Can we offer value education at pre-school level?

I visited a pre-school last month where value education is being given to children below 6. If you visit the website of Living value international, you will understand the work that is being done to inculcate values at the stage of school. Values that are typically inculcated are of peace, respect, love, responsibility, honesty, cooperation, humility and others.

Although i could see the huge effort to inculcate values, i am not sure if it is really useful if given in the way it is typically given. Let me explain.

As the child's mind is absorbent mind till the age of 6, that i talked about in my blog , the child takes in things without understanding anything. How can such a mind 'understand' the concept of 'peace' or 'humility' which is very nebulous, vague and requires 'conscious intelligent mind' to comprehend ? At this stage, the child cannot even comprehend the difference between 'real and unreal', which is why when such a child is introduced to 'unreal' stories of comics and fairy tales, his mind absorbs it unconsciously and becomes a 'chaotic mass of impressions'.

Although the child, due to his absorbent mind, may 'recite' the meaning of values verbatim, he is not likely to practice them until he understands them ( which is unlikely because he is still developing his intelligence). In such a situation, can something be done to help the child 'imbibe' values before the age of 6? The answer is definite yes, but it will only work if it is done by following the laws of the child's nature, not by avoiding it. Here are some suggestions:

1. As the child's mind is absorbent mind, he learns through constant observing and repeating the 'behaviour'  he sees around him. This is the dominant mode of learning at this age. If the child has to 'imbibe' these values at this age, it will only 'imbibe' them, only if the environment around him is nurturing that type of behaviour.

That is why Montessori method of promoting the value of 'social development' through design of the environment is so effective. We have seen how through design of the environment, Montessori method enables child to imbibe the social skills ( which sometimes are also called values) such as  'patience' and  'respect'.

2. Because the child's mind is absorbent mind till 6, these values cannot be 'taught' in a class-room fashion through instruction or even facilitation, as is done in a traditional school.

One has to ensure that the behaviour is practiced infront of the child consistently to make him 'absorb' the value, so to say. For instance, if you are trying to enable the child to show 'respect', he will 'learn respect' only if the behaviour is consistently practiced with him and infront of him.

Consistency is the key.  If he does not want to eat, and you are pushing him to eat because it is lunch time, you are not showing your 'respect' to his views that 'he is not hungry'. If you want your child to play till, say 6 pm, you have to show him respect by telling him 'he can play till 6 pm' beforehand. You cannot just 'tell him to stop playing abruptly' at 6 pm.

3. Because 'values' are tied to 'behaviour', it is better to relate the value to the child's interpretation of value rather than your interpretation. For instance, if the child of age 5 says that 'respect' means 'not interrupting another child when he is working', you should resist 'giving' your definition of value to him.

More importantly, you should not 'force' the child to 'practice' the behaviour because it is 'right'. The child is more likely to practice the behaviour only if he 'voluntarily accepts' to practice it. Do not force any agenda in value education. Instead it is far more prudent to let the child dictate the agenda. As systems thinkers say Slow is fast.

Are you creative enough to foster imagination in your child?

As we discussed in the earlier blog, imagination ( not fantasy) is useful for developing 'creativity'. Creativity is 'reconfiguring' the existing combination of elements in the 'real world' in a new form that did not exist till then. Creativity in music, for instance, is 'reconfiguring' the same seven notes of music ( and the silence between the notes) in a uniquely different way. It is not creating the eighth note, so to say.

A child seems to respect the 'real' world intuitively. For instance, if you ask your child to draw an elephant, he will always draw elephant in 'black'. If you try to tell him to draw it in 'orange', he will listen to you, only if he has not seen a 'real' elephant. If you tell your child to draw a tree, he will always paint the leaf of a tree with 'green' color.  Although 'drawing' can be done only by 'imagining', the child refuses to draw something 'unreal', unless we provoke him.

Why is it important to keep the distinction of real and unreal for a child below the age of 6? Because the child's mind is a absorbent mind till the age of 6. Till this age, therefore, the child 'takes in' everything indiscriminately. When the mind is 'absorbent', it soaks in whatever it receives without any filter, like a camera. Child's absorption is so powerful that he can recollect the long list of numbers and objects, without understanding them.Because of the child's ability to 'recollect' and 'repeat' whatever he sees or hears, we often confuse this 'absorbent mind' with 'intelligent mind'.

Because of his powerful absorbent mind, a child can readily 'absorb' stories of unreal people like Superman or fairy tales. Once he absorbs them, his equally powerful  mind starts using them 'unknowingly'. For instance, a child fed with these comic book stories will be seen running from one place to another, telling you that he is 'flying like superman'. Or tell stories to their children about going to a 'planet', fighting 'demons' and so on. Their mind becomes fully occupied with 'ideas' that are based on unreal world.This reduces the child's engagement with the 'real' world and 'real' work, which is not a helpful habit.

Such deviant behaviour is observed in a child who is admitted to a Montessori pre-school, after he has attended a play school for 6 months. Such children find it 'so difficult' to undo their habits ( and do the real work in Montessori), that they often go back to play schools. These children get sucked in the fantasy world and have difficult time in correcting themselves later!

On the other hand, if this power of absorbent mind is used with the elements of 'real' world, it can 'establish' habits and patterns that can help the child develop his imagination. As Dr Montessori mentions ( in her book The Absorbent Mind), adults require special kind of sensitivity to create an environment for the child that will help the child to foster his imagination by using the elements of 'real world'.

