50 years of the Montessori revolution in Philippine education

The Montessori system is a way of life, not just a method combining philosophy and behavioral psychology as discovered by Dottoressa Maria Montessori. This lifelong system of education from preschool to adolescence has revolutionized the conventional basic education curriculum in the Philippines for the past 50 years spearheaded by the Operation Brotherhood Montessori schools and its 30-year-old outreach Montessori Pagsasarili preschools for underprivileged children in 160 sites of Luzon, including the state college lab school in Cadiz, Tacloban and Mati Davao. On this occasion this columnist has written the book “How Well Do You Know the Wonders of Your Children. Discover the Secrets of Childhood from Infancy to Adolescence.”  

Children prefer work to play

We usually get exasperated with the restlessness of children below six years old. Dr. Maria Montessori considers kalikutan (agitated movement) their natural energy in acquiring independence. Within each infant is a “secret teacher” powered by the Absorbent Mind, which like a camera allows him to acquire independence in speech and movement from the moment of birth. Dr. Montessori discovered that the synthesis of this mind and energy could only happen with the child working not playing.  Conventional education seeks to immobilize the child to silence to pay full attention to the teacher but the Montessori way provides a rich array of work activities that transforms character deviations like timidity, laziness, disorderliness into self-confidence, love for work and order within the first month of schooling.

Re-engineering work

In the seventies, I came upon the Stanford University catalogue of new courses which could be audited by adults. One called “Engineering in Movement” actually stemmed from an urgent need for training technicians for the industry. 

This coincides with Dr. Montessori’s Vita Practica exercises, demanding precision and exactitude in a preschooler’s movement. The first Italian lady doctor-turned-educator considered work as a recipe. It is made up of ingredients (tools) and step-by-step procedure to get things done. The Montessori Practical Life corner is the “prepared environment” for work. LAUNDERING takes place here, requiring basin, water, laundry soap and container for dirty water. “Analysis of steps” in washing a handkerchief: 1) Wet the hanky. 2) Soap and rub. 3) Rinse. 4) Squeeze dry and hang with clothespin. Children must complete the “cycle of work” from gathering the tools, following the step by step procedure and cleaning all tools before returning them.

Movimenti Raffinati (the refined movements of a child)

How often do we scold or scream at a young child? Each time we fail to teach him how to work he is likely to break a glass, spill juice, or dirty the floor. These days, we keep him out of trouble by letting him play with the iPad or just watch TV. But a parent wants to have a smart child, accomplished and self-confident with achievement. One’s independence in work starts with Elementary Movement exercises such as carrying, folding, pouring, opening and closing. Dr. Montessori stressed that when it comes to basic movement, it is easier to teach a child than an adult waiter or cook whose ways are set. CARRYING requires both hands supporting a tray, box, basket, etc. Long mops, poles, ceiling duster should be held vertically to avoid hitting someone. 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. A favorite item on this Balancing Walk is holding a spoon with a pingpong ball or a 1 ½ meter string dangling with a key chain. Provide nursery music to accompany the walking rhythm as the children balance on the elliptical line on the floor that is used for news sharing.

The FOLDING exercise delights children in its simplicity, especially since it can be done alone or with a companion if the article is big. The handkerchief, towel or bedsheet is 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.

Since water spillage can embarrass a child, Montessori “gradated the difficulty of pouring.” Thus, POURING requires a wooden tray with a pair of small ceramic pitchers for bean pouring, another pair for sand pouring, and the last, a bigger tray for pouring water. 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 child is shown how to tuck the spillage into a corner and pour it back to the ceramic pitcher. The most difficult is liquid pouring makes use of a glass pitcher of colored water, two pairs of tumblers with a 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 the person 

Independence in the care of one’s self starts with the use of DRESSING FRAMES. Each frame makes use of two pieces of cloth nailed to wooden frames for buttoning, ribboning, shoe lacing or shoe buckling exercises. The Montessori trained teacher demonstrates buttoning by steps. 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 unbutton – the reverse movement of the above is done.

Care of the environment

SWEEPING is part of the Care of the Environment. Prepare a large basket of newspaper scrap crumpled into balls, small walis tambo (broom), 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 the center 4) Tilt dustpan and scoop up the paper scraps. 5) Throw into the wastebasket. REPEAT. Three-year-olds tend to repeat these exercises 6 to 8 times as long as there are enough paper scraps.  

Grace and courtesy

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

(Next week: Revolution of Language)

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