Let me start by saying I really don’t know much about Montessori yet. The things I do know, I pretty much like. A lot. The idea of helping a child learn and grow and become their own, unique person excites me. The thought of using simple toys to teach rather than mass-market toys that mostly just entertain fills me with joy.
However, I just read this part of a Montessori book:
We are concerned that, far from aiding hand development, extensive use of computers by young children may retard it.
- Montessori From The Start, P.P. Lillard & L.L. Jessen, p65, Schocken 2003.
Granted, they qualify this sentence with the word “extensive,” but nowhere in the hand and brain development chapter of this book do they suggest using computers in the education of young children (under three years).
My opinion on that is this. WHAT? Computers are an intrinsic part of the modern world, whether we are working or playing. While I’m sure it is possible to work and play and lead a satisfying life without computers, there are so many more opportunities available to a person who has computer skills. Assuming that is correct, and that we want to give our children as many opportunities as we can, then shouldn’t we introduce children to computers right from the start?
The Montessori argument for no computers roughly goes that children should develop motor skills and intellect together, hand in hand. Children should run and jump and move physical objects with their hands, improving manual and mental dexterity together.
While I think that sounds nice, I think it is slightly old-fashioned. Just as legal definitions of “property” have changed from past to present to encompass intangible intellectual property, educational theories must change to encompass new ways to learn. Manipulating objects is great when physical objects are all you have, but when you have virtual objects, they need to be a part of the curriculum, too. You can’t ignore something because it doesn’t fit your previous idea. You create a new idea.
Without making this a very long post, I am simply disappointed that Montessori itself doesn’t seem to know how to learn.
