Name: Mamoona Rafique

Roll No: D14813

Introduction to Montessori

Module 1
International Montessori Teachers Training Program
 Mamoona Rafique
Roll No: D14813
Q 1: Discuss the life and works of Dr. Maria Montessori and why is she
referred to as a lady of much ahead of her time? LIFE AND WORKS OF DR.
MARIA MONTESSORI:
Dr. Maria Montessori is recognized as the founder of Montessori Method and one
of the pioneers in the development of early childhood education. She is also
respected and reputed for promoting a substantial number of important
educational reforms. Dr. Maria Montessori was born on 31st August 1870 to
an educational Middle class family in Ancona, Italy. She was the only child of her
Parents. Her Father’s name Was Alessandro Montessori and was a conservative
military man. On the other hand, her mother, Renidle Montessori, was a liberal
lady and supported Maria’s educational pursuit. Her father’s frequent transfers gave
Maria a chance to have education in big cities throughout Italy. Almost whole of
the Europe, in those days was very conservative in its attitude toward and
treatment of women. Italy was no exception but Montessori pursued medical and
scientific education. Despite many years of opposition from her father, teachers,
and male fellow students, she graduated with highest honors from the Medical
School of the University of Rome, becoming the first physician in Italy in1896.
Thus Montessori holds the title of being the first lady doctor in the history of Italy.
WORKS WITH SPECIAL CHILDERN:
Montessori was always unwilling to enter education as a career as it was one of the
three traditional roles open to women at that time: Working with children, home
making or the convent. But the ironic thing is that she became best known for her
contributions in education. As a physician, Montessori specialized in pediatrics and
the new field of Psychiatry. In 1900, at the elapse of just a short span of four years
her degree in medicine, Montessori was appointed director of the
new Orthophrenic School attached to the University of Rome, it was the Municipal
asylum for “deficient and insane” (special) children of the city. Most of who would
be diagnosed in the twenty-first century as mentally disabled. One day she inquired
a nurse about their awful condition, she replied that they fought for the food
and the throw themselves on the floor to catch the food. That was how they got
dirty. Thus the children were kept in the prison like room with less food and no
hope for recovery. Montessori discovered that her young patients needed
purposeful activities, which could stimulate their senses and mind, and add into
Mamoona Rafique
Roll No: D14813

their self-esteem and the sense of achievement. She also got inspired by the work
of two almost forgotten French doctors’ of the 18th and 19th centuries: Jean-Marc-
Gaspard Itard (1775-1838) and Edouard Seguin (1812-1880). Itard was well
known for his work with the “Wild Boy of Aveyron”, a young boy who was found
by some hunters wandering naked in the Forest. Although Itard’s efforts to teach
the wild boy were barely successful, his work had two important implications;
1. If proper stimulation and experiences are not provided during sensitive periods
of development to a child, it may hinder or does not take place at all.
2. Furtherance of handicapped children is possible. Montessori drew fort her
confirmation of Itard’s ideas from the work of Edouard Seguin, a French
psychologist who was a student of Itard and carried on his research. His work,
however, more specific and organized. The first day care center, named
Casa Dei Bambini (House of children) was inaugurated in 1907 and was located
in the worst slum district of Rome, and the conditions Montessori faced were
horrendous.
THE DECLINE AND REVIVAL OF MONTESSORI EDUCATION:
The number Montessori schools soared up to 1000 by1925 and many tens of
thousands more around the world. But things took a dramatic turn
by 1940.Montessori movement virtually disappeared from the American scene and
declined in many other countries. In America, only a few schools had the courage
to pronounce themselves Montessori school, although many continued to operate
without using the name. However, since 1960s, there is a surprising revival and
resurgence of Montessori movement in America. The credit goes to Dr. Nancy
McCormick Rambus who “Rediscovered “and brought Montessori back to North
America.
MONTETESSORI PRIME TIME
During her life time we may rank the period from the opening of the first Children’s House
in 1907 until the 1930s as her prime productive period. She continued her study of
children, and developed a vastly expanded curriculum and methodology. She even
gave up her medical practice and devoted herself to her mission of
REGENERATING MANKIND.

