Re: Montessori question

Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward wrote:
I was reading about the Montessori philosophy and while it all made a
lot of sense, I didn't understand why they avoid praising a child when
it successfully completes an exercise. Can anyone explain this? Thanks!


My understanding is that satisfaction comes from successfully completing the exercise rather than an external source such as a teacher or parent. This way, the child wants to do the task for her/himself rather than to gain praise or compliments from an adult.

FWIW, it seems to work. The children "drill" themselves by repeatedly doing a task, working with a specific material because they want to rather than they have to. This reinforces the learning process, as well as teaching younger children how to properly use material or do an exercise.
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