Part 2 of a 3-Part Series<\/i><\/p>\n
Maria Montessori Myth Busting<\/b><\/p>\n
By Mark Swartz<\/span><\/p>\n Resource: https:\/\/earlylearningnation.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n By Mark Swartz<\/a><\/p>\n Montessori Myths<\/b><\/p>\n Founded in the early 20th century by the Italian physician and education iconoclast Maria Montessori, the teaching method that bears her name has taken root all over the United States and around the world. The history of its proliferation and multi-pronged institutional dissemination has fostered a degree of confusion and myths about the founder\u2019s intentions and how the method is practiced. \u201cPeople use the word Montessori without knowing what they mean,\u201d says Dr. Angeline Lillard<\/a>, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia and author of Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius<\/a>.<\/p>\n Read Part I: From Italy to the World<\/p>\n Lynne Lawrence, Executive Director of Association Montessori Internationale<\/a>, adds, \u201cThe reason there are so many myths is that the real answer always lies somewhere in the middle, in the nuance. And because there are so many nuances, it\u2019s very easy for people to go in one direction or another.\u201d<\/p>\n Here are six Montessori myths\u2014and the reality, as set forth by experts I spoke to.<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0<\/b>Myth: The Montessori Method Is Rigid (or, alternatively, Montessori is Anarchy). <\/b>When parents gather on the playground or on a listserv, two of the most common opinions that arise are, curiously, in direct opposition to one another.<\/p>\n She adds: \u201cWhen children know what to expect in their learning environments, they feel safe to explore and make their own choices. The structure and routine in the Montessori classroom is in service of the child\u2019s freedom of choice and movement.\u201d<\/p>\n Is Montessori Too Strict? | Myths and Misconceptions<\/a><\/p>\n 2.\u00a0<\/b>Myth: Montessori Forbids Imagination. <\/b>As with a lot of myths, this one has a grain of truth to it. In Spontaneous Activity in Education<\/a> (1916), Maria Montessori writes,<\/p>\n The true basis of the imagination is reality, and its perception is related to exactness of observation, it is necessary to prepare children to perceive the things in their environment exactly, in order to secure for them the material required by the imagination\u2026 The fancy which exaggerates and invents coarsely does not put the child on the right road.<\/p>\n As Rita Kramer adds in her biography<\/a>: \u201cShe does not mean to banish fantasy\u2014the symbols of poetry, the imaginative flights of the fairy tale\u2014from the child\u2019s life, but only from school, where, as she has defined the function of the school, it has no business.\u201d Lawrence notes, \u201cChildren don\u2019t just live in our schools, right? They have homes with laptop computers and phones.\u201d<\/p>\n Even in the classroom, however, imagination that feeds creativity is encouraged and valid; it\u2019s just when children get carried away in fantasy (what Montessori called \u2018fancy\u2019), they might need to be gently brought back to reality. \u201cWould we do it punitively?\u201d asks Lawrence. \u201cNo, of course not. We would say, \u2018I can see how this block looks like a train. Can I show you something else that we can do with it?\u2019\u201d She further clarifies, \u201cIf a child is taking what they\u2019ve learned and producing their own thoughts and ideas, that\u2019s creative. Essentially, the children\u2019s imaginations take off from having building blocks.\u201d<\/p>\n Get the latest in early learning science, community and more:<\/b><\/p>\n In her research, Lillard has found that most children tend to prefer using real cooking utensils to make real food over make-believe meal preparation, and in that sense, \u201cMontessori is kind of the first manifestation of playful learning.\u201d She adds that Montessori-trained educators learn to pay close attention to children\u2019s fantasy play, saying, \u201cWhen children are engaging in a lot of fantasy, they may be expressing a need or some unfulfilled desire.