Assignment # 1 Christine Tay Seh Peng (2344-1 MY)
30 Jan. 10
Assignment #1 Question 1 Summarize in detail the characteristics of the child in the first three stages of development (birth to six, six to twelve, twelve to eighteen)
Embryo ~ Infant ~ Young children ~ teenage ~ adult
From a baby form a man, there are three period of transformation, therefore special care is needed for every stage of human development. Dr. Montessori said : “Don’t look at the method, look at the child.” If we look at the child, we shall feel love and respect for the marvelous little creature and we shall find the right way to look after him.
First Plane is Infancy : Birth to Six years
In Dr. Montessori's outline, the first plane of development occurs from birth to age six and is known as "infancy." At this stage children are sensorial explorers, building their intellects by absorbing every aspect of their environment, their language and their culture. A Period of Transformation divided into two :
(a) Birth ~ Three years : The Unconscious Absorbent Mind
Upon birth, the body though weak and helpless, skeleton is not fully ossified, bones of the feet are cartilaginous and the skull is not yet joined over the top of the brain. Age of one, the baby’s weight is three times its birth weight, this is extremely rapid growth and great change and development. The mind, or “psychic embryo”, is constructed during the first three years of life.
During first period that young children need the greatest care, plenty of sleep, and food that contains all the proteins, minerals and vitamins. Nourish babies with breastfeed to boost up immune system and food easy to digest. Upbringing with love and affection give secure environment to construct a good characteristic.
Massage is the must to help the development of the babies’ limbs, because muscles need good blood circulation to strengthen them for movement. The baby’s unconscious willpower (instinct), is the guide given by nature to direct development.
Between the ages of 0-3 years, the child takes in the whole of his environment unconsciously. He is constantly absorbing impressions and yet does this without knowing that he is doing so.
(b) Three Six years : The Conscious Absorbent Mind
The Conscious Absorbent Mind begins when the child starts to intentionally act on his own, selecting activities based on his earlier experiences. Conscious intelligence begins to develop when the hand becomes the instrument of the brain as the child manipulates the objects he discovers in his environment. In the first plane of development the child works at the construction of his own self, focusing all his energy on creating the individual in all areas of experience (physical, intellectual, social, and emotional).
Second Plane is Childhood : Six to Twelve years
A Period of Uniform Growth, an intermediate period or the second stage of childhood. This is a time of great physical and mental strength. Children's character becomes stronger, they become aware of themselves in relationship to others. This period is characterized by the marked development of a "herd" instinct. The children are drawn to interact socially and to seek one another's company. Additionally they are compelled to examine the rightness and wrongness of social interactions.
There is slow regular growth and no great physiological changes. The muscles develop, the bones become hardened, and the milk teeth are gradually replaced by the permanent set. These children are stronger, have better resistance. They have great vitality and tremendous energy, mental as well as physical. They should have plenty of schoolwork and every kind of outdoor activity.
Mentally, the children become conceptual explorers. They develop their powers of reasoning, abstraction, and imagination. During these years, children are capable of accomplishing great mental work and accumulating a tremendous store of cultural information then apply their knowledge to discover and expand their worlds further.
Third Plane - Adolescence: Twelve to Eighteen
This plane is one of great physical mental and social transformation and it marks the end of childhood. This period of life, when physical maturity is reached, is a difficult time because of its rapid development and the changes that take place within the body. A Period of Transformation – subdivided, as in stage one, into:
(a) Twelve Fifteen years: Puberty
There is a time of rapid growth accompanied by the physiological changes of puberty. There is a change in the functioning of the glands and can causes moodiness, irritability, and skin troubles. The adolescents, likelihood of mental or physical illness, should be carefully taken care like small children at stage 0-6 years old. They need a very nourishing diet with all the vitamins and have plenty of rest. This is not a time for serious study or for strenuous sports. There should be a relaxation of discipline and routine and not encourage to work more than they feel able.
(b) Fifteen ~ Eighteen years: Adolescence
The health improves and there is a period of peaceful development in which the change of the first three years is followed by a time of greater stability. The gains that have been made are carefully consolidated. The new powers are gradually perfected until a new stage of maturity is reached.
The years between 12 to 18, children become humanistic explorers seeking, to understand their places as individuals in society and their opportunities to contribute to it. It is a time of high ideals and wishing to help others. At this time the mind becoming mature, they are ready to experience economic independence and to explore ways in which they can be productive and remunerated for their services.
Children who have well foundation laid during the previous period, adolescence know their own time and own pace and will continue their education with enthusiasm.
((Thank you for an excellent answer.))
