Maria Montessori system step by step program. Principles of the Montessori system. Classes according to the method of M. Montessori

22.02.2023

Yulia Fugina
Pedagogy of Maria Montessori

For almost 100 years the name Maria Montessori attracts attention teachers in more than 80 countries around the world. Known as an outstanding scientist and humanist at the beginning of the century, she created pedagogical system, which has not been and is not equal in the world experience. In ideas Montessori Pedagogy attracted by the deep humanism of the upbringing and educational system, the absence of any authoritarianism. Montessori - Pedagogy surprisingly technological and thoughtful, it allows the child to develop at his own pace, according to his abilities, using specially designed materials under the guidance of an experienced teacher ... Today Maria Montessori pedagogy experiencing the peak of popularity around the world. thousands teachers, recognizing Montessori educational system unique and extraordinarily effective, works according to its pedagogical principles. There are thousands of preschool institutions around the world based on Montessori Pedagogy.

For healthy children Montessori Pedagogy is developing, and for children with any deviations - therapeutic. The main remedy is the atmosphere, the spirit of the kindergarten, the environment, the developing environment and the personality. teacher.

Pedagogical principles of the M system. Montessori.

Maria Montessori highlights in her pedagogical system several important principles:

1. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ENVIRONMENT IN EDUCATION.

One of the most important principles Maria Montessori considers the importance of the environment in education. She argues that for the most productive development of the child, it is necessary to create an environment that meets his needs and interests.

2. FREEDOM AND DISCIPLINE.

“Discipline in freedom is a great principle, which is not easy for the adherent of traditional school methods to understand. How to achieve discipline in the class of free children? Of course, in our system the concept of discipline is very different from the current concept of it. Since discipline is based on freedom, then discipline itself must necessarily be active, active. Ordinarily, we consider an individual as disciplined only from the moment he becomes silent, like a mute, and immobile, like a paralytic. But this is a personality destroyed, not disciplined.

We call a person disciplined when he controls himself and knows how to adjust his behavior to the need to follow one or another worldly rule. This concept of active discipline is not easy to comprehend and assimilate, but it contains a great educational principle, very different from the unconditional and unquestionable demand for immobility.

A teacher who intends to lead a child under the conditions of such discipline needs to master a special technique if she wants to make this path easier for him for the rest of his life, wants to make him a complete master over herself. The freedom of the child must be given a limit in the collective interest, and its form must be what we call upbringing. Therefore, everything in the child that offends or affects others unpleasantly or that has the character of a rude or impolite act should be suppressed. But everything else - every manifestation that has a useful purpose - whatever it may be and in whatever form it may be expressed, must not only be allowed, but must also become an object of observation for the educator.

Montessori in his work he gives an example of behavior teacher.

“One day the children, laughing and chatting, gathered around a bowl of water in which several toys floated. In our school there was a boy only two and a half years old. He was left outside the circle, alone, and it was easy to see that he was burning with curiosity. I watched him from a distance with great attention; at first he moved closer to the children and tried to squeeze into their midst, but he did not have enough strength for this, and he began to look around in all directions. The expression on his face was unusually interesting. I regret that I did not have a photographic apparatus at that moment. His eyes fell on the chair, and he apparently decided to move it towards the group of children and then climb onto it. With a beaming face, he began to make his way to the chair, but at that moment the teacher rudely (she would probably say - gently) she grabbed him in her arms and, lifting him over the heads of other children, showed him a bowl of water, exclaiming: “Here, baby, look at you too!”

Without a doubt, the child, seeing floating toys, did not experience the joy that he should have experienced when he overcame the obstacle on his own. The desired spectacle could not benefit him, while a meaningful attempt would develop his mental strength. In this case, the teacher prevented the child from educating himself without giving him another benefit in return. The little one had already begun to feel like a winner and suddenly felt powerless in the arms of the two hands that bound him. The expression of joy, anxiety and hope that interested me so much faded from his face and was replaced by the dull expression of a child who knows that others will act for him. Tired of my remarks, the teachers gave the children complete freedom. The children climbed on the tables with their feet, picked their noses with their fingers, and no steps were taken to correct them. Others pushed their comrades, and on the faces of these children I read an expression of anger; the teacher paid no attention to all this. Then I intervened and showed with what unconditional severity it is necessary to stop and suppress everything that cannot be done, so that the child can clearly distinguish between good and evil.

This is the starting point of discipline, and its foundations must be laid in this way.

Education should come to the aid of the child by a reasonable weakening of social ties that limit his activity. And as the child grows up in such an atmosphere, his immediate manifestations become more distinct and reveal his nature with the evidence of truth. For all these reasons, the first steps pedagogical interventions should tend to develop independence in the child.

3. INDEPENDENCE

A person cannot be free if he is not independent. Therefore, the first active manifestations of the child's individual freedom must be directed in such a way that in this activity his independence is developed. Young children begin to demand independence from the moment they are weaned.

In contrast to the prevailing condescending approach to "babies"- they say, what will you take from them, - teacher It was at this age that the humanist saw the enormous potential for the formation of the human personality.

