Montessori Materials Research Articles

Формування пізнавальної активності та самостійності старших дошкільників у педагогічній системі Марії Монтессорі

The article notes that the 6–7 years of children’s life are basic and at the same time the most favourable period in the transition from visual to abstract thinking. The purpose of the article is to actualize and generalize the experience of forming cognitive activity and independence of senior preschool children in the pedagogical system of Maria Montessori. It is noted that the concept of M. Montessori is based on the following: a prepared environment, a prepared adult, a child as an autonomous subject of cognition, and the child’s individuality. The functions of the educator (according to V. Khromets) are characterized as follows: to assist, interest, objectify, and simplify. It was determined that the environment should stimulate cognitive activity and should be prepared in such a way that a child, according to Montessori, would assimilate the “idea of order”. The content of the definition of “cognitive enthusiasm” is determined – the ability of a preschool child to spontaneously react, learnm and remember objects and phenomena of the surrounding reality. M. Montessori called this ability the “absorbent mind” or “absorbing culture”. Methodical recommendations for the use of Montessori materials for the development of cognitive activity in accordance with the following principles are substantiated: materials provide for the possibility of controlling actions, preventing, and correcting mistakes; materials are grouped by educational subjects in activity centres; materials are arranged “from simple to more complicated”; materials are aesthetically pleasing, harmonious and visually structured. It has been determined that internal discipline is the basis of cognitive and subsequently educational self-discipline, which is a formative means of actively directed personality of senior preschooler. To summarize, cognitive independence is an element of the child’s general independence, which is based on natural cognitive powers and abilities, is formed in the space of functional freedom, is regulated by the internal mechanism of self-discipline, and is aimed at developing a self-motivated child capable of self-education. It is pointed out that teachers need to direct the educational process towards the development of the child’s desire to be independent in his/her actions, deeds, and behaviour. Thus, the Montessori approach is relevant in the context of the reformed preschool education content (2021), aimed at its implementation, and can be used by educators in the modern conditions of the educational process. Keywords: preschool education, senior preschool children, activity formation, cognitive activity, cognitive agency, cognitive independence, self-activity, M. Montessori’s concept, pedagogical system.

КОНЦЕПЦИЯТА ЗА ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛНАТА МОНТЕСОРИ СРЕДА – ВЪЗМОЖНОСТ ЗА ОРГАНИЗИРАНЕ САМОСТОЯТЕЛНАТА УЧЕБНА ДЕЙНОСТ НА УЧЕНИЦИТЕ ОТ НАЧАЛЕН ЕТАП

The article examines the philosophical and theoretical concept of the educational Montessori environment where the elementary school age students carry out active independent learning. Following already tried and proven effective principles for organizing and structuring the environment, the Montessori teacher in the elementary school has the most important responsibility – to build the educational space by creating autodidactic materials according to interests, needs, specifics of his students and the content of the curricula for general education subject in the elementary stage. He must connect the student with the environment in order to provoke his activity. Dr. Maria Montessori discovered that this is the way to create the best opportunities for independent learning, self-development, self-control and self-education. Keywords: Montessori environment, elementary school, independent learning, Montessori materials.

The Dialog between Cultures in the Montessori Method (Based on the Examples of Didactic Material for Russian Language).

In this article the dialog between cultures is discussed as a natural aspect of M. Montessori method. It is distinctly revealed when we consider the didactic material for native language exploration for children under 6 years old. Montessori and her followers managed to create an algorithm for the development of such didactic material, based on general ideas about the child development. At the same time, this sequence of introducing children into the world of their native language makes it possible to take into account the subtleties of each of the languages, and, therefore, to treat them with care as representatives of different human cultures. The article provides a comparative analysis of how the natural process of language acquisition by children is supported by authentic English and Russian Montessori materials. This analysis is of practical importance for understanding how the Montessori method is adapted in Russian pedagogical area.

