The Montessori system is based on the view that children are naturally curious and interested in the cognition of the world. In a properly organized environment, children do not need any encouragement of their knowledge through grades because new knowledge is already a powerful source of motivation to initiate a learning process. The Montessori method curriculum consists of such areas of learning as mathematics, language, culture, sensorial area, and practical life. The present essay discusses the significance of piratical life for the development of a child from the perspective of the Montessori method.
The Montessori system was developed by an Italian educator and physician, Maria Montessori, at the beginning of the 20th century. As it has already been mentioned, Montessoris critical premise is that children do not need the external help of educators to gain motivation to study. Instead, children are willing to gain new information on the world around them by default and require the assistance of adults in explaining various phenomena, not in motivating them through grades and intimidating them with tests. In other words, even though the learning process is guided and controlled by a teacher, the suitable pace and direction are set by a student. Under this system, children learn to be attentive, polite, respectful, accountable, and self-confident. In addition to that, the Montessori students are not only capable of independent and critical thinking but also know how to work in a team and cooperate with others.
The aspect of practical life in the Montessori system implies that the educational process consists not only of the traditional learning process via textbooks but also of practical activities that are performed in everyday life. Young children might perform very simple actions like washing, cleaning, and tidying up, whereas older children and teenagers might cook food, plant flowers, and sew. At the early stages, the primary goal of this area of learning is to develop concentration, coordination, and motor control in children. More complicated activities teach children to be responsible and attentive.
The major advantage of this system is that it teaches a child to use skills that could be applied in everyday life on a regular basis. In other words, this system adopts a student to the social environment (Vatansever & Ahmetoglu, 2019). Another advantage of the practical life area in the Montessori approach is that it contributes to the development of “children’s mental and physical balance” (Vatansever & Ahmetoglu, 2019, p. 3). The system has a strong positive effect on self-knowledge and introspection because every action is memorized by repetition. That is, if a child makes mistakes and fails to perform a task correctly, frequent repetition will help him or her comprehend the causes of the failure and master a new skill.
The Montessori method of education per se has both advantages and disadvantages; however, it is a separate discussion topic. Considering the practical life area, if a child misbehaves or is excessively whimsical and aggressive, it would be hard for other children to contact this kid and for the educator – to maintain a suitable learning environment. Nonetheless, the positive sides of this method outweigh possible disadvantages. Children need to get ready to live in the real world, and there is no way to prepare children for it better than via methods proposed by Maria Montessori.
References
Vatansever, A. G., & Ahmetoglu, E. (2019). A way to teach practical life skills in special education: Montessori pedagogy. European Journal of Special Education Research, 5(2),1-16.