The essence of the development of an infant is self-learning, exactly corresponding to the program laid down in it by nature. It is this process that forms in the child “the prototype of the future religious feeling and the peculiarities of his national consciousness.” The psychological and physiological basis of this process is the one noted by M. Montessori feature of early childhood, which she characterized as "absorbent mind". In her opinion, if adults acquire knowledge with the help of the mind, then the child absorbs them through his mental life. Just by living, he learns to speak the language of his people, and “a chemical process is going on in his mind” In a child, impressions not only penetrate the consciousness, but also form it. As if embodied in it. With the help of what surrounds him, the baby creates his own "mental flesh". Therefore, the task of adults, according to Montessori is not to teach, but to help "the mind of the child in his work on his development" because it is at an early age that he has tremendous creative energy. "Every pedagogical measure, more or less suitable for the upbringing of young children, should make it easier for children to enter this path of independence. We must teach them to walk unaided, to run, to go up and down stairs, to pick up dropped objects, to dress and undress themselves, to bathe, to pronounce words clearly and express their desires accurately. We must develop in children the ability to achieve their individual goals and desires. All these are the stages of education in the spirit of independence.

4. REMOVAL OF REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS

The reward is satisfaction from the activity that has become available; punishment is relative isolation from the team (landing at a separate, however comfortable table with favorite toys; at the same time, the child does not lose the caress of the teacher). “A man disciplined by freedom begins to yearn for the true and only reward that never humiliates him or brings disappointment - the flowering of his spiritual strength and the freedom of his inner "I", his soul, where all his active faculties arise. It turns out that in order for the child to learn (and better educated) himself, he no longer needs to be punished or encouraged, you just need to throw a “coal” into the furnace of his mind in time, and even better show how and where to find this coal.

5. DIFFERENT AGES.

M. Montessori noticed that children teach other children better than adults, and in our adult life we communicate with those who are older than us and with those who are younger. Using this observation, she filled her classrooms with children of various ages, dividing them into two groups. In the first - children from 3 to 6 years old, in the second - from 6 to 12. They have different tasks. Until the age of six, the child builds his mind, and after six, he actively masters the culture. And if children grow wiser each at their own pace and to their limit, then culture can still be mastered in different forms and directions. It is much more difficult to organize assistance to the second group, therefore there are much fewer classes for children from 6 to 12 in the world than classes from 3 to 6. Thus, the basic principles of the school Montessori can be formulated in a few words - “the main thing that we must remember. First, it is the interest of the child, which leads him to focus on learning. Secondly, the cooperation of children, the invaluable basis of which is uneven ages. Thirdly, the existence of the human instinct for autonomy, which leads to discipline and order. And all these are the foundations of the organization of the school of my direction.

Basic concepts Montessori Pedagogy.

Absorbent thinking. Beneath the absorbing mind Maria Montessori understands the specific feature of the child to absorb all the information around him like a sponge. This has been discussed in detail above. Montessori writes: “It can be said that if we, adults, acquire knowledge with the help of our mind, then the child absorbs it through his mental life. Just by living, he learns to speak the language of his people. There is a chemical process going on in his mind. Adults act as recipients: impressions flow into us, and we remember them, but we do not merge with them, just as water does not merge with the glass of a glass. In rarer cases, on the contrary, impressions not only penetrate consciousness, but also shape it. They seem to be embodied in it. With the help of what surrounds him, the child creates his own "mental flesh". We called it "absorbent mind". It is very difficult to comprehend all the abilities of the child's mind, but there is no doubt that this is an extremely fruitful form of mental activity.

Sensitivity. Sensitive periods are called periods of special susceptibility of children to certain methods, activities; to ways of emotional response, behavior in general, up to the fact that each character trait develops most intensively on the basis of some internal impulse and for some narrow period of time. In accordance with "cosmic plan" development, sensitive periods serve to ensure that the child has the fundamental opportunity to acquire the internally necessary knowledge, skills, ways of behavior, etc. dedicate your life to the fight against the nature of the child, which is sincerely considered pedagogy; adults can observe the manifestations characteristic of the most intense stages of the flow of a particular sensitive period, which is necessary for an accurate assessment of the current level of development of the child. It is also possible to anticipate the onset of the next sensitive period and prepare the appropriate environment (didactic material) so that the child has what he needs most at the moment. From this point of view "prepared environment" Montessori-school is the best solution to the problem - it always has everything around the child that he may need to realize any of his cognitive interests.

Sensitive periods occur during the development of all children, regardless of race, nationality, pace of development, geopolitical, cultural differences, etc. They are individual when it comes to the time of their occurrence and duration in a particular child. From here, the very idea of a frontal approach to teaching children looks wild (especially under the age of 6, as well as the availability of all educational programs, in addition to individual: firstly, the biological age of 5 years does not mean at all that the child is psychologically appropriate for this age; secondly, the average timing of the onset and the dynamics of the course of a certain sensitive period do not at all guarantee that every child goes through it in this particular mode.

Space education.

The concept of space education of the child M. Montessori created during her life in India (1939-1945) under the influence of theosophical teachings, which she became interested in, having become acquainted with the works of theosophists of that time. This concept is based on the idea of knowing a person in all complexity and diversity, his place in history and culture, the idea that all life on earth has an hour of birth and an hour of death, has its continuation in time and its own phenomenon of development. The path to them lies through the feeling of oneself in the small and big world, through the feeling of one's surroundings. The didactic meaning of the cosmic upbringing of the child lies in the plane of refinement of the sensory experience of various phenomena of nature, culture and life in society.