СЕНСОРНИЙ РОЗВИТОК СТАРШИХ ДОШКІЛЬНИКІВ ІЗ ЗАТРИМКОЮ ПСИХІЧНОГО РОЗВИТКУ ЗАСОБАМИ МОНТЕССОРІ-МАТЕРІАЛУ

The article analyzes the results of a study of the formation of standard ideas (color, size, shape) in preschoolers with mental retardation (MDR). The authors emphasize the levels of development of sensory standards in children with mental retardation, determine the main areas of work on the development of sensory standards in older preschool children with CPD using Montessori materials. Following the principles of classical humanism, M. Montessori created a concept based on the child's personality, a concept based on confidence in the abilities of each child, his ability to succeed despite special needs. Classes on this method are held in a specially prepared environment. Since Montessori's approach assumes that the game room should be divided into several parts, the following areas are considered standard: natural, practical life, sensory, linguistic, mathematical, to which it is advisable to add creative, playful and sports. The child can do where h likes and how much he likes. The task of the teacher is to "adapt" to the interests of the child, for whom it is important to create space for action. Under such conditions, children will learn easily and with pleasure. The use of Montessori materials is aimed at the development of fine motor skills, senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch). According to M. Montessori, careful actions with small objects form intelligence, develop speech, attention and memory, so in her system there are many activities related to the operation of objects, guessing them by touch, sorting. We consider it expedient to continue working in the outlined direction in order to prove the effectiveness of this method with its further implementation in the educational process of children with CPD, as well as to adapt this method for other categories of children. Studies have shown that Montessori materials are an effective means of sensory development of older preschoolers with mental retardation. As a result of the application of this technique, most children improve tactile sensitivity, general and fine motor skills, visual-motor coordination, attention and memory.

Pedagogical Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics in Montessori Schools

Teacher knowledge needed for teaching is widely studied to characterize its key categories. We report findings from a study on teachers’ knowledge for mathematics in the Montessori schools. In Montessori accredited schools, teachers learn to teach mathematics in ways different from the teachers themselves experienced in non-Montessori schools. We ask: What knowledge do teachers learn? and how do they continue to refine this knowledge in teaching in classrooms? We draw from a teacher knowledge framework based on cross-national studies to interpret mixed data from a case study. We aim to inform research on teacher characteristics needed for consistent implementation of instructional reform. Major findings from this study are that for K-6 Montessori teachers to thrive in teaching mathematics in Montessori classrooms, they need teacher knowledge on Montessori materials, on lesson and the presentation of content according to Montessori’s philosophy and pedagogy; as well as on the process of independently understanding concepts to be presented. The findings contribute to further theorizing on teacher knowledge which has implications is designed to teacher training opportunities in three subcategories; namely teaching, learning, and professional competence knowledge.

Montessori Education at a Distance, Part 1

The transition to distance learning in the spring of 2020 caused by COVID-19 was particularly challenging for Montessori educators and students because key elements of the Method were not directly transferable to this new and hastily designed format. Hands-on learning with Montessori materials and learning in a community, as well as careful teacher observation, could not be easily replicated when children were learning from home. To understand how educators applied Montessori principles to serve children and families in these highly unusual circumstances, we surveyed Early Childhood and Elementary Montessori teachers about how they translated core elements of Montessori education to a distance-learning environment. The overall results suggest that Montessori distance-learning arrangements balanced live videoconference experiences for children with offline hands-on activities, while also relying on parents’ and caregivers’ involvement. Teachers reported that they largely designed learning experiences themselves, without significant support or guidance from school leaders. Still, teachers reported that they were able to uphold Montessori principles to only a moderate degree under the circumstances. While teachers understandably hunger for support, professional connections, and a return to the classroom experiences that drew them to the field of Montessori education, this study highlights factors that may affect the transition back to school for teachers, parents and caregivers, and students when face-to-face instruction resumes for all children.

Використання системи “контролю помилкиˮ за методом Марії Монтессорі в дидактичних матеріалах з формування елементарних математичних уявлень у ЗДО

