 |
|
| Sensorial
Education |
| |
"
First the education of the senses,
then the education of the intellect"
- Dr Maria Montessori-
|
|
| |
|
It is believed that the individual is born with a certain
degree of intelligence which may remain the same all through
life. This intelligence depends a great deal on mental constructions,
built by experiences and conscious thought. It can be aided
by education which in its turn can help further education.
|
EPL1 |
|
|
Maria Montessori designed materials that aid the mind in
making the constructions and developments that are necessary.
Since the child takes in information and understands the
world through his senses, sensorial development becomes
the foundation for the development of the intellect.
As
we know, sensorial impressions are not the same as sensorial
education. "A person may sit through a movie with
a beautiful storyline and feel only boredom." Impressions
alone are not enough. The mind needs some education to
discriminate and appreciate. Otherwise, it is the case
of "eyes that see not, and ears that hear not."
|
|
|
|
Education of the senses can only come about when we provide
materials for the hand to intervene. When we educate the
senses, we are not trying to make the child see better but
to help him to know what he sees. He first appreciates what
he sees than he learns to compare, to contrast and to discriminate.
|
|
|
|
This will lead the child into a conscious knowledge of the
environment. As the conscious mind continues to store up
many impressions of the environment as the child works to
obtain conscious knowledge by using his intelligence to
compare and discriminate between the impressions received
by the senses.
|
|
|
|
|
Montessori materials are designed to give the knowledge
systematically so that the order is appreciated. Unless
the fundamental processes are maintained, we cannot succeed
in helping the individual to think and learn.
In
order to learn, there must be concentration. And for the
child to concentrate, he needs to fix his attention on
some task he is performing with his hands.
|
|
|
|
| "Even
the adults find it extremely difficult to concentrate on
abstraction." |
|
|
|
|
So a child of 3 - 6 years, his hand is the busiest of all
and the hand is his chief teacher. Character, intellect
and dexterity are all perfected by the same activity and
can be defected if the child does not have opportunities
for interesting activity at their age. |
|
- 
-