4QFDJöLB WâVLZ BOHMJǏUJOZ OB .POUFTTPSJ ÝLPMÈDI
#BLBMÈDzTLÈ QSÈDF
4UVEJKOÓ QSPHSBN # o 4QFDJBMJ[BDF W QFEBHPHJDF
4UVEJKOÓ PCPSZ 3 o /ǔNFDLâ KB[ZL TF [BNǔDzFOÓN OB W[EǔMÈWÈOÓ
3 o "OHMJDLâ KB[ZL TF [BNǔDzFOÓN OB W[EǔMÈWÈOÓ
"VUPS QSÈDF 1BWMÓOB %PCSÈ
7FEPVDÓ QSÈDF 1BFE%S ;V[BOB ÀBòLPWÈ $4D ."
4QFDJöDT PG 5FBDIJOH &OHMJTI BU .POUFTTPSJ 4DIPPMT
#BDIFMPS UIFTJT
4UVEZ QSPHSBNNF # o 4QFDJBMJ[BUJPO JO 1FEBHPHZ
4UVEZ CSBODIFT 3 o (FSNBO -BOHVBHF GPS &EVDBUJPO
3 o &OHMJTI GPS &EVDBUJPO
"VUIPS 1BWMÓOB %PCSÈ
4VQFSWJTPS 1BFE%S ;V[BOB ÀBòLPWÈ $4D ."
Ráda bych poděkovala vedoucí práce PaedDr. Zuzaně Šaffkové, CSc., M.A. za cenné rady, připomínky a pokyny, které se staly inspirujícím a podnětným prostředkem při zpracování bakalářské práce. Dále děkuji vedení Montessori centra při Základní škole Polabiny 1 v Pardubicích za možnost náslechů a ochotu spolupracovat.
.
Anotace
Tato bakalářská práce se zabývá charakteristikami a specifickými prvky, které vykazují hodiny angličtiny v Montessori třídách na prvním stupni ZŠ. Teoretická část pojednává o základních myšlenkách a principech Montessori pedagogiky, přičemž v praktické části je rozebráno uplatnění těchto prvků v praxi. Pro analýzu výuky v hodinách AJ bylo využito polostrukturované pozorování zaměřené na vybrané aspekty Montessori pedagogiky. Výsledky ukázaly, že i v hodinách anglického jazyka se tyto principy částečně uplatňují a že usnadňují proces výuky.
Klíčová slova
Maria Montessori, výuka angličtiny, pedagogika, žáci mladšího školního věku, Montessori principy, alternativní vzdělávání
Annotation
This bachelor thesis deals with the characteristics and specific features of English classes at a Montessori primary school. The theoretical part is concerned with fundamental ideas and principles of Montessori pedagogy. The practical part focuses on the application of these principles in practice. For the purpose of the analysis I used a semi-structured observation aiming at the use Montessori ideas in teaching English. The results show that specific principles are applied and that they facilitate the teaching and learning process.
Key words
Maria Montessori, English language teaching, pedagogy, young learners, Montessori principles, alternative education
Table of contents
List of Abbreviations and Symbols ... 10
1. Introduction ... 11
2. Reform pedagogy ... 13
2.1 The common features of Alternative Schools ... 14
2.1.1 Four basic principles of alternative education systems ... 16
2.2 Alternative schools in the Czech Republic ... 17
3. Life of Maria Montessori ... 18
4. Principles of Montessori pedagogy... 20
4.1 Child’s personality ... 20
4.1.1 Absorbent mind ... 22
4.1.2 Sensitive periods ... 23
4.2 The Process of Normalization ... 26
4.3 Freedom and Discipline ... 28
4.4 The role of a guide ... 29
4.5 Cohesion of a social unit ... 30
4.6 Lessons and Material ... 31
4.7 English language in Montessori school ... 33
4.7.1 Learning Material ... 35
THEORETICAL PART ... 37
5. Research ... 37
5.1 Classroom ... 38
5.1.1 Environment ... 38
5.1.2 Equipment and learning aids ... 40
5.2 The role of a guide ... 43
5.3 Lessons and Activities ... 45
6. Conclusion ... 48 7. List of References ... 53 8. Appendix ... 56
List of Abbreviations and Symbols
e.g. – for example etc. – and so on
1. Introduction
With more awareness about the changing situation in the field of education, alternative pedagogy becomes an object of interest for many parents and teachers. One of the most
favourite pedagogies nowadays was invented by Maria Montessori.
Today, her renowned teaching methods are also popular in the Czech Republic.
The basis of her educational approach is supported by a long-term research with special needs children and is characterized by an emphasis on child-centred education.
This method should lead to a versatile development of a child who will be independent and self-sufficient in all spheres of life. This pedagogy engaged my attention because
of the independent, free environment and friendly approach towards young learners.
I decided to focus on this topic in my bachelor thesis after I visited a Montessori class in Vienna within my Erasmus stay abroad. Experience at this class inspired me to find out more about this education. Therefore, I arranged a visit at a school with extra Montessori classes in my hometown, in order to find out how the principles function in practice during English lessons.
The aim of the paper is to formulate, on the basis of literature, the fundamental
principles of Maria Montessori’s pedagogy and critically evaluate their use at a specific school. In the thesis I focus solely on English language lessons, because I wanted to find out how language learning takes place in an alternative
system.
The thesis is divided into two main parts: a theoretical part and a practical part.
The first chapter of the theoretical part focuses on the role of alternative schools in today’s world. The second chapter is devoted to the life of Maria Montessori and
what brought her to the idea of creating an alternative educational system. The third chapter describes basic principles and specific features of Maria Montessori pedagogy.
Finally, the practical part of my thesis is based on semi-structured observations at an Elementary school in Pardubice. This whole school is not exclusively Montessori, but there are always extra Montessori classes in each year and they were the subjects of my observation. During the observation, I focused mainly on the way in which the principles of Montessori pedagogy are applied during English language lessons.
Specifically, I focused on the environment, materials used and the role of a teacher.
In the conclusion of my work, I will answer all research questions and summarise the outcomes of my observations.
