FOR ORDER
● Misconception of the adult about the
child: Children do not like to organize.
“They revelled in putting things back in
their places, and, in general, in keeping the
environment in order.”
2 LOVE FOR ORDER
Ex: A child would prefer to return materials
where it belongs after working on them
(i.e., returning materials and toys to their
proper shelves).
3
CHILDREN
PREFER WORK
TO PLAY
3 CHILDREN PREFER
WORK TO PLAY
● Misconception of the adult about the
child: Children are more inclined
towards playing over working.
“With Montessori, the child’s highest and
noblest form of self-expression is work.”
3 CHILDREN PREFER
WORK TO PLAY
This strength of imagination in the child under
six is usually expended on toys and fairy tales,
but surely we can give him real things to
imagine about, so putting him in more accurate
relation with his environment.
Ex: A child prefers working with materials than
playing with toys.
4
NO NEED FOR
REWARDS AND
PUNISHMENT
 NO NEED FOR
4 REWARDS AND
PUNISHMENT
● Misconception of the adult about the
child: Children are motivated by
rewards and punishments.
“Work is its own reward. Punishments are
rare. All work is noble, the only not noble
thing is to live without working.”
 NO NEED FOR
4 REWARDS AND
PUNISHMENT
Ex: A child being hindered from going
to school is a punishment itself.
5
SPONTANEOUS
SELF-
DISCIPLINE
 SPONTANEOUS SELF-
5 DISCIPLINE
● Misconceptions of the adult about the
child: Children have no capacity to
discipline themselves.
“They began to exhibit an extraordinary
self-discipline; and with it a serenity of
spirit and a great respect for the right of
others.”
 SPONTANEOUS SELF-
5 DISCIPLINE
“Let us always remember that inner discipline
is something to come, and not something
already present. Our task is to show the way to
discipline. Discipline is born when the child
concentrates his attention on some object that
attracts him and which provides him not only
with a useful exercise but with a control of
error.”
 SPONTANEOUS SELF-
5 DISCIPLINE
Ex: CASA students “moved about their little
world in a quiet and orderly manner, each
getting on with his own business. They
selected their materials for work; settled
down at their tables and got on with their
affairs, without disturbing their companions;
and afterwards quietly replaced the
materials when finished with.”
Through harnessing
these discoveries of self-
discipline and
spontaneous interest
within children, they
develop a strong sense
of Independence and
Responsibility.
 STAGES OF
1. A Period of Transformation:
DEVELOPMENT The Absorbent Mind
(0-6 years old)
a. The Unconscious Absorbent Mind (0–3 years old)
i. Absorbs information without the involvement of the will
b. The Conscious Absorbent Mind (3–6 years old).
i. Absorbs information with awareness and whose primary tools
are their delicate hands.
1. “It is thanks to the hand, the companion of the mind, that
civilization has arisen.” (montessori)
2. Ex: CASA sensorial materials such as rough
and smooth boards.
 STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
2. A Period of Uniform Growth (6-12 years old)
a. The transformation of the child is not as drastic as
the previous stage.
b. Uniform and stable growth of the child.
c. They develop a sense of community, reasoning,
and morals.
 STAGES OF
3. DEVELOPMENT
A Period of Transformation: Puberty and Adolescence
(12-18 years old)
a. They become more intensely conscious of themselves and
their actions.
b. Psychological characteristics emerge from their tendency to
look inward at oneself, such as ‘doubts, hesitations, violent
emotions, discouragement…a state of expectation, the
tendency towards creative work, and a need for the
strengthening of self-confidence.“
 STAGES OF
3. DEVELOPMENT
A Period of Transformation: Puberty and Adolescence
(12-18 years old)
a. The formation of Economic Independence emerges from
the strengthening of self-confidence.
b. Economic Independence- the sense of independence within
adolescent individuals that affirms their readiness to enter
adulthood and confidently contribute to society.
 THE SENSITIVE
● Children’s sensibilities or irresistible
PERIODS
impulses are heightened and urge them
towards certain elements in their
environment.
● These periods last for a LIMITED time
only.
● For instance, children of two years start to
have a heightened, impulsive sensitivity
toward order, (Sensitive Period for Order)
that may last when they reach four years
old.
● Other Sensitive Periods:
■ Sensitive Period for Movement
■ Sensitive Period for Language
 EFFECTS OF NEGLECTING THE SENSITIVE
PERIODS
● When these periods pass, their neglect
leads to heavy consequences that
CANNOT be alleviated.
● The children have “missed the bus.”
● It is important to understand that each
sensitive period children miss is a lost
opportunity to maximize their potential in
fully developing themselves.
● This missed opportunity makes them
“diminished individuals,” whose
incompleteness may never be filled once
they grow up and enter adulthood.
 The Master Principle
“There is, however, one principle—which
according to Montessori herself—may be
regarded as more fundamental than any other;
probably because, in a sense, it includes all the
rest. It is this: that we must constantly bear in
mind the fundamental difference between the
child and the adult . . . the child is in a continual
state of growth and metamorphosis, whereas the
adult has reached the norm of the species.”
 The Master Principle
● Children still have room to grow
and transform in each stage of
their childhood.
● In contrast, adults do NOT have
this opportunity for physical
growth and significant
transformation.
 The Master Principle
● This Master principle on the
fundamental difference
between the child and the
adult helps us appreciate the
value of careful guidance
and mentoring of children at
every stage of their
development until they
reach adulthood.