President of the Montessori Foundation
Again and again in her writings, Maria tells us to let children figure things out for themselves because that way they will learn. In fact, it is the only way. “Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.” The child has the “power to teach himself.” Let them pace themselves she urged.
This was a radical view a century ago. Sadly, it still is. She called it Scientific pedagogy, and proclaimed, “A child is a discoverer. He is an amorphous, splendid being in search of his own proper form.” The pronouns are hers.
Furthermore, “A child is mysterious and powerful; and contains within himself the secret of human nature.” Consequently, “The fundamental basis of education must always remain that one must act for oneself. That is clear.”
And Maria urged that this best practice should begin early because, “The only language people ever speak perfectly is the one they learn in babyhood, when no one can teach them anything!”
Children can learn by themselves because they are born with all the Hybrid Skills they need to learn. The job of teachers and parents is to help them polish these skill. Maria believed that. So do I.
Here is a way for you to help your children polish those innate learning skills Maria was so passionate about.
Why Math Matters
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Thanks for reading, and please share with other teacher and parent friends.
Alex