2. Reform pedagogy
School1 as an institution is an inseparable part of a society. School functions as an educator, helper or creator of our social status. In the history of the development of
education schools went through many reforms with the only goal an improvement of education. Since the second half of the 20th century school has become a predominant factor influencing our lives more than ever before. At that time government, political organs, mass-media, public as well as specialists became involved in the reform as they realized that a new generation should be well educated in order to lead a society to positive changes. The reforms should have adapted current needs and requirements of society such as technical development, democratization of education, statehood and worldliness or kinds of education like general or specialized.
Reform pedagogy between the years 1880 – 1940 was probably the most contributive period in the history of education. Before or after this time there were never so many people involved in so many striking changes. An impulse for the reform was fierce criticism of schools at that time, which were by many people considered as too traditional and conservative. They preferred teacher-centred lessons, intellect over creativity and didactic materialism. The goal of this reform was to achieve a change in education of young people, who would be new “better citizens”. In fact they thought that without reforms of schools it could come to a complete downfall of society.
Probably the most influencing and the most productive were institutions based on the
ideas of M. Montessori, R.Steiner, P. Peterson, H. Lietz, C. Freinet, P. Geheeb, O. Decroly and A.S. Neill, the founder of Summerhill, who was in the late sixties in the USA involved in so called Free School Movement. He was quoted as saying,
"My view is that a child is innately wise and realistic, if left to himself without adult suggestion of any kind, he will develop as far as he is capable of developing” (Young 1990, p.10 quoted in Lange, C. M., & Sletten, S. J. 2002, p.9). This quote aptly depicts
the idea of the revolution in education. However, due to their specificity and uncommonness not all the above mentioned alternative schools lasted for a long
time, because they always had to deal with compromises originated by opponents of the alternative pedagogy.
Nevertheless, if we consider the fact that these schools were established more than fifty years ago, a question arises, why are these schools nowadays still considered
“alternative”, if the principles were successfully verified a half century ago.
2.1 The common features of Alternative Schools
Alternative pedagogy has different forms, as each of the founders recognized their own principles. „Alternative schools and programs have evolved over the years to mean different things to different audiences. However, while succinct, entirely inclusive definitions of current alternative schools and programs are elusive, several characteristics are common among the options currently in existence“ (Lange, C. M.,
& Sletten, S. J. 2002, p. 11). According to Goodson (2005, p. 2) “central to an alternative theory is the focus of investigation upon the individual process of learning.
Each individual pupil exhibits the most positive response in the learning process when the information being dealt with somehow 'meshes' with what he is interested in.“ Rýdl (1994 p. 24 – 27) states that alternative schools are mostly aimed on a pedagogical experience following from needs of a soul and feelings, rather than just nothing says theory and that basic features of alternative schools can be listed under these forms:
individuality, no coercion, unit of play, learning and work, harmony with nature and
society and different kinds of activities that can be adapted to a specific stadium of children’s development. In practice alternative schools employ the following ideas:
Instead of marking, differentiated reports are used to evaluate children’s progress, socialization and schooling.
Maximum amount of three different age groups within one class helps not only with cognitive learning, but also with better social and emotional side of learning.
Traditional 45 minutes lesson is not preferred anymore as well as the separation of subject matter into precise lessons. Typical model of a lesson was especially criticized by M. Montessori, who instead favoured teaching in courses, periods or weekly plans.
Classes are oriented more actively rather focusing on practical activities, which proved to be more effective than the traditional theoretical education.
Alternative pedagogy enables education to be individual; it means that children
can choose whether they want to work individually, in pairs or together in a group.
Children’s movement in a class is not limited by any regulations. For example nobody would ban them to move in the class, during the lessons or in the school building.
Emphasis is put on the development of social relationships. School should function as a family, in the sense of strong social relationship.
Alternative education is not only about children, but parents should also take part in cooperation during educational process at and outside the school.
2.1.1 Four basic principles of alternative education systems
Rýdl (1994, p. 28) summarizes common features into four main principles that can be taken as a basis for general alternative pedagogy.
The first principle stresses freedom for linking theory and practice, learning and work, school and everyday life. Traditional school usually does not link schooling with life and separates mutual connections of life and world into the small units. This basically means that school becomes “unreal unit” with unreal limits. Moreover, traditional school usually splits also students into “good ones and bad ones”. Alternative school avoids making differences between pupils, because underestimating and pigeon-holing can demotivate their whole life. Alternative types of schools give children freedom, self-confidence as well as an opportunity to develop and attain a new experience.
Learning does not become a coercive means, but learning is based on natural desire for acquiring knowledge. In addition to, learning process becomes meaningful only when all senses, brain and hands are involved and it should take place in a friendly environment which secures the biggest efficiency in learning process.
The second principle refers to organization and self-control. According to Rýdl (1994, p.29) alternative schools are small schools, children, parents and all participants have an option to become the controlling part of it. Pupils and teachers create their own school environment and they are not isolated from each other, they do not compete;
there is no negative competition or a lack of trust between classmates or between pupils and teachers.
The third principle is about self-determination and social responsibility.
Ivanenko states (2014, p. 206) that “a personality formed in hierarchical dependence
easily yields to social manipulation, and is not ready for constructive
self-determination and partner collaboration in conditions of freedom.” In contrast, in terms of alternative education, teachers let children do what is natural for them.
Children learn how to express their interests without being compelled to do so. They also start to be naturally emphatic, find diversity in others and build social responsibility that is acquired from human relations.
The last principle concerns nowadays term gender. This problem can be understood in today’s society as an inequality between men and women. For alternative pedagogy this should mean primarily teaching children tolerance and respect between men and women.
2.2 Alternative schools in the Czech Republic
The most widespread schools in the Czech Republic are based on the pedagogy of Maria Montessori and Rudolf Steiner’s “Waldorf School” and then Helen Pankhurst’s Dalton School and Peter Petersen’s Jenaplan School. They are sometimes called
“play school”, because of their methods and organization of work. Their subject matter is usually presented by discussion, plays and different kinds of tasks (Alternativní školy v ČR 2016). All these schools follow the Framework Education Programme for Elementary Education (FEP EE). This means that the key competences and objectives of the elementary education in the Czech Republic are in accordance with the traditional schools even if the methods and forms used to achieve these aims are different.
