The holistic approach to early childhood in Maria Montessori's pedagogy

Abstract

In the context of Maria Montessori's (1870-1952) pedagogical philosophy, one of its fundamental characteristics can be observed in her humanistic romanticist attitude towards the child and childhood, as well as the repercussions of such an attitude on the global process of building and developing a society of peace, that is, tendencies of a pacifist nature as an important purpose of the development of mankind as a whole. Guided by this kind of leitmotif identified in Montessori's pedagogical theory and teachings, the first section of the paper seeks to examine and interpret her ideas which place great significance on the influence of the environment on the holistic process of child development, and her views on the periods of sensitivity a child goes through in its development. The second section of the paper looks at the characteristics of the first stage of development in Montessori's pedagogical theory, with emphasis on the importance of the voluntaristic aspect in child development. Finally, the third section examines some of Montessori's theoretical starting positions in the segment of complexity of the child's world - adult world relationship through the axiological ethical dimension, with special reference to the importance of cosmic education in this context. The main aim of this paper was thus inspired by an analysis of some of Montessori's pedagogical views and ideas which, in the naturalness of their pedagogical manner and rhetoric, encourage and foster the idea of a child's holistic development by emphasizing the importance of the axiological ethical dimension in the context of the child's world - adult world relationship.