Anastasia Surkova
Basic principles of the Montessori methodology

Montessori Method

Basic principles of the Montessori methodology- a game form of training and independent exercise.

The Montessori method is based on an individual approach to to kid: the kid himself chooses the didactic material and the duration of the classes, develops at his own pace. Key Feature Montessori methods– creation of a special developmental environment ( Montessori - environments in which the child can and wants to show their individual abilities. Classes for Montessori method not like a traditional lesson. materials Montessori allow the child to see and correct their own mistakes. Role Montessori- the teacher consists not in teaching, but in directing the independent activity of the child. Montessori Method helps to develop attention, creative and logical thinking, memory, speech, imagination, motor skills. Montessori Method pays special attention to collective games and tasks that help to master communication skills, as well as the development of household activities, which contributes to the development of independence.

Peculiarities of pedagogy M. Montessori

Every child is naturally given to be a smart and successful person. The task of adults is simply to help the baby to reveal his potential, to teach him to comprehend the world on his own. To do this, it is very important to create an environment in which the child will be able and willing to show their individual abilities, develop and learn at their own pace. This opportunity is provided by the pedagogy of the Italian psychologist Maria Montessori.

The Montessori method is based on observation of the child in natural conditions and accepting it as such what it is. Basic Principle of Montessori Pedagogy: to encourage the child to self-education, to self-education, to self-development. Motto method familiar to many: "Help me do it myself." In groups Montessori child learns basically independently with the help of a specially designed environment Montessori materials. VMontessori- the materials contain the possibility of self-control, the child himself sees his mistakes, and the adult does not need to point them out. The role of the teacher is not to teach, but only to guide the independent activities of the child. Another key feature Montessori Pedagogy: Children are engaged in different age groups. In one Montessori In the classroom, a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old kid work nearby, they do not interfere, but rather help each other.

Montessori-class includes many zones:

real life zone: the child learns to dress himself, pour and pour, wash, clean, mix, cut, paint, draw, etc. Here, children learn to concentrate and develop large and fine motor skills;

sensory development zone: the study of the world (to distinguish between height, length, weight, color, and other properties items). Here, children play with objects, learning the size, shape and color. For example, the baby puts the cylinders on the table in order from the largest to the smallest. Children also learn to follow their eyes from left to right, which helps them get comfortable with reading;

Zones language, geographical, mathematical, natural science: mental development of the child.

Motor exercises - in mostly on line. Most Montessori-classes on the carpet or on the floor, a ribbon line in the form of a circle (an oval) is drawn, which is used for physical exercises to develop balance and coordination of movements, as well as attention.

The child himself chooses a zone and a specific Montessori material with whom he wants to work. He can work alone or with other children, he usually makes this choice himself. Child works at his own pace Montessori method has no competition. Many Montessori Schools Complement Montessori-Materials areas such as music, arts and dance,foreign language, etc.

Task Montessori-teachers - to help the child organize their activities, go their own unique way, realize their potential to the fullest extent. Very important special pedagogical techniques that must be learned Montessori teachers. IN Montessori method there is no classroom system, instead of school desks there are light portable tables and chairs + rugs on which they study on the floor. Montessori The teacher is not the center of the class as in a traditional school. He does not sit at the table, but spends time in individual lessons with children. Montessori The teacher intervenes in the child's activities only when necessary.

montessori teaching school pedagogical

The main goal of Montessori pedagogy is to educate a free and independent person with self-esteem. The principle of Montessori pedagogy is that the child creates himself, in his own activity. The mind of a child absorbs everything around like a sponge. The education of the child takes place in accordance with his biological rhythm, individual pace.

First of all, the genuine humanism of the upbringing and educational systems, the focus on the nature of the child, the absence of any authoritarianism.

Within the framework determined by the teacher, the child could choose the work that he liked and corresponded to his inner interests. He freely and spontaneously exercised his senses, moreover, he experienced pleasure and enthusiasm from such activities, because he acted not according to someone else's orders, but according to his own desire.

Another dominant feature of the Montessori system is the maximum possible individualization of educational activities, the use of a well-thought-out and skillfully instrumented program for the development of each child, calculated both today and for many years to come, organically combining both learning and upbringing on the basis of awakening and maintaining children's activity. Improving his skills, the child gradually acquired a sense of independence and confidence. At the same time, he awakened a love for learning and formed motives for intense independent cognitive activity.

An important innovation of M. Montessori was the destruction of the traditional classroom system and the creation of an original educational process for children from 3 to 12 years old, built on the recognition of each student's right to significant autonomy and independence, to their own pace of work and specific ways of mastering knowledge. It is no coincidence that the motto of the Montessori school is the words: "Help me do it myself." This was achieved through the implementation of a very broad educational program in Montessori schools, which is not a program in our usual sense of the word. Rather, it is a definition of the strategy and tactics of children's activities.

Montessori class covers a number of areas:

zone of practical life - is of particular importance for young children (2.5-3.5 years). Here are materials with the help of which the child learns to take care of himself and his things. Using frames with fasteners (buttons, buttons, zippers, buckles, pins, laces, bows and hooks), the child learns to dress independently; pour and pour (rice, water); wash the table and even polish silver;

zone of sensory development - gives the child the opportunity to use their senses in the study of the world around them. Here the child can learn to distinguish height, length, weight, color, noise, smell, shape of various objects; get to know the properties of fabrics;

zones - linguistic, mathematical, geographical, natural science - provide materials whose main purpose is the mental development of the child.