For this bachelor thesis, the pedagogy of Maria Montessori is described and its practical application in English language classes investigated.
3. Life of Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori2 was born on August 31, 1870 as the only child to a well-educated mother, whose family was highly respected, and to a business manager in a tobacco factory. Her parents were very supportive and after completing elementary education they encouraged her to continue with studying. Thus, she decided to enroll a technical
secondary school, which was unusual at that time. Later she went on to graduate in medicine. Since the faculty was all-male, she was accepted only after she became a student of physics, mathematics and natural sciences. “Montessori was the first woman to be admitted to the medical school” (Montessori 2004, p. 4). She was also the first woman, who got the degree of Doctor in Medicine. At that time, the Italian educational system was mainly focused on class as a whole. This was lately one of the many points of her criticism. In the 19th century, at the beginning of Montessori’s career, the awareness about mentally and physiologically disturbed children was not widespread. Nevertheless Montessori, already at that time, criticized the prevailing practice of putting mentally disordered children to asylums for adults. Since she was not satisfied with this, she wanted to change this situation by gathering children with special needs at special educational environments that would provide them with an indispensable help. Together with Dr. Giuseppe Montesano she opened the Scuola Magistrale Ortofrenica, the Ortophrenic School, where teachers were being prepared to work with handicapped children. Her own medical experience brought her an idea that the method used for children with mental deficiencies could be also used with common children, especially with the younger ones. “Specifically, the parallelism was evident in children’s motor coordination and their sensory and language development”
(Montessori 2004, p. 9). Montessori found some inspiration also in the work
of Rousseau, who said that children learn the most by following their instincts and impulses in an environment, which is natural and unstructured.
The marking point of Montessori’s career was year 1907. She opened a school in a slum area in Rome. This school was a great opportunity for her to test all her ideas
concerning children’s education. “Casa dei Bambini”, as she named the school, used to function as a day-care center for pre-school age children whose parents had to work and thus the children were left at home unsupervised. As the school was situated in the
middle of tenement, where all the families and children lived, it worked well as an natural connection between education and society. Montessori considered
education as an important base for later success and as a prevention of deprivation.
As the Casa dei Bambini was very successful, it instigated her to establish more schools in Italy.
By 1910 Montessori had already a very strong position in the field of education in Italy. Because she wanted her methods to spread also outside Italy, she decided to leave the career as a teacher and focus on public speaking, publications and distribution of Montessori materials around the world. The audience from all over the world came to observe her methods, attend her lectures or even interview her.
Those interested in her methods visited schools that she had founded, which also helped to disseminate her ideas.
Because Montessori did not accept the Fascist ideology and disagreed with the political control in Italy, some of her schools were closed and a lot of books damaged.
During the World War II she left Europe and escaped to India. She claimed that if the children were educated, this could be a right way to peace. After the World War II she returned to Europe, specifically to Netherlands, where she died on May 6, 1952.
4. Principles of Montessori pedagogy
Maria Montessori’s approach to education is mostly based on her early experience
with children, which results from observing children with mental deficiencies and co-existing with them at one place. Montessori’s principles were a beginning of
so called positive science based on empirical evidence. “Positive science was invited to enter into schools as into a chaos where it was necessary to separate light from darkness, a place of disaster where prompt succor was essential” (Montessori 2014, p. 29). She claimed that her system was a scientific education and schools functioned as first humanistic laboratories. Her scientific observations were based on the combination of observation and experiments. As a basis of her approach can be mentioned three “components”: inner need, external objects and respect of independence of maturing. She emphasized that the “new approach to education must be based on natural laws of development” (Rýdl 1994, p. 86), which respects natural maturing of a child and helps to develop child’s competences that are characteristic for each specific stadium of his/her development. These main principles, which will be explained below, are nowadays considered as the key aspects of Montessori pedagogy.
4.1 Child’s personality
According to Bodrova (2003, p. 31) preschool and elementary school years are considered as a period of discovery where children explore things in the areas of their
interest. This is confirmed by Rýdl (2006, p. 24) who says that for Montessori, the ideas about children’s behaviour and maturing have its origin in their cognition
and creativity. Children are able to do things naturally without somebody telling them what to do, thus they put their energy into creating and forming their own personality.
“Education must help the child develop its personality in accordance with its nature
and possibilities, and at its own rate, so that later it can fulfil its task as an independent, balanced human being in the adult community. The aim, therefore, is always the formation of the total personality, not of independent functions or processes“
(Montessori 1976, p. 41). Montessori also observed that children prefer to do ordinary things like for example sweeping, opening the door etc. before experimenting with unknown. That is also why she often let them do housework, like sweeping floor or
dusting. Moreover, Montessori noticed that children like system, order and a progressive changeover from known to unknown. They like to do things repeatedly,
because this builds their confidence. They can stop doing their activities only when they are satisfied with their performance. In addition to, children like activities which help them practise and develop senses. Therefore, children in Montessori schools work a lot with their sense of touch, which is not so usual in traditional schools. Montessori’s conception helped children to satisfy their natural desire to challenge their mind, to improve in activities they work on and to feel satisfied about a work they accomplish.
Montessori stressed that human creativity should be spontaneous and thus she created the learning environment without any restrictions for their spontaneity. She also pointed out that it is very important to help children grow in all aspects of maturing – psychic, emphatic, social etc. For a development like this they need independence (Rýdl 2006, p. 24 - 25).
Education of young children was for Montessori important because she believed that learners grown up in her educational approach could be “better persons” who could be able to behave kindly to each other. According to Montessori even world problems could have a cause in interpersonal relations since everybody wants to function as a separate unit and does not want to cooperate with others. Therefore, teaching children to adopt positive values already in the childhood could be the right clue for slowly
transformation of society. Nevertheless, help from adults should not consist of interference in their development, but in respecting their life goals and movements and in providing inspiration which can help them to achieve a goal. Teachers should be emphatic and understand that every human being is unique; trying to reach its own understanding of life and that it seeks individual strategies for personal development (Rýdl 2006, p.25 - 26).
Montessori’s observations helped her define the most important stages in child’s development: absorbent mind, sensitive phase and the process of normalization.
These conclusions show that it is a child’s natural creativity that builds his or her other personality rather than the drift of genetics (Rýdl 2006, p. 26).
