Thinkers of Education is a unit which focuses on educators. In this unit, you will learn how to prepare teaching and learning materials and environment in school.

1. 9.1 Introduction.....................................................................................
9.2 Objectives .......................................................................................
9.3 Maria Montessori (1870–1952) ......................................................
9.3.1 Maria Montessori’s Method and Philosophy......................
9.3.2 Prepared Environment ........................................................
9.3.3 Freedom in Education.........................................................
9.3.4 Movement in Education......................................................
9.3.5 Sensory Education and Music.............................................
9.3.6 Intellectual Education .........................................................
9.4 Friedrich Froebel (1852–1982) the Birth of Kindergarten .............
9.4.1 Frobel’s Philosophy ............................................................
9.4.2 Frobel’s Concept and Aims of Education...........................
9.4.3 Frobel’s Kindergarten .........................................................
9.4.4 Methods of Teaching in the Kindergarten ..........................
9.4.5 Role of Teacher...................................................................
9.4.6 Inclusion of Nature Study in Curriculum............................
9.4.7 Contribution of Froebel to Educational Theory and Practice
9.5 Helen Parkhurst (1887–1973) Dolton Plan.....................................
9.5.1 Parkhurst’s Philosophy .......................................................
9.5.2 Parkhursts Dolton Plan .......................................................
9.5.3 Principles of Dalton Plan ....................................................
9.5.4 Curriculum..........................................................................
9.5.5 Homework...........................................................................
9.5.6 Similarities & Differences between Montessori & Dalton Plan

2. Early childhood
(2-6 years old)
Developing particular way of
thinking, being, knowing and
acting.
Establishing relationships with
others and the environment.
This unit focuses on:
 the thinkers of early
childhood education.
 the theoretical
perspectives.

3. After our presentation, you will be able to:
1) Understandthe Montessori systemof early childhood
education.
2) Recognize basic elements of Frobel system.
3) ExplainFriere’s Daltonplan.
4) And Evaluate the background and usefulnessof
critical thinking pedagogy.

4. Biography and facts
• Born: August 31, 1870, Chiaravalle, near Ancona, Italy.
• Died: May 6, 1952, Noordwijk aan Zee, Netherlands
• Family: middle-class with well-educated parents.
• Education: First Italian woman graduated in medicine from
the University of Rome in 1896.
• Work experiences:
1899 – 1901: a director of the State Orthophrenic School of
Rome
1896 – 1906: a chair in hygiene at a women’s college in Rome
1900 – 1907: a lecturer in pedagogy at the University of
Rome
1904 – 1908: a chair in anthropology, also studied philosophy,
psychology, and education
• Founder: The first "Casa Dei Bambini" or the "Children's
House“ ( a preschool for children) in 1907 and then
established over fifty countries.

5. Children's need for independence, for self-
confidence as adequate people, for control over
their own impulses and emotions and a natural
curiosity and desire to learn.
The foundation of Maria Montessori's approach
is respect for the child as a worthy individual,
occupied with the task of developing himself
into a mature human adult.
She observed in young children a phenomenon
she called the "absorbent mind."
Children learn without force.

6. Definition
Montessori is a special way for
children and adults to be
together.
Every aspect of the experience
is planned to help children
become confident, capable,
creative, caring and happy people
who are a delight to be with.
Roles of Teacher
All activities are carefully
planned to make it easy for
children to become that special
person each child can be.
Teachers are called
directress.
The role of teacher is to
remind children in doing
activities.
Also to gently direct and
guide children in their
activities.
Children learn by exploring
throughout variety of materials.
Learning Process
They quickly learn to examine a problem
carefully, seeking the possibilities and
discovering the solution.
At an early age the child discovers
the scientist's delight in solving
problems, the mathematician's
delight in playing with patterns, the
artist's delight in creation, the
sociologist's and psychologist's
delight in understanding people and
the leaders delight in getting things
done with people.

7. “The most important period of life is not the age of university studies
but the period from birth to age six.“ (According to Montessori)
Commonly accepted conception: at the age of 4, the individual develops
50% of his/her mature intelligence; from ages 4 to 8 another 30%.
During these sensitive periods, it is easier for the child to
acquire particular skills than at any other time in his/her life.
The Montessori classroom allows each child freedom to select
activities which correspond to his or her own periods of
interest and readiness.
Today the importance of the formative first six years of life is common
knowledge. During this time a child becomes fully a member of their
particular culture and family group, absorbing language, attitudes,
manners, values, of those in which he or she comes in daily contact.
In the first six years of life, every
child learns and grows to the limit
of his abilities by imitating people
around him.
To support this need we must
carefully prepare the physical and
social environment, provide tools
that enable the child to work to
create himself, watch for those
first tentative moments of
concentration, and get out of the
way, following the child as his
path unfolds.

8. According to Dr. Maria Montessori, “A child's work is to create the person she/he will become.” Children are
born with special mental powers which aid in the work of their own construction.
Montessori’s
philosophy
Sensitive Period Planes of Development
• During this time that child can most
easily master a particular learning
skill.
• Teachers’ responsibility is to recognize
these periods in individual children
and put them in touch with the
appropriate materials in the
classroom environment.
• First plane (birth - 6): the child is characterised
by his or her 'absorbent mind', absorbing all
aspects of his or her environment, language
and culture.
• Second plane (6 - 12): the child uses a 'reasoning
mind' to explore the world with abstract thought
and imagination.
• Third plane (12 - 18): the adolescent has a
'humanistic mind' eager to understand humanity
and the contribution he or she can make to
society.
• The last plane (18 – 24): the adult explores the
world with a 'specialist mind' taking his or her
place in the world.

