Montessori: Flaming Ball of Imagination

“Human consciousness comes into the world as a flaming ball of imagination

Everything invented by human beings, physical or mental, is the fruit of someone’s imagination. 

In the study of history and geography we are helpless without imagination, and when we propose to introduce the universe to the child, what but the imagination can be of use to us? 

I consider it a crime to present such subjects as may be noble and creative aids to the imaginative faculty in such a manner as to deny its use, and on the other hand to require children to memorize that which they have not been able to visualize . . ."

 (Maria Montessori, To Educate the Human Potential)


Thoughts: 
"not been able to visualize" -
      we want the children to visual the truths of the world around them, a solid foundation before age 6, so that in the elementary years they can truly test those realities and ask those "what if" questions on a much deeper level than if they had to spend their entire childhoods sorting out truth from fiction.


No comments:

Post a Comment