4.1.1 Absorbent mind
The first six years of life, a child absorbs unbelievable amount of knowledge from the environment, which no adult can really imagine. The key powers for this period are senses functioning as an informational channel. Everything that can be caught by senses, including words and acts provides information for the absorbent mind.
Absorbent mind functions as a “sponge” which absorbs all impulses that are influencing a child. Children at this age imagine world as a one scene/image.
Everything is natural for them. They do not analyze their actions; they just blend in with an environment. Montessori used this term for a period of life when a child’s mental abilities are being prepared while being supported by the natural impulses (Rýdl 2006, p. 26). The absorbent mind becomes conscious when the children are around six years old. They start to think about the world around them and start to be aware of the things which are affecting them. Their early experiences become meaningful, they do things with purpose and their attempts make sense.
The absorbent mind has one more important characteristic, which is permanency.
The information gained in the first three years of life stays in the child’s mind forever (Rýdl 1999, p.35). Unfortunately spontaneous power of discovering does not exist forever. Their ability of absorbing information unwittingly lowers after the age of six.
Although children would be able to continue in this spontaneous learning, the system of many traditional schools does not support them much in this respect. Montessori points out that children at many traditional schools are pressured to assess and classify subject matter, which is not creative and spontaneous activity that would lead to the most effective learning. Children are made to rethink the previous experience and actions and it naturally stops them from gaining new knowledge as quickly as it was
in the early age (Rýdl 2006, p.27). Children in Montessori schools always have an opportunity to choose what they want to do, because activities, which are interesting
for them, lead to effective learning.
4.1.2 Sensitive periods
“For Montessori sensitive periods are periods of intense interest in particular stimuli that aid psychological development” (Stoll Lillard 2008). In each phase a child repeatedly concentrates on a specific activity which lasts as long as it makes a child pleased. As soon as the child is self-assured about the activity and improves a routine of doing it, the sensitive phase ends followed by a new one, which is driven by child’s curiosity about the world around it (Rýdl 2006, p.27-28). Montessori distinguishes three basic sensitive phases 0 – 6 years, 7 – 12 years, 12 – 18 years (Zelinková 1997, p.31).
The first period is characterized as a constructive and creative and includes speech and order. Moreover is also about child’s development of physical movement.
The sensitiveness for movement means improvement in manual skills, balance and managing running and walking. Children are initially not aware of achieving these skills, but later, while repeating purposeful motor activities, they control and refine these actions. Sensitiveness for order means a child’s desire for routine and regularity in his or her everyday life. Montessori points out, that a child basically does not like changes, but rituals are the key elements, which help them to feels secure (Zelinková
1997, p. 31 - 32). Around the age of three comes a changeover in thinking.
While until three years children do activities unwittingly, with the beginning of kindergarten age they start to think and analyze their actions (Zelinková 1997, p.32).
This period has also a great importance in building personality and the development of social intelligence of a child, which includes sensitiveness for a social life among other children. A child realizes that he/she is a part of a bigger unit/society and gradually acquires some social rules and behaviour (Zelinková 1997, p.33).
The period from 7 – 12 years is relatively stable period of imagination. In this period children start to understand and use abstract terms. They start to think about details and by means of them they also explore different kinds of complexes. As long as children are able to use their abstract mind, what, not unexpectedly, needs to follow is a slow adaptation of learning. Though children can have a help of adults, they want to explore everything to detail by themselves. They like manipulating with small objects, browsing books and explore life on earth through geography, zoology, biology etc.
They ask for help only if there is no other chance to find an answer without help (Zelinková 1997, p.33). Self-reliance helps a child to build healthy self-esteem.
Montessori’s famous and typical phrase for this period is: “Help me to do it myself”
(Zelinková 1997, p.34). In this period children also develop moral sensitiveness; they try to distinguish between the good and the bad, but not only in their own manners,
but also in others’ behaviour. ”They need to hear stories of greatness and goodness
and moral values. The mind of the elementary child concerns itself with building a conscience, that inner sense of what is right and wrong” (Namc Montessori Teacher
Training Blog 2007). Another change is that a child seeks for social experience, while up to now it did not need any company.
The last period from 12 – 15 and 15 - 18 can be marked as unstable. A child becomes a teenager and adolescent with his or her opinion and his or her own view on most of the things. They want to become independent, self-reliable but on the other hand they are very sensitive. In this period it is wise to take them as adults, because the period of childhood is gone. The guide (a teacher or a parent) should praise them, motivate and act as if they had achieved more than they actually had. This is a very complicated and tough time for them and adults should be very careful when talking to them, because consequences could be fatal (Zelinková 1997, p.34).
Each sensitive phase has its own time and natural relation to maturing that cannot be skipped. Until the age of three, children use their absorbent mind and a guide should prepare a suitable environment for a trouble-free, independent development of a child.
The role of a guide becomes more important between the age of three and six.
Children at this age observe and imitate adults. That is why it is very important to give them a good example and pay attention to them. It is also good to teach them basic rules of etiquette. Between seven and twelve children begin to use structures and systems in teaching material and they are interested in details. Material prepared by guide should evoke an interest for gaining new information and activities should support the development of moral consciousness and social awareness. Teenage age is ideal for exploring the world from the spiritual and intellectual side (Zelinková 1997,
Sensitive periods work together with the absorbent mind. In fact the sensitive periods let absorbent mind acquire and store information (Rýdl 2006, p.30). During certain
period a child focuses on activities that are in accordance with his or her needs.
A child needs an external stimulus or impulse for it, which is in conformity with a particular stage of the development. Activities should make children feel strong,
comfortable, self-confident and bringing them a feeling of success. Montessori did not see the goal of education in achieving short-term objectives, but she wanted to prepare a child for life, where it could be independent and make its own way of realizing life ambitions (Zelinková 1997, p. 35).
Moreover, Zelinková (1997, p.35) states that a child’s development, in terms of
sensitive periods, is a strenuous process, where activity has a crucial role.
It is not a teacher, who has the main influence on education and self-improvement of
a child, but it is the work and the activities. A teacher should be just a guide, who shows pupils the right way to do something and let them do the tasks by themselves. Teachers’ function is to be a good guide and supporter.
4.2 The Process of Normalization
Normalization is a process of going back to “normal”, back to human naturalness.
The term „normalization“ refers, according to Montessori, to a unique process when children are able to adapt to environment, so that they could find their natural self.
Only in this form they can come to harmony and balance with the society (Rýdl 2006, p.32). Normalized child is mentally healthy, able to use its potential to maximum.
It uses an inner self as an intuitive tool for development. Existence of a child is harmonized by its own inner balance. A child is obedient, powerful and has a will and discipline.
Normalized child is also not limited by restrictions of adults, who, on the other side, create perfect conditions for an independent development (Rýdl 1999, p. 43).
Normalized children should have a positive relation to an ordered environment, where they can work alone, in silence, without interrupting. The ability to concentrate helps them to be disciplined. Montessori believed that adult’s help with integration to their environment is the most important goal of an educational and pedagogical system. Their task is to help them familiarize with the environment and direct their attention to activities. Children’s independence makes them be able to decide, which consequently results in the fact that they adopt the role of a leader and an initiator of an activity. They should be guided by the telling that “Experience is a means of development” (Rýdl 2006, p. 32-33).
In Montessori school normalization comprises a three-step cycle of work.
The first step is preparation for an activity. A child thinks about learning aid needed for the activity, which evokes an attention and concentration on the work. The second
step consists of a maximum concentration. This is the time, when a child absorbs a huge amount of information. Finally the last step can be characterized as a feeling of
satisfaction. A child feels comfortable in doing a particular activity (Normalizace a odchylky 2014).
There is no sense of making the child’s development faster. It can only bring irretrievable damages. Children would feel that they are weaker and do not acquire the skills necessary for some activities. This would not only make them feel stressed and lost, but also forever dependent on somebody. Inventing and exploring is the right way, how children can achieve a feeling of self-assurance, which is during maturing needed (Rýdl 2006, p.33).
4.3 Freedom and Discipline
The idea of freedom is one of the basic aspects of Montessori pedagogy which makes her pedagogy different from the traditional ones. According to Zelinková (1997) Montessori pedagogy favours a freedom of choice, which at traditional schools is not common. For example they can choose which activity or task they want to do as first
or where and with whom they want to work. They can work alone, in pairs or in a group. Freedom goes hand in hand with discipline. “Discipline must
come through liberty” and “Liberty is activity” (Montessori 2004, p. 113).
The concept of discipline is not understood in Montessori education as implicit obedience. Disciplined children are masters of themselves; they are able to control their own actions when asked and independently follow rules without being asked to do so. A child in a Montessori system learns how to easily perform acts of a social and community life through practice and easy tasks (Montessori 2004, p. 113).
A child can develop independence only if adults help him/her and show them a right way to advance. A child should feel satisfied after completing a task, but not because somebody did a half of it for them but because they managed to do it without help.
“We must help them to learn to walk without assistance, to run, to go up and down the stairs, to lift up fallen objects, to dress and undress themselves, to have bath, to speak distinctively, and to express their own needs clearly” (Montessori 2004, p. 119).
All children are able to improve, adults just must be patient and give them time to experiment and learn from these attempts. Of course, freedom is not endless and has
its limits. They are built from a collective interest, which is expressed as a form of good behaviour in the community (Montessori 2004, p. 119).
At Montessori schools there is no space for wasting time, damaging things, disrupting the flow of work or behaving badly to others. In the ideal case in a Montessori class there is silence and order, however children are immersed in working on tasks and activities (Rýdl 2006, p. 35).
4.4 The role of a guide
The Montessori teacher is not in the centre of the teaching and learning process in a classroom. The teacher is rather a guide who should follow five important rules.
Montessori teacher should:
support a child’s independent development, because it is the first step to the development of freedom. Moreover, he should provide such a good stimuli that correspond with child’s inner needs. Children should not be forced to do something, but they should be guided to make a free decision
respect sensitive phases
provide a good example, because children naturally learn by imitating function as a leader preparing stimulating educational situations
become “Educator of new age who is an initiator of children’s freedom” 3(Zelinková 1997, p. 73).
Instead of using the term “teacher” Maria Montessori prefers a term “guide”.
She points out that adults do not teach children, but their true role is guiding children on their journey through life. Children learn the most by themselves and guides just regulate their physical and mental activities (Zelinková 1997, p. 75).
“The lesson must be presented in such a way that the personality of the teacher shall disappear” (Montessori 2004, p. 124). Nevertheless it does not mean that Montessori teachers are totally passive during teaching/guiding. They have a very important role that consists of preparing a suitable material for children of different ages and needs.
A sign of a good prepared material is when children feel a desire to get to know something, to explore. Broadly said, the teacher must be very sensitive to children’s needs and their decisions during lessons. Montessori considers the technique “Help me to do it myself” as the most important strategy. He or she should also understand that failure is not wrong; it is just a sign that the teaching or learning procedure should be changed. This requires a lot of patience and tolerance. Mistakes should be taken as something natural, as a signal that shows that children are learning. Parents and guides also need to understand that each child has and always will have its own way of achieving goals. It is entirely proper if children accomplish tasks in different ways rather than if they are shown what to do. It is a proof that they made an effort (Zelinková 1997, p. 78).
4.5 Cohesion of a social unit
The fundamental characteristic of the Montessori’s school organizations is the fact that there are children of different ages. This helps them to prepare for real life, where it is normal to deal with people of all ages. Together they build a community, where they learn to create relationships and co-existence. It is well-known that children of Montessori’s school are in most cases emphatic, because they developed a huge social feeling already in the pre-school age. They like to cooperate, work in groups on projects and importantly they like to help each other to solve tasks, without being rude (Rýdl 2006, p. 53).
It is because all children experience all roles in the community; from a novice who needs help and assistance to an advisor. Not only they get to know the feeling of being the youngest, who is taught by someone, but they also get a feeling of responsibility when they become the oldest in a class for the first time (Rýdl 1999, p. 31).
Children at kindergarten also start to realize that everybody is different, has different hobbies, abilities and needs. At common schools, children have to follow the rules and tempo of the whole class very often, but it is different in the Montessori system.
