Can we offer value education at pre-school level?

I visited a pre-school last month where value education is being given to children below 6. If you visit the website of Living value international, you will understand the work that is being done to inculcate values at the stage of school. Values that are typically inculcated are of peace, respect, love, responsibility, honesty, cooperation, humility and others.

Although i could see the huge effort to inculcate values, i am not sure if it is really useful if given in the way it is typically given. Let me explain.

As the child's mind is absorbent mind till the age of 6, that i talked about in my blog , the child takes in things without understanding anything. How can such a mind 'understand' the concept of 'peace' or 'humility' which is very nebulous, vague and requires 'conscious intelligent mind' to comprehend ? At this stage, the child cannot even comprehend the difference between 'real and unreal', which is why when such a child is introduced to 'unreal' stories of comics and fairy tales, his mind absorbs it unconsciously and becomes a 'chaotic mass of impressions'.

Although the child, due to his absorbent mind, may 'recite' the meaning of values verbatim, he is not likely to practice them until he understands them ( which is unlikely because he is still developing his intelligence). In such a situation, can something be done to help the child 'imbibe' values before the age of 6? The answer is definite yes, but it will only work if it is done by following the laws of the child's nature, not by avoiding it. Here are some suggestions:

1. As the child's mind is absorbent mind, he learns through constant observing and repeating the 'behaviour'  he sees around him. This is the dominant mode of learning at this age. If the child has to 'imbibe' these values at this age, it will only 'imbibe' them, only if the environment around him is nurturing that type of behaviour.

That is why Montessori method of promoting the value of 'social development' through design of the environment is so effective. We have seen how through design of the environment, Montessori method enables child to imbibe the social skills ( which sometimes are also called values) such as  'patience' and  'respect'.

2. Because the child's mind is absorbent mind till 6, these values cannot be 'taught' in a class-room fashion through instruction or even facilitation, as is done in a traditional school.

One has to ensure that the behaviour is practiced infront of the child consistently to make him 'absorb' the value, so to say. For instance, if you are trying to enable the child to show 'respect', he will 'learn respect' only if the behaviour is consistently practiced with him and infront of him.

Consistency is the key.  If he does not want to eat, and you are pushing him to eat because it is lunch time, you are not showing your 'respect' to his views that 'he is not hungry'. If you want your child to play till, say 6 pm, you have to show him respect by telling him 'he can play till 6 pm' beforehand. You cannot just 'tell him to stop playing abruptly' at 6 pm.

3. Because 'values' are tied to 'behaviour', it is better to relate the value to the child's interpretation of value rather than your interpretation. For instance, if the child of age 5 says that 'respect' means 'not interrupting another child when he is working', you should resist 'giving' your definition of value to him.

More importantly, you should not 'force' the child to 'practice' the behaviour because it is 'right'. The child is more likely to practice the behaviour only if he 'voluntarily accepts' to practice it. Do not force any agenda in value education. Instead it is far more prudent to let the child dictate the agenda. As systems thinkers say Slow is fast.

Are you creative enough to foster imagination in your child?

As we discussed in the earlier blog, imagination ( not fantasy) is useful for developing 'creativity'. Creativity is 'reconfiguring' the existing combination of elements in the 'real world' in a new form that did not exist till then. Creativity in music, for instance, is 'reconfiguring' the same seven notes of music ( and the silence between the notes) in a uniquely different way. It is not creating the eighth note, so to say.

A child seems to respect the 'real' world intuitively. For instance, if you ask your child to draw an elephant, he will always draw elephant in 'black'. If you try to tell him to draw it in 'orange', he will listen to you, only if he has not seen a 'real' elephant. If you tell your child to draw a tree, he will always paint the leaf of a tree with 'green' color.  Although 'drawing' can be done only by 'imagining', the child refuses to draw something 'unreal', unless we provoke him.

Why is it important to keep the distinction of real and unreal for a child below the age of 6? Because the child's mind is a absorbent mind till the age of 6. Till this age, therefore, the child 'takes in' everything indiscriminately. When the mind is 'absorbent', it soaks in whatever it receives without any filter, like a camera. Child's absorption is so powerful that he can recollect the long list of numbers and objects, without understanding them.Because of the child's ability to 'recollect' and 'repeat' whatever he sees or hears, we often confuse this 'absorbent mind' with 'intelligent mind'.