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Her pictured was on the Italian 200lire coin and through the 1990s on the 1000lire
bill, by far the most common one, replacing Marco Polo, until adopted the Euro.
She was also nominated for Nobel Peace Prize thrice.
MARIA MONTESSORI’S DEATH:
Maria Montessori left the world in the Netherlands in 1952, but would always stay
alive as she lives as an immortal through her method, which has helped and would
continue to help children of all times to be better human beings. She lived in old
days but was definitely
“A WOMAN MUCH A HEAD OF HER TIME”.
Q 2: Which are the main requirements to be considered to start a House of
Children? How do you implement them?
Montessori is the place where children can do whatever they want and meet their
needs and interest. Therefore, one has to be very particular and consider numerous
things when start the house of children. It is the most difficult task to start it. There
are several requirements which one should be keeping in mind.
1. Class room design is the most important place where children have to stay.
Montessori educational apparatus, tables and shelving, and related activities
equipment should be appropriate and several in number so that children
could approach them.
2. The number of students in the classroom should not be exceeding more than
30students.
3. The size of the classroom should allow minimum of 20 square feet per
student sat the early level, 30 squares for the elementary level and 40
squares would before secondary level.
4. Montessori house should be child-sized where he could enjoy his age. A
child sized kitchen, science lab, an art studio, bath rooms, hobby workshop,
everything should be according to the size of a child. They lead him to fulfill
his desires and enjoy his own world.
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5. A house should be design in such a way that the child could face outdoor
environment. There must be window through which the children could face
sunlight at a daytime and become a natural source of ventilation.
6. There must be the children garden where child can grow vegetables and
fruits of their choice. It leads them to close to their natural environment.
7. There should not be any prohibition of doing something which the student is
not allowed at his home. “Prohibition is sweet or bitter, prohibition
is prohibition.”
8. Children are usually not allowed to do by themselves what they want at their
home so Montessori room should provide them this opportunity. These are
some factors which should consider while starting any house of children.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT:
Considering requirements are very important but implementation is more important
than them because implementation is something which we have to implement and
how it works is based on it. There must be a lot of things which should be
implement those are:

 Respect for the children.

 Focus on individual child
 The prepared environment
 Polite behavior of the teacher
 Parent- teacher meeting.
RESPECT FOR THE CHILDREN:
Respect is the basic thing which everybody requires. Every child needs respect.
Parents try to force them to follow the parents without regarding their needs and
interest. Therefore, first we should take great care of the respect of the child.
FOCUS ON INDIVIDUAL CHILD:
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Every child is different from one another. Teacher should focus on individual child
as his learning progress, growth and understanding is different from other children.
THE PREPARED ENVIRONMENT:
Prepared environment is very important. When they have prepared environment,
they are able to do what they want. The material is available for the child which
they can easily access and do whatever their interest.
POLITE BEHAVIOR OF THE TEACHER:
The teacher is the role model for the student. Her behavior should be
polite towards students. As the teacher is the spiritual mother of the students, they
learn a lot from them after their mother. So, her behavior and attitude should be
very good.
PARENT- TEACHER MEETING:
There must be parent-teacher meeting as parents should know the progress and
development of their student and the most important about the attitude and the
nature of the student. Montessori teacher can guide them according to the nature of
their children.
Q 3: What are the main discoveries made by Dr. Maria Montessori by
observing the child?
After nearly twenty two years of such experimentation Dr. Montessori could say
that she had found a method of helping children in their educational pursuits. This,
later on, came to be known as the Montessori Method of education, which is aimed
at helping the child for life. It may be worthwhile to enumerate some of the
discoveries she had made during her work.
1. Child loves to work purposefully.
If it corresponded with the inner developmental needs, they worked until they
reached their goal. They work out of a natural drive, which makes them select
concentrate on tasks which are appropriate for development.
2. The inner drive is sufficient.
Total development is possible only when the child can work in various fields of
human activity as specific times, whose awareness and urge comes to him
naturally.
3. When something that answers the inner needs meets the child’s eyes
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Spontaneous INTREST is kindled. When the spontaneous Repetition of an
activity is done with interest the natural result is Concentration. But concentration
is not the end product of education, it is only the beginning.
True learning takes place with concentration.
4. Very young children need order for their development.
The child needs not practice in everyday life. The child gets confused and this can
create wrapping his development.
5. Normality depends on all the human powers working in unison, in
collaboration.
6. Activities involving sensorial concepts, language, arithmetic, art, culture
were found to be necessary for the child’s education. Dr. Maria
Montessori found out how the children needed to perform these activities
especially because they brought the intelligence, will and voluntary
movements of the personality to the child. The children showed that they
could assimilate the knowledge, normally considered to be too complex
for the child, if it is presented in rightful conditions.
7. She discovered that real discipline comes through freedom. This
suggested that discipline must come from within and not imposed from
outside because true discipline is born in freedom. Freedom and discipline
are two faces of the same coin.
9. Real obedience is based on love, respect and faith.
10. Dr. Montessori discovered that children are often seen to behave in a
certain manner. In other words, the child is destructive, disorderly, stubborn and
disobedient if suitable condition is missing. She called it deviation. However,
under rightful circumstances the children behave otherwise. She called this
Normality.
11. Most of the activities presented to the children in Montessori houses of
children are results of observing the child.
12. All the help we offer should lead the child to independence in his individual
and social life.
“Help me Do it myself” is what every child wants to tells us. We just don’t listen
to it.
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13. Montessori discovered that the environment itself was all important in
obtaining the results that she had observed.
14. Montessori further studied the traffic pattern of the rooms.
15. Montessori carried this environmental engineering throughout the entire school
building and outside environment.
Q 4: What does “PILES” stand for when we talk of human development?
Discuss the Physical, Lingual and Intellectual development taking place
during3 to 6 years of age? PILES stand for:

