Based on her extensive knowledge in medicine, biology, philosophy, psychology, pedagogy, anthropology and psychiatry, Montessori gradually formed her own educational theory in educational practice.
(1) Found children. Montessori believes that the purpose of education is to discover children's "life rules" and help children develop their lives.
② Absorb the mind. Montessori put forward the view that children feel particularly sensitive. She thinks that children of different ages have different sensitivities to different things. Therefore, she summed up the following sensitive periods:
A. the sensitive period of order. Children's sensitivity to order begins in the first year of life and lasts until the second year, even in the first month after birth. This is an inner feeling for children to distinguish the relationship between various objects, not the objects themselves.
B. the sensitive period of details. Children are sensitive to details when they are 1 ~ 2 years old. His attention tends to focus on the smallest details, such as shoes placed next to the shoe rack, rather than on the shoe rack.
C. the sensitive period of walking. This is the most easily observed sensitive period in the development of young children.
D. hands in sensitive periods. The child will extend his little hand to the outside world, and the initial driving force of this action represents that the child wants to enter the outside world.
E. language sensitive period. 1 year-old children begin to learn to speak, and the acquired language is heard from around them.
(3) the principle of freedom. Montessori believes that the basic principle of establishing a scientific education is to let children be free and let their nature be naturally expressed.
(2) the basic content of education
The basic contents of education include muscle exercises, daily life training, elementary knowledge education and cultural and historical education.
(3) Educational methods
(1) provide a prepared environment. In Montessori school, every teacher should design a "living and active real environment" that can help children develop according to the needs of their physical and mental development at different stages. Therefore, it is very important to provide suitable education and living environment for young children.
2 teacher. In Montessori school, the teacher who teaches is called the instructor. Their teaching tasks are different from those of other schools. Here, teachers only need to do three things, namely: observation, guidance, demonstration and preparation.
③ Teaching AIDS are active materials. Children's activities are mainly carried out through teaching AIDS, which are designed according to children's physical and mental characteristics and the environment they need. Generally speaking, Montessori's educational theory and method is to arouse children's interest and free activities through education, so that children can form a collective life, and cultivate real children and their sense of responsibility from this collective.