Because of his powerful absorbent mind, a child can readily 'absorb' stories of unreal people like Superman or fairy tales. Once he absorbs them, his equally powerful  mind starts using them 'unknowingly'. For instance, a child fed with these comic book stories will be seen running from one place to another, telling you that he is 'flying like superman'. Or tell stories to their children about going to a 'planet', fighting 'demons' and so on. Their mind becomes fully occupied with 'ideas' that are based on unreal world.This reduces the child's engagement with the 'real' world and 'real' work, which is not a helpful habit.

Such deviant behaviour is observed in a child who is admitted to a Montessori pre-school, after he has attended a play school for 6 months. Such children find it 'so difficult' to undo their habits ( and do the real work in Montessori), that they often go back to play schools. These children get sucked in the fantasy world and have difficult time in correcting themselves later!

On the other hand, if this power of absorbent mind is used with the elements of 'real' world, it can 'establish' habits and patterns that can help the child develop his imagination. As Dr Montessori mentions ( in her book The Absorbent Mind), adults require special kind of sensitivity to create an environment for the child that will help the child to foster his imagination by using the elements of 'real world'.

Here are some examples to guide your creativity in helping create events that will help your child imagine and not fantasise. Remember imagination uses elements of 'real world' ( as contrast to fantasy which uses elements of 'unreal world':

1. A child can only understand 'concretes'. Help him use his 'imagination' to understand the 'concept'.

For instance, a child understands the distance of 1 meter, because he can see it 'concretely'. But he has to use 'imagination' to 'understand' the distance of 10 Kms, because one can never 'see' 10 kms. How will you help him 'imagine' 10 kms?

Or a child cannot see the physical property of 'long' or 'heavy', because it is a concept. A pen can be long, a ruler can be long, or a car can be long. How do you 'isolate' the physical property of 'length' from these three different objects by using his 'imagination'? How will you do it? Hint: Montessori method uses different materials to help the child 'understand' these physical properties. Ask your Montessori teacher for more ideas.

2. The child cannot understand the concept of 'time'.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow are concepts for a child to comprehend. That is why, he cannot understand that he has to 'wake up at 7 am to go to school at  8 am'. How will you help the child to imagine 'time'? Hint: Buy a calender for him and 'make' him 'paste' events on the date, and see it 'later'. Ask your Montessori teacher for more ideas.

3. Use 'real' world mysteries of life to provoke child's imagination. 'Biology' mysteries are most suitable at this age, because the child can 'discover' the mystery himself by using his 'eyes'.

For instance, tell him how chicks come out of 'eggs', while puppies come out of the 'stomach' of a dog? Or how some plants can be seeded with 'seeds', and how some can be seeded with 'stems'? Or how the same 'water' can exist in three forms : solid, liquid and vapour? Or the air is full of 'gases' which we cannot see? Hint: Ask your Montessori teacher for more ideas.


Imagination is a powerful tool to help the child become creative. But if the child has to use this tool, we have to become creative in designing an environment that will help our child use imagination. Are we creative enough? 

Pre-school is not a school for killing time

Pre-school, the school for 3-6 years, is still regarded as a school that will help a child to spend time away from the house. As one of the woman parent told me ' I am unable to do anything when my child is at home. Only when she is in the school for 3 hours, can I do something constructive'.

This view - that pre-school is only meant to kill time - is shared by parents across different strata. Parents in a modern city like Bangalore share this view as strongly as the parents in a small city like Dharwad and Belgaum. Even education does not make a difference. Educated parents and uneducated parents both believe that pre-school is meant to keep the child physically active. Even language and culture does not matter. Parents in Mumbai and Delhi both believe that pre-school is just a 'preparation for the final school'; not a real school.

Parents therefore expect very little from pre-school. They expect pre-school to help their child play with toys. Or engage with other children in playing group games. Or learn rhymes like 'Jack and Jill went up the hill'. Or celebrate 'birthdays' with other children. Or participate in 'Annual days'. Or run on the sports day. Or participate in fancy dress.