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>Do Montessori Schools Discourage Children from Using their Imaginations?<\/a><\/p>\n 3.\u00a0<\/b>Myth: Montessori is too expensive. <\/b>Even if it does work in some settings, argue some of Montessori\u2019s detractors, it can\u2019t work at scale because it costs too much money per pupil. In fact, over 500 public Montessori schools in the United States show that it can be executed with a standard public school budget.<\/p>\n Petty argues, \u201cIt\u2019s a myth that in order to \u2018do Montessori right\u2019 you need branded materials from expensive catalogs or subscription services.\u201d By debunking this myth, she says, the field can better center the core principles of Montessori. The international Montessori efforts implemented by Educateurs sans Fronti\u00e8res<\/a> show that these principles can work in even the most inhospitable circumstances.<\/p>\n Ellen Roche, chief media & philanthropy officer with Trust for Learning<\/a>, adds, \u201cIt\u2019s ironic that most people think of Montessori as something that private school children have access to, when the entire philosophy was guided by observation and work with very poor children in Italy.\u201d At the same time, Petty contends, \u201cAs it exists today, Montessori is often out of reach for those who cannot afford high tuition costs.\u201d Part III of this series will address efforts to make the method more accessible.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0<\/b>Myth: Montessori doesn\u2019t do sports.<\/b> While traditional competitive sports are de-emphasized, Lawrence maintains that health and movement have always been vital aspects of the model. \u201cIt\u2019s not about winning at all costs or people yelling at you from the sidelines.\u201d<\/p>\n The object, she says, should be to develop children\u2019s talents and to work in teams\u2014not to win a game. \u201cFrom our point of view,\u201d she says, \u201cif you\u2019re good with your left foot [in soccer], then just think if you practice with your right. And if you are really a great player, then why don\u2019t you take the role of the referee for a while?\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>Are Competitive Sports Essential to Survival in this World?<\/a><\/p>\n 5.<\/b><\/p>\n Myth: There\u2019s no evidence that Montessori works.<\/b> Lillard points to a large and growing body of research that supports the Montessori model for all ages and across populations. \u201cThe data speak,\u201d she says, \u201cI go with whatever the data tell us.<\/p>\n Montessori-Science<\/a><\/p>\n 660 \u0430\u0431\u043e\u043d\u0430\u0442\u0438<\/p>\n Montessori: The Science \u2014 Part 1: Introduction to Montessori Education [Angeline Lillard]<\/a><\/p>\n \u0417\u0430 \u0433\u043b\u0435\u0434\u0430\u043d\u0435 \u043f\u043e-\u043a\u044a\u0441\u043d\u043e<\/p>\n \u0421\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0435\u043b\u044f\u043d\u0435<\/p>\n \u0413\u043b\u0435\u0434\u0430\u043d\u0435 \u0432<\/a><\/p>\n <div class=”player-unavailable”><h1 class=”message”>\u0412\u044a\u0437\u043d\u0438\u043a\u043d\u0430 \u0433\u0440\u0435\u0448\u043a\u0430.<\/h1><div class=”submessage”><a href=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ttZHbJcI64w” target=”_blank”>\u041e\u043f\u0438\u0442\u0430\u0439\u0442\u0435 \u0434\u0430 \u0433\u043b\u0435\u0434\u0430\u0442\u0435 \u0442\u043e\u0437\u0438 \u0432\u0438\u0434\u0435\u043e\u043a\u043b\u0438\u043f \u043d\u0430 \u0430\u0434\u0440\u0435\u0441 www.youtube.com<\/a> \u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0430\u043a\u0442\u0438\u0432\u0438\u0440\u0430\u0439\u0442\u0435 JavaScript, \u0430\u043a\u043e \u0435 \u0434\u0435\u0430\u043a\u0442\u0438\u0432\u0438\u0440\u0430\u043d \u0432 \u0431\u0440\u0430\u0443\u0437\u044a\u0440\u0430 \u0432\u0438.<\/div><\/div><\/p>\n <iframe title=”Montessori: The Science \u2014 Part 1: Introduction to Montessori Education [Angeline Lillard]” width=”1200″ height=”675″ src=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ttZHbJcI64w?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n A few studies worth noting:<\/p>\n The research continues, within and beyond the Montessori universe.<\/p>\n\n
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