9. Dr. Montessori (1972) stated that in order for the child to
develop, two factors must be present.
One factor is a prepared environment that looks after the child’s
physical health as well as the spiritual life.
The second factor is the ability of the child to move freely in his/her
environment where there can be found constructive activities for the
child’s development.
These two factors allow the child to learn and enjoy more fully such
things as: movement in education, sensory education and music, and
intellectual education.

10. • Dr. Maria Montessori (1966) stated that “[a]n adult environment
is not a suitable environment for children” (p. 109).
• Montessori (1912) stated that in order for children to develop
properly, it is necessary to reduce all obstacles around them
to a minimum.
• This included creating the right environment for children indoors
and outdoors.
• For example, the office sized furniture pieces originally placed in
the schoolhouse were too big and too heavy for the little
children.
• Dr. Montessori designed and had manufactured little
furniture such as chairs, tables, washstands and cupboards
that preschool children could use easily.
For the outdoors Dr. Montessori designed
playgrounds and gardens with varieties of
trees and flowers, pathways for children to
take walks, small benches to sit on, and
objects such as hoops to play with.

11. • The child is free to choose an activity within a prepared environment.
• The child is free to choose a place where to perform the work within
that prepared environment. For example, sit on a chair or use a
carpeted floor.
• The adult is able to work on the activity until its completion
regardless of the time it takes.
• A child to freely walk around and get a new activity when he/she so
desires, and “greatest” of all, it means freedom to observe another
child and learn by observing.
• Freedom in education for Montessori was very important since the
child needed to develop into a fully grown human and be able to
take his/her place in society.
“Education must foster both the
development of individuality and
that of society. Society cannot
develop unless the individual
develops, as we learn from
observing. Most of our actions
would have no reason for being
if there were no other people
around us, and we do most of
the things we do because we live
in association with others”
(Montessori, 1972, p. 65).

12. Indoor
activities
Children are taught to
walk gracefully.
e.g. walk in a circle
Outdoor
activities
Play outdoor – keep healthy,
grow
Be active – bones and
muscles develop.
Use free games – ball, hoops,
kites,…
Use educational gymnastics –
taking care of plants and
animals.
Hand-activity
involvement
learn to undress and dress
themselves
Learn to hang out garments
on hook.
Learn to wash their hands and
comb their hair.
Using
genuine
Utensils &
objectives
Children use many
educational activities
and tools to develop
themselves into adult.
e.g. children practice
buttoning.

13. Sensory
Education
Music
Develop fine
sensitivity in
children
fingertips
e.g. children touch a variety
of materials such as linen,
cotton, velvet, and silk.
Eye training
e.g. Children’s eyes are trained to
recognize the basic colours and a
variety of shades of each colour.
Recognizing
between silence
and sound
Teaching music by
listening to the
sound and
reading music
e.g. She had two sets of bells one lined up in order
according to the musical scale, the other set was in a
mixed up order. The children would pick up each bell
from the first set, ring it and listen carefully. They
would have then tried to match up the second set to
the first one.
Once the children were able to line up the bells in
order, Dr. Montessori would teach the children to
read music. She would place a large paper with the
musical scale above the bells, and have the name of
each musical note written right under it.

14. Dr. Montessori’s
teaching method
Touch the letters
made of wood
Touch the letters
with a wooden rod
Placing shapes of continents
set into wooden boards
(Geography)
rods and beads
(Mathematics)
geometric objects
(Geometry)

15. 4
Friedrich Frobel (1852-1982)
the Birth of Kindergarten

16. 4.1 Frobel’s Philosophy
 Froebel’s philosophy is of absolute
idealism.
 To Froebel, play provided the means
for a child’s intellectual, social,
emotional and physical
development. Froebel believed that
the education of a child began at
birth, and that parents and teachers
played a crucial role in helping
children in this activity.

17. 4.2 Frobel’s Concept and Aims of Education
The aims of education, Froebel
wants all-round development of
the individual child. It is in this
way, the child will develop into a
good citizen.

18. 4.3 Frobel’s Kindergarten
Self Activity
Give joy, freedom, contentment and
peach of mind.
Creativeness
Child is creative by nature.
Social participation
human is essentially a social animal
by nature.
 The chief characteristics of kindergarten are:

19. 4.4 Method of Teaching in the Kindergarten
1. Teaching through Songs
2. Teaching Through Gifts & Occupations
3. Teaching Through Play

20. 4.5 Role of Teacher
Discipline
Emphasis on
Sense-Training
Play-Way in
Education

21. 4.6 Inclusion of Nature Study in Curriculum
Frobel’s main aim of including subject of nature in the
school curriculum was moral and religious uplift of the child, by
coming into contact with nature.
So, we can conclude by saying that Froebel’s Kindergarten
system aims at the complete development of the individual
child.

22. 4.7 Contribution of Froebel to Educational
Theory and Practice
 Emphasis on Nursery Education
 Respect for the Child’s Individuality
 Self-Activity in Education
 Leaning Through Arts and Crafts
 Sociological Aspect of Education

23. 9.5 Helen Parkhurst (1887 – 1973) – Dolton Plan
Reason Why Helen Parkhurst created Educational Model:

24. 9.5.1 Parkhurst’s Philosophy

25. 9.5.2 Parkhurst’s Dolton Plan
A. House B. Assignment C. Laboratory

26. 9.5.3 Principles of Dolton Plan

27. 9.5.4 Curriculum

28. 9.5.5 Homework

29. 9.5.6 Similar & Difference of Montessori & Dolton Plan
A. Teacher’s role is greater than teacher in Montessori Method.
B. Parkhurst believed on activity to motivate and discipline people effectively.
Montessori depended on natural development.
C. Teacher created assignment for student development.
Montessori used the material to develop the students as well.