At the most, parents expect children to learn something as a bonus. They expect the preschool to teach their children 1-100 or A to Z, at the most. They want pre-school to help their children to imbibe social grace and answer questions such as "What is your name" or "What is the name of your school", because it will help their child get dmission in a ' real school' in the first class.

So when these parents hear that Montessori method helps their children 'develop', they do not believe it; because they think that it is not possible to help develop a child at 3 years. When they see children of 3-4, they see children as irresponsible, undisciplined, unruly and noisy. When they try to help them 'eat food', they refuse help. When they 'tell' them to stay silent for a while, they make 'noise'. How can a child of age 3 helped to develop?

When Dr. Montessori first discovered that a child can behave differently in 1907 ( in her first school in Italy),  if proper 'development environment' is provided to him, everyone was surprised. She discovered that a 'child' can concentrate on an activity, not just for 10 minutes, but also for 30 minutes if proper activity is given to him. She found out that a child can also learn to have 'patience to wait', if the environment is primed for it. She discovered that a child can 'choose' his set of activities, if he is given appropriate practice to do so. She found out that a child of 4 can help other child of 3, if the children of his age are around him. In other words, with proper environment and scientific help ( done through Montessori method), a child can be helped to develop 'habits' that can prepare the foundation of his personality by the age of 6. Dr Montessori discovered that pre-school is the real school, where the foundation of child's personality is created.

Many parents in Italy could not believe what they saw in 1907. It took 50 years for American parents to learn that Montessori method is 'scientifically right'**. Even In India, Montessori schools are not known beyond Bangalore and Chennai, even when Dr Montessori was in India for 9 years from 1939.

I know that it is difficult to believe that a child can be developed till the age of 6. But do you want your child to miss an opportunity because you find it difficult to believe. Do you want your child to miss his  'development' because you could not understand the magic of child development? Do you want to blindly follow other parents and put your child in a play school, because you think that is the most a child can do ?

Or do you want to benefit from a 100-year old Montessori method of child development ? Do you want to learn more about Montessori method that can help your child grow 'better'? Do you want to take the 'pain and effort' to understand child development and help your child with your 'open eyes'?

However, if you want to give the best to your child, you will have to understand child development. Using  home grown recipes of child development will not help you any more. You will have to understand the magic of child development, by asking questions and verifying evidence. You cannot just rely on someone, because your child's future is at stake.

If you do not want to waste these 3 years of your child between 3 to 6 years of age, we can help you. 

** This book of Angelina Lillard ( Montessori Method: The science behind the genius ) explains why Montessori method works.

If you choose learning over development, schools will happily oblige

Raageshwari, a 4 year child studying in a Montessori school, had recently learnt the words which has 'ch' and 'sh' as one of the sound. That day, Raageshwari told her mother, who is a professor, what she learnt at school. In her eagerness to help her daughter,  Raageshwari's mother opened up a dictionary and started narrating words with 'ch' and 'sh' to Raageshwari. She asked  her daughter to write those words in her notebook. She listed out almost 24 words. Rageshwari got 23 right. Raageshwari's mother was very happy with her child's progress. Buoyed by her success, Raageshwari's mother started giving her new words every day whenever she was taught a new sound, say like 'sk'. Raageshwari's mother thought that she was helping her daughter ! **

While educating a child, especially a child less than 6 years of age, there always comes a time when there is a conflict between development (developing qualities in a child like concentration or willpower) and learning (such as learning English words, or counting numbers). And like Raageshwari's mother, we often (sometimes unknowingly) choose learning over development !

When traditional schools make the mistake of promoting learning at the cost of development, the mistake is 'understandable'. However, even when your child is in Montessori school ( which is development centric) you still have to be careful. Today's parents have to understand the trade-offs normally done in child's education, and not just blindly try to help their child that will 'undo' the 'development growth' of a Montessori child. 

Whenever i meet parents ( during my coaching sessions), they always tend to assume that ''development traits' can be fitted in a child like 'plug and fit' piece. They feel that child is like a toy-machine, whose 'development' mistake can be corrected anytime by just 'screwing the nut and bolt tighter'. For them, having a will-power is just a matter of resolve and serious intention. Ignorant of the arithmetic of development, most of the parents, such as Raageshwari's mother, just 'focus' on learning, instead of helping the child to 'practice will-power'. 

