HettyFields Day School (Montessori)

Interhouse sport

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.....


MONTESSORI METHOD

Open your mind and pretend as if you have been a teacher, count yourselves lucky, think about it that children are empty basket you have to fill.

MARIA MOTESSORI: Born August 31st 1870 – Died 1932. She was an Italian medical Doctor and was assisted by Dr Sequin and John Itard who served as her consultants.

The foundation of Montessori (The practical life exercises):

1. She found out that children have amazing concentration, they were able to work with what they have interest in on their own.
2. They were never tired if the materials they are working with, provided these materials are colourful and interesting.
3. They have mechanism for learning through repetition, explanation, orientation order and they live these traits (exploration).
4. The child does not work because of reward or punishment that he would get from the teacher. Teacher should group pupils and pay attention to peculiar ones. Children are to be encouraged to work for satisfaction because they have the attitude of, “when I finish my work my teacher will appreciate me”. Pupils repeat what teacher does, therefore teachers should be worthy of emulation. (The child works at her pace)
5. The child prefers purposeful activities to faulty plays. You must respect the child and the child will respect you in turn.
6. Pupils are to be carried along whenever you are teaching, call a spade a spade, don’t work for substitute for words, if you find out from the faces of children that they have lost concentration, change the topic and allow pupils to do things on their own, ‘will’ power should be developed from childhood. “When you lit a match, point it towards where you need it not to yourself else you will get burnt.”
Education is not all about books but inclusive of other practical life experiences.
7. Get the child to be self-disciplined, start a thing and end it well. Children perform well without anybody checkmating them.
8. A child between the ages of 4-5 should be able to read and write without constraints or special efforts.
There are three stages that must be experienced by a child, for perfect development in the Maria Montessori theory. The three stages are:

i. Psychic embryo ii. Absorbent mind iii. Sensitive Period.
PSYCHIC EMBRYO
Dr Maria Montessori was of the opinion that a child must possess within him or her, before birth, a pattern fr full psychic unfolding she called this inborn psychic entity of the child a “Spiritual embryo”. This spiritual embryo is comparable to the original fertilized cell of the body. In this instance, the cell does not contain the adult form of miniature but rather a predetermined plan for its developments which is not visible at birth. Maria Montessori explained that, this psychic manifestations are, happenings that the physical eyes cannot see. In general, these are things that are going on in the mind that are not revealed to the physical.

Maria Montessori saw the child as having two embryonic periods namely:
i. Pre-natal : (the embryo)
ii. Post-natal: (the spiritual embryo) absorbent mind.

CHARACTERISTICS OF NORMALIZATION
Montessori taught that children should be observed throughout their Psychic Embryo i.e. two periods:

i. The period before their birth and the period after their birth, in order words their pre-natal and post-natal periods.
ii. Absorbent mind – It is the mind that a child uses to absorb the facts from the environment. The child wishes to know all that is within and without.

Absorbent mind:
When a child is under the period his/her mind is always at wok, even though whatever he or she does at that particular time may not be followed but the child will definitely put up some forms of action that shows that his/her mind is ready to take up some things (absorb information).

Sensitive Period:
Is a transitional period in a child’s life that he is particularly sensitive to certain things, and open to learning, especially developing skills. He learns it without strain or putting effort, and with teachers who have to be aware of his period. This is the time you have to give him aid and not before this period, aid can come through adequate preparation of the environment, in the anticipation of, the manifestation of, the particular sensitive period.

• Teachers must be very observant.
• In Montessori classroom a child is judged according to his own capability.
• Treat every child individually, i.e on-on-one basis.
• When progress is noticed as mere responsibilities.
• Prepare lesson for benefit purposes.
• The environment must be prepared and conducive for learning.
Montessori Environment talks about all that is within, up and sown, and quite different from Dictionary meaning. Prepared environment in the classroom is not that unit AC, but where a child can manipulate everything within, without the aid of the adult. He / she can do some work without being assisted, such as a cupboard within should be opened or a Television in a sitting should be operated by the child.

