Dr Maria Montessori – the Columbus
Montessori showed the world the treasure hidden in the child. In his book ‘Dr. Maria Montessori –Her Life and Work’ E.M. Standing compares Dr Maria Montessori to Columbus and says, “While Columbus discovered a world without, Dr Maria Montessori discovered the world within.” The world discovered by Dr Maria Montessori was a new world of children, which was different from the world that was known earlier.
During the 19th century, it was thought that the children were disorderly and do not have the capacity to concentrate. Since their minds were not yet reached the level of maturity they could not be educated. As it was thought that the children were highly destructive the classrooms were windowless and absolutely empty. It was thought the parents had to be educated and teachers should be highly qualified to educate the children.
Dr Maria Montessori changed all these misconceptions and discovered the true nature of the child to the world. Her 22 years of work with the children between 3 and 6 years at her school Casa-dei-Bambini, showed that:
- The children had the capacity to choose.
- They could concentrate in the activity chosen.
- There was a strong love for order in them.
- They preferred work compared to play
- There was no need for rewards or punishments
- They loved silence
- They refused sweets
- There was a sense of personal dignity
- They started writing on their own
- They discovered reading
- Spontaneous self discipline
- Cosmic discipline
Thrilled by the wealth she found, Dr Maria Montessori exclaimed that like a peasant woman, she was set to find a fertile land in which she could freely sow her great store of seed corn. She had hardly turned over the clods of her field, she found gold instead of wheat. The clods concealed a precious treasure. She was not a peasant woman but Aladdin who found the treasures in the child!