Here are some examples to guide your creativity in helping create events that will help your child imagine and not fantasise. Remember imagination uses elements of 'real world' ( as contrast to fantasy which uses elements of 'unreal world':

1. A child can only understand 'concretes'. Help him use his 'imagination' to understand the 'concept'.

For instance, a child understands the distance of 1 meter, because he can see it 'concretely'. But he has to use 'imagination' to 'understand' the distance of 10 Kms, because one can never 'see' 10 kms. How will you help him 'imagine' 10 kms?

Or a child cannot see the physical property of 'long' or 'heavy', because it is a concept. A pen can be long, a ruler can be long, or a car can be long. How do you 'isolate' the physical property of 'length' from these three different objects by using his 'imagination'? How will you do it? Hint: Montessori method uses different materials to help the child 'understand' these physical properties. Ask your Montessori teacher for more ideas.

2. The child cannot understand the concept of 'time'.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow are concepts for a child to comprehend. That is why, he cannot understand that he has to 'wake up at 7 am to go to school at  8 am'. How will you help the child to imagine 'time'? Hint: Buy a calender for him and 'make' him 'paste' events on the date, and see it 'later'. Ask your Montessori teacher for more ideas.

3. Use 'real' world mysteries of life to provoke child's imagination. 'Biology' mysteries are most suitable at this age, because the child can 'discover' the mystery himself by using his 'eyes'.

For instance, tell him how chicks come out of 'eggs', while puppies come out of the 'stomach' of a dog? Or how some plants can be seeded with 'seeds', and how some can be seeded with 'stems'? Or how the same 'water' can exist in three forms : solid, liquid and vapour? Or the air is full of 'gases' which we cannot see? Hint: Ask your Montessori teacher for more ideas.


Imagination is a powerful tool to help the child become creative. But if the child has to use this tool, we have to become creative in designing an environment that will help our child use imagination. Are we creative enough? 

Pre-school is not a school for killing time

Pre-school, the school for 3-6 years, is still regarded as a school that will help a child to spend time away from the house. As one of the woman parent told me ' I am unable to do anything when my child is at home. Only when she is in the school for 3 hours, can I do something constructive'.

This view - that pre-school is only meant to kill time - is shared by parents across different strata. Parents in a modern city like Bangalore share this view as strongly as the parents in a small city like Dharwad and Belgaum. Even education does not make a difference. Educated parents and uneducated parents both believe that pre-school is meant to keep the child physically active. Even language and culture does not matter. Parents in Mumbai and Delhi both believe that pre-school is just a 'preparation for the final school'; not a real school.

Parents therefore expect very little from pre-school. They expect pre-school to help their child play with toys. Or engage with other children in playing group games. Or learn rhymes like 'Jack and Jill went up the hill'. Or celebrate 'birthdays' with other children. Or participate in 'Annual days'. Or run on the sports day. Or participate in fancy dress.

At the most, parents expect children to learn something as a bonus. They expect the preschool to teach their children 1-100 or A to Z, at the most. They want pre-school to help their children to imbibe social grace and answer questions such as "What is your name" or "What is the name of your school", because it will help their child get dmission in a ' real school' in the first class.

So when these parents hear that Montessori method helps their children 'develop', they do not believe it; because they think that it is not possible to help develop a child at 3 years. When they see children of 3-4, they see children as irresponsible, undisciplined, unruly and noisy. When they try to help them 'eat food', they refuse help. When they 'tell' them to stay silent for a while, they make 'noise'. How can a child of age 3 helped to develop?

When Dr. Montessori first discovered that a child can behave differently in 1907 ( in her first school in Italy),  if proper 'development environment' is provided to him, everyone was surprised. She discovered that a 'child' can concentrate on an activity, not just for 10 minutes, but also for 30 minutes if proper activity is given to him. She found out that a child can also learn to have 'patience to wait', if the environment is primed for it. She discovered that a child can 'choose' his set of activities, if he is given appropriate practice to do so. She found out that a child of 4 can help other child of 3, if the children of his age are around him. In other words, with proper environment and scientific help ( done through Montessori method), a child can be helped to develop 'habits' that can prepare the foundation of his personality by the age of 6. Dr Montessori discovered that pre-school is the real school, where the foundation of child's personality is created.

Many parents in Italy could not believe what they saw in 1907. It took 50 years for American parents to learn that Montessori method is 'scientifically right'**. Even In India, Montessori schools are not known beyond Bangalore and Chennai, even when Dr Montessori was in India for 9 years from 1939.

I know that it is difficult to believe that a child can be developed till the age of 6. But do you want your child to miss an opportunity because you find it difficult to believe. Do you want your child to miss his  'development' because you could not understand the magic of child development? Do you want to blindly follow other parents and put your child in a play school, because you think that is the most a child can do ?

Or do you want to benefit from a 100-year old Montessori method of child development ? Do you want to learn more about Montessori method that can help your child grow 'better'? Do you want to take the 'pain and effort' to understand child development and help your child with your 'open eyes'?

However, if you want to give the best to your child, you will have to understand child development. Using  home grown recipes of child development will not help you any more. You will have to understand the magic of child development, by asking questions and verifying evidence. You cannot just rely on someone, because your child's future is at stake.

If you do not want to waste these 3 years of your child between 3 to 6 years of age, we can help you. 

** This book of Angelina Lillard ( Montessori Method: The science behind the genius ) explains why Montessori method works.