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AGE 3-6+ EARTH:
Introduction
Motor-sensorial experiences
The solar system
Globes and puzzle maps
Land forms
Ecology
Science experiments
Lessons
Reprinted from:
Child of the World, Essential Montessori for Age three to Twelve
ISBN: 1-879264-11-0
I live in heaven. My home
is a sphere that turns around the sun. It is called Earth. —Dr.
Maria Montessori, MD
MOTOR-SENSORIAL EXPERIENCES
We do not give long verbal explanations since the
child is at the motor sensorial period of life. Not until the age of six
or seven when the imagination reaches beyond the limits of the senses, does
the child prefer explanations over hands-on experiences.
At this age we give what are called sensorial keys—rocks, globes, puzzle
maps, and land forms, pictures of the sun, moon, planets, and a few constellations
and cloud formations (and only the most simple commentary) to go along with
the experience of these materials.
It is not until the age of six and beyond, when the child has a different
kind of mental approach to learning, which is centered around the imagination,
that we give explanations and details about subjects which must be studied
with the imagination, such as the history of the solar system, and the inside
of the earth, and so forth.
GLOBES AND PUZZLE MAPS
A globe is probably one of the most important pieces of
material to have in the home. The past and present meet when we look for
countries where plants or literature originated (the tulips from the mountains
of Asia by way of Holland, the Bible from the Middle East, for example).
A globe can be referred to in a moment when friends send a postcard during
a trips, or when different countries are in the news. When we eat rice
with chopsticks, or tacos, or hear Irish music on the radio, we can show
the child where these things came from.
Puzzle maps give practice in recognizing the shapes of continents and
oceans. They combine the child's need for movement and shape recognition
with developing awareness of the earth.
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ECOLOGY
This is not the age for focusing on all of the problems
which are besetting Earth. Children at this age naturally feel a oneness
with all of creation and it can cause pain or a shutting-down to tell
them of problems too early. Instead we focus on their love—of beauty,
and of caring for objects and of knowledge and language. We give them
the sensorial experiences of rocks, land forms, oceans, clouds, stars,
lakes, and the visual and tactile possibilities to work with them by means
of puzzle maps. And then we give the names. All of this experience and
knowledge leads to a natural concern and responsibility at a later age
because children "love what they know."
LESSONS
Although videos and television have their place, they are
not the best way to learn at this age. Imagine the difference between
standing on a hill, with the wind in your face, watching the sun go down
at the end of the day—and watching a sunset on a TV screen. Young
children are learning with all of their senses, and experiences that are
multi-sensorial stay with them for a lifetime.
Successful lessons consist in a quiet demonstration of a piece of material—a
puzzle, an experiment, which can be carried out by the child at will as
many times as there is interest. Modern brain research shows that young
children use the visual and auditory parts of the brain at different times.
Demonstrating and explaining an activity at the same time interrupts the
ability to concentrate and focus. Dr. Montessori did not know of this
brain research, but she observed over and over the difference between
the attention of a child who is being shown a lesson silently, and one
who was being asked to listen and watch at the same time
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© Copyright Michael Olaf, 2004
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INTRODUCTION
It is not enough for the teacher
to restrict herself to loving and understanding the child; she must first
love and understand the universe. —Maria Montessori
Interest in and love for the study of astronomy, earth, ecology, physics,
and chemistry can all begin now when the child is the most interested
in new experiences, when she literally absorbs everything in the environment.
The first lessons about Earth come from nature—experiences of the
sun and wind, playing in sand and water and mud, seeing the sun rise and
set, watching the stars at night, visiting the seashore, and from the
child’s own collections of rocks and minerals, visiting the seashore,
and from the child's own collections of rocks and minerals.
THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Because the most logical way to present information is
from the general to the specific, we give the child at this age a sensorial
experience of the solar system with simple mobiles and puzzles, then of
the earth with globes, puzzle maps, pictures, and books. Even in the bedrooms
and classrooms of the very youngest children infant we find solar mobiles
and rock collections.
LAND FORMS
Children love to dig and pile sand—forming islands,
lakes, peninsulas, capes, and other land and water forms, at the beach,
out of sand or mud. In class they form clay land and water forms in small
pie pans. They enjoy knowing the names and pouring water and maybe floating
little homemade walnut-shell boats on the water.
SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS
The earth was formed by principles inherent in simple physics
and chemistry experiments. We give these experiments to children now in
a motor-sensorial way. This is not the time for a lot of words and explanations.
Instead we place in the environment simple science materials for the child
to play/work with as much as she desires, in that way absorbing the basic
principles which will lead to later interest and study of earth sciences.
Children at this age love working with water, magnets, batteries, candles,
and other real physics materials, each a key to a basic physical law.
One experiment usually found in 3-6 classrooms is called simply "sink
and float." For this experiment, we have a tray containing a box
of objects, a vinyl mat or small towel to work on, a clear glass bowl,
a pitcher for bringing water to fill the bowl, a bucket for taking the
water to the sink when the work is finished, and a small cloth for drying
everything when the experiment is finished. We show the child how to carefully
place one object into the water, and to observe if it sinks or floats.
We make one group, on one side of the bowl of those objects which sink
and another, on the other side, objects which float.
We do not talk or explain this phenomenon from an adult point of view,
we give no labels or language, but let the child ponder, and repeat the
experiment whenever she is interested. It is not uncommon for the child
to carry out the activity, carefully dry everything, repeat and repeat
these steps, as a deep and private understanding of the physics principle
grows in her. It is only after the child has had some experience that
we introduce the terms "sink" and "float" if the child
does not know them yet.
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ART AND LANGUAGE
One of the most important elements of the learning process
is the ability to express what one has begun to understand through art,
music, language, or in some other tangible way.
Children love to create original art connected to puzzle maps, and the
easiest time to learn the names of colors, shapes, continents, oceans,
rivers, etc. is before age six, when a child wants to handle everything
and learn what everything in his environment is called.
Many of us have been astounded at the young child's ability to learn the
names of continents, countries, flags, land forms, kinds of dinosaurs,
kinds of dogs, etc. This is not surprising as the child under the age
of six is in the strongest "sensitive period" for learning language
he will ever experience. This child will learn thousands of words if he
has a sensorial experience for them.
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TEXT
- To return to the Child of the World main page of
the philosophy and practice text, go to: michaelolaf.net/
/1CWhome.html
PRODUCTS - For "Age
3-6+ Earth" products, go to: michaelolaf.com/1CW36earth.html
The products selected by the Michael Olaf Montessori
staff are very different from those commonly available for children. They
are made of natural materials whenever possible; they are beautiful; they
meet an important developmental need; and they have proven themselves
over the years, or have been well-tested to meet the highest standards.
Products which support this section of Child of the World, Essential Montessori
for Age Three to Twelve, include: 3-6+ earth/physics curriculum, universe
books, solar system floor puzzle and poster, glow-in-the-dark constellation
book, constellation overlays, floor globe, compasses, continent cards,
land form pans, clay, and cards, geography books, tiny globe, rock
matching sets, books on rocks and minerals, and rock collecting, two magnifiers,
weather books and posters, weather stick, magnets and magnet book, electric
circuit, electricity book, glass prism, science books.
If you would like to order a copy of Child of the
World to read at your leisure, and to share with non-internet friends
and associates, please see http://www.michaelolaf.net/ordering.html
Return to the Michael Olaf home pages:
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