Standardisation, a key concept in Montessori education
“This child, miraculous in the precocity of his intelligence; this hero who surpasses himself by finding serenity; this rich man who prefers disciplined work to the futile conditions of life—this is the normal child.”
This is how Maria Montessori defines a child who has experienced the phenomenon of normalization. This term, which lies at the heart of Montessori pedagogy, is often misunderstood and misrepresented. In fact, it can lead to confusion and questions. After all, normalization implies norms, standards, and benchmarks. But how can we conceive of human development in terms of norms? Must all children conform to the same norms, fit into the same box, or follow the same mold? What does it mean to be "normal"? And, for that matter, do we want to be "normal"?
Maria Montessori also uses the term "deviations" to describe anything that does not fall within the norm. But what does it mean to be "deviant"? How can we view this term in a positive light, without falling into the worst trap of humanity, namely selecting human beings according to ethnic, social, or religious criteria based on established norms?
Maria Montessori was first and foremost a physician. The foundations of her teaching methods are therefore rooted in the physiological and anatomical observation of children. For the Italian educator, child development is above all a natural phenomenon. Thanks to the Hormes, the vital force that accompanies children from birth, every human being goes through the same four stages of development and experiences the same sensitive periods (language, sensory refinement, attraction to small objects, movement, order, and social development), which enable them to acquire human characteristics. Similarly, all children are naturally influenced by human tendencies, those innate and universal guidelines that lead them to develop skills useful for their adaptation. Finally, during their first stage of development, all children benefit from the absorbent mind, which allows them to learn and progress unconsciously through immersion in their environment. Thus, child development is not a phenomenon that can be decreed or engendered. At best, we can accompany it and allow it to unfold to its full potential. Above all, and this is characteristic of Montessori pedagogy, we can remove the obstacles that often stand in the way of a child's development to allow them to reach their full potential. Thus, "the human individual is a unit; this unity must be built and established through experiences acquired in the environment and stimulated by nature."
In Italian, "norma" refers to a right angle. Normalisation is therefore a stage of development in which the true nature of the child is revealed. It is what human beings should be when they develop normally. On the contrary, deviance is the act of straying from the natural path: like a deviation.
Maria Montessori describes the characteristics of the normal child. In a fan-shaped diagram with a vertical line drawn down the middle representing normality, the educator draws sections to the left of this line representing concentration, work, discipline, and sociability.
Concentration is the first sign of the normalization process: when a child concentrates, it means that the process is underway. Concentration is both an essential element for the child to achieve full normalization and the state in which they find themselves when they are normalized. A child who is able to concentrate on a task and immerse themselves in an activity for a long period of time is, if not completely normalized, at least on the path to normalization.
Concentration is the rebuilding of personality, which leads to the ability to develop normally.
The second characteristic of the normalised child is work. "The main characteristic remains the same: dedication to work; to interesting work, freely chosen, which has the virtue of concentrating without tiring, which increases energy and mental capacity, and which makes one self-controlled." Thus, the normalised child is a child who loves to work, without needing to be coerced or enticed. On his own initiative, he is able to choose activities that interest him, stimulate him, and allow him to refine his intellectual and physical skills. It is particularly through manual work that the child is able to achieve a true degree of concentration.
Discipline is the third characteristic of the normalized child. Maria Montessori refers to"spontaneous discipline,"which is the child's internalization of the rules of community and social life. The normalized child is able to regulate their impulses, restrain their desires, work quietly, respect the work of others, and obey the instructions of adults. The Italian educator identifies three degrees of obedience. The first is when the child obeys occasionally (this is the case when they are very young and their will is not yet developed). The second degree is when the child always obeys by "absorbing the will of the other." The third level is when children obey of their own accord and with joy because they "accept the authority of a personality whose superiority they sense." A normalized child is one who has reached such a degree of maturity that they are able to voluntarily "submit" to adult authority because they trust themselves and others and understand that adults are there to help them reach their full potential.
Sociability is the fourth and final characteristic of the normalized child. Because they have acquired a certain degree of autonomy, thrive on rich and stimulating activities, and know that they can trust themselves and others, normalized children are naturally sociable, i.e., happy to live with others, well-adjusted in their interpersonal relationships, empathetic, respectful, and attentive.
Maria Montessori describes normalized children as follows: "They work with sustained interest, demonstrate great accuracy, and are peaceful, happy, and sociable." These are "transformed" children.
In contrast to this model of the normalized child, also referred to as "super social," Maria Montessori paints a picture of deviant children, that is, children whose development has been hindered and who have consequently developed a number of deviations, faults, and defects.
The teacher divides these children into two categories: strong children and weak children.
Strong children are violent, disobedient children who are unable to concentrate and disturb others. They can be selfish, envious, and sometimes cruel—both to other children and to animals. They are disorderly and can become "extra-social," meaning very disruptive, with no respect for others or their work.
Weak children, on the other hand, are indolent and inert, shy and lazy, sometimes liars and thieves. They cry often and get bored easily. They often develop phobias (fear of the dark, nightmares, etc.).
The characteristics of the deviant child have an impact not only on the child himself but also on his social environment, on the group.