Many Montessori schools complement the child's environment with areas such as music, arts and dance, woodwork, foreign language, which further enrich the overall development of the child. Motor exercises develop the child physically and help him feel his body and realize his abilities.

Thanks to all this, as well as a subtle psychological approach, taking into account the individual characteristics and capabilities of each child, relying on the natural characteristics of human perception, "Montessorian children" earlier (by the age of 5) and better than their peers master writing and counting, they develop a penchant for learning, will develops.

The teacher at the Montessori school does not influence the child directly, but through didactic materials - various games, devices - with which the child acts according to the program prepared by the teacher. Unlike the teacher in a traditional Montessori school, the teacher is not the center of the class. When the children are in the classroom, it is barely noticeable. The teacher does not sit at the table, but spends time in individual lessons, working with the child at the table or on the mat,

The Montessori leader must be an astute observer and have a clear understanding of the individual level of development of each child. He decides which materials are more suitable for the job at the moment. Individual observations enable the teacher to help the child in the optimal use of materials; then he leaves the child with the material and returns to observation.

The teacher intervenes in the activities of the child only if necessary. He must be able to show flexibility and be able to find adequate ways to help the pupil. The child looks to the teacher as a benevolent assistant who is always there in case of need, but mainly as a person who can help him do something on his own. As a result, along with acquiring knowledge, attention, hearing, memory and other important qualities develop surprisingly deeply and firmly in children. In Montessori schools, there is no competition of children with each other, their results are never compared, everyone works on his own, on his own separate, autonomous rug or table, and his progress is visible only in relation to himself.

Every Montessori class is unique. Although the method has a well-defined structure, it is flexible and open to individual interpretation. Because no two people are exactly the same, and each Montessori class, depending on the interpretation of the method and the capabilities of the teacher, is unique.

So, the phenomenon of M. Montessori's pedagogy lies in her boundless faith in the nature of the child, and in her desire to exclude any authoritarian pressure on the emerging person, and in her orientation towards the ideal of a free, independent, active personality.

Faith in the child is the cornerstone of M. Montessori's pedagogy, the most complete expression of her humanistic aspirations. This attitude was inherent in all representatives of free education without exception, but Montessori went further than her "ideological" associates. She managed to overcome their inherent negativism in relation to pedagogical methods, which allegedly interfere with the manifestation of spontaneous activity of children. On the contrary, she managed to develop a method to the smallest nuances that ensures the maximum development of children's activity. This is what primarily explains the phenomenon of the vitality of M. Montessori's pedagogy, its success and popularity over many decades.

M. Montessori was convinced that almost any child is a normal person, able to discover himself in vigorous activity. This activity, aimed at mastering the world around him, at entering the culture created by previous generations, at the same time led to the realization of the potential inherent in the emerging personality, to full physical and spiritual development. The task of the Montessori teacher is to create the most favorable educational and learning environment for the child, ensuring his comfortable well-being, the flowering of all his abilities. The child should be able to satisfy his interests, to show his natural activity. It was this attitude that allowed the grandson of the Italian teacher, Mario, to draw attention in his message to the parish Montessori society to the fact that "M. Montessori discovered the "secret of childhood" and its importance for the formation of a person" .

M. Montessori's school is an open system that today has gone far beyond the framework of the pedagogical theory and methodology of its creator. This is a huge collective experience of her students and followers, constantly expanding and developing, absorbing many new elements and features, due to the place and time of use, the age of the children, specific pedagogical tasks, the type of educational institution, the characteristics and composition of the family, etc.

Parents are the main educators of the child from birth to three years, and many continue to school age, and who, if not them, is important to understand the principles of free and humane education, approved by Maria Montessori, to master the techniques of active observation and assistance to their own child, especially that the foundations of his personality are laid precisely at this very early age, and what is lost today can never be made up for. “This period (more than any other),” we read in Montessori, “is extremely necessary to pay the most important attention. If we follow these rules, the child, instead of burdening us, will manifest himself as the greatest and most comforting miracle of nature! We will find ourselves face to face with a being who no longer needs to be trained as helpless, as a void waiting to be filled with our wisdom; with a being whose dignity grows every day; a being led by an inner teacher who follows an exact timetable in the work of building the great miracle of the World - Man We are witnessing the development of the human soul, the emergence of the New Man, who will no longer be a victim of events, but through clarity of vision will be able to direct and create the future of mankind ".

Tasks of education and training.

Give each child the opportunity to develop and refine motor skills, especially fingers and hand muscles. In exercises, combine hand movements with the work of the intellect.

To expand the possibilities of children in the manifestation and development of motor activity, training in mastering their body.

Strengthen the health of children by actually implementing a program of hardening with water, sun, air, herbal medicine, barefoot walking.

Exercise children in taking care of themselves: dressing and undressing, combing their hair, fastening and unbuttoning clothes, washing hands, cleaning shoes, washing, ironing and other independent self-service activities.

Exercise children in caring for the environment: picking up trash, sweeping the floor, setting the table, arranging and caring for flowers, caring for animals, planting a plant, etc.

Provide an opportunity for each child to individually develop and refine their sensory skills: hearing, sight, touch, smell, sense of warmth.

To develop the ability of aesthetic perception of the cultural environment, poetic and musical ear, sense of color, rhythm, form.

Through the development of sensorimotor skills, to approach exercises in the development of speech. Improve and expand active vocabulary. Help your child develop reading and writing skills.

Develop mathematical thinking, counting and calculus skills in the decimal system.

To develop the ability to observe, analyze, compare, highlight the characteristic, essential features of objects and phenomena, group them according to these features.

Give children the opportunity to feel like a part of the cosmos. Cultivate a sense of the rhythm of life, time, living and inanimate, four elements: earth, water, air, fire, various natural phenomena. To acquaint with the riches of nature in Russia and other countries. Encourage the ability to be surprised, enjoy your own discoveries, independently look for answers to your questions. Provide an opportunity for the development of children's artistic and creative abilities: work with a brush, paints, crayons, pencils, cutting with scissors, gluing, folding paper, working with fabric, wood, natural material.

To promote the development of children's musical ear and the rhythm of their movements.

To create a cordial, friendly atmosphere in a group of children, to maintain the general rhythm of life and the business nature of relations.

Contribute to such a state of the child, when his inner freedom and discipline really become two sides of the same coin and are reflected in his behavior. The child learns to live in the social environment surrounding him, the task of the teacher is to organize for him the opportunity to demonstrate skills and train cultural communication with other people.

She was born in Italy on August 31, 1870 in the city of Chiarovall. The father, an important official, opposed his daughter's studies, and her mother always supported Mary's desire for education.

The girl was gifted, studied easily, especially loved mathematics. 12-year-old Maria entered the male technical school, breaking all stereotypes, and graduated with flying colours.

In 1890, Maria decided to become a doctor, and, continuing to go against the current, she broke another stereotype: she became the first female medical student at the University of Rome. And in 1896 she was already a doctor.

As a student, the girl began to earn money in a hospital at the university. Here she had her first meeting with special children. During these years, she came up with the idea of a methodology based on the use of a developing environment.

After university, Maria got married and worked in private practice. She continued to study the works of her contemporaries: psychologists, educators, anthropologists, trying to fit her observations into a coherent system.

In 1898 she became a mother (son Mario) and director of the Orthophrenic Institute for the training of teachers for special children. And in 1900. an orthophrenic school was opened, headed by Maria.

In 1901, she entered the Faculty of Philosophy in Rome, and in 1904 she became the head of the department of anthropology at the same university.

All this time, she continues to work according to her methodology. In 1907, with sponsorship, he opened the Children's Home in San Lorenzo. And for the next 45 years, Maria Montessori has been improving and implementing her system, not forgetting about educational work with children.

Since 1922, she worked as a state inspector of schools in Italy.

In 1929, she organized the International Montessori Association.

Events in the world forced Mary to leave for India for 7 years, and only after the end of the war did she return to Europe.

Maria continued her work until her last days, living in Holland. In 1950 she became a professor at the University of Amsterdam. Here she died in 1952.

The history of the appearance of the technique

At first, Maria Montessori began to apply her pedagogy to special children, children with mental retardation and difficult adaptation to the outside world.

When working with them, Maria created a special environment that instilled self-service skills in children. This was realized through games based on tactile sensitivity.

Its goal was not to increase the indicators of intellectual development, but to adapt children to society. But the teacher noticed that the mental performance of children improved. The results were amazing. For a year, the pupils caught up and overtook their healthy peers.

Combining her observations, experience and theory of other teachers, psychologists and philosophers, Maria gathered everything into a single coherent system, which was called the Montessori method.

Then this technique was applied to ordinary, healthy children. This was not difficult to do, since the curriculum is easily adjusted to the abilities and needs of each child.

Philosophy of Montessori Pedagogy

Briefly, the philosophy of the methodology fits into the phrase: "To direct children to independent upbringing, training and development."

This is justified by the following theses:

A child from birth is a unique person.
All children are naturally given the desire to improve themselves and love work.
Parents and teachers should be just assistants in unlocking the potential of the child, and not sculptures of character and abilities.
Teachers and parents should only properly direct the independent activities of children, and not teach them anything.

The essence of the technique

Maria Montessori's motto: "Help me do it myself."

The Montessori system is based on maximum freedom and individual approach to children.

Its goal is a skillful direction of self-development of children, not breaking them, but accepting them as they really are, which allows children to achieve the maximum result in everything on their own, without adjusting this process by adults.

According to Montessori, it is not allowed:

competition between guys;
assessment of the child according to generally accepted criteria;
application of rewards and punishments;

Coercion is excluded naturally:

every little person strives to participate in life on an equal basis with an adult;
only study and the acquisition of life experience allows you to do this;
the child will happily learn on his own in order to develop faster and get into the world of adults;
the teacher takes a neutral position, acting as an observer and assistant if necessary.

Children choose:

the pace and rhythm of gaining experience and knowledge;
the duration of the lessons;
educational material;
direction of its development.

Therefore, teachers need only:

To develop independence in all available ways.
Always respect the choice of the child.
Develop sensory perception, especially touch.
Create a comfortable environment.
Allow children to change the situation as needed (choose a place, rearrange furniture, shift material).
Be only neutral educators and observers.
Do not create such personalities for yourself.
Do not correct the process of gaining independence.

How the Montessori development system is built

“I try to see a person in every child, I don’t need to teach him anything. The children themselves reveal their nature to me, but only when they are placed in an appropriately prepared environment.

Maria Montessori

There are 3 basic principles of the Montessori system:

child
Wednesday
educator

Schematic representation of the principles of the Montessori system:

The center is a child who independently makes decisions.
Surrounded by an environment that provides opportunities for the development of the child.
Nearby is a teacher who helps at the request of the child.

The developing environment is a key element in the system; without it, the methodology cannot exist. It helps the child develop independently, pushes for knowledge, using all the senses. And through them lies the path to intellect.

The right environment meets the needs of the child and is built according to a certain logic.

It is divided into specific functional areas.

Types of Montessori classes and lessons

In Montessori pedagogy, the most important thing is the independent development of the child's personality in an equipped environment.

This is the basis of learning, during which children show their needs, and educators, by observing, determine the type of individual assistance to each child.

The system offers 3 types of lessons:

1. Individual.

The educator offers the student (or 2-3) educational material, showing how to apply it.

The material is a unique didactic manual made from natural materials.

It has special teaching properties:

attracts - arousing interest;
has a distinctive property that catches the eye (length, thickness and ...);
has a check for an error - allows the child to see for himself the incorrectness of his actions.

It is not necessary to explain this.

2. Group.

Not all children of the class participate, but those who have reached approximately the same level. The rest are doing it on their own. algorithm too.

3. Are common.

The whole class is involved. These are classes in music, gymnastics, history, biology. Lessons in general subjects are concise and short.

At the same time, Montessori distinguishes the development of children by age:

from 0 to 6 years - the builder of man (the child is ready for the development of all functions);
from 6 to 12 years old - a researcher (the child is interested in the world around him);
from 12 to 18 years old - a scientist (the child links facts, builds a picture of the world, reflects on his place in it).

Classes in Montessori schools are mixed by age: from 6 to 9 years old or from 9 to 12 years old.

The transition to the next class is determined only by the needs and abilities of the child. Mutual assistance allows older children to become more responsible, and younger ones more confident. Envy disappears, imitation pushes the younger ones to success.

For such classes, there are no clear goals for the school year. Everything is scheduled for three years. You can learn quickly - good, but you can learn at a pace that suits you.

There is no violence.

The Montessori class includes a developing space divided into activity zones. Children independently choose the area and material for work.

He can work alone or with other children. But there is a rule: if the child himself is in the zone, no one should interfere with him.

The pace of execution is also set by the children. There are no desks in the classroom - only adjustable tables and chairs, as well as mats on the floor for gymnastics.

Educators observe everything that happens in the zones and carefully direct and correct interest in working with the material. Correcting mistakes and building relationships in the classroom, children carry out on their own.

The Montessori Method and the Family

In order for children to quickly adapt to Montessori pedagogy, the family must understand and accept this system. If parents reject the methodology itself, then the efforts of teachers will be in vain, and the child will be in constant discomfort.

The family should help their child develop in a Montessori environment. You can create a mini developing environment from improvised means at home. This will help children psychologically connect learning at school with everyday life at home.

According to Montessori, a child and an adult should be in an equal position. Therefore, parents should treat their child according to Montessori philosophy.

It is very useful for parents to re-read at least occasionally 19 simple truths from Maria Montessori:

Children learn from what surrounds them.
If children are often criticized, they learn to condemn.
If children are often praised, they learn to evaluate.
If children are shown hostility, they learn to fight.
If children are honest, they learn justice.
If children are often ridiculed, they learn to be timid.
If children live with a sense of security, they learn to believe.
If children are often shamed, they learn to feel guilty.
If children are often approved, they learn to treat themselves well.
If children are often indulgent, they learn patience.
If children are often encouraged, they gain self-confidence.
If children live in an atmosphere of friendship and feel needed, they learn to find love in this world.
Do not speak badly about children, neither with them nor without them.
Concentrate on developing the good in children, then there will be no place for the bad.
Always listen and respond to children who come to you.
Respect children who made a mistake and can correct it now or later.
Be ready to help children who are in search, and be invisible to those children who have already found everything.
Help children master things they haven't mastered before. Do this by filling the world around you with care, restraint, silence and love.
In dealing with children, always adhere to the best manners - offer him the best that is in yourself.

Then your children will grow up harmonious and developed personalities.

Pros and Cons of Montessori Pedagogy

From the very beginning and until now, there are devoted followers of Maria Montessori and her fierce opponents and critics.

The system has certain disadvantages:

difficult adaptation to traditional education (there is no class-lesson system);
lengthy training of Montessori teachers;
the need for a large number of unique educational materials;
the inadmissibility of the usual spontaneous and creative role-playing games;
the development of intellectual abilities prevails over creative ones;
denial of drawing and modeling, fairy tales and poetry as an activity that leads the child away from reality;
reading for children is a process of obtaining information, not a pleasure;
excessive independence deprives the experience of communication in a team;
ordinary toys are denied.

In addition, all preschool and school Montessori learning centers are private with a fairly high level of payment. This is motivated by the high cost of educational material, which, according to 100-year-old canons, is made from natural material using complex technologies. Therefore, Montessori education is available to few.

But the positive aspects largely cover these shortcomings.

After all, Montessori pedagogy:

teaches you to create rules, not live by them;
motivates to study - children study solely out of interest;
teaches you to organize and plan your own activities;
teaches responsibility for one's actions;
teaches mutual assistance: the elders become more responsible, the younger ones more confident;
teaches you to look for answers to your questions on your own;
teaches them to find and correct their own mistakes;
introduces the basics of the world around;
develops powerful logic and analytical skills;
develops intelligence;
develops speech through fine motor skills.

Such qualities, inherent in a child from early childhood, help him in later life, adapting well in society. As a rule, a person who has been trained according to the Montessori method is very successful in adult life.

And for children with special needs, this technique enables self-service and pulls up to the level of healthy children. Is this why the system remains popular today, 100 years later?

Distribution and popularity of the Montessori method

Maria Montessori, in order to spread her methodology and help in its development, in 1929, together with her son, created the International Montessori Association (AMI).

Since then, the Montessori movement has successfully marched through time.

Many celebrities studied the methodology and contributed to the founding of Montessori schools in their countries:

Thomas Edison, world famous scientist and inventor.
Sigmund Freud, the author of psychoanalysis, and his daughter Anna were followers and consultants of Montessori pedagogy. They opened a Montessori kindergarten in Vienna.
Tatyana Sukhotina-Tolstaya (daughter of Leo Tolstoy) wrote the book Montessori and the New Education in 1914.
Mahatma Gandhi, philosopher, politician of India, mastered the course in methodology in 1932.
Jean Pidget, psychologist, was the first in Sweden to found the Montessori Society and the school based on it, they still exist today.

After Maria's death, AMI was headed by her son Maria - Mario. He did a lot to spread Montessori pedagogy. His baton was taken over by Maria's granddaughter, Renilde Montessori. She heads the association today.

Today, many children in the world are engaged in the technique.

During the Soviet period, the Montessori system was not in demand. Only with the collapse of the USSR did it begin to spread rapidly in Russia. For more than 20 years, the Montessori Center has been operating in Moscow, which strictly follows the recommendations of the author.

Their website http://www.montessori-center.ru/

All teachers have been trained by the International Association and have international diplomas. The Center maintains close contact with AMI.

Since 2013, there have been official training courses for Montessori teachers from the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

In almost every big city there is a regional Montessori center, which becomes the base for specialized kindergartens, rehabilitation centers for children with special needs, early development schools.

Children with a developmental delay are engaged in this system.

For ordinary children, a combination of Montessori pedagogy with other methods is more often used.

At various times, famous people were students of the Montessori system:

Larry Page and Sergey Brin - founders of Google;
Jeffrey Bezos - Founder of Amazon.com
Jimmy Wales - founder of Wikipedia;
George Clooney - actor
Gabriel Garcia Marquez - Nobel Laureate in Literature;
Prince William and Prince Harry of England.

Now a new generation of children is studying according to the Montessori system, and who knows how many famous personalities will grow up.

Bibliography of Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori wrote a lot of fundamental works describing her system. Her first book was published already in 1910, 3 years after the opening of the Orphanage.

It was the Montessori Method book. In a short period, it was translated into 20 languages. All subsequent years, Maria wrote her works, which were in great demand and were published in many countries of the world.

Such books have been published in Russian

1. Children's home. Method of scientific pedagogy (M: Zadruga, 1913; Kazan: state publishing house, 1920; Gomel, 1993).

2. Imagination in the work of children and great artists (Russian School, 1915).

3. The method of scientific pedagogy applied to children's education in orphanages (M: Zadruga, 1915, 1918, 1920, M: Gossnab, 1993).

4. Guide to my method (M: Tipolitogr., 1916).

5. Teacher preparation. (M: Enlightenment, 1921).

6. Arithmetic in the elementary school (Pg.: The Beginnings of Knowledge, 1922).

7. Geometry in the elementary school (Pg.: The Beginnings of Knowledge, 1922).

8. Self-education and self-education in elementary school. (M: Worker of Education, 1922; M: Montessori Moscow Center, 1993).

9. The value of the environment in education (Prague, 1926).

10. School didactic material (M: Gosizdat, 1930).

12. Development of human potential (Bulletin MAMA No. 2, 3.5. 1993).

13. The mind of a child (M, 1997).

14. Help me do it myself (Shalva Aminashvili Publishing House, 1999).

15. After 6 months it's too late. A unique methodology for early development (M: Karapuz, 2001).

16. We study according to the method of Maria Montessori. Miracles of transformation: On the lake. For children 5-6 years old (M: Montessori Center, 2001).

Briefly about the content of the best books of Maria Montessori:

Help me do it myself.

Articles by M. Montessori and modern teachers.

2. My method: initial training.

The basic principles of the methodology, philosophy, psychology and pedagogy underlying it, methods of working with children 6-10 years old in the study of grammar and other sciences are outlined. For teachers, psychologists, university students.

Child's house. Method of scientific pedagogy.

Fundamental work. Provides the rationale for all aspects of the Montessori system.

Children are different.

It tells about the way the Montessori system was created, it is explained that children are different than we see them.

Absorbing the mind of a child.

The book is about the potential of a person, about the special periods of receptivity of children from 0 to 6 years old - the absorbing mind. For teachers and parents.

My method. Guide to raising children from 3 to 6 years.

The book proves the child's right to active knowledge of the world around him and the development of his inner potential. Methods of working with the class and individual lessons are described.

Self-education and self-education in elementary school.

Describes the development of the child, his thinking, how to organize an elementary school. For parents, teachers, teachers and students.

We study according to the method of Maria Montessori. Miracles of transformation: On the lake. For children 5- 6 years

8 magical transformations are described next to the child, opening the world. For children.

The Montessori method is still popular today.

In order not to make mistakes when using it, a 2-volume book was published:

Montessori Home School. - M: Peanut + Montessori Center, 2001.

This is a book for parents with a description of the essence of the method and 6 books for children with stories, exercises, study cards.

In all these studios, the rooms are divided into developing areas. Which ones, and how they are useful, read on.

Montessori zones

In total, Maria created six zones, but today only five are used in many children's centers. This:

Practice area
touch
Mathematical
Language
space zone

In the practical area, children learn the simplest household skills: for example, sweeping the floor, washing dishes, fastening and unbuttoning clothes, dressing and undressing dolls. This zone helps kids get acquainted with the world of things around them and learn how to solve simple everyday tasks.

The sensory zone is focused on games with objects that differ in shape, color, size, and so on. This includes foam balls of different diameters, lids for jars and bottles of different sizes, and much more. So, through tactile sensations, children develop fine motor skills of hands and fingers, as well as their dexterity. Memory and attention are also involved here.

Mathematical zone allows the child to get acquainted with the world of numbers and numbers. Here, children learn to count, master mathematical symbols, geometric shapes. For children, counting sticks, abacus, figures from geometry and so on are laid out in the zone. Older children are introduced to fractions. All this leads to the development of abstract thinking, and it will be very useful to them in life.

In the language zone, children get acquainted with the language. There is everything for this: cubes with letters, an alphabet, a cash register with letters and syllables, an alphabet in color pictures, and more.

The space zone allows children to learn everything about the world around them: animal figurines, mineral collections, maps - all this will be a real discovery for children.

At the request of teachers, several more zones can be added to these. The main thing is that in each zone, children learn to show their independence in learning and learn about the world.

Points and rules of the Montessori methodology

The program includes the following points on which the whole ideology of its method is built:

The child is his own teacher. He has complete freedom of action and choice.
Children are always teaching each other. Older children can teach the younger ones, and they, in turn, will listen to them and focus on them.
Each room should have teaching materials - Montessori materials.
In order for a child to study and develop well, you need to arouse his interest in learning, that's all.

Methodology rules:

Everything that the child can do on his own, he must do on his own. You don't need to help him with this. This builds the skills of self-reliance and self-confidence.
Children should behave calmly and quietly so as not to disturb other children. For games and fun there is a separate room - the so-called "relaxation room".
All materials and toys that the child has touched should be washed and put back where they came from. This approach develops in children the ability to respect others.
The one who took the material first should deal with it. Other children are required to respect other people's opinions and know the boundaries of what is permitted.

Compliance with all of the above points and rules develop in children such qualities as:

independence;
perseverance;
respect for people;
self confidence;
communication skills and behavior in society;
practical skills that will then be useful in everyday life;
tolerance towards their peers;
ability to concentrate on work;
ability to make decisions.

Maria's method is actively used in many children's educational institutions, both foreign and domestic. More than one generation of children has grown up on it, and the results of the effectiveness of this method have been confirmed by many studies. What are its main advantages?

Advantages of the Montessori Method

The system discussed in this article is very interesting and original. It helps to develop many useful skills in children. Children learn to independently solve problems and everyday problems. They learn to express their point of view and defend it, as well as to listen and respect others.

Dividing the room into zones helps teachers competently organize the workspace, and the children themselves choose what they really like. In addition, zoning improves children's self-organization.

Disadvantages of the Montessori Method

Despite the many obvious advantages, the opinions of experts about its effectiveness differ.

Among the significant shortcomings that they highlight in it are:

The program is aimed at developing exclusively logical and analytical thinking, intelligence, and creativity, as well as the emotional sphere, are practically not affected. In other words, the child cannot reveal his creative potential in the conditions of the methodology, and this is considered extremely important for an early age.
There are no mobile and story games, but games play an important role in the life of a preschool child. Through games, the child learns the world by interacting with peers.
The technique is less focused on closed, quiet and timid children, because its key point is complete independence. Thus, when the kid needs the help of a teacher, he simply, because of his inherent timidity, will not be able to ask for it.
As soon as the child finishes classes in Montessori studios, where there is a rather free environment, it will be quite difficult for him to get used to institutions where there is a slightly different atmosphere.

With these points in mind, many teachers do not use this system for their classes. They only draw from it the most significant moments, adding something from themselves.

In general, the system has many obvious advantages, but it is worth paying attention to the listed aspects.

In conclusion, we note that the Montessori technique has existed for quite a long time and it was created by a legendary woman of all times and peoples. Someone considers this system effective, someone doubts some of its points. However, everything that Mary did brought worthy results.

The main thing in this technique is to allow the child to be independent, not to do the work for him, but only to prompt and help if necessary.

With the help of this program, many practical skills are formed in the child; he develops thinking, motor skills and sensory skills, imagination becomes wider. In addition, it helps children to be organized and behave correctly in the society of their peers. In a word, the Montessori system teaches children to be their own teachers, to develop and learn about this world on their own. Children learn to be responsible and adapted to life. Well, we wish you and your child success in development and hope that this article was useful to you.