The teacher is not a servant but a directress/facilitators. Classroom environment should be a place where teachers and pupils do their work together, bit by bit i.e. doing their own thing without depending on each other. All things in the environment are child size.

The teacher is the custodian of the classroom environment. He/she takes ultimate decision to work effectively. Teacher waits patiently for pupils to unfold. He does not hurry children up. Montessori identifies a teacher as a scientific observer.

He/she performs experiment with the intention of getting desired result. Classroom must be sociable and conducive. Use the intelligence of the pupils to adhere a good goal.

Characteristics of the prepared environment

1. Child Size: Accessible to the pupils.
2. Beautiful: Reflect the schools curriculum, not over stimulating.
3. Orderly: Should be reflected in the home too. Putting everything in its place and a place for everything.
4. Cleanliness: Must be maintained by children at all times.
5. Reality: Calling a spade a spade. Don’t look for short cut, call things by their name no matter how big.
6. Access to the playground: At some point in time pupils must be made to go out to play: let their be demonstrations, and do some work outside to encourage them studying the area and pointing to new things. Remove old decorations.

PRACTICAL LIFE EXERCISES
Practical Life Exercise is something that is natural to every child all over the world, e.g. to be sent on errand, to be polite, to do all that the adult does.

They are the foundation of Montessori education: Maria Montessori was given a place where she helped the less privileged pup-ils. She named the place ‘Casa dei Bambini’ - Children’s home. Practical life exercise deals with simple chores such as washing, relating with others, etc
The Objectives:
1. It aids independence: There is no child that wants to be tied to an adults string. The slogan is always, “help me to help myself.” E.g. Mother breastfeed a child etc, Spoon feeding leads to independent feeding. The tendencies of wanting to do their own things.
2. Concentration: It helps them to have amazing concentration when they have been able to absorb properly.
3. Co-ordination: It helps pupils to develop muscle co-ordination.
4. Self-Esteem: Pupils self esteems should not be undermined, having pride in what you are able to do by yourself.
5. Social awareness: The child finds outs that he needs co-operation from others to do things. A child does the sweeping of the class alone. He can now appreciate his value for the group for which he is part of.
6. Orderliness: These should not be done half hazzardly. Plan out and analyze every step and movement. Pupils should be taught to internalize.
7. Intellectual development: Use the correct names for everything, no abbreviation, no short cut. It will develop their languages

Practical Life Exercise can be broken down into four (4):
a) Elementary body movement: i.e Roll and unrolling a mat.
b) Care of the environment: i.e sweeping.
c) Care of person: i.e how to care for teeth.
d) Grace and Courtesy: i.e Expressing gratitude in a “thank you”.

Hand and eye co-ordination / articulating the muscle of the hand creating appreciation to the child mind.

The three period lessons is divided into 3 portions:
a) This is (Introduction) i.e “This is…………….”
b) Show me Recognition (Pupils involvement – Seriate) i.e “show me……”
c) What is this? (Evaluation) i.e “What is this?”

1. Polishing – Develops vocabulary
a. Introduce the name: name the items and arrange them accordingly.
b. Put them as you name and as you are going to use them.
c. Put your left hand into the shoe and dust, drop the duster, hold the applicator.
d. Open the polish container with the index finger, and the thumb, and put the cover underneath so as not to misplace it.
e. Apply the polish and put shoes in the sun, for the polish to be absorbed by the leather.
f. Then polish brush up and down to bring out the shining.
g. Give all the above items to each child and co-ordinate him as he does this activity.

Cultural day June 2011

Cultural day July 2011

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The safety, care and education of young children mold their self-esteem and equip them with the ability to find love, happiness and success that last forever. We allow these truths to guide every detail in the origination and continuous operation of our school.

" The children learn from one another and throw themselves into the work with enthusiasm and delight. This atmosphere of quiet activity develops aid and most wonderful of all , an intelligent interest on the part of the older children in the progress of their little companions." - Maria Montessori