These children were not born this way. Their faults are not innate. They became deviant as a result of poor education, which starved them intellectually and deprived them of action. "All the mistakes had the same origin: a lack of nourishment for the psyche."
To correct these errors and put the child back on the path to normalization, Maria Montessori advocates a single solution: " provide children with interesting activities, do not help them unnecessarily, and do not interrupt them when they have started an intelligent task."
This rehabilitation involves two fundamental elements: the environment and the adult.
The environment is the catalyst for change in children. By providing a setting conducive to activity, the prepared environment of the Children's House can help bring children back onto the path of natural development. Indeed, in this carefully designed and organized environment, children have everything they need to develop normally:
There may be individual experiences (presentations followed by independent work) and social experiences (graciousness and courtesy, group activities, collective exercises, etc.);
It can strengthen and develop all these skills, both physical (refinement of the senses, fine and gross motor skills through practical life and sensory activities) and intellectual (mathematics, language), through stimulating activities that feed their need to excel.
He can benefit from the richness of the mixed age group, which allows him to compete against those who are older (and stronger) than him, but also against those who are younger and less experienced than him.
They also enjoy a great deal of freedom (freedom of movement, freedom to choose their activities, freedom to choose their pace of activity, etc.) within clear and precise boundaries. For example, forcing children to put activities back in their place after use helps develop the desire to finish their work. It also helps develop respect for other children who want to work with them.
Finally, the entire environment, through its organization, aesthetics, and appeal, contributes to character development by promoting concentration, a love of work, inner discipline, and perseverance.
Alongside the environment, the role of adults, and particularly educators, is essential. Maria Montessori warns against the moralizing tendencies of adults: it is not by scolding children, repressing them, or lecturing them that we can set them on the right path. "Repression breeds a whole range of harmful behaviors: discouragement, inability to adapt to the environment, shyness, destructive behaviors, and so on." Similarly, excessive kindness, permissiveness, or rewards are not the means to normalize a child.
The Italian educator is highly critical of the traditional school system, which uses only carrots and sticks to educate children, without seeing the damage it causes (stressed, anxious, or rebellious children) and without questioning the dogmas that have been applied for centuries. In her book Elementary Education, Maria Montessori devotes an entire chapter to the question of morality. She concludes that what children need is not good marks or punishments, podiums and corporal punishment, but intellectual nourishment: "to meet the intellectual needs of human beings in such a way that they are satisfied is to make a great contribution to morality. Indeed, when our children have been free to engage in intelligent work, when they have been free to respond to their inner needs, free to dwell at length on chosen stimuli, free to abstract at the moment of maturity, free to concentrate in meditation, they have shown that order and calm have been established within them; It was then that harmony of movement, the ability to appreciate beauty, sensitivity to music, and finally kindness in their mutual relationships sprang forth as if from an inner source.
Adults must therefore do everything possible to maintain children's concentration and give them opportunities to work. In the Children's House environment, educators must pay particular attention to:
The appeal of the activities offered (particularly in practical life): to attract children, the activities must be appealing.
Let the child choose: choosing involves making a decision, which involves willpower.
The nature of activities: children must be offered activities with a meaningful purpose that engage both their bodies and minds. A classroom with too few practical life activities will never be normalized.
developing children's attention: attention is developed through interesting and engaging activities
Encourage repetition: repetition helps overcome difficulties and achieve better results; it helps develop perseverance.
Finally, above all else, prioritize the child's concentration, which is the first step toward normalization.
Adults are therefore responsible for the environment. It is up to them to ensure that it is always stimulating, attractive, and conducive to children's activities.
The educator is also responsible for enforcing the rules of conduct within the environment. There is a strong link between standardization, freedom, and discipline. It is up to adults to set limits. For example, it is up to the educator to set limits on how to use materials constructively. The activities we give children must always be constructive. Maria Montessori warns against giving children too much freedom:
"If freedom is understood as letting children do whatever they want... deviance will only increase."
It is also up to adults to preserve children's concentration at all costs. This involves maintaining a certain level of calm and silence in the classroom, showing children how to move around quietly and how to observe without disturbing their classmates who are working. It also involves instilling in all children a quasi-sacred respect for work. Obviously, the educator has a key role model function: they must remain calm and positive, move quietly around the classroom, and modulate their tone of voice.
Thus, standardization as theorized by Maria Montessori is not a normative approach to education. On the contrary, it celebrates the natural development of the child, in all its beauty, power, and wonder. By placing concentration and the child's work at the heart of her pedagogy, Maria Montessori offers a renewed and stimulating vision that invites us to revisit our educational practices and habits in order to put "education as an aid to life" back at the center of our actions, because "before wanting to change children, we must first take the most difficult step, which is to convert ourselves to this new approach and strive to understand it well."
To go further :
Maria Montessori (2017), Children Are the Future of Humanity, Paris: Desclée de Brouwer
Maria Montessori (2006), The Child, Paris: Desclée de Brouwer
Maria Montessori (2010), The Absorbent Mind, Paris: Desclée de Brouwer
Maria Montessori (2018), Elementary Education, Paris: Desclée de Brouwer
Maria Montