At the core of the Montessori philosophy is the understanding that all people have an innate set of human tendencies which exist from birth and continue to motivate human development and behavior for the remainder of an individual’s life. In guiding the child on their journey of self-construction, having an intimate understanding of the Montessori Human Tendencies and how they operate within the child supports us as parents and guides in identifying the child’s needs. The Montessori Human Tendencies serve as a framework to guide us in effectively preparing an environment for learning that can reliably depend on the spontaneous activity of the child – just as Dr. Montessori intended. Learn what the human tendencies are, how to effectively assess them and how they can translate into the prepared environment.
In this video
Lynda Apostol explains the human tendencies, the inner drives present from birth that shape how children explore and learn. For parents and teachers, they are a way to read a child's behavior as a clue to what that child needs. The talk also covers the sensitive periods, phases when a child is drawn to one thing again and again. Questions include a child who lines up all his toys, when a child is ready for handwriting or the solar system, and whether a ready-made curriculum counts as Montessori.
Chapters
- 0:00 Welcome and who Lynda Apostol is
- 2:36 What the human tendencies are and why they matter
- 7:25 Exploration, orientation, order and work
- 10:54 Repetition, precision, imagination and communication
- 17:04 The four planes of development from birth to 24
- 24:09 Sensitive periods and why they only come once
- 27:22 When kids are ready for handwriting and the solar system
- 31:28 From observation to action: a child who lines up his toys
- 34:36 Meeting orientation and order: grace and courtesy, routines
- 39:19 Exploration, modeling communication and work variations
- 43:32 Clutter-free spaces and why a curriculum isn't Montessori