Raageshwari's mother came to know about her mistake only when Saritha, Montessori Adult (a teacher is called as Adult in a Montessori environment) called her to the school after a month.

Saritha asked her 'if there is something odd happening in the home'. When Raagheshwari's mother replied that everything was fine, Saritha looked surprised. She told Raageshwari's mother that lately she has observed a significant difference in her child's  behaviour. She told that Raageshwari has been constantly pestering Saritha for help, which was very unlike Raageshwari. 

For instance, when Saritha taught new sounds, Raageshwari kept on asking Saritha 'for words' instead of finding them by herself. Or when Raageshwari came  in the morning, she asked Saritha for direction of what should she do. When Raageshwari wanted to go for lunch, she came to Saritha to ask  for permission. When Raageshwari wanted to rest, she asked Saritha's permission. Saritha  was surprised to see that Raageshwari was unable to make simple choices. When Raageshwari's mother told Saritha on how she has been helping her daughter with words, Saritha understood the root cause of Raageshwari's behaviour.

Helping child to develop will-power requires a huge effort and attention to details. One of the component of willpower is to help the child practice making simple choices between seemingly similar alternatives. Montessori environment is carefully designed to confront the child in making choices by creating different scenarios. For instance, a child is encouraged to choose her own work from the 300 odd activities. Even if the child comes to the Adult to find what she should do, the Adult will simply tell the child " There are many activities that you have learnt. What would you like to do?'. Even if the child wants to rest and not do any work, the child is 'never asked why'. The child's choice is respected. ( Montessori environment also has a rest place for a child!) If the child wants to help others, she is indirectly encouraged because that makes the child 'independent'. In short, all seemingly simple decisions are 'pushed back' to the child so that the child  practices them repeatedly. Initially, a child will be nervous and keep on asking help from the adult; but slowly and surely, she learns to develops her ability to take these decisions. 

By helping Raageshwari to find more words, Raageshwari's mother unknowingly discouraged her daughter in finding her own words. This ready-made help prevented Raageshwari in using her own 'ability' to find more words on her own. She became dependent on her mother to find more words. This dependence became so 'habitual' to Raageshwari that she started finding it difficult to make even simple choices such as 'which activity to work in the morning' and so on. Slowly and surely, she started pushing her decisions on others, because these decisions invoke lot of anxiety in the child in the first place. 

Raageshwari's mother's unnecessary help to her daughter helped her learning of English words, but discouraged her ability to become independent. It took Saritha 3 months to correct the Raageshwari's development behaviour, because Saritha spotted the mistake early enough. It takes huge amount of effort and patience to develop such qualities in the children, but it can be 'undone' easily by such a 'small' mistake.

If you are a parent who is proud of your child's ability to recite a table of 9, instead of her ability to choose between green dress and blue dress, you are unknowingly making it difficult for your child to develop. If you are a parent who is proud of your child's ability to recount 30 words in a jiffy, instead of her ability to 'concentrate on her work for 10 minutes', you are unknowingly making it difficult for your child to 'develop'. Schools will be happy to help your child 'learn', instead of develop, because it is easier for them.

Please remember that a mistake in learning can be rectified easily even at a later age, but a development mistake becomes more and more and more difficult to rectify with passing age. Until parents understand the arithmetic of development, they will continue to make wrong decisions !

** Source of case: Dew Drops Montessori House of Children, Bangalore

Does Montessori offer too much freedom to a child?

One of  the parent, named Ashwin, who was invited in a Montessori school to observe his 3 1/2 year child for half an hour ( who was studying in the second year of a preschool Montessori house of  children) told me what he observed in the school:

My child was sitting in a mat. Did nothing for 5 minutes. Then he went and chose an activity of 'pouring grains'. Worked with it for 10 minutes. Did nothing for next 15 minutes. He seem to be watching some other child's activity. No adult came to suggest him or even ask him why the child is sitting idle. 

I can understand that the child should be given 'freedom'. But doesn't the child misuse the freedom?

Based on 30 minutes of observation, would you react like Ashwin? Even when we go for work, we chat, we engage in banter, and we also work hard. So can we expect children to 'work hard' all the time like Ashwin?

