An Evaluation of
Montessori's Philosophy of Education by William Crane : Theories
of Development - Concepts and Applications: Prentice Hall, Englewood
Cliffs,. New Jersey: 1992 (4th Ed.) ISBN 013955402-5 passages from
pages 82-85
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Although Montessori's
interests were more practical than theoretical, she did develop
a definite theoretical position, one that owed much to Rousseau.
She argued that we are wrong to assume that children are whatever
we make them, for children also learn on their own, from their own
maturational promptings. And, as did Rousseau, she argued that
children often think and learn quite differently form adults.
A central component
of Montessori's theory is the concept of sensitive periods. Sensitive
periods are similar to critical periods; they are genetically programmed
blocks of them during which the child is especially eager and able
to master certain tasks. For example, there are sensitive periods
for the acquisition of language and for the beginning use of the
hand. During these periods, the child works with all his or her
might at perfecting these abilities. And, "if the child is
prevented from enjoying these experiences at the very time when
nature has planned for him to do so, the special sensitivity which
draws him to them will vanish, with a disturbing effect on development."(Montessori,
1949)
A cornerstone of
developmental or child-centered education is a faith in the child
- or, better put, a faith in Natureıs laws guiding the child from
within. Rousseau, Pestalozzi, Gessell, and others made this point. Adults
shouldnıt constantly set goals and try to influence children; they
should try to provide tasks that give children opportunities to
pursue their naturally emerging interests. Before Montessori, however,
no one knew how much children seem to need such tasks, or how much
energy they will pour into them. In the Childrenıs House, 3 to 6
year olds freely chose certain tasks and worked on them with the
deepest concentration. And when they finished, they emerged happy,
refreshed, and serene. They seemed at peace because they had been
able to develop themselves. The intensity of concentration seems
to be especially great in the first 6 years of life, but Montessori
believed that all education should consider what children themselves
are most eager to learn. ...........................................................
................................If
Montessori were to hear of this pattern of results (that children
from Montessori schools donıt do as well on tests), she probably
would be pleased. For her primary goal was not high scores on achievement
tests, but inner attitudes. (But researchers have generally been
more impressed by the attitudes that Montessori schools foster -
concentration, confidence, and independence.).................She
did not want to impose tasks on children just because adults are
anxious that they learn them as soon as possible. She care little
about how rapidly children learn standard skills or about advancing
them along the ladder of achievement tests. Rather, she was concerned
with children's attitudes toward learning. She wanted to unharness
their natural love for learning and their capacities for concerted
and independent work, which unfold according to an inner timetable.
As she once said: "My vision of the future is no longer of
people taking exams and proceeding on that certificate from the
secondary school to the University, but of individuals passing from
one stage of independence to a higher, by means of their own activity,
through their own effort of will, which constitutes the inner evolution
of the individual."(Montessori, 1936)............. ........................She
anticipated much that is current in developmental thinking. For
one thing, she was among the first to argue for the possibility
of sensitive or critical periods in intellectual development. Even
more impressive were her insights into language acquisition. Early
on, she suggested that children unconsciously master complex grammatical
rules and suggested that they must possess an innate mechanism that
enables them to do this - suggestions that anticipated the work
of Chomsky.
Montessori also
was among the first to call attention to the child's need for contact
with nature. She said children are especially attuned to nature
and benefit from rich exposure to it. She didnıt specify a precise
sensitive period when this is so, but she believed that children
need experience with nature to develop their powers of observation
and other qualities, such as a feeling of connection to the living
world. Today we find such thoughts among researchers advancing
the "biophilia hypothesis". ............... Montessori
was among the few scholars ever to take the childıs tie to nature
seriously.............Montessori might have given more recognition
to young childrenıs social, imaginative, and artistic development.
I believe Montessori was also wrong about fairy tales.........
Montessori, then,
may have undervalued some components of the childhood years, such
as play, drawing, and fairy tales. But, whatever Montessori may
have overlooked, her oversights are minor in comparison to her contributions.
Montessori, as much or more than anyone, demonstrated how the developmental
philosophies of Rousseau, Gessell, and others can be put into practice.
She showed how it is possible to follow children's spontaneous tendencies
and to provide materials that will permit them to learn independently
and with great enthusiasm. Montessori was one of history's great
educators.
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