Question 2 Before the age of five the essential personality and character of the child is formed. What responsibility does this impose upon the classroom teacher for meeting the needs and tendencies of the 3 – 6 years old child?
The Montessori pre-school teachers need to provide a prepared environment where children are free to respond to their natural tendency to work and learn. The classroom set up just like a ‘living room’ for children. The teacher should make sure all the materials or apparatus displayed on open shelves that reached by every children. Every child loves to move around freely and work independent without asking help from the adult. Children work at their own pace, finding attractive activities which are appropriate for their different stages of development.
In Montessori classrooms, teacher not trained to teach student but they are “Director”. The Director act as facilitator, guiding the children to explore the world around them, inspired children imagination, assist children in their mentality and physically development. The Director providing a list of things to do, but the children can choose from the list. Director never interrupt children work, they must have good observation and know when should give a guidance. Every exercise must have a useful purpose and understood by the child.
Many of Montessori materials are self-correcting, it will develop a sense of satisfaction from the work itself, not be dependent on teacher approval. Child motivated when given choices and when presented with work related to their interests. When children choose materials in the classroom, teacher should always refer to as their “work” to show the importance of their activities and that work can be fun.
Practical life activities give the child an understanding of his environment and how it works. In setting materials such as pouring, polishing, scrubbing a table, buttoning. These are daily activities can helping the child’s independence by acquiring a particular skill and develop his ability to concentrate and to coordinate his movements. Lessons are oriented forward helping the child become a self-sufficient and discipline individual. For example, in pouring activities, teacher can use breakable glass or jug the child will respect the materials and will treat it nicely and handle carefully.
In preparing buttoning activities, teachers encourage to get plain printed clothes. Children can focus on the button instead of picture that printed on the clothes. Sweeping and mopping activities, teacher should prepare the child’s size broom and sponge mop. Teacher can choose or call up volunteer child to wash the table and chair after painting lesson. It is a perfection of the individual and child glad to be choose and willing to have the responsibility. For example, I let my 4 years old daughter do a car wash, without interruption she spend one hour on her work and she feel the dignity of a worker. Teacher should avoid giving reword to child when they complete any work.
They become problem solvers, leaders, and challenge seekers with a tremendous amount of self-esteem, self-discipline and love of learning. Children absorb from their environments everything that is part of their culture; they do this without getting tired or fatigued. Learning occurs most fundamentally as a result of interaction with the environment. It is through the control and engineering of the physical properties of the educational setting that the Montessori teacher may have the greatest impact on the students.
The other curriculums for the children of this age are the ‘Sensorial’ materials, mathematics, language and culture. The sensorial materials are design for refinement of each sense, for example
color, size, loudness, taste or weight. For example, the material known as the pink tower, broad stair, long rods, Knobless cylinders, sound cylinder, color tablets, geometry cabinet, texture board, baric tablets etc. Teacher needs to show the child the proper way holding the said material. Teacher invited each child work independently and one time only can work with one set of apparatus. When the child is working, no conversation between the children and teacher unless it is three period lesson.
Teacher needs to let the child free to choose and work with the material as many time as they want. Teacher should educate the child to respect all material and need to take turn in doing an activity. Once the work finished, child need to return material to the shelves.
Teacher may set daily time table, for example; Physical exercise, circle time, singing, art and craft, setting table, tea break, brushing teeth, table cleaning, language, math, practical life exercise and sensorial education.
For language development, teacher may invite children to talk for few minutes in front of their classmate. They can have free topic such as what they did yesterday, what is the book they read before bedtime and the story, what they see this morning from home to school. ‘Sand Paper’ had been introducing, thus teacher can prepare a ‘Journal book’ for the child to write and draw.
Finally, the cultural materials can be offered to the child at this stage. Teacher can introduced to the child in an orderly way; first the world, then the plants and animals. The children's innate passion for learning, teacher can encouraged by giving them opportunities to engage in spontaneous, purposeful activities with the guidance.. Through their work, the children develop concentration and joyful self-discipline. Gave the children freedom to choose and inspired their interest and curiosity.
Teachers can maximize cognitive development during sensitive periods by closely observing the child, noting her interests and developmental level in each area, and presenting lessons with the appropriate materials. Teacher will providing whatever guidance is necessary to ensure that the children make good decisions and engage in productive behaviors.
“We must support as much as possible the child’s desires for activity; not wait on him, but educate him to be independent.” Role of the Teacher “The teacher must believe that this child before her will show his true nature when he finds a piece of work that attracts him.” "The real teachers of the Montessori method are the children themselves." "Looking becomes Reading. Touching becomes writing." - Quote from Dr Maria Montessori |
((Thank you again for an excellent answer. I look forward to your continued work. Judilyn))
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