P = Physical

I = Intellectual

L = Lingual

E = Emotional

S = Social PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT:

Physical development takes place during 3 to 6 years of age. The child feels certain
strong urges at specified time periods. Which lead him to development as shown in
the figure?
Age 0-6 years Strong natural urges Experiences which satisfy the Natural urges
Development At the age of 3 years:
In this age a child can balance on one foot for a moment. He is dextrose on
outdoor equipment. Steers and runs round obstructions with ease. Forcefully kicks
ball walks in an adult fashion upstairs, even holding a big toy. Still puts both feet
on each step when coming downstairs. Likes to jump of the last step.
At the age of 4 years: Bends down to pick up toys with legs straight. Bounce with
ball games. Can throw, catch and kick well and can now bounce ball. Runs about
on tiptoe. Runs upstairs with total efficiency. Able to sit cross-legged. Hops around
and balances on one foot for longer.
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At the age of 5-6 years: Can now play all sorts of ball games competently Able to
walk along a thin line. More energetic and lively in general. Expert at all outdoor
activities such as swimming, climbing and sliding.
INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT:
The intellectual development grows in the child with the passage of time. The child
learns how to behave with the adults and how to cope up with the awkward
situations but it’s all depend on the proper environment and conditions which
we provide to them.
At the Age of 3 years:
A child can be able to thread big beads and built 9 blocks high towers and small
bridges and bricks. He can use children’s scissors. He can also holds a pencil
properly.
At the age of 4 years:
A child is skilful at holding pencils. He is able to built 10 ricks high tower. He also
knows primary colors.
At age of 5-6 years:
A child can draw more detailed drawings and painting including surroundings. He
can also count figures. Skilled at coloring and jigsaws. He can relate to the time of
day corresponding to everyday activities.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT:
Language development also improves through time to time and the child is able
communicate more clearly. Children learn from the environment and we should
make the environment suitable for the children.
At the age of 3 years:
In age of 3 a child can recite name, age and sex. Sentences are completely
understandable but still sound childish. Wants to be read favorite stories again and
again. Recites more rhymes and can sing some songs.
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At the age of 4 years:

