The Planes of Development
Dr Montessori identifies four planes of development. Describe these. Discuss their importance to the educator?
Montessori was a product of the historical past and inherited the intellectual and progressive tradition in education from Rousseau, Pestalozzi and Frobel. From these inspirations Montessori took this inheritance of ideas and developed them further. During her lifetime she discovered and formulated original ideas about child development through her observation of the child. Montessori developed a teaching system that aided life unfolding. Montessori believed that education is no longer the imparting of knowledge but that guide the child in his self – construction and development. “ The Montessori programme facilitates this self – construction so that the child become an effective cosmic agent”(1) Many of Montessori views today are in close agreement with cognitive psychological theory as to how children develop. Montessori based her educational system on her theory that the child from birth to maturity moves through the four stages in his development.
Each plane sees the completion of a distinct stage, with a different kind of person emerging at the end of each, with different needs. This development is a series of rebirths. Montessori defined the four stages as planes of development giving each plane a different name, Model – Kinder, Age of Serenity, Erdre – Kinder and Age of Happiness. Each plane lasts six years. It is obvious that the child passes through sequential stages of growth, physically and psychological before reaching maturity. Each of the planes of development follows the other, and none can be omitted. A child at the beginning of any plane is insecure in himself. The individual in each stage needs to interact with his environment. The child needs new material and freedom in the prepared environment, to manipulate, explore and work with the material. In each of the planes the human tendencies guide the child, focusing him on different
Montessori was a product of the historical past and inherited the intellectual and progressive tradition in education from Rousseau, Pestalozzi and Frobel. From these inspirations Montessori took this inheritance of ideas and developed them further. During her lifetime she discovered and formulated original ideas about child development through her observation of the child. Montessori developed a teaching system that aided life unfolding. Montessori believed that education is no longer the imparting of knowledge but that guide the child in his self – construction and development. “ The Montessori programme facilitates this self – construction so that the child become an effective cosmic agent”(1) Many of Montessori views today are in close agreement with cognitive psychological theory as to how children develop. Montessori based her educational system on her theory that the child from birth to maturity moves through the four stages in his development.
Each plane sees the completion of a distinct stage, with a different kind of person emerging at the end of each, with different needs. This development is a series of rebirths. Montessori defined the four stages as planes of development giving each plane a different name, Model – Kinder, Age of Serenity, Erdre – Kinder and Age of Happiness. Each plane lasts six years. It is obvious that the child passes through sequential stages of growth, physically and psychological before reaching maturity. Each of the planes of development follows the other, and none can be omitted. A child at the beginning of any plane is insecure in himself. The individual in each stage needs to interact with his environment. The child needs new material and freedom in the prepared environment, to manipulate, explore and work with the material. In each of the planes the human tendencies guide the child, focusing him on different