The article describes one of the Montessori methods known as the system of “error controlˮ in educational materials used for the formation of mathematical concepts in preschool education. The topic is relevant, because at the development of preschool education a special focus is on the logical and mathematical development of children. Mathematical knowledge and skills are the main factors necessary for knowledge of the world around us and life in it. The main educational tasks for the development of mathematical concepts are: the sensory development, logical and mathematical concepts developent, mathematical actions performed by children (arithmetics, measurement, the simplest calculations). Therefore, the logical and mathematical development of children is one of the key elements in the education of personality. The article describes issues of inaccessibility of didactic Montessori materials in Ukrainian preschool education, lack of research in this area, incorrect use of methods of encouragement and evaluation in preschool education. The emphasis of the article is that the method of Maria Montessori is quite popular in the educational space, thus there is a need for new research of the principles of education and training, in particular “the error controlˮ. It gives children the opportunity to independently control their actions and evaluate the result. Each activity of children in educational institutions should be evaluated by a teacher or independently by the children themselves. This concept is known as self-assessment, when students independently assess their activities and capabilities. Formative assessment is described as interactive assessment of the level of students’ knowledge. Montessori materials for the development of students’ math competence are helpful in practical actions and contribute to the development of independence and the ability of co-leadership. The formation of self-assessment ability is a priority in preparing the child for school. Thus, the use of the formative assessment at preschool education is one of the key elements in ensuring education quality. Keywords: Maria Montessori, error control, self-assessment, assessment methods, formative assessment.

Effects of Montessori Teaching Method on Writing Ability of Iranian Male and Female EFL Learners

This study was an attempt to find out the impact of Montessori teaching method on EFL learners’ writing achievement. To fulfill the purpose of the study, out of 150 students, 95 male and female students were selected randomly to participate in this study. All of them were given a pretest to find out their level of proficiency. They had no background knowledge of English and they had not studied English before. They were also divided randomly into two groups namely experimental and control. The experimental group consisted of 23 male and 27 female learners while the control group consisted of 21 male and 24 female learners. Experimental group members were instructed based on Montessori teaching method and their instruction was based on different Montessori materials. The control group members had a routine teaching process. Each group was a mixture of both male and female learners with the age range of 5-6. After 12 sessions, writing posttest was given to both groups to evaluate whether there is any significant difference between these two groups or not. The obtained data were analyzed both descriptively and inferentially. The data were analyzed by statistical tests such as one-way ANCOVA and one-sample t-test. The statistical analyses revealed that there was significant statistical differences between two groups mean scores on the writing posttest. Therefore, it can be argued that Montessori teaching method had significant impact on learners’ writing skill.

Five Factors Influencing the Students’ Motivation to Learn English as a Foreign Language: A Closer Look into Montessori Classroom Environment

Good learning environment will bring out qualified students. This study focuses on the Montessori method, which is an approach of education designed to train the students’ independence in learning. The study uses descriptive quantitative research design to describe the factors of Montessori classroom environment on the motivation of students in Royal Prime Montessori Elementary School Pekanbaru in academic year 2018/2019. The sample of study is 55 students selected from five classes. The data were collected using questionnaire and observation checklist. This study found five factors influencing the students’ motivational condition, i.e., teacher’s presence, personal attitude, Montessori materials, classroom conditions and friends’ influence. This study revealed that the students taught with this method are active and cooperative during their English learning activities.

