During a sensitive period, the child is deeply interested into a specific subject. It is therefore extremely easy for the child to acquire certain abilities related to this interest.
As parents, we expect that the Montessori philosophy will help our children to be tidy! The Montessori school is designed for children and leads naturally to order. There are clear rules and expectations and children are more willing to clean up after themselves in the classroom.
Preschool learning doesn’t need to be as easy as A, B, C and 1, 2, 3. In fact, when it comes to numeracy, an American study suggests that preschoolers can learn much more complicated maths than we give them credit for.
There’s much to be gained when children get out of their comfort zone, embrace their growing independence and experience cause and effect first-hand; and although there may be some bumps along the way, many parents feel that the benefits of risky play outweigh the potential risk of harm.
Your ECEC service’s early learning philosophy must meet your family’s needs, and if you’re looking for an alternative educational philosophy, then the Steiner, Montessori or Reggio Emilia approaches may have appeal.
Going back to where it all began, schools in the educational project of Reggio Emilia use an innovative curriculum and teaching practice that views children as having extraordinary potential.
Dr Montessori based her educational methods on scientific observation of children’s learning processes. Guided by her discovery that children teach themselves, Dr Montessori designed a “prepared environment” in which children could freely choose from a number of developmentally appropriate activities.
Dr Pikler was a strong advocate of the free movement of babies and claimed that propping a child into a position they couldn’t achieve on their own or that they couldn’t get out of, was tantamount to trapping them.
A young child’s experiences create a foundation for learning and behaviour, which can be enhanced greatly through early childhood education.
