Montessori revolution in discipline

(Part 4 of a series on Montessori Revolution in Education)

My series on the Montessori system of pre-school education tries to explain the psycho-educational as well as its philosophical background. Yes, it is a system, a way of life, not just a method. The first three parts dealt with Math and Geometry, Language Arts and the Sciences with their sensorial or hands-on materials. “There is nothing in the intellect which was not first in the senses,” stated Aristotle.

This activity-oriented system includes Movement Education which helps the child acquire self-sufficiency.

In addition to Sense Education, Dr. Maria Montessori learned from three to five-year-old children that the Movement Education is essential as well. Instead of being upset with their motor activity (pagkamalikot), Dr. Montessori discovered how day by day personal grooming and housekeeping activities actually synthesize their rapidly developing mental and physical energies. This psychological development is known as NORMALIZATION. Timidity, laziness, disorderliness and dependence are transformed into love for work, order and confidence within the first month of school.

Not all teachers can become a Montessori teacher. One has to pass a battery of test for I.Q., Teaching Aptitude and Maturity, but many fail the maturity test. Those who pass have to undergo a lengthy scientific training accompanied by closely monitored in-service classroom training using the Montessori self-educating apparata.

How did Montessori discover that there is no need for rewards and punishment?

The porter’s daughter who assisted Dr. Montessori devised a system of rewards and punishment for the children. One day, Montessori came into the room and found a child sitting on one of the little armchairs. On his breast he wore a “pompous decoration”, a reward for good behavior.

As it turned out, however, this particular child was actually being punished. What had happened was that a few moments before, a boy decorated for his good behavior, had taken his medal off and pinned it upon the breast of the young culprit. Apparently, the former regarded his decoration as a thing of little worth, likely to get in his way while working. Meantime, the culprit looked around without feeling disgraced by the punishment.

Work, the engineering of movement

The trained Montessori teacher has to write an apparatus book. Resembling a recipe book, each exercise enumerates the tools and ingredients, the steps required and the development aim. The apparatus book is divided into: Care of the Person; Care of the Environment – inner and outer; Grace and Courtesy; Fine Finger Movement or arts and crafts; and the Silence Game.

In the seventies, I came upon the Stanford University catalogue of new courses which could be audited by adults. Once called “Engineering in Movement” actually stems from an urgent need of training technicians for the industry. For instance, Food Service manuals indicate that alert serving of restaurant customers requires that waiters make 10 quick steps from the kitchen to the dining hall or that heavy utensils require deep metal cart which could be wheeled from the cooking area and the washing area where they are cleaned up in a special deep “pots and pan sink”.

Almost a century ago in the first pre-school inaugurated by Dr. Montessori, precision and exactitude in movement and equipment were already inputted by the doctor-turned-educator into activities she called as Vita Practica or Practical Living exercises.

Work is made up of components arranged in logical order, example: Laundering handkerchief: 1) Wet the hanky. 2) Soap and rub. 3) Rinse. 4) Squeeze dry. 5) Hang to dry with clothespin. Work is not complete unless the “cycle” of activity is concluded by cleaning up the tools and putting them back in place.

Pre-school movements, pathway to adult professionalism

How often do we scold or scream at a young child for spilling his juice? Would you let your pre-schoolers set the table with breakable plates and glasses?

NO, an emphatic no, all of you are likely to respond.

Adults in general have no confidence in the child’s ability to handle breakables. However, a trained Montessori teacher has. Since one’s independence in work starts with Elementary Movement exercises, the pre-school child is taught how to CARRY, FOLD, POUR, OPEN/CLOSE. Dr. Montessori stressed that when it comes to basic movement, it is easier to teach a child than an adult waiter or cook.

CARRYING requires both hands supporting a tray, box, basket, etc. Long mops, poles, ceiling duster should be held vertically. Objects like fruits and decors should be placed in the center of the tray. Water level should be kept steady in a basin or pitcher to prevent spillage.

The FOLDING exercise delights children in its simplicity, especially since it can either be done with a small hanky or with a companion when folding a tablecloth. First, the towel or bedsheet should be folded into half holding two corners to meet the opposite corners. Next, it is folded in fourths, eights until the small hands of the child can easily carry it.

POURING equally occupies a child’s attention for some time since it requires repetition. Since water spillage can embarrass a child, Montessori “gradated the difficulty of pouring”. There are three materials required: a wooden tray with a pair of ceramic pitcher for bean pouring, another pair for sand pouring, and the last tray for the most difficult water pouring.

A Montessori lesson usually carries a CONTROL OF ERROR by which a child can correct himself instead of an adult censuring him. Accidental bean spillage allows the child to pick up the few beans which fall. If sand trickles outside, the wooden tray can catch it. The child is shown how to tuck the spillage into a corner and pour it back to the ceramic pitcher.

Liquid pouring makes use of a glass pitcher of colored water, two pairs of tumblers with colored tape ring, an inch below the mouth. 1) Lift the pitcher with two hands. 2) Aim at the center of the tumbler and pour. 3) When the water level nears the tape, tilt back the pitcher. 4) Do the same with the other tumbler. 5) Collect the contents of the two tumblers into the tabo (large water dipper). Return the colored water into the pitcher. Repeat.

Care of person

A sample exercise includes the use of Dressing Frames which allow pre-schoolers to dress up or undress by themselves. Buttoning, ribboning, shoe lacing or shoe buckling exercises make use of two pieces of cloth nailed to wooden frames.

The Montessori trained teacher demonstrates buttoning, first using the “big button” frame. To unbutton: 1) Hold half of the button. 2) Push it through the buttonhole. 3) Pull out the whole button completely. 4) Do the same with the rest of the other five buttons. 5) To button – the reverse movement of the above is done.

Care of the environment

Sweeping is part of the Care of the Environment. Prepared a large basket of newspaper scraps crumpled into balls, small walis tambo, small dustpan, wastebasket, and chalk. Step 1) Draw a circle as wide as a dustpan. 2) Drop six scraps of paper around. 3) Sweep the scraps into a pile within the circle. 4) Tilt dustpan and scoop up the paper scraps. 5) Throw into the wastebasket. REPEAT. The threes tend to repeat this exercises 8 to 10 times as long as there are enough paper scraps. Repetition develops concentration.

Grace and courtesy

Dr. Montessori analyzed Good Manners as the concern and thoughtfulness of a person for another accompanied by refined movements or movimenti raffinati.

Example of this is how Dr. Montessori demonstrated to the children the lesson of how to blow one’s nose. 1) With a folded hanky, cover the nose, pressing one’s nostril. 2) Blow slowly to remove the mucus. 3) Fold the hanky. 4) Cover the nose again, pressing shut the other nostril and blow to clear the nostril.

As much as possible blow as unobtrusively or quietly as possible.

Another example is how to offer help or gifts to another. Dr. Montessori stressed that sometimes people who need help may not yet be ready to accept help. Since the person is the rightful judge of his feeling he should first be asked, “Would you like me to help you fix your hair?”

Discipline through work

In general, we think that children’s lives should revolve around play. Many observe, however, that giving children too many toys over-stimulate them. Their attention is not focused. Yet when they assist us in cooking, laundering or other house chores, preschoolers especially are more enthusiastic.

Real activities with intellectual purpose attract children more resulting in developing their sense of responsibility.

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