Normalized Child

Name: Shiva Kheiri Date: 4/5/2012 Instructor: Mrs. Deborah The Normalized Child Normalization is one of the most important goals of Montessori, but what does normalization mean? Most importantly, when does this process occur? Dr. Maria Montessori used the term normalization to describe a unique process she observed in child development. The process of normalization takes place in any Montessori-group at the beginning of the school year that children enter a new unknown environment. However, there are many characteristics that describe a normalized child. 1] Generally, normalization considered to be the transformation to a higher level of development, and the first step of education. However, in the process of development there are many different bodily functions that are formed in a child, and these developments depends on brain development. These developments occur mostly when children interact with each other, and in a different environment than their home. Maria Montessori observed that when children are allowed to be free, and interact with their environment, they blossom.

On the other hand, there were children who had no idea what to do, how to speak, and their thoughts were beyond reality. That is where normalization makes the correction. As Maria Montessori said, normalization is the most important single result of our whole work. However, what are the wonderful characteristics of a normalized child? In general, there are eleven characteristics of a normal child; following paragraphs are dedicated to these characteristics. A love of Order, we may think children do not pay attention to details, but once something is out of order, they will start asking questions about it.

For example, if the teacher asks the children to take a nap before lunch time, they will question the teacher. So, the child has a desire to keep an order and to have his/her daily routines. Love of Work, describes the activity that children involve not just because it is fun, but also it provides education. It brings a form of self-expression and corresponding joy. For example, when we see a child chooses an activity, and keeps doing it over and over again with full concentration and never tires; that is love of work. Normalized children never see work as punishment. Profound Spontaneous Concentration, basically it is isolation of children rom their environment due to their concentration on an activity. It occurs when a child is fully engaged in his/her work, and it involves his intelligence. We can also call it the attention of life, or a phenomenon of growth which brings us to the next characteristic. Attachments to Reality refer to bringing out children from their dream land, and encounter them with reality. However, there is always place for imagination but in a limited time and place. In fact, children should be exposed to reality before fantasy. For example, video games can teach so many fantasized stories that children might confuse them with their real life.

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Therefore, there is always a limitation on fantasizing, and what they do as activity is based on reality not on their belief. Love of Silence and working alone, it definitely does not mean children like to be hermit, but it refers to the first step of independence. In many times children are willing to do their work with no assistance which basically means they want to test their own ability to get the work done alone, and most of the time their work requires concentration in a silence environment. For example, we do a game called “silence game” which requires children to listen to a sound and analyze it on their own.

So, they learn to control their concentration, and work in a peaceful environment with respect to others. Elimination of the Possessive Instinct, the attitude of normalized children to their environment is not possessive, but it is intense love. The point of this tittle is to eliminate children’s selfishness. Some children believe everything belongs to them, and take advantage of what has been given to them. So, our purpose is to change their possessive instinct to three things: to know, to love, and to serve. For example, the same children who tore plants in the class learned to watch it grow.

Power of act from Real choice and not from Curiosity Obedience Independence and Initiative Spontaneous Self-Discipline Joy At the end, we can conclude that normalization of children takes place according to the stages of child normalization described by M. Montessori. The level of normalization mainly depends on the years of staying with Montessori classroom. On the other hand, Dr. Montessori believed that if a child is placed in a well prepared environment, he/she would blossom, and show his total social potential. However, it is up to us, as teachers to prepare the environment in a way that children can freely develop their personality

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