HUMAN TENDENCIES

Intro Nnatural impulses that direct an individual to perform certain actions or activities without a conscious plan These tendencies were given to man to help us to serve and satisfy our fundamental needs. To adapt = survive + develop They are the force/drive behind all achievement Universal Innate Unconscious Have them from birth to death It is not an instinct animals have instincts/humans have tendencies They use tendencies to gain skills The needs of man; Physical Needs (Basic needs) Food, Shelter, Protection Other Needs - Emotional, intellectual, Spiritual, self-realisation, Montessori designed an environment that supports human tendencies. Some of the tendencies she talked about are given below; Exploration - It is the urge to go out to the unknown, and find more info, knowledge to help us get more oriented. Consistency is very important to the child. Orientation Something that gives you a frame of reference; a way to follow; to relate ourselves to the external world or the internal world. In Montessori, we try not to make a lot of changes because it gives the child a sense of security. If there is a change, a transitional object (something that is familiar to the child) should be provided in order to not confuse the child. Order The urge to organise, and be able to find our way back. The sense of order helps the child to use his energy and intellect to organise his thoughts. Adaptation Work Humans want to work. Taking from what we absorb, from the imagination and make it real- Manipulation. We must think of Activity with purpose; Activity that serves the human being. Repetition is good because the more you repeat the more myelinisation. Perfection - Human beings are also conditioned to look for exactness, perfection, precision; the natural propensity we have to control ourselves, controlling our own errors to do better, to overcome difficulties, obstacles. Mathematical Mind Abstraction & Imagination increases in a child over 6 yrs. Children are concrete thinkers (they believe what they see). Therefore, if a younger childs foundation in reality is built strongly they will be far more intelligent and focused when they reach the age of 6. Social/Group orientation The tendency to have relationships, socialise; to understand for ourselves who we are by comparing to others, agreeing or disagreeing, making our own opinions, etc. Younger children work individually. The desire to work together/collaborate begins when they reach 5 - 6 yrs of age. Communication language, verbal or body. To ask questions, and seek help Social behaviour Interpersonal Interactions Spiritual Needs A child has a very concrete sense of belief. Creativity, Art/Music, spirituality, questioning the human condition The above are some tendencies that MM talked about and they are not limited to these. They are all inter related and has an effect on each other. A child from the time of conception (at the embryo stage) can hear how they are spoken to, and will be able feel whether they are accepted, loved, wanted. Once they are born, they will feel secure from the way they are held, touched, from the response they receive to their cries for help which builds up in the child a sense of whether this external environment does or does not answer their fundamental needs or tendencies that they are trying to express. Hence the Role of the adult and the prepared env is very important. The Montessori environment is built in support of the human tendencies as expressed in the child. If we follow the tendencies we avoid common errors of education. Materials are on shelves ready for exploration Everything is in order and each activity has a sequential order Materials are not frequently moved, the child has an opportunity to orient himself All activities are an invitation to work with them. Manipulation, repetition and exactness are present in each activity for the acquisition of self-perfection. Communication is an important aspect of the environment. Social Relations are part of the community Concrete materials lead to abstraction and imagination in the second plane of development

 Realizing the peculiarly absorbent nature of the childs mind, the sensitive periods and the human tendencies, Montessori prepared a special environment, then, placed the child in it and allowed him the freedom to live in it, so he could absorb whatever he found there.