@CatJumperTwat
Hi twat! I replied upthread. Good night!
Hi lyre! You posted some contradictory waffle, first backtracking but then saying it was about cooperation vs competition. What does that mean?
Hi Twat, I can only apologise if you read my explanations as ‘waffle’ or contradictory. Not my intention at all.
I did backtrack as I was (multitasking and speed reading) and my ‘to adulthood’ response was referring to how far the montessori pedagogy goes, which was not the post I responded to. Of course, I apologise profusely for any misunderstanding.
The Montessori pedagogy goes much further than nursery years, and each plane of development follows on from each other.
You can tell the difference in the children who have attended (certified) Montessori schools, in my experience. Not in terms of the child’s intellect or ambition, but in the expectations the child has of their individual learning, their autonomy and the order in which the child learns. I also stated that (again, IMO) the British system is one of the best for being child centred. I don’t agree with or like the fact that the pedagogy is mostly only available to those who can afford it, but the British system has adopted a lot of aspects towards it, so there is some hope that lots of children can have a part of the experience.
The differences are far too numerous to explain in one post. I came from the usual teaching background and spent quite some time observing Montessori, with many many questions myself. If you wish to have a decent conversation in an attempt to gain some understanding in the differences, then I am happy to do that (preferably via PM). However, if You just want to demand that I justify myself for holding a view that is different to yours, then I prefer not too. I trust you understand that.
Google the principles of montessori. That will help you to understand the differences between cooperation and competition in this context. It will also explain other misunderstandings on this thread such as imagination/fantasy or freedom/responsibility.
The maths materials are just wonderful. This is what first led me to explore this pedagogy, as I noted in my classroom that some children struggled with the abstract concepts. Within the 3-6 classroom, for example, children become familiar with binomial squares, to help develop visual discrimination (shape, color, pattern). It also has an indirect aim, which is to offer sensorial input so that when we used the material in the 6-12 classroom to explain the binomial equation, the material is already known to the child. This is an example of familiarization over memorization, and the children are able to grasp this concept easily. I find watching the children learn in this sensorial way absolutely fascinating. And yes… they are usually ahead of the standard national curriculums (again, in my experience.)
For further reading, I would recommend ‘Montessori speaks to parents’ ‘Educating the human potential’ and ‘The Absorbent Mind’ all written by Maria Montessori. She also has a fascinating life story and it’s worth reading.
As I also previously mentioned, there was an interesting study done by neuroscientist Sophie Dénervaud in the University of Lausanne, demonstrating the benefits of the Montessori pedagogy on the students neural networks and how they approached stress/managed unforeseen circumstances. You can also find this on the internet.
Lyre