Maria Montessori is a world-renowned early childhood educator in the 20th century.
She has been engaged in educational experiments and research for more than half a century, thus creating the world-famous preschool education method-Montessori education.
This kind of early childhood education has swept the entire Western world, and is known as "the greatest scientific and progressive educator who has won recognition from Europe and the world in the 20th century."
Children under Montessori education are generally independent, orderly, focused, and extremely practical and creative.
So, how does Montessori education help children to become independent?
How does Montessori education cultivate children’s independence
Montessori education attaches great importance to cultivating children’s independence and autonomy.
Dr. Montessori once pointed out: "If anyone cannot be independent, there can be no freedom."
If any educational activity is effective for early childhood education, it must insist on helping young children move forward on the road of independence.
What is independence?
The so-called independence refers to what you can do by yourself.
As parents, we must understand that from the moment a child is born, its independent process has already begun.
Long Yingtai has a classic sentence in "Sightseeing",
The so-called father-daughter mother-child game, it just means that your fate with him is that you are constantly watching his back in this life and this world. The line drifts away.
Parents’ beloved sons have far-reaching plans. This is the best love that parents give to their children, helping them to become independent and a better self.
How does Montessori education help children be independent?
take children as the center
Montessori opposed the traditional teacher-centered education, she pointed out that education should be children-oriented.
The development of children's life is toward independence. Education should create a "children's world" centered on them so that they can "be themselves" independently.
The Montessori prepared environment can fully satisfy children's desire for independent exploration and learning.
The Montessori learning environment is equipped with bright and rich textbooks and teaching aids, suitable for the staged characteristics of children's intellectual development.
In the children's home, all tasks are done by the children themselves.
Let children take the initiative to contact and explore, and teachers will provide timely assistance and guidance from the side.
Montessori education method respects children's growth pace, so that children can focus on developing their inner needs.
Grasp the sensitive period of children
0-6 years old children, in different growth stages, there will be various sensitive periods of preference for different things.
The sensitive period of language: the child starts to absorb language in about 2 months, and the language he acquires is heard from the surrounding environment.
The sensitive period of order: it appears from the first year of birth and lasts until the age of four. This is an internal feeling of young children to distinguish the relationship between various objects, not the object itself.
Sensitive touch period: Toddlers will stretch out their little hands towards external objects. It is through hand activities that children can develop themselves and their hearts.
The sensitive period of details: Young children will show sensitivity to details when they are 2 to 3 years old, and their attention is often focused on the smallest details. This shows the existence of the spiritual life of young children, and that young children and adults have two different intellectual visions.
stimulate children to think independently
In the Montessori classroom, there are a lot of teaching aids for children to operate. The design of these teaching aids is fully in line with children between two and a half to six years olduse.
The teaching aids are divided into categories, and they are placed in an orderly manner on the teaching aid rack suitable for the height of the child, so that even the youngest child can easily get it.
The real purpose of Montessori teaching aids is to help children's self-construction and mental development.
This kind of education is achieved through repeated operation and practice of teaching aids.
Through the teaching aids to a certain degree of stimulation, attract children's attention, so as to lead children into the state of concentration, to achieve the purpose of helping children grow up.
Below is a short video, let’s take a look at the independence of Montessori education for the next 2-year-old child.
Edison is a 20-month-old boy, he is a child in a Montessori kindergarten in the United States.
He sleeps in a room alone, the bed is very short, and the height of a Simmons...
2 children drink afternoon tea, prepare their own snacks, and pour their own water .
Although the movements are unstable and trembling, you will be surprised that a child who is only 20 months old can already take good care of himself and the environment.
Dr. Montessori pointed out that the primary task of early childhood education is not to set obstacles to the normal growth of children.
We must know that "please help me to do it independently" is the inherent requirement of every child's nature.
The least guidance, the greatest encouragement
Cultivate children's independence, you can start with some small details of life, so that children can develop a good independent personality in the small details of life!
Encourage children to choose
to cultivate children’s independence. The first step is not to help children make decisions and make decisions.
Parents take care of their children in every possible way. If things go on like this, not only will it not help the child, it will delay the child's growth.
Depriving children of the opportunity to think independently and gain experience is like putting a spiritual shackle on the children.
Every child is an independent and complete individual. Helping children to be independent is the best love for children.
Parents must learn to "let go", and this must insist on "the least guidance, the greatest patience and the most encouragement"!
Although the child's performance was not satisfactory at the beginning, a small step every day would bring the child a big step forward.
What you can do by yourself
Plato said, do your own thing and understand your own heart.
Only by knowing what you want and knowing your own interests and ideas can you truly do your own thing, do what you are good at and what you are interested in.
Maybe you think your child is too young to do anything by yourself, but you have to understand that children like to imitate adults and know what they like to do.
Once he releases his potential, the tasks he can complete may surprise you.
For example, when cooking, let the children pick vegetables and hang clothes together.
not only gives children the opportunity to exercise, but also gives them a sense of pride in completing their work.
To give the child full wait is to give the child the greatest respect.
The principle of helping children to be independent
All adults need to do is to assist children in their free development, and to help children complete the tasks that nature gives them.
Dr. Montessori said, “Never help a child do what he thinks he can do.”
What is the principle of an adult helping a child to be independent?
Let the children do it, respectful attitude, timely guidance, maximum patience, and maximum encouragement!
I forgot after listening;I read it and remembered it; when I did it, I understood it.
