PEDAGOGY AND MONTESSORI SENSORY MATERIAL
General overview
Montessori pedagogy is an educational method created in 1907 by Dr. Maria Montessori. This learning method aims to bring the child to learn and discover at his or her own pace and builds on the sensitive phases of learning, to ensure that the child's essential windows of learning are respected and cognitive functions are built before academic knowledge is developed.
Dr Maria Montessori first worked with atypical children, before developing a pedagogy for all children, which therefore remains particularly suitable for children with difficulties.
At the heart of this pedagogy is the sensory material. The child learns from what he observes, manipulates and experiences. The child then evolves from the concrete to the concept and from the concept to the abstract. It is a pedagogy based on the sensory and kinesthetic education of the child.
Main objectives of the method
This method has been initiated to naturally increase a child's curiosity and self-confidence without going through evaluations or comparisons
Through the great freedom granted to the child, he develops his autonomy and respect for his environment.
The primary mission of this pedagogy is to help the child to build himself fully, psychically and physically.
Specificities of the method
To appropriate the concepts, the child manipulates the adapted Montessori sensory material, in a tangible and concrete way, with his or her five senses. For example, to experiment with the unit, the ten, the hundred, etc., it is a question of using pearls. Children can weigh them, compare them, and integrate, through sight and touch, their differences or proportionalities.
The specificity of Montessori material is that each material is intended to develop a very specific skill, in a very didactic and self-learning way, i.e. the child will experiment alone and realize alone the success or error, and will learn by trial and error and sensitive experimentation
Multi-sensory equipment allows children with difficulties to better enter learning
Who is this method for ?
The method is intended for all children, but was originally developed for atypical children with learning disabilities. It is therefore particularly suitable for children with sensory, motor, cognitive or behavioural difficulties.
Scientific references
An entire book devoted to linking Montessori pedagogy to the results of scientific publications: "Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius" by Angeline Stoll Lillard
An article that summarizes and comments on various studies on the effects of Montessori pedagogy on children's psychological development: https://enconfianceavecmontessori.com/etudes-scientifiques-montessori/
To know more about the topic
The Facebook page of the Montessori Association of France:
Three articles explaining the method in more detail:
https://www.journaldesfemmes.fr/maman/enfant/1092929-methode-montessori/
https://decouvrir-montessori.com/quest-ce-que-la-pedagogie-montessori/
Book The ABCs of Montessori and Special Needs
See also Celine Alvarez's publications
Her reference book: The natural laws of the child which explains how the child learns, what material and functioning adapted to these learnings
The importance of teaching materials:
https://www.celinealvarez.org/liste-du-materiel-didactique
https://www.celinealvarez.org/le-materiel-didactique-pour-demarrer
Any remarks or comments ?
This work is based on a collaborative approach to sharing research and family experience.
If you have any comments, suggestions for modifications or corrections or clarifications to make, please let us know by email at contact@leneurogroupe.org