Each child does everything at their own pace. Moreover, because they have a right to choose, they do not feel stressed. This supports the natural curiosity and motivation
for exploration (Zelinková 1997, p. 54).
4.6 Lessons and Material
The aim of Montessori pedagogy is not only to transfer knowledge, but it tries to encourage a child to self-educate (Rýdl 2006, p. 49). This is why material and a prepared class environment are so important. A stimulating environment enables a child to be independent while working on activities and tasks and to take responsibility for the result.
First of all, all learning aids have their particular place in a class and when they are at a right place and there is order in the classroom, it brings children a feeling of security and it enables a huge space for free movement around a class. Materials are part of the prepared environment. Then, only things that are aimed to education have
their place in the Montessori classes. Manipulation with them should help them to focus and work in a calm peaceful place (Rýdl, 1999, p. 54 - 55).
According to Zelinková (1997) materials in Montessori classes should have four characteristics: “restriction, aesthetic qualities, instigation of action and control of
mistakes”4 (Zelinková 1997, p. 65) Restriction is related to clear arrangement/ lucidity.
Materials should enable children to focus only on particular activity and contribute to the development of a clear, ordered soul, which had not been distracted by excessive impulses, such as complicated instructions or copying grammatical rules to exercise book. Attractiveness of materials motivates children to work with them and activates children’s mind and desire for exploring. Moreover, when children work with challenging materials, this creates a sense of responsibility in them, because they naturally build a relation to the things they work with. A wide range of attractive materials forces children to choose, which a basic for freedom of choice is.
Another restriction is in the limited quantity of learning aids. Children learn to wait while others have a thing which they want to take. They find out that they cannot get everything immediately. They learn how to cooperate, ask and thank somebody.
In addition, a good material should not only be attractive, but it should also instigate an interest, which consequently contributes to a better child’s concentration.
Manipulation is the key to concentration. This explains why small children prefer playing with common objects, for example with kitchen utensils, rather than admiring expensive toys. Self-control is the last characteristic of a good material. In Montessori
school children themselves check the results of their work (Appendix D).
Children can, for example, check the correct answers on the second page of a handout, or a flash card. This enables children to find a mistake by themselves and correct it, which leads to independence and self-reliance (Zelinková 1997, p.65 – 67).
Moreover, Montessori’s didactic materials are created to develop motor, sensory and intellectual skills at one time. Montessori states that there is a relationship between
4 „Ohraničení (omezení), estetické kvality, podněcování aktivity, kontrola chyb.“ Translated by the
movement and intellect. Movement helps children to develop intellectually (Rýdl 2006, p. 53).
4.7 English language in Montessori school
As I mentioned in the previous chapters, Maria Montessori generally proceeded from
the natural process of maturing and all her educational principles were designed to support it. This concerns also foreign language learning. Foreign languages are
taught at Montessori schools in the similar way as the mother tongue. Learning is conformed to sensitive phases, so that the language acquisition is the most natural.
In this chapter key points about foreign language learning according to Montessori principles will be mentioned.
Generally speaking, Maria Montessori did not create a special program for a foreign language acquisition, but the goal of her education was always to follow natural maturing of a child so that, in an ideal case, motor, sensor and physical skills were
developed at once. First language learning was for her, as well as mathematics, the most important ‘subject’. As Ludwig states (2000, p. 102) solid mathematic
education and knowledge of different foreign languages are necessary fundamentals that children should master, in order to be able to function in everyday life.
Learning foreign languages should begin as soon as possible, because the sensitive phase (until the age of six) is the most suitable for language acquisition. Because of the young age and absorbing mind children at this age are able to learn pronunciation, vocabulary and intonation almost as natives (Namc Montessori Teacher Training Blog 2013). Montessori guides should encourage children to talk to each other, to talk about themselves or to describe different things, because at this time they are very interested in observing, talking about and learning names of the things that are around them
(Hainstock, 1999, p. 98). This is probably the most visible difference between Montessori school and the common types of schools, where children are usually made to sit all day long, write and very often be quiet. Another key to success is reading.
Nowadays many children already at the preschool age are able to learn how to read,
because it is the best period when children can easily acquire reading skills.
When a child discovers the sense of reading, it becomes eager to explore and achieve new information. Very often children listen to their guides who read for them.
Listening to reading in a foreign language helps to improve language ability, strengthens language awareness and creates the basis for communication (Hainstock 1999, p. 98 – 99).
At Montessori5 schools two different approaches to learning a second language are used:
Exploratory – where “children are taught the rudiments of vocabulary and grammar while being introduced to a new culture.” These classes are mostly intended as a beginning for further learning. They are not so intensive, because children have language classes only once or twice a week for about 30 minutes.
As the aim of these classes is not to force children to speak perfect English, children are not expected to become as fluent as they are in the immersion programs.
Immersion – „Immersion programs allow children to learn the target language similarly to the way they learned their native language — by being completely immersed in acquiring language from the environment. Children in immersion programs quickly become bilingual“.
This approach is not only good for children´s mental development, but they also learn the importance of communication in building relationship
with other people and society.
4.7.1 Learning Material
Materials for teaching English correspond to the materials used in common lessons.
However, as Hainstock (1999, p. 104) states EFL material should support interaction and imagination. Imagination is important in transition from concrete to abstract.
As Rýdl states (2006, p. 52) Montessori preferred concrete and real didactic materials such as different kinds of cards, boxes, pictures or real small objects. For example, when teaching vocabulary, a guide uses words from real life, which children know or which can preferably be shown up in the classroom. Since a word is linked with a real
image of an object it helps children to memorize a word easily (Appendix C).
The maximum amount of new words during one lesson should be six. Another good
way to support effective English learning is to link words to physical movement.
For this purpose easy English songs and rhymes are very helpful.
Children unconsciously link words with sounds and movement and learning new words becomes easier for them. Some teachers at Montessori schools also can play an instrument and make a class more interesting.
When using tangible materials, the principle of order should be observed. In reality it means that children put cards in columns, lines etc. and after using then, they put
them back to particular boxes and drawers. For example at Montessori school in Vienna6 children had to work on tasks while sitting on a carpet which defined their
work space. A work rug is one of the specific learning aids that is typical for
6 Based on the author´s own experience gained at Montessori class at Pädagogische Hochschule Wien
Montessori pedagogy. Carpets secure children’s personal space while they work on their own task.