Always asking very inquisitive questions like “What does that mean?” He loves to
have a joke. He will recall latest happenings in conversation with others. He can
count 4 or 5 objects, and can recite up to 20.
At the age of 5-6 years:
He still asks the meaning of intangible words. He will now recite own name,
address, age and sometimes knows birthday. He knows more rhymes and songs,
and loves to sing them.
Q 5: Write a comprehensive note on the role of teacher in a Montessori
classroom? ROLE OF A MONTESSORI TEACHER:
A Montessori teacher is a guide, a facilitator and does not consider herself to be the
primary cause of learning that occurs in her students. To understand the role of a
teacher better let’s look at the types of arts. There are two types of arts namely,
Productive and cooperative.
PRODUCTIVE ARTS:
This is the art in which the activity of the artist is the principal and the only
cause of production, such as shoemaker, carpenter, tailor, etc.
COOPERATIVE ARTS:
To define the cooperative arts, we can say that in such arts the activity of the artist
is neither the principal, nor the only cause of production. There are three very
common cooperative arts, which includes:
Farming: The art of raising plants and animals.
Healing: The art of curing. (This includes doctors, physicians, surgeons, nurses
etc)
Teaching: The third one is what we are concerned with. A Montessori teacher’s
normal classroom practice involves:
Preparation of the environment
Observing the children:
Giving lessons. These are Primary goal of the teacher.
PREPARATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT:
Montessori teachers would prepare the environment for the child who means to
facilitate the children’s independence and ability to select the material of their own
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choice and they will select the activities that will appeal their interests and keeping
the environment in perfect condition.
OBSERVING THE CHILDREN:
Montessori teachers are carefully observes the
Children’s progress, needs and their sensitive periods. They don’t just keep the
track of all these developments but act as a dynamic link between children and
prepared environment. They are constantly experimenting, modifying the
environment to meet their perceptions of each child’s needs and interests and then
noting the results.
GIVING LESSONS:
Montessori teachers keep their lessons as brief as possible. Their goal is to bring
the children in a state of mind, so they will come back on their own for further
work with the materials. These are some points which are necessary for the
teachers: Observing the child while he is exploring the materials on low shelves.
Going to the child and taking consent to work with that material. Taking the
material to the workplace with the help of a child, and specifying its place. Telling
ground rules for use. Giving the live demonstration of what can be done with it.
Leaving the child to work himself with concentration and without obstruction.
PRIMARY GOAL OF THE TEACHER:
Montessori teachers are taught to nurture and inspire the human potential, leading
children to ask questions, think for themselves, explore, investigate, and discover.
Help them to learn how to learn independently, retaining the curiosity, creativity
and intelligence with which they were born.
Montessori teachers do not simply present lessons; they are facilitators,
mentors, coaches, and guides.
ROLE OF A TEACHER:
Anne Burke Neubert, in a Way of Learning (1973), listed the following elements in
the special role of the Montessori teacher:
 Montessori teachers are the dynamic link between children and the Prepared
Environment.
 They systematically observe their students and interpret their needs.
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 They are constantly experimenting, modifying the environment to meet their

Perceptions of each child’s needs and interests, and objectively noting the
results.
 They prepared an independent environment in which the children will able
to freely select their work of their choice.
 They carefully evaluate the effectiveness of their work and the design of the
environment every day.
 They observe and evaluate each child’s individual progress.
 They respect and protect their student’s independence. They must know
when to step in and set the limits or lend a helping hand, and when it is in a
child’s best interests for them to step back and not interfere. They are
supportive, offering warmth, security, stability, and non-judgmental
acceptance to each child.
 They facilitate communication among the children and help the children to
learn how to communicate their thoughts to adults.
 They interpret the children’s progress and their work in the classroom to
parents, the school staff, and the community.
 They present clear, interesting and relevant lessons to the children. They
attempt to engage the child’s interest and focus on the lessons and activities
in the environment.
 They model desirable behavior for the children, following the ground- rules,
of the class, exhibiting the sense of calm, consistency, grace and courtesy,
and demonstrating respect for every child.
 They are peace educators, consistently working to teach courteous behaviors
and conflicts.
 They are diagnosticians who can interpret patterns of growth, development,
and behavior in order to better understand the children and make necessary
referrals and suggestions to parents.
CONCLUSION: To sum up, the house of the children is the place where children
can meet their needs and interests. So, these requirements should keep in mind
when starting is the school.