Remember, in Montessori House, the child is engaged in 'work-activity' and therefore goes through four different periods of Engagement, Relaxation, Activity preparation and Assimilation phase (where the child recapitulates the activity and absorbs it in her psyche) as he works. In a Montessori House, it is therefore observed that every child goes through these four periods in a cyclical manner, repeated 2/3 times in a day.

Therefore, only when one is aware of what the child has been doing, one can make realistic assessment of the child's 'engagement' or 'idleness'. Even 'pouring grains' is supposed to be a 'relaxation' activity for a  3 1/2 year old child, although it was a challenging engagement for a child of 2 1/2 year old child when he learnt it first. It is therefore imprudent to conclude anything from a snap shot of 30 minutes ( or even one hour) without knowing the full context.

This however does not answer Ashwin's question: does the child misuse the freedom: the freedom to work or not, the freedom to choose the type of work?

Does the child misuse the freedom in a Montessori House of Children?

In a Montessori, a child is never seen to misuse this freedom . Quite the contrary, it is observed that the freedom given to a child generates many intended and unintended consequences, all of which are surprisingly positive: the child develops his own will power to choose his own activity, learns to thwart other attention-diverting distractions, practices self-discipline without being told.

However, Montessorians also observe that a child sometimes misuses 'freedom' to avoid doing a 'challenging' activity. For instance, a Montessorian will notice that when a child is introduced to a new challenging activity, which is just above the threshold level of his 'capability', the child will tend to avoid that activity for a while. Such activities could be learning addition through snake exercise, or forming words by phonetic analysis of sound such as milk or cat.

The Montessorian is trained to observe this 'resistance' and not 'react' to it. She gives the child enough 'time' to 'readjust' her expectations. Only after the child refuses to 'overcome' the resistance on her own, will she gently prod the child. She may even 'repeat' the presentation of the activity. She uses various indirect ways to prod the child back on course without damaging the child's delicate sense of confidence.

Because of the mixed age grouping ( 3-6 year old are in one group) in a Montessori, a parent will observe that young children spend considerable time in watching the activities of older children. A Montessorian will never discourage this 'watching activity', because this is how a child gets interested in newer challenging activities. While observing someone else, she is also gaining the 'confidence' that she will also do it in the same way when she grows up.

Due to the mixed age grouping, a parent will also observe another occurrence in a Montessori House of Children. She will see that a young child will call an older child to 'evaluate' his activity, and not go to the Montessori Adult. Very often this is confusing to the parent. They feel that an older child may misguide the younger child. On the contrary, it is observed that an older child can point out 'mistakes' in a younger child far more directly ( it may look ruthless if done by the adult) and in a fashion that is far more easy to correct. 

Is Montessori method meant for mentally challenged children only?

A well-read parent asked me this question last week ' If Montessori method is meant for mentally disadvantaged children, is it really useful for normal child?' I think this (misleading) perception has got formed in the public psyche due to two reasons.

One, it is because of Dr Montessori's background in psychiatry and her initial successful experiment with mentally challenged children. After studying medicine, she was working as an assistant to a Professor of Psychiatry in the University of Rome. In order to cure the mentally challenged children, she worked with these children because she felt that what they needed was not medicines, but developmental treatment. She worked for two years with these children.

When these mentally challenged schoolchildren were evaluated at the end of two years, they were evaluated by the same examination that was given to normal children. Many of these children fared better than normal children in the exams. This brought Dr Montessori’s work to the limelight. She was called a ‘miracle worker’.

However, after doing this,  she turned her attention to the development of normal children. She writes, “Thanks to the education of mentally defective, one could imagine an approach to education which is radically different from the traditional method of education”. (*)Her work with mentally challenged children helped her understand the difficulties and obstacles that were faced by normal children in the course of their development. She found that the normal methods of educating children did not help child’s development, but instead distorted development of normal children.

Dr Montessori in the first of her school

She enrolled as a student of philosophy to understand the principles of education. She worked on perfecting her method for next 7 years ( 2000-2007). She used the theories of two renowned educationist, Dr Itard ( who is called the founder of scientific education, in contrast to Binet who is considered the founder of physiological psychology) and Dr Seguin ( who perfected the system for physically challenged children). She started her first school for normal children in 1907 on these principles and later perfected this system with constant observation and experimentation.

