"The Discovery of the Child"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Maria Montessori outlines an experimental form of teaching in "The Discovery of the Child," which emphasizes greater child independence and freedom. According to the paper, Montessori explains, in her book, how she not only invested herself in an active role as a teacher but watched and observed the tendencies and inclinations of the children and built upon them. The paper further relates that Montessori criticizes traditional educational institutions for being stifling and too structured to promote the healthy "awakening of a child's personality." Montessori also stressed the importance of offering a choice of tasks for the child to perform as a means of encouraging choices and decision making.

From the Paper:

"In The Discovery of the Child, by educational developmentalist Maria Montessori, we witness the establishment of experimental teaching that still holds significant weight in our psychology and philosophy of education today. Perhaps one of Montessori's most prominent distinctions from other developmentalists was, not only that she actually participated and completely invested herself in an active role as teacher, but perceived the importance of the child's liberty in the learning process. Montessori claimed that, 'a fundamental essential of scientific pedagogy ought therefore to be a school which allows the spontaneous expressions and the individual vitality of the child to have free play...it will have to be understood as the observation of free children, children who are studied and watched over, but not repressed.' (21) Her belief held that simple observation is the first requirement in education. Through observation, she learned natural tendencies and inclinations of the children and built upon them; not against them."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Montessori, Maria. The Discovery of the Child. Kalakshetra Publications, 1962.

More papers on "The Discovery of the Child":

• Research Paper # 45924 : "The Discovery of Childhood"
• Research Paper # 9766 : "The Development of a Child with Downs Syndrome"
• Book Review # 32467 : "Desert of the Heart"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: