Chennai: Montessori method in Corp schools

Chennai, July 6: The very first class for the tiny tots, chapter one 'Mat Folding': the teacher picks up a mat very slowly, gently keeps it down and following a well found methodology, she unfolds it.

Sounds strange, but this is said to be one of the most effective methods of teaching--The Montessori Method of Teaching.

Very rarely do adults look into 'what the child really needs'! The recent introduction of the Montessori Method of Teaching in Chennai Corporation Schools can be seen as an attempt towards this end.

With a strength of about 22 children below three years of age, one such Anganwadi is run in a humble set-up in the Chennai Corporation High School premises. Social Welfare Minister Poongothai had inaugurated the project, for which Rotary Governor J B Kamdar would sponsor the special equipment for this purpose.

A Montessori classroom is called ''children's house'' and treats them as individuals, respecting their needs and talents. The child-sized cupboards of the classroom have been filled with toys not just dolls and balls.

The introductory session involves preliminary exercises. This focuses on the child's identification with size, shapes and colours.

Here the child chooses its own 'toy' and after 'working' with it he/she keeps it back.

''We will never say children are playing but working,'' says Shalini Modi, a Montessori expert.

The Montessori classroom consists of four areas - Practical Life, Sensorial, Language and Mathematics. Exercises of Practical Life include things we do at home such as pouring water in a glass, using a spoon, cutting vegetables with a knife and folding a mat. The sensorial part helps to sharpen the senses, increase the attention span, hand-eye co-ordination and tenacity. The expertise in language involves with solid blocks of letters. While they play with it, they feel the shape and gradually become aquainted with it.

And the fourth is Mathematics, which becomes a friendly area for the child through various games and puzzles.

''My children used to love to go to school even on Sundays and in higher standards, they proved to have very sharp intellect besides having neat handwriting,'' says Manjula a parent about the Montessori method.

''They take care of my child properly and I am happy to see my child more focused and centred than earlier,'' asserts another.

One aspect of this method is that the children are not punished.

But how do they manange the naughty ones? ''We find out why they are naughty,'' says Vishnupriya an expert. ''They resort to distorted behaviour when their performance is below their actual level of talent. We observe them and help them to reach up to that level.'' The method emphasises on the use of three fingers - thumb, index finger and the middle finger which helps them develop neat hand writing.

''The system allows their innate abilities to develop and flourish through a child-centred environment. Teachers are facilitators who observe the child from a distance and provide guidance if they need,'' says Uma Shankar of Indian Montessori Centre, Chennai, institution which trains the Montessori teachers. ''I found the children coming out of Montessori schools very productive, focused, clean and cheerful,'' says Shushi Natraj of Innerwheel Club of Madras, one among those who took initiative to sponsor this programme.

The specially trained teacher Ms Ramayi is affected with polio.

But her dedication to work is simply amazing.

The Indian Montessori Centre with headquarters in Bangalore is chaired by B V A Rao. The Centre's Secretary General Meenakshi Shivaramakrishnan monitors and supports the training programmes in Chennai. The aim of the establishment is to propagate the Montessori philosophy and methodology throughout the country.

The system was developed by the Italian educator Maria Montessori in the late 19th century. Ms Montessori visited India in the 1935-45 period to popularise her new method.

''I would love to implement this in all the schools. This is wonderful,'' said Shalini while bidding adieu.

While all of us cry wild at our inefficient education system, this might prove to be an effective alternative to bring back those human values which we think we are losing.

UNI