Second reason for the above misleading perception is due to the emphasis on 'movement' in Montessori education method. Movement is also used extensively for educating physically & mentally  challenged children today.

Unlike traditional schooling, where a child is taught through 'verbal instruction' and 'blackboard', Montessori method is based on 'individual work by the child through his/her own activity'. Today, psychologists (**) agree that this educational method is the best method for any child. It is ideal for a child 3-6 years old, because the child at this age learns everything through the use of his 'coordinated movement directed by will' as his intelligence is still developing.

Conclusion

Although Dr Montessori had her initial foray in education with mentally challenged children, she had to develop educational method for normal children right from scratch, after understanding the basic principles of scientific education. Educationist and psychologists today have found substantial evidence to confirm that Montessori method is ideal for developing normal children. And , as they say, the best proof of pudding is in eating. If you meet any Montessori child of 5 year old, you can yourself 'feel' the difference of Montessori method first-hand!


* Maria Montessori: The discovery of child
** For more details, read this  book: Angelina Lillard, " Montessori, the science behind Genius" 

Is Play school useful for your child?

Many parents prefer to put their child of 3 year old in a play school instead of regular nursery school, because they think that school will take away their innocence and joy of childhood. Parents tend to be more comfortable seeing children engage in dramatic or fantasy play, interpreting this as creative and imaginative.

Play schools look good because play is a freeing of the spirit and mind in a spontaneous interaction with something or someone and it often includes laughter and movement, both of which are valuable for a child. Because play involves games and interacting with each other ( or with an activity), play does tend to help a child in hastening the coordinating of his body muscles with his senses. This itself is an important accomplishment that helps the child to develop the necessary independence and mobility that takes him further on the path of developing his ‘personality’; or rather the foundation of his personality. In this way, play school is better than a typical nursery school for the child's development.

Although Play is very useful for a child’s development, it only helps your child partially. Having helped him build his body coordination, if you take one more step, you will be able to help your child ‘develop’ the foundation of his personality. Imagine if you can give some ‘activity’ to your child, which engages his hand, body and mind, and through that ‘activity’ the child ‘develops’ some traits in himself, such as concentration and patience, what would you like to do? This is done in Montessori school.

Like play, Montessori school also engages your child in an activity ( not in a lesson!). But there is a difference between Montessori activity ( which is called ‘work’ in the language of Montessori) and play activity. Because Montessori material is scientifically designed, a child faces ‘variety’ of challenges in performing an activity with the material. This motivates the child in repeating activity numerous times. And because the child repeats this activity alone, it fosters development of concentration. 

This early habit of concentration is critical for the development of child, because it enables child to use his latent potential fully. Many parents do not have any idea of the importance of developing this concentration early; due to which parents unknowingly discourage the development of child. Instead of waiting for the child to perform a challenging task, like opening a lock with key, parents have a tendency to interrupt child, offering unneeded help as soon as a child struggles to overcome an obstacle. This is avoided if the child is put in a Montessori school. Montessori school, by engaging your child through an activity, which is natural for him, not only builds his  body coordination ( which is what play school achieves), but also goes one step ahead and develops the foundation of his personality.

A child learning 1-10 numbers through an activity in a Montessori school

If there is no Montessori school in your vicinity, when is the play school beneficial? As mentioned above, play activities are beneficial, because they help body coordination, which is necessary for 3-5 year old child. Play school is helpful when it has activities that can be played individually as well as in group.  Play school is useful if it avoids too much of 'sensorial activation' ( excessive use of colours and sounds) and instead design activities that present 'increasing challenges' for a child. Parents also have a belief that play school promotes social skill. This is misleading. Please read what is social skill and why it is difficult to develop. Morever, as the child also 'absorbs' like a sponge during this age, it may be useful if you engage your child in a proper home study instead of sending him to a nursery school after 4 years.

Here it is worth mentioning about the usefulness of video and computer game in developing a child of 3-5 years. Video and computer games do not help the child in body coordination. Moreever, they cause 'unintended consequences' in the development of child through its overdose of 'sensorial activation'. Due to use of senses, video and computer games attract child repeatedly, unconsciously discouraging child in taking up challenging tasks and activities. This habit of avoiding challenging tasks can sometimes prove detrimental to the development of child.