Sensorial Montessori

MONTESSORI’S research shows that children learn through movement and should have environments that are specifically tailored to meet their needs. Montessori schools provide a foundation for learning that is centred on care for the environment, care for the self as individual and

Jean Piaget developed his theory of cognitive development to show how humans develop intelligence. The first stage in Piaget’s theory is the sensorimotor period which lasts from birth to around the age of two. In this stage infants begin to develop their intelligence by interacting with the world around them. One of the primary way infants interact with the world is though natural reflexes, which exist cross-cultural, and by physically and visually observing the world around them. In the film all the infants are shown growing and learning from what are very different environments, but each child is still learning the same lessons through their environment. One moment in the film this is shown is when the infants are playing with toys, specifically a crib mobile. While not every child has a crib or a mobile as we think of one in western culture, the film cuts between each child playing with some form of toy that either hangs above their sleeping area or is held by a parent or sibling. Another part of Piaget’s sensorimotor stage is the development of habits. The film shows these habits forming in all the infants in simple ways, Panijao reaching for something or Hattie reaching for a finger to place in her mouth. The film shows that despite the infants developing in different environments and cultures they still grow and learn in much

Students spend most of their time working on the floor where they have their own individual carpets. They put them down to outline their personal workspace. Instead of there being various toys and games spread through out the classroom, there are specific sensory materials and manipulatives that are self correcting and purposeful to student’s learning. On the walls students’ work fill spaces throughout the classroom, similar to the walls of a Head Start classroom. Montessori classrooms are made up of mixed grades and ages, something that is not typical of traditional classrooms.

Some of the senses that are vital during the growth of the child are: hearing, vision, smelling and tasting, ability to speak and feeling pain; they are the basic improvements in the child’s mental growth, they help the child in the perception of the general occurrences in the world around the child. After the child have developed the basic senses to the major aspects of life that is when they will be able to develop permanent images of objects even if they are not there at the moment. The sensorimotor nerves of a child develops as the child make primitive movements, these improves the reflex response of a child (Piaget, & Inhelder, 2010).

Yes, that is another one of our senses. What body part do we use in order to see?

In the nursery, I examined toys aimed at the sensorimotor stage of cognitive development. This stage includes actions based on reflexes and the transition to actions based on intentions. Actions that are satisfying are repeated by the child through a process called primary circular reactions. Soon after this first stage, the child moves on to the secondary circular reactions or actions that have an effect on the environment. After experiencing both of these kind of reactions, the child then advances into more intentional actions. The child begins to have goal-directed behavior and curiosity which leads to experimenting. Lastly, the child will begin to understand symbolic problem solving and object permanence.

Today’s child development system, in many ways, has been heavily influenced by the work of Jean Piaget. We can observe the use of his ideas in a wide range of facilities and environments. Infant’s abilities vary incredibly between birth to two years. These differences can be found even in the period of a month. Piaget was intrigued by these differences; therefore, he used his vast knowledge on children to divide development into six stages known as Piaget’s Sensorimotor Stage. Throughout his observations he used children that he spent a large amount of time with, his very own children.

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

In reality, the children move about the classroom independently, choosing the order of their learning activities. There may be 15 or more activities, or ?jobs? as they are called in some Montessori classrooms, occurring at the same time with small groups or individual work, yet the classroom remains quiet, yet busy and productive, sometimes with the soft hush of classical music playing in the background. Many Montessori school classrooms place a card around the child?s neck with the day?s objectives written in the form of a checklist for the students to monitor themselves. This checklist encourages the students to take responsibility for their own learning, as well as discourages prompt-dependence, since the student need not wait for instruction. Some of the activities in a Montessori classroom include reading, pre-reading using phonics, math, discovery science and writing. Children learn skills in a way that he or she is not aware that learning is taking place. For example, a child playing in the sand box with a small rake is not aware that he or she is learning fine motor skills and how to hold and control a pencil. Another observation in a Montessori classroom is that most classrooms tend to span three grade levels. This practice allows to children to become mentors to younger students. Also, the large gap in developmental levels allows children to ?learn at their own pace? (Keller, 2001), which is another important Montessori

When the child engages with the Montessori materials in total concentration for long periods of time, a transformation occurs. This transformation is what Dr. Maria Montessori calls “normalization”. It is a process that occurs over a period of time, usually three or four years and it requires the child’s total engagement with the Montessori materials. The process of normalization is a journey. It begins when a child is introduced to activities like the practical life materials. The materials help the child to develop his motor skills , acquire a sense of order , and begin the process of extending their ability, and desire for concentrated work.

A child in this stage is basically trying to understand the world using their senses and motor skills.

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

Dr Montessori emphasizes the importance of the development of imagination. How do cultural activities in a Montessori prepared environment aid in the development….

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.

How is the child’s exploration and orientation in his physical environment complimented by the Montessori materials and presentation?