Montessori
Module 1: Lesson 1
Q1: How can we explain that the child is his own creator? Then what will be the role of adults?
It is the child who builds himself and not others. The assistance that is provided by the parents helps the child to build himself.
Children are dependent on adults. So the adults should give them right conditions. The adults should have clarity on what they are doing and whether they are offering anything for the child’s development. The adult should also know what the child actually needs and whether he is capable of giving them in the form and manner that child actually requires.
The adult may offer help according to each child’s capacity but at the end, it is the child who has to achieve it. For example, we may send a child into a drawing class, but it is the child who has to draw. We can only provide direction, but it is the child who decides which direction to take from us. The adult should learn patience and modesty while taking care of the children. This will help the child in developing his personality. There is another factor that plays an important role in child’s development. From the time the child enters the mother’s womb (physio embryonic period) and till the time the child is born (psycho embryonic period) the child’s development is governed by Nature, which sets its laws of development. The knowledge of this factor will help the adult understand that he is a mere facilitator in child’s development and not the sole knowledge repository for the child’s assimilation.
As the child is entirely dependent upon the adult for proper assistance, we should train ourselves and restrain from giving them help directly. Direct teaching will create a situation of superiority and inferiority. So the assistance should be given as indirectly as possible. This builds up the self confidence and self esteem of the learner. Let me illustrate this point with an example. Situation here is our need to instruct the child that he needs to bring
Q1: How can we explain that the child is his own creator? Then what will be the role of adults?
It is the child who builds himself and not others. The assistance that is provided by the parents helps the child to build himself.
Children are dependent on adults. So the adults should give them right conditions. The adults should have clarity on what they are doing and whether they are offering anything for the child’s development. The adult should also know what the child actually needs and whether he is capable of giving them in the form and manner that child actually requires.
The adult may offer help according to each child’s capacity but at the end, it is the child who has to achieve it. For example, we may send a child into a drawing class, but it is the child who has to draw. We can only provide direction, but it is the child who decides which direction to take from us. The adult should learn patience and modesty while taking care of the children. This will help the child in developing his personality. There is another factor that plays an important role in child’s development. From the time the child enters the mother’s womb (physio embryonic period) and till the time the child is born (psycho embryonic period) the child’s development is governed by Nature, which sets its laws of development. The knowledge of this factor will help the adult understand that he is a mere facilitator in child’s development and not the sole knowledge repository for the child’s assimilation.
As the child is entirely dependent upon the adult for proper assistance, we should train ourselves and restrain from giving them help directly. Direct teaching will create a situation of superiority and inferiority. So the assistance should be given as indirectly as possible. This builds up the self confidence and self esteem of the learner. Let me illustrate this point with an example. Situation here is our need to instruct the child that he needs to bring