ABOUT THE COURSE
An IMTC diploma is respected for its intricacy in interweaving the Montessori philosophy with the life of every trainee student.
This course enables one to understand the child of the age 6 years to 12 years ( the second plane of development) as a whole being. The child in this developmental plane has unique characteristics different from the previous and latter. These deeper perspectives of the child will be revealed through the course, giving oneself enough opportunities to revel, debate, discuss and arrive at an understanding which will transform one’s belief into a way of life.
The hands on experience with the material and observations of the children are the unique aspects of the course that helps every trainee have a firm hold on the methodology. Learning the concepts practically and layering them with every other discipline to look at it holistically gives them a clear understanding of the implementation of Cosmic education for the children of the second plane of development. The trainees are thus capable of establishing conducive environments for the children where learning becomes a natural bi-product of their explorations.
It is spread over one year
The students are given a foundation of the essence of the Primary course, which helps them understand the child who comes in to the elementary environment. The contents of the Elementary course are interwoven across various disciplines based on the design that Dr. Montessori envisioned for the child of 6 to 12 years of age called “Cosmic Education”.
Subjects and some of the major topics dealt with are:
Geography - This encompasses the study of evolution of the earth, its constitution, physical geography - the phenomenon that prevail the earth- air, water, seasons, climate etc., Human geography - the societal component, economic geography.
History - evolutional history of life, humans, Fundamental needs leading to inventions and discoveries, civilizations, migrations, study of time- horizontal and vertical affecting the lives of people.
Botany - The study of the needs and functions of the whole plant and thereby the parts - leaves, the stem, the root, the flower, the fruit and the seed going from the whole to the parts and relating to the whole - Classification of the plant kingdom.
Zoology - The detailed study of the characteristics of the five classes of the animal kingdom, external features and lives of the different classes of the animal kingdom, human anatomy, ecology, classification of the animal kingdom.
Arithmetic - From the basic concepts of numeration and quantification to decimal system of numbers, the four operations with whole numbers, fractions, decimal fractions and integers. Introduction to algebra, squaring and square roots, cubing and cube roots, mensuration, percentage ratio and proportion and word problems.
Geometry - The basic study of geometric shapes and plane figures their congruence, similarity and equivalence, constructions, area, the three dimensional figures and volume.
Language - Study of English includes aspects of grammar - parts of speech, word study, detailed analysis of sentences and their parts, providing the basis for interpretive reading, creative writing, clear thinking and logical analysis.
Theory on the Montessori philosophy and child psychology is the thread that holds the whole curriculum intact.
The students are expected to write their files based on the practical and theory lectures, which is then checked for correctness by the file editors. The files are duly stamped by the director of the course as “completed” before the student is given the completion letter from the Centre.
Apart from the theory and practical files the students will be given assignments in every area which needs to be completed by the due date.
The students will be guided towards attaining:
- Skills of research work
- Ability to work individually and in groups
- Skills of storytelling to become ‘story tellers of the truth’!
- Skills of material making
Cosmic Education:
Maria Montessori calls Cosmic Education the path through which children develop a global vision. By developing gratitude for the universe and their own lives within it, the child then takes on an awareness of receiving many gifts from other human beings they will never know.The theme of Cosmic Education is best summed up in the following quotation from Dr. Montessori:
The child will develop a kind of philosophy which teaches this unity of the universe; this is the very thing to motivate his interest and to give him a better insight into his own place and task in the world and at the same time presenting a chance for the development of his creative energy.
As Directors and Directresses of a Montessori classroom, our task is to guide the child in areas where his/her interests may be observed, rather than setting up a program for the child to follow. The key to the Universe is presented and made available to the child, with teachers guiding these interests through lessons, and keep the fires of interest burning so the child continues to explore. Cosmic Education follows the psychic needs of the 6-12 year old child’s insatiable thirst for knowledge. Our task as Directors and Directresses is to continually open new fields of exploration for the child.
If the idea of the universe be presented to the child in the right way, it will do more for him than just arouse his interest, for it will create in him admiration and wonder, a feeling loftier than any interest and more satisfying. The child’s mind will then no longer wander, but becomes fixed and can work. The knowledge he acquires is organised and systematic; his intelligence becomes whole and complete because of the vision of the whole that has been presented to him, and his interest spreads to all, for all are linked and have their place in the universe on which his mind is centred.
[To Educate the Human p.6]
The children in this plane are attracted to the extraordinary and outstanding people and phenomenon. The Sopra – natura that the humans had built over and above the nature holds many points of interest for the child. They want to orient themselves to it in all dimensions. They have no fear of the new and are eager to learn. In recognizing this, Dr. Montessori said, “Knowledge can be best given where there is eagerness to learn, so this is the period when the seed of everything can be sown, the child’s mind being like a fertile field, ready to receive what will germinate into culture.” (1973, p. 4).
She went on to say that as many seeds as possible should be sown.
Some of the seeds to sow at this time are the seeds of the sciences. These seeds are to be sown as impressions “when a sort of sensitive period for the imagination exists” (1976, p 40). Exact details are given later. She found that any detail could become the point of departure for the study of the whole. The whole would include the different branches of science. She mentioned “mineralogy, biology, physics, chemistry, etc.” (1976, p. 40)
Dr. Montessori believed that the cosmic idea has been the natural plan wherever there was education in the real sense of the word. This will happen, when the child understands the creation of the world and man’s place in it. The preparation of Cosmic Education must first begin from ages 0-6 with the sensorial foundations during the first plane of development. That foundation is an indirect preparation for the cosmic education in the second plane (6-12). Cosmic education at the elementary level helps the child relate to the universe and to humanity in such a way that it enables him to understand the law and order underlying this coexistence. Further, to realize in himself all the developmental potential that is his unique birthright, and at the same time, be able to realize his role and contribute to the universe and society.