ERIC Number: EJ1277304
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Nov
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1751-2271
EISSN: N/A
Four Pillars of the Montessori Method and Their Support by Current Neuroscience
Mind, Brain, and Education, v14 n4 p322-334 Nov 2020
Maria Montessori developed an educational program during the first half of the 20th century. Nowadays, the Montessori method (MM) is considered one of the main alternatives to teacher-paced conventional preschool education. This review aims to open a dialogue between the MM and current understanding of neurodevelopment. Four conceptual pillars of the MM--the "sensitive periods," the "education of the senses," the "prepared environment," and "spontaneous activities through repetition"--are discussed. According to the MM, the teacher provides children with an environment that, leaning on maturational time windows, should promote sensory development through "spontaneous repetition." We describe brain changes in 3- to 6-year-old children due to development and externally-provided experience. Then, it is discussed whether these pillars are supported by neuroscience. Finally, the influences of Montessori are explained, and we suggest possible lines of research to underpin the neuroscientific grounds of the MM.
Descriptors: Neurosciences, Montessori Method, Teaching Methods, Preschool Education, Cognitive Development, Brain Hemisphere Functions, Correlation, Learning Activities, Educational Philosophy, Educational Environment, Sensory Experience
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A