Image: Association Montessori Internationale
The Montessori method is an educational method, aimed at children and adolescents, that was developed during the 20th century. However, this method has been spreading over time since its origin, in addition, Currently it has gained a lot of strength and, thanks to its popularity, it has been able to spread to different areas of the world. But who was Maria Montessori? What is her method? You will find all this and much more in this Psychology-Online article: Maria Montessori: biography, method, phrases and books.
Maria Montessori was born in 1870 and passed away in 1952. She is currently known, mainly, for being the creator of the Montessori method. His first university degree she was in medicinefrom her, graduating in 1896 from the University of Rome. A remarkable fact from the biography of Maria Montessori is that she was the first female doctor in Italy.
She became interested in children's learning thanks to her clinical observations, generating special fact of analyzing how children construct their learning through what exists in the environment that surrounds. So she started her
Regarding the work environment of the Maria Montessori biography, at first, she worked with disabled children. Later, she began to experiment with the methods used with disabled children using them with "normal" children, thus increasing her great interest in learning and education. Montessori created her philosophy and made her materials through observation and the scientific method.
The Minister of Education contacted Montessori to give her the address of the first Children's House (also called Casa Dei Bambini), which was She opened in 1907, where she welcomed children between the ages of 3 and 6 with a low socioeconomic level in order to educate them about hygiene, manners, values, among others. The main initiative of the Children's House was to monitor children with low socioeconomic status who proved to be rebellious children. However, with the passage of time, the Children's House became a research Center aimed at accompanying the dignified development of children.
Regarding the personal life of Maria Montessori, mention that she had a son, Mario Montessori, being a single mother.
Finally, it should also be noted that Maria Montessori she wrote a lot of books related to the world of education and learning, of which the most prominent will be named in this article.
Maria Montessori theory
Montessori claimed that children learn spontaneouslyIn other words, they absorb all the information they receive from their surroundings as if it were a sponge that absorbs water. In this way, all the information they absorb is useful and necessary to be able to act freely on a day-to-day basis. Montessori did not start from the idea of molding children based on the figure of parents and teachers. For this reason, Montessori understood that children were the hope of humanity.
Montessori doctor
What is the Montessori method? As we have already mentioned, Maria Montessori was the promoter of the Montessori method, the most recognized work of him. The Montessori method originated because she did not agree with the rigid and cruel techniques that were used to teach children and for them to learn. In contrast to these techniques, Montessori was based on respect for the child, while respecting their ability to learn. In this sense, Montessori decided to give children the opportunity to learn through freedom during the first years of its development.
Thus, the Montessori method was not only the impulse of a new way of teaching children, but also helped children to be able to reach and discover your potential. This method was carried out using the five senses (especially touch) within a prepared environment.
The method is based on integral humanism, which opts for the training of students as unique people and trained to act with freedom, intelligence and dignity. In this article you will find What is humanism.
In short, the basic principles of the Montessori method are freedom, activity and individuality. Although order, concentration, respect for others and oneself, autonomy, independence, initiative, ability to choose, development of will, self-discipline, among others.
Benefits of the Montessori method
Finally, it should be noted that the advantages of using the Montessori method are the following:
- Helps the natural development of human beings.
- It stimulates the child to form her character and personality.
- It favors the responsibility and the development of the child's self-discipline, a fact that helps him conquer independence and freedom from it (freedom of action, taking into account respect and values). In this article you will find how to help your child be responsible.
- Develops the child's capacity for participation to be accepted.
- Guide the child in the formation of him, both spiritually and intellectually.
- Recognize that the child builds himself.
On the contrary, traditional schools are oriented to an asymmetric and hierarchical education in which there is a teacher in front of the class group, All students being of the same age and, they must advance collectively, at the same pace, since education is directed in a group way. Therefore, in the traditional school, it is not taken into account that all students have a different learning pace, and some of the students may remain below the average.
Maria Montessori School
Unlike these traditional schools, the schools based on the Montessori method They are based on the role of the teacher as a guide who intends to promote or propose challenges, changes and novelties in the daily life of their students. These schools aim to cultivate students' natural desire to learn (spontaneity and absorption). Thus, in each class group there are different grades and diversity of students (different ages…). One of the ideas to follow is that the older students help the little ones, so that at the same time time, the little ones can help the older ones in terms of concepts that they have already forgotten with the passage of time. weather. In this way, unlike in traditional schools, avoid competition and respect is enhanced Among partners.
Some of the best known phrases by Maria Montessori, which summarize her contributions and her theory, are the following:
- "Any unnecessary help is an obstacle to the development of the child."
- "The child, guided by an inner teacher, works tirelessly with joy to build himself. Educators can only help. "
- "Help me do it myself."
- "The child who has the freedom and opportunity to manipulate and use his hand in a logical way, with consequences and using real elements, develops a strong personality."
- "The hand is the instrument of your wishes."
- "The greatest sign of success for teachers is being able to say: now the children work as if I didn't exist."
- "To touch the child is to touch the most delicate and vital point, where everything can be decided and renewed, where everything is full of life, where the secrets of the soul are locked."
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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