Just because Maria Montessori was educating children over 100 years ago and you're not an Italian med-school grad working in the Roman slums doesn't mean she doesn't have things to teach you. Simply put, the child has the ability to learn and develop to his fullest potential given the right environment.
Spiritual Embryo* I hesitate to start with this concept first, because those words will turn some people off. But what Montessori meant by the spiritual embryo of the child isn't specific to a certain religion, or even religious in nature. Now, forgive me for getting all woo-woo on you in one of the first postings here, but you must understand this.
The child has certain powers. Not like Harry Potter, but powers that enable him to learn and grow and find his place in the universe. Montessori said, "We should regard this secret effort of the child as something sacred" (Montessori, p. 36). She also thought the child's actions have a purpose, even if you think what they are doing is silly or repetitive. You must provide the child with an environment where he can nurture these interests. Anything less will stifle the child's instincts and tear at the fabric of his being (p. 33). Check out The Secret of Childhood by Maria Montessori where she goes further into accusing adults of stifling the child and what you can do about it.
That's right, you stifle the child. And here's a bombshell: Adults aren't responsible for imparting all this wisdom that children have. Montessori said that if the adult gives respect to the process of the child's development, the child will figure things out on his own. Children have an "inner guide" which leads them toward development (Montessori, p. 16). This takes some faith because the child won't be acting like an adult when he does it. So here's a take-home message: Don't try to correct the child all the time! He is performing very necessary tasks to become who he is!
So, if you aren't supposed to correct them all the time, what the heck are you supposed to do? Montessori said, "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" (Montessori, 34). Nurturing the child is paramount, but I also think modeling is an appropriate task for adults. Remember, you are teaching children whenever they are around you, whether you mean to or not, so if you haven't done so already, please change your attitude.
The child is more intelligent than you may realize (heck, he even has special powers!) and deserves your respect. Just because he isn't communicating or acting like an adult doesn't mean he isn't capable of quite a lot. Raise your expectations!
* The development of the spiritual embryo is seen easily when you know more about The Sensitive Periods and the Planes of Development, which, you betcha, will come in another post at some point.
Read This:
Kramer, Rita. Maria Montessori: A Biography. Chicago: Da Capo Press.1988.
Montessori, Maria. The Secret of Childhood. New York: Ballantine Books. 1972.
Mooney, Carol Garhart. An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erickson, Piaget, & Vygotsky. Saint Paul, MN: Red Leaf Press. 2000.
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