The rule is that every single person, who wants to cooperate with another one, always
has to ask, if they can join them or if they can borrow something, which is on the carpet. Without a polite request a child cannot take whatever they want.
Children in Montessori are used to checking their results on their own. For example, a lot of cards have a solution on the other page so that children can immediately check up the right answer. It brings them calm, because there is no rushing and competing, who has it all right or who is done first. Ability of self-control contributes to the fact that teaching a foreign language at Montessori school can start already at the preschool education. Guides focus mostly on communication and using tangible materials during a three period lessons, which makes the whole adoption of language easier for them.
THEORETICAL PART
5. Research
The aim of the practical part of the bachelor thesis is to find out whether the above mentioned principles are applied to the English lessons in the Montessori school and what impact does it have on the process of learning a foreign language. The practical
part of my bachelor thesis is based on observations in Montessori classes at the elementary school in Pardubice. The Department of Montessori centre enabled
me to conduct class observations and provided me with useful information.
In order to fulfil the aim of the paper, the following research questions, which were based on the theoretical findings presented in the theory chapter, have been formulated:
1. What are the distinctive characteristics of a language class?
2. Which Montessori pedagogy principles are used the most frequently?
3. What impact does the use of the specific approaches to teaching English have on the process of learning?
The total number of observed lessons was 6. During my observations I focused mainly on: classroom environment, the role of a teacher, learning aids and activities.
Additional notes about the course of lessons were marked down on a separate sheet of paper.
I observed lessons with 3 different teachers/guides. The guides always allowed me to work with them, therefore I also sometimes helped children with some difficult tasks or I played games with them. Since there were some children diagnosed with complex
disorders such as Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome, I must admit that it was very challenging. Because I was curious about other lessons too (according to Montessori blocks) I also observed children during Czech language, Mathematics, and Cosmic education similar to Biology. Because I visited 2nd and 3rd grades so the lessons were very lively and active. The detailed description of the lessons will be provided in the following chapter.
The school has a long tradition as a common type of school, where Montessori classrooms were established only a few years ago. Since the whole school primarily functions as the traditional one, there is only one Montessori class for each grade.
These special classes end in the 5th grade, when children transfer to the upper elementary school. Children entering the first grade mostly come from the Montessori Kindergarten whose role is to assure a good preparation for the elementary school.
This is also why, in most cases, only children who attended this Kindergarten, are accepted. According to the principles of Montessori pedagogy, the classes are
mixed, therefore the first, the second, the third and the fourth grades are together in one class and the fifth is the only one that is separated.
The English class takes place in a special classroom arranged for the purposes of teaching and learning English.
5.1 Classroom
5.1.1 Environment
During my observations I focused on the arrangement of Montessori classes, because it is generally different from the arrangement of traditional schools. This feature of so called “prepared environment” belongs to the most important factors of the Montessori
A language classroom is a special room which is made and designed for the needs of language learning. The arrangement in this class has these specific features:
The desks are not in rows, but they are moved to the walls or windows, so that there is a plenty of space in the middle.
In the centre of the classroom there is a big carpet, which functions mainly as a learning spot, because children sit on it most of the time. Because the teacher/guide has a position of an equal partner to the children, he/she sits
on the carpet with them in the circle. Only very rarely frontal teaching is used, for example when using whiteboard or large aids.
When the teacher wants to explain something that is difficult or complicated, the pupils are usually divided into groups. Then the teacher talks to individual groups in turn.
The whole classroom is decorated with the children’s work. During my observation there were two small projects displayed on the wall. One of them was about housing, thus there were pictures of houses as well as the names of various equipment. The other one was about animals; therefore I could observe nice pictures of snakes and spiders. Moreover, a small place on the wall next to the door was used as an information spot, where children can find out the deadlines and criteria for current projects. Next to the whiteboard there was a “grammar section”, where children could find different grammatical patterns or frequently used expressions.
Besides English, Montessori classes do not follow the usual 45 minute lessons, but the subject matter is taught in time periods depending on the subject, so that
the concentration of children would be secured without interrupting.
Time of the English classes was also not precisely fixed, but it usually lasted about 45 minutes, because the classroom was used by other classes from the school too.
Finally, the class rules were displayed on the wall, so that everybody could see and follow them. Some rather simple rules were written in English (“English only”,
“No shouting”, etc.), the rules derived from Montessori pedagogy were written in
Czech (“Chováme se k sobě slušně”, “Pomáháme si”, “Poděkujeme”).
The most striking fact that was observed was a really smooth flow of the lessons.
The children worked quietly, they were fully immersed in their work, and it was evident that they enjoyed the lessons. The director of the Montessori department explained to me that it is because they feel free and gaining knowledge is a natural process for them and not an obligation. She also told me that responsibility is the most important characteristic aim and children from Montessori Kindergarten are usually on the way to achieve it.
5.1.2 Equipment and learning aids
Although it might seem that Montessori pedagogy is unrestricted, there are several
rules that need to be observed, which concerns also the equipment. Order is one of them, because classroom that is tidy and neat helps children feel secure and that is
why all aids have their own place and cannot be put somewhere else after using them.
In the classroom there is a place, namely two shelves, where children find all different kinds of English learning aids. They are all familiar with them, because they are regularly used during lessons. This prevents from the “I do not know what to do with it” situation. Moreover, tasks are almost always clear, because they are based for example on simple assembling of colour matching cards, rhymes or fitting pieces of jigsaw puzzle (Appendix A). The didactic material they work with is always
For example the children used cards in order to make a big picture of a Noah’s Ark.
Most of them were enthusiastic about it, because they like animals and nature.
The unique aim of this exercise was that it linked their knowledge from history with English. In Another lesson they played a game - an English version of “Člověče,
nezlob se” made by their guide in order to practice current vocabulary.
Most of the time the pupils are not pushed into a predetermined action but they have
always an option, which fits them the best, to choose. In order to enable children to choose, the aids are clear and simple so that children know how to use them.
