Is Montessori method meant for mentally challenged children only?

A well-read parent asked me this question last week ' If Montessori method is meant for mentally disadvantaged children, is it really useful for normal child?' I think this (misleading) perception has got formed in the public psyche due to two reasons.

One, it is because of Dr Montessori's background in psychiatry and her initial successful experiment with mentally challenged children. After studying medicine, she was working as an assistant to a Professor of Psychiatry in the University of Rome. In order to cure the mentally challenged children, she worked with these children because she felt that what they needed was not medicines, but developmental treatment. She worked for two years with these children.

When these mentally challenged schoolchildren were evaluated at the end of two years, they were evaluated by the same examination that was given to normal children. Many of these children fared better than normal children in the exams. This brought Dr Montessori’s work to the limelight. She was called a ‘miracle worker’.

However, after doing this,  she turned her attention to the development of normal children. She writes, “Thanks to the education of mentally defective, one could imagine an approach to education which is radically different from the traditional method of education”. (*)Her work with mentally challenged children helped her understand the difficulties and obstacles that were faced by normal children in the course of their development. She found that the normal methods of educating children did not help child’s development, but instead distorted development of normal children.

Dr Montessori in the first of her school

She enrolled as a student of philosophy to understand the principles of education. She worked on perfecting her method for next 7 years ( 2000-2007). She used the theories of two renowned educationist, Dr Itard ( who is called the founder of scientific education, in contrast to Binet who is considered the founder of physiological psychology) and Dr Seguin ( who perfected the system for physically challenged children). She started her first school for normal children in 1907 on these principles and later perfected this system with constant observation and experimentation.

Second reason for the above misleading perception is due to the emphasis on 'movement' in Montessori education method. Movement is also used extensively for educating physically & mentally  challenged children today.

Unlike traditional schooling, where a child is taught through 'verbal instruction' and 'blackboard', Montessori method is based on 'individual work by the child through his/her own activity'. Today, psychologists (**) agree that this educational method is the best method for any child. It is ideal for a child 3-6 years old, because the child at this age learns everything through the use of his 'coordinated movement directed by will' as his intelligence is still developing.

Conclusion

Although Dr Montessori had her initial foray in education with mentally challenged children, she had to develop educational method for normal children right from scratch, after understanding the basic principles of scientific education. Educationist and psychologists today have found substantial evidence to confirm that Montessori method is ideal for developing normal children. And , as they say, the best proof of pudding is in eating. If you meet any Montessori child of 5 year old, you can yourself 'feel' the difference of Montessori method first-hand!


* Maria Montessori: The discovery of child
** For more details, read this  book: Angelina Lillard, " Montessori, the science behind Genius" 

Is Play school useful for your child?

Many parents prefer to put their child of 3 year old in a play school instead of regular nursery school, because they think that school will take away their innocence and joy of childhood. Parents tend to be more comfortable seeing children engage in dramatic or fantasy play, interpreting this as creative and imaginative.

Play schools look good because play is a freeing of the spirit and mind in a spontaneous interaction with something or someone and it often includes laughter and movement, both of which are valuable for a child. Because play involves games and interacting with each other ( or with an activity), play does tend to help a child in hastening the coordinating of his body muscles with his senses. This itself is an important accomplishment that helps the child to develop the necessary independence and mobility that takes him further on the path of developing his ‘personality’; or rather the foundation of his personality. In this way, play school is better than a typical nursery school for the child's development.

Although Play is very useful for a child’s development, it only helps your child partially. Having helped him build his body coordination, if you take one more step, you will be able to help your child ‘develop’ the foundation of his personality. Imagine if you can give some ‘activity’ to your child, which engages his hand, body and mind, and through that ‘activity’ the child ‘develops’ some traits in himself, such as concentration and patience, what would you like to do? This is done in Montessori school.

Like play, Montessori school also engages your child in an activity ( not in a lesson!). But there is a difference between Montessori activity ( which is called ‘work’ in the language of Montessori) and play activity. Because Montessori material is scientifically designed, a child faces ‘variety’ of challenges in performing an activity with the material. This motivates the child in repeating activity numerous times. And because the child repeats this activity alone, it fosters development of concentration. 

This early habit of concentration is critical for the development of child, because it enables child to use his latent potential fully. Many parents do not have any idea of the importance of developing this concentration early; due to which parents unknowingly discourage the development of child. Instead of waiting for the child to perform a challenging task, like opening a lock with key, parents have a tendency to interrupt child, offering unneeded help as soon as a child struggles to overcome an obstacle. This is avoided if the child is put in a Montessori school. Montessori school, by engaging your child through an activity, which is natural for him, not only builds his  body coordination ( which is what play school achieves), but also goes one step ahead and develops the foundation of his personality.

A child learning 1-10 numbers through an activity in a Montessori school

If there is no Montessori school in your vicinity, when is the play school beneficial? As mentioned above, play activities are beneficial, because they help body coordination, which is necessary for 3-5 year old child. Play school is helpful when it has activities that can be played individually as well as in group.  Play school is useful if it avoids too much of 'sensorial activation' ( excessive use of colours and sounds) and instead design activities that present 'increasing challenges' for a child. Parents also have a belief that play school promotes social skill. This is misleading. Please read what is social skill and why it is difficult to develop. Morever, as the child also 'absorbs' like a sponge during this age, it may be useful if you engage your child in a proper home study instead of sending him to a nursery school after 4 years.

Here it is worth mentioning about the usefulness of video and computer game in developing a child of 3-5 years. Video and computer games do not help the child in body coordination. Moreever, they cause 'unintended consequences' in the development of child through its overdose of 'sensorial activation'. Due to use of senses, video and computer games attract child repeatedly, unconsciously discouraging child in taking up challenging tasks and activities. This habit of avoiding challenging tasks can sometimes prove detrimental to the development of child.