Different Stages Of Development Children Go Through Essay

Children’s journeys throughout education should be personal, and this is what the Montessori approach achieves. From visiting a Montessori setting, the practitioners accomplished this as they allowed the children to play individually “Montessori thought working alone encouraged children to become independent learners” (M. Beaver, J. Brewster et all, CACHE Level 3 Childcare and Education). It is also important that they do plan times for the children to socialize and work together as this will build their Social and Emotional development. By providing individual learning journey books for each child, means that the child’s key worker can add notes and pictures to show to their family what they do at nursery, however these are also available to take home and adapt them at home.

Every child is different, and so is every parent 's experience; but experts have gained a clear idea about the range of normal development from birth to the time of a person’s death. Although most child development experiences are not going to be the same due to the differentiation between culture and genetics, there are developmental milestones every child should experience within a certain range of age. Some of the most apparent factors of a child’s developmental stages are genetics, parenting, experiences, friends and family, education, and culture, or environment. All of these factors shape and individual life from the earliest years to the later years of life and eventually death.

Through her observations, Montessori held that a child will pass through several ‘sensitive periods’ during the Absorbent Mind, where he/she has an intrinsic sensibility to acquiring particular skills beneficial to his/her development (Montessori, 2007a). He/she is drawn to particular activities that will match the particular sensitivity – such as a sensitivity to order or small objects for example. It is for these reasons that Montessori saw the need to develop an environment that would enable every possibility for the child to fulfill all of these needs and that failure to do so could result in physical, social and mental instability. “The more the young are placed in

Dr Montessori observed that children learn in a unique way from birth to about six years old. She felt the children have a qualitatively different and privilege mind than the one of the older child and adult, she observed that the child’s mind is like a sponge but unlike a sponge which is limited, the child’s mind absorbs everything unlimitedly. She called this “The Absorbent Mind”, where the mind of the child absorbs, assimilates and internalizes all that has available in his environment and is unable to discriminate the positive from the negative. During these first 6 years the child possesses an inner strength that is manifested intrinsically by motivation to learn, his mind absorbs from an unconscious and indiscriminate way specific things at specific times; this time when is

DR Maria Montessori’s main discovery was the reality of a child’s true nature WHICH IS the NORMALIZED CHILD. She described the

Montessori has a different perspective than the traditional school system because of its approach to treat each person as an individual. The Montessori "method" is actually a philosophy of education. This philosophy emphasizes the fact that education should go far beyond the acquisition of knowledge, and instead be a practical aid to life and help developing the whole of the human’s personality. In her book “The Four Planes of Education”, Maria Montessori often refers about the unknown potential humans have from birth. She defined four distinct stages of development and described them as the four planes of development: Infancy, childhood, adolescence and maturity. In those planes there are defined changes, physically as well as psychologically. The first and third planes are periods of intense creation, whilst the second and fourth planes are the calm periods of consolidation. The link between all the planes of development is the individual’s need for independence. This is expressed differently throughout the journey of the human’s life. Our duty as adults is to be aware of those changes occurring throughout the child’s life and support them; we should provide him with the most appropriate environment and offer him opportunities to explore and practice these skills in order for him to progress and go further towards the next plane in his life.

She stressed that children will repeat the same thing over and over. For example a child in the nursery picking the same book each time he is asked to choose a book for teacher to read to children. Another example of a child in the nursery who is choosing the very same practical life transferring water with a turkey baster activity each morning at the arrival of the nursery and going back to it though out the day. Montessori says “ Now by the very boredom you have experienced in thus repeating and repeating this same exercise, you will be able to measure that imperious inner urge that drives the children to do the same thing.” (Maria Montessori: Her

According to Montessori, it is vitally important to support and facilitate these periods during the child's first stage of development. If the child is prevented from following the innate desire of any given sensitive period, a disturbing effect could result on both psychic development and maturity. The child must be assisted through the sensitive periods. The adult must assist the child by providing a suitable environment.

Children use their innate sensorimotor systems of sucking grasping and gross body activities to build schemes . In addition , children “solve” problems by playing with toys and using everyday “tools” such ass a spoon to feed them selves.

Maria Montessori founded an education system which is called Montessori and still bares her name, her system is based on belief in the child’s creative potential, (Douglas, n.d.). Her first Casa Dei Bambini (Children’s house), where Maria was using her approach of teaching was opened in 1907 in Rome. She was great educator who believed that children are learning through their personal experience at their right time and their own pace. (Ridgway, 2007). Children rather than learning largely from what the teachers and the textbooks say, learn from “doing”,(Douglas, n.d.). To provide for children an effective, independent learning process, and that they become a competent and confident learner, Teacher had to provide for children a healthy, clean, well-prepared and well organised environment in which children could develop. Maria Montessori came up with idea that if children have to work and play independently, they have to be comfortable and need appropriately sized tools and items that fit their small hands (Mooney, 2000). Montessori believed that children learn through sensory experiences. Teacher has a responsibility to provide wonderful sights, textures, sounds, and smells for children. Sensory

Sensitive Periods is a period in a child’s life when her or she has an urge to learn about his or her inner self. Practical life assists in developing this inner urge through order, language, and movement. When the child works with transferring objects using hands, spoon or tongues, they are developing their sensitive period of movement through this material. When the child works with silence games, and use words as open, close, snap, they are able to work their language sensitive period. And all activities in practical life promote order; the child learns that everything has their own place, and the right time to do.

Dr. Maria Montessori was a keen observer of children. She used her observational and experimental proclivities from her medical background to develop, what we might today call, a Constructivist understanding of the process of learning. She studied them scientifically. If she saw some unusual behavior in a child, she would say,”I won’t believe it now, I shall if it happens again”. She studied the conditions in which the children would perform those actions.

The education system back in her era focused on teaching the children to memorise word to word from books and posters and Children sat in rows at desks at the classroom learning from a blackboard and slates. This method of education wasn’t stimulating and exciting for children. Nevertheless through her experience Montessori discovered children want to learn, and they will do it in their own time frame and they shouldn’t be forced.

Watching a small child discover how to operate his or her favorite plaything is awe inspiring. The look of wonder at the item as it's carefully chosen from amongst their belongings and studied ever so carefully for each and every nuance. How that little face lights up with each new discovery no matter how large or small. The sounds of delight an even dismay at an unwanted result are beautiful. Consider an educational system that would continue to utilize a child’s natural curiosity, unyielding ingenuity and thirst for knowledge. Montessori education creates that environment for children by allowing them the freedom to not only gain knowledge in a natural progression, but also provide a basis on which to continue to grow no matter where

Maria Montessori was the originator and founder of the Montessori Method. She was the first female to graduate as a doctor from her university in Italy. After graduation, Montessori's work with so called “idiot children” led to an interest in child development. (M. Beaver et al, 2001, p.379) After researching Montessori was convinced there was a need for special schools catering to children who presented learning disabilities.