{Week 1 – Book Club} Montessori From The Start
If you missed the introduction to this montessori book club, you can read the Introduction to Montessori from The Start here.
This chapter starts out by talking about the Psycho-Motor development of a child with some really great charts! You will see some pictures of common Montessori objects within these chats! I found this part extremely helpful, putting the common Montessori materials together with typical development.
This chapter also talks about the planes of development. For today, we will be discussing the first 2 planes of development, which cover ages 0-12.
One thing that stuck out to me when reading this part of the chapter is how closely the Montessori method aligns with what is taught is Occupational Therapy (and Physical Therapy) as far as typical development. I think what drew me to the Montessori method is the focus on independence, which is the same focus we have in OT. I wrote a post on my blog about how OT and Montessori are very similar.
I also loved how they mentioned hands-on activities and learning is key with children ages 6 and under. When I went to a continuing education class recently for my degree in OT, the Physical Therapist who was giving the lecture mentioned this same thing over and over again. She called it the “hands-on learning phase” in children ages 6 and under. And I loved how she described that children in that age range learn more from their hands than they do with their eyes. Dr. Montessori definitely realized this when she did her research and observations too!
What stuck out to you the most in this portion of the chapter? What do you think about the first two planes of development? Have you noticed similar observations with your own children?
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