THE USE OF PEDAGOGICAL SYSTEM OF MARIA MONTESSORI IN UKRAINIAN EDUCATION

DUDNYK Nadiya – PhD of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, General Pedagogy and Preschool Education Department, Drohobych Ivan Franko State Pedagogical University, Ivan Franko Str., 24, Drohobych, 82100, UkraineE-mail address: nadijadydnuk@gmail.comORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7879-8206ResearcherID: https://publons.com/researcher/1967867/nadija-dudnyk/SVIONTYK Oleksandra – PhD of Pedagogical Sciences, Lecture of General Pedagogy and Preschool Education Department, Drohobych Ivan Franko State Pedagogical University, Ivan Franko Str., 24, Drohobych, 82100, UkraineE-mail address: lesyadudnyk@gmail.comORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0945-3538ResearcherID: https://publons.com/researcher/3074923/oleksandra-sviontyk/To cite this article: Dudnyk, N., & Sviontyk, O. (2019). The use of pedagogical system of Maria Montessori in Ukrainian education. Liudynoznavchi studii. Seriia «Pedahohika» – Human Studies. Series of «Pedagogy», 9/41, 88–99. doi: 10.24919/2413-2039.9/41.175703. Article historyReceived: May 23, 2019Received in revised form: July 23, 2019 Accepted: July 20, 2019Available online: September 24, 2019 Journal homepage:http://lssp.dspu.edu.ua/p-ISSN 2313-2094e-ISSN 2413-2039© 2019 The Authors. Human studies. Series of «Pedagogy» published by Drohobych Ivan Franko State Pedagogical University & Open Journal Systems. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).The article reveals the features of the formation and development of the pedagogical system of M. Montessori, which is relevant in the context of the modern tendency of education in introducing the ideas of child-centrism. The basic philosophical foundations of this pedagogical system are analyzed and its advantages in the process of raising a child in conditions of independent development are determined. The system of preschool education is highlighted as the initial one in the process of educational practice. The requirements for the formation of a special educational space in the process of child development are defined; the features of the methodological foundations in preparing teachers for work with children of preschool and primary school age are highlighted. The conditions of the activity of the school «Smiley», which works on the M. Montessori’s system in the city of Ivano-Frankivsk, are described. The conditions for improving the activities of children and teachers in order to individualize the educational process, promote the development of children in a nature-friendly environment, and develop their own strategies for cooperation between parents of pupils and teachers are highlighted. The pedagogical level of the M. Montessori’s system contributes to the implementation of the theory of child-centrism and meets the conditions of child development in a democratic society, since it treats the problem of interaction between an adult and a child in the process of educational activity as a free expedient activity of children in specially organized didactic conditions. The methodological level of the M. Montessori’s system reveals specific techniques and means of raising and educating children, an experimentally tested methodology for working with a complex of original didactic Montessori materials. Pedagogy of M. Montessori puts the interests of the child at the forefront in the organization of education, providing conditions for individual development. This approach ensures the implementation of the basic humanistic traditions of Ukrainian ethnic pedagogy, where the child is the subject of social development. And the Ukrainian model of the Montessori-school, created over the past decades, confirms the relevance of this system for solving the modern needs of society in raising a free, independent, proactive, civic responsible, intellectually literate person. The article emphasizes the advantages of using the pedagogical technology of M. Montessori in working with children of preschool and primary school age in one educational space, where the child’s development system is implemented sequentially on the basis of continuity. Acknowledgments. Sincere thanks to the director of the Ukrainian Montessori school «Smailyk» (Ivano-Frankivsk), director of the Montessori Educational Complex specialized in English by Natalia Pribilska and Deputy Director Zhanna Gryadovkina.Funding. The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Reconfiguring the ‘Male Montessorian’: the mattering of gender through pink towering practices

ABSTRACT This paper attempts to open out investigations in ECEC by working beyond anthropocentric accounts of gender. Drawing upon feminist new materialist philosophies we ask whether it might be possible to reconfigure ideas about gender that recognise it as produced through everyday processes and material-affective entanglements. In order to do this, we work with Montessori materials, spaces and practices to grapple with the ways that gender is produced through human-material-semiotic encounters. By focusing on familiar Montessori objects, we follow diffractive lines of enquiry to extend investigations and generate new knowledge about gender in ECEC. This shift in focus allows other accounts about gender to find expression. We argue gender can be encountered as more than an exclusively human matter; and we go on to debate what that might potentiate (i.e. that if gender is fleeting, shifting, and produced within micro-moments there is freedom to break free from narrow framings that fix people, such as ‘the Male Montessorian’, in unhelpful ways). An approach that foregrounds affect and materiality makes a hopeful, generative and expansive contribution to the field. Abbreviation: ECEC, Early Childhood Education and Care

Sensei

We present Sensei, the first system designed to understand social interaction and learning in an early-childhood classroom using a distributed sensor network. Our unobtrusive sensors measure proximity between each node in a dynamic range-based mesh network. The sensors can be worn in the shoes, attached to selected landmarks in the classroom, and placed on Montessori materials. This data, accessible to teachers in a web dashboard, enables teachers to derive deeper insights from their classrooms. Sensei is currently deployed in three Montessori schools and we have evaluated the effectiveness of the system with teachers. Our user studies have shown that the system enhances teachers' capabilities and helps discover insights that would have otherwise been lost. From our evaluation interviews, we have established three major use cases of the system. Sensei augments teachers' manual observations, helps them plan individualized curriculum for each student, and identifies their needs for more interaction with some children. Further, the anonymized data can be used in large-scale research in early childhood development.

