The philosophy of education refers to a study of everything that revolves around
education. This could be its problems, aims or even the results obtained from education. It
is with this respect that an Italian physician Maria Montessori found her interest in
advocating for the education of children with disability and retards so that they could be
some way close to normal children. In the earlier years some of these children were thought
not capable for learning at all. Montessori being the director of the school took all the
children through an examination and to the surprise of many they all passed well. Maria
Montessori having grown up in a family that supported education and loved reading, she
went back to school to study more of the minds of children. Years later after working as a
teacher, she was given the role to take care of about sixty children. With these children she
started a children’s home which comprised children aged three to six years from a slum area
in Rome.
Maria Montessori discovered that how children behave depended a lot of the
environment in which they are in. Maria used several methods often referred to as the
Montessori beliefs or theories. She gave them lots of freedom and observed how they
behaved and also how they used the materials provided to them. One lessons are given on
how they are them later on they are able to work on their own with the specific materials.
The child’s mind continues learning depending on social surrounding and experiences. At
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this stage children also tend to learn a lot from each other because they are from the similar
age groups.
Maria Montessori believed in sensory learning where children learn more from
seeing, touch and tasting other than just from listening. Most of the materials made majorly
for children are usually attractive to the eye that will be pleasing to them. This will have a
great influence in their practical life and also language. Montessori also believed that the
environment where the child is contributes greatly to the development of that child. To be
effective, the environment should be comfortable and more like a home or something close
to what they see outside the classroom. This kind of set up will help the child learn basic
skills such as washing hands or even doing simple chores. If the environment has for
instance shelves, this will help the child in being organized. Finally Maria Montessori
believed that children understand or get different things at different periods when they can
learn different things and the tutor’s biggest responsibility would be to know every child’s
time of sensitivity so as to provide the setting of educational fulfillment.
The main goal in this method is to help the child become independent by being able
to doing things on their own thus increasing their self esteem and confidence moulding
them into better adults for the future. The method of teaching also helped the child have
creative expression of oneself, self discipline and coordination. It is therefore evident that
Maria Montessori’s was of great benefit in molding independent children and also children
who can cope with different situations in life.
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References:
Robinson, Maria. Understanding behavior and development in early childhood a guide of
theory and practice. New York: Routledge, 2011. Print.