Montessori believed that when children Concentrated, their personality were changed, for example it was observed that timid children lost their shyness and fearful children became at ease. Maria Montessori observed that children under six begins to absorb limitlessly and effortlessly from the environment and in doing so (through Concentration), lays the basis for the development of an individual’s Character and subsequent Social behaviour.
Newly born (from birth to 3 years) needs to satisfy both physical and mental carvings, because of their unconscious mind, (which learns everything without knowing that they are learning), Montessori stated that
“The tiny child’s absorbent mind finds all its nutriment in its surrounding… …Especially at the beginning of life. We must therefore, makes the environment as interesting and attractive as we can… …“. (The Absorbent Mind). There is the need of the adults ‘to help in developing the child’s ability to Concentrate’.
In the first children’s house ‘Casa dei Bambini’ in Rome, Maria Montessori was surprised when the children of three years age were able to Concentrate. She observed a child working with the knobbed cylinders, showing extraordinary interest in the material; it seemed that the child was isolated mentally from the rest of the environment. Montessori identified ‘special creative sensitivities’ that she called ‘Sensitive Periods’, during these periods the child work within one area of the environment at a time, that bring on intense Concentration, so intense that the child is almost unaware of the surroundings. Example; from birth to about age 4, a child takes in information about the world through his sense.
“it is exactly in the repetition of the exercises that the education of the sense consist: the aims of the exercises is not that the child shall know colours, forms and the different qualities of objects, but that he refines his senses through an exercise of attention, of comparison, of judgment.” (The Absorbent Mind)
It is this ‘sensitivity to learn through the five sense’, enables a child to come into contact with the external world in a particular intense manner (example: sensitive to tones allows the child to learn music, touching different objects like cotton, sand etc and learn how they feel?). This gives the child a sense of self-identity and security within the learning environment.
As the child becomes mature, the relationship shared between the ‘child’ and the ‘environment’ is developing, through activity the child is involved in school or at home. For optimal development, each successive educational environment would have to meet the needs of the growing individual at every stage.
Maria Montessori pointed out the great value of an environment prepared by the adult, specially adapted to the needs of the young children. A classroom, which is designed to favour the child’s Concentration and Social development – the materials are child sized and geared to their needs (give a sense of ownership and responsibility), the equipment is laid out in an orderly fashion on low shelves that are easily accessible for the children. This helps the children towards independence; free to choose their own activity rather than served by others, (Concept of Freedom).
But most importantly, it depends on the things (material) provided for the children’s use, the child needs tangible things (example using cutting knife for fruits and vegetables) will give opportunity to the child to be into the Real environment, (Reality and Nature). Through prolonged experimentation with children Maria Montessori and her colleague were able to choose those things liked by all children and these were universally regarded as essential. Example: children preferred flat silk-wound spools for displaying colours (Montessori Material) or out of many toys children showed liking (being Beautiful) towards few of them and ignored the rest. Preferences on certain things (material), has its reflection in the social life of the class, example; it is always confusing for a child to choose from too many things but if the choice if from few things it’s easy for the child to concentrate and enjoy that particular thing.
In the Montessori classroom, there is always one piece of each type of material, and if a piece is in use when another child’s wants it, the alternative for the child is to learn to wait for his/her turn. And since this happens every hour of the day for years, the idea of waiting one’s turn becomes a ‘habits of social life’, which always grows more mature.
Therefore these kinds of earlier exposure to classroom in Montessori education frame ground rules enhance Social and Emotional development. A few simple rules act to harmonize the children’s combination of activities:
- Children choose their own activities after they have been introduced to a certain material or procedure.
- Since there is only one specimen of each object, the child must wait for it to be put back on the shelf or stool before taking it for him/her self.
- Children may work with a material or activity for as long as short a period of time as they wish.
- Each material is returned to its appropriate place on the shelf in such a way that it is ‘ready for the next person’.
- The children are free to move and talk, but they may not disturb another child who is working.
- The children are allowed to solve their problems by themselves.
Montessori classrooms are filled with things (materials) that give access to child’s Concentration, example sensorial and cultural material. Montessori stated,
“Before introducing this kind of material, one must wait till the children have acquired the power to concentrate on something … …” (Absorbent Mind) example: in the cylinders blocks, if the child makes a mistake in placing the cylinders back, one cylinder will disappear into a hole which is too deep and another will project from a hole that is too small. This kind of materials fosters concentration and thinking skills, which develops the mathematical minds
The activities available to the children in a Montessori classroom are those which Montessori described as ‘Purposive’. At certain stage a child becomes intensely interested in some task or object. This is shown by the expression of intense Concentration and builds the characteristics of constancy in carrying out the activity. “Initially, children are attracted to material that appeals to their five senses. Next the unknown attract the child and lastly it is the known that attract him to an activity”. (The Absorbent Mind)
Furthermore, Child will concentrate and repeat the same activity over and over again; repetition seems to be an integral part of the child’s work. Thus the child’s activity becomes prolonged, and is called ‘extension of the work cycle’, example; polishing the mirror, child will clean again and again, even though it is already shining or using tweezers for holding tiny objects etc. This activity of Practical life not only give the child the opportunity to practice the skills of everyday life but also helps to improve Concentration and Social grace and courtesy (example; asking for something saying ‘Please’, apologizing and excusing one self)
Children between the ages of 2½ and 6 are grouped together in their own mini society. The young children learn from watching the older children and the older ones benefits by helping the younger children. This mixed age group foster self-discipline, independence, and responsibility towards the environment and the other members of the society.
It is clear that a child needs ‘Prepared Environment’ that develops him/her towards ‘normalization’. However ‘Concentration’ is the first essential element and in future it provides the fundamental Characteristics and Social Behaviour of the child. At the development stages, the adult must ensure to guide and provide the appropriate ‘environment’ to the child that stimulates Concentration and structure the child’s Personality to the world of human beings.
Bibliography:
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Montessori, M., The Absorbent Mind, Clio Press England, 1997.
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Montessori, M., A Modern Approach, Schocken Books New York, 1972.
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Standing, E.M., Maria Montessori, Her Life and Work, Plume New, 1998