An Intervention Study: Removing Supplemented Materials from Montessori Classrooms Associated with Better Child Outcomes

Montessori classrooms vary a good deal in implementation, and one way in which implementation differs is the provision of materials. Specifically, some classrooms use only Montessori materials, whereas others supplement the Montessori materials with commercially available materials like puzzles and games. A prior study suggested this might be a reason for observed differences across studies and classrooms (Author, 2012) but an intervention study is the best test. The present study presents such an intervention with 52 children in 3 Montessori classrooms with Supplementary materials. All children were given 6 pretests, and non-Montessori materials were removed from 2 of the classrooms. Four months later, children were retested to see how much they changed across that period. Children in the classrooms from which the non-Montessori materials were removed advanced significantly more in early reading and executive function, and to some degree advanced more in early math. There were no differences across the classroom types in amount of change on the tests of vocabulary, social knowledge, or social skills.

Montessori Method and ICTs

This article bridges the gap between the Montessori Method and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in contemporary education. It reviews recent research works which recall the Montessori philosophy, principles and didactical tools applying to today’s computers and supporting technologies in children’s learning process. This article reviews how important the stimulation of human senses in the learning process is, as well as the development of Montessori materials using the body and the hand in particular, all according to the Montessori Method along with recent researches over ICTs. Montessori Method within information society age acquires new perspectives, new functionality and new efficacy.

Flow Paths: A Standalone Tangible Board System to Create Educational Games

Educational mobile apps are ubiquitous these days. Despite of their huge commercial success, parents and children realized that physical objects manipulation requires a different set of skills, often developed using traditional toys. A century ago, Montessori proposed a methodology that emphasizes the use of physical materials to facilitate self-learning of abstract concepts. Self-correcting Montessori's materials allow learners to improve autonomously in a structured environment. In the same vein, Flow Paths provides a standalone tangible board system to create educational games.

English

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of Montessori education which is offered to upskill the attention gathering skill of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In total fifteen pre-schooler participants, six girls and nine boys who are diagnosed with ADHD (7 of the children with ADHD, 8 with only AD), joined to this research. This is a research designed with pre-post test design study with a control group of experimental design. In this research with the aim of improving the attention gathering level; eye-hand coordination, development of tactile, visual and auditory senses and for improving their acquired distinctiveness “tactile boards, sound boxes, binomial cubes and color tablets” are used from Montessori materials. FTFK Attention test is applied to children before and after the intervention. After the training, when scores are compared, the significant improvement is seen in their post test scores. Key words: Attention, hyperactivity, learning disability, visual sense, early childhood.

Montessori Improved Cognitive Domains in Adults with Alzheimer's Disease

Montessori materials were used in two adult day-care centers to slow cognitive decline in adults with Alzheimer's disease. Using a within-subject design, participants in one adult day care received three months of the Montessori materials, then standard intervention later. Participants were administered a battery of cognitive measures at baseline, three months, and six months. Favorable scores for the Montessori condition were significant with the subscales of the Ordinal Scale of Psychological Development-Modified (total, object permanence, means-ends), Dementia Rating Scale (total, attention, concept, memory), Parachek Geriatric Behavior Rating Scale (social behavior), and the Wechsler Memory Scale (digit forward). Montessori materials appeared instrumental in positively influencing basic cognitive abilities of attention, object permanence, and social behavior.

Montessori-Based Dementia Activities in Long-Term Care

This article describes Montessori-based activities for use with persons with dementia in long-term care settings. An overview of the Montessori method of education is presented, with emphasis on its application to geriatric populations. Individual and group activities are detailed, along with techniques for adapting Montessori materials and procedures for use in long-term care settings. A description is provided of training procedures used with activities staff to allow them to implement such activities within their regular programming schedules. In addition, activities staff relate examples of the effects of implementing such programming on residents.

Montessori Methods Yield Cognitive Gains in Alzheimer's Day Cares

Alzheimer day-care clients received three months of Mon-tessori type activities and three months of routine activities, in a within-subjects design. The effects of the two conditions were compared using changes in clients' scores on 22 cognitive measures. From this, a measure of performance after the Montessori activities, compared to after routine activities (Montessori Benefit Score), was calculated for each subject and a distribution of subject scores was generated. Using a resampling statistic, the mean Montessori Benefit Score was compared to one obtained under a null hypothesis that no difference existed in performance between routine and Montessori conditions. The observed mean Montessori Benefit Score (m = 7.4) fell outside the 95% confidence interval for the means based on the null hypothesis, indicating that Montessori materials benefit the Alzheimer's clients in this study.

Significance of Montessori Materials on Self-Development of Child

Significance of Montessori Materials on Self-Development of Child