A complicated aid could lead to misunderstanding and children might not be able to use it properly. The first thing that leads to proper understanding is that all learning aids are firstly presented by a guide to the whole class and they do the tasks at least once together. The other thing is that most of them are tangible, so the children know that for example a small piece should fit into a bigger one or if there is a question, there will be an answer always on the other side or if they should make a word from two different pieces, together it will have a same colour. Children also have to be very careful and they have to treat the aids mindfully. They are very well aware of the fact that other pupils will use the aids later on and thus the material does not have to be damaged. One of the English language teachers told me that most of the material she uses is created or bought by her. She told me that she buys for example regular English materials and modifies them so that she could proceed according to particular Montessori principles in order to be in conformity with Montessori pedagogy. I noticed that most of them were written by her. She uses a lot of different colorful patterns and diagrams, written mostly on a common sheet of paper by hand.
Examples of activities:
Children practiced the verb “to be”. The guide put a pattern with conjugation of
“to be” on the carpet and children got other cards from her. There was a pronoun
or a verb or a noun on each card. Their task was to put cards in the right order in order to make a whole sentence. Specific of this activity was the fact that each
word class had its own color. Because children saw word and color order of a sample sentence, copying of the right word order was definitely easier for them.
The advantages of activities like this are that children can always change their mind or correct mistakes and they physically “build” a sentence. Moreover, memorizing is easier for them when even “tiny” movement is connected with a word.
Another interactive activity concerned practicing “have/has”. Children were sitting in a circle and in the middle of it there was a bag with different real small objects,
e.g. a doll, a piece of Lego, a key, a crown etc. The task for the children was to take one thing from the bag and to say for example “I have a doll”. Afterwards, a child took a hand of his or her neighbour and together they said “We have a doll”.
These concrete actions helped pupils realize the difference between singular and plural of the verb “to have”. Moreover, the fact that they could touch and hold a toy might have contributed to remembering. As a change, the teacher modified the activity. This time she tied two children´s hands and again they had to take out
a small object from the sack and they had to say again “We have a doll”.
It was really fun for the children and I noticed that even though they made mistakes at the beginning of the activity, there was a sign of a big progress at the end.
5.2 The role of a guide
In the Montessori pedagogy a guide has a function similar to a role of a teacher at a traditional school. It is similar because their role is to guide children through the process of learning, however, the children in Montessori school themselves
coordinate it to a large extent. During English lessons guides differed from common teachers in many aspects such as:
Guides did not use frontal teaching, but they, most of the time, sat with the children on a carpet, because sitting at the same “level” induces a good stress-free atmosphere
(Appendix B). The guides in the classes, that I observed, were always next to the children on a carpet and when the children were doing some activities, they continuously checked up on the progress in all working groups.
Montessori classes usually have two guides. One functions as a “main” guide, who gives children instructions and the second one has a role of an assistant. Moreover,
an assistant is there for disabled children or for those, who just need help or more time for finishing a task, because Montessori system is open for inclusion. Nevertheless the maximum number of disabled children is two; therefore children are used to them and do not look at them as strangers. Also during my observations there were two guides.
The presence of them enabled children to apply, to a certain extent, an individual
approach. Nevertheless children were independent and used to solving majority of tasks on their I observed that during activities, such as puzzles, dominos or exercises
with solutions at their disposal or matching exercises they did not require an assistance of a guide. The guides just explained what to do and helped children only if needed.
The guides spoke very clearly, they did not shout at children and thus create a very calm yet working atmosphere. They did not want children to feel stressed.
Therefore they also did not use a common system of assessment. Children´s work in Montessori is evaluated but no one has a “label” of a good or bad pupil.
The most important criterion for evaluation is how children felt while working on a task, how they themselves see their results. For example if children worked on an exercise of ten sentences and they only finished six of them, a guide did not
punish them but asked how they worked on the task, what was difficult, what was interesting etc. Generally, if a child is not satisfied with the result he or she is used to suggesting a “plan” for improvement. A close relationship between a guide and children is also demonstrated in a way of addressing each other. Children addressed their guides “you” in the second person singular (or call them by their first names
which is unacceptable at the traditional schools, it is even considered as rude).
For example a boy in one class asked the guide for help: Katka, could you please check it up for me?” The children were not afraid to ask, because they were never punished for mistakes. If they made a mistake, they were given a space for correction. Guides did not tell them a right solution, but children challenged their mind and tried to correct
themselves without help. For example I saw a situation when a guide checked an exercise for a little boy and she said:”I see one mistake. Can you find it?” This little
boy went through the exercise again and found the mistake. This “action” made him rethink his action and at the end of this task he learned from the mistake.
The guides always want to be in a close contact with parents, who take part in the functioning of the school. Since children do a lot of projects, they often help them with things, which they are not able to do by themselves. For example in one English class the children were asked to suggest a topic for a school project. The children themselves found out that they want to do a school musical called “The Little Prince” and one of the fathers, who is a singer of a popular group, composed music for them.
Another father helped them with set pieces. This example shows that parents are interested in their children’s school work and they are willing to help. Another example that I observed during an English class was a task that required a firm concentration from the children, which was for some of them quite demanding. A guide told me that she has one boy in a class, who has study problems, so in this case she contacted parents and offered them some extra work for their son. The parents welcomed this help since they considered this extra work for their son as useful for his future progress.
As the guide mentioned, they were in contact with her and informed her about their son’s achievements.
5.3 Lessons and Activities
At the beginning it is necessary to say that during the whole time of my observations all guides talked to children strictly in English. The instructions the guides used were very simple and clear, such as “Take off your shoes”, “Close the door”, “Take out your notebooks” etc., thus it was not necessary to use Czech. When a guide wanted to explain or tell me something, she always used English as well. It was obvious that
children were used to it and all their questions to a guide were also in English.
The observations also showed that the activities and tasks are almost always focused on practical utilization such as on so called “small talk”. For example at the beginning of a lesson children were throwing and catching a ball while asking about favourite colour, name of their pet, hobbies etc. These types of exercises, when all the pupils were involved, they could move or manipulate with material, were one of the prime foci of the observations because they are common for Montessori classes. What was very surprising for me was the fact that even though their English was not at a high level they tried to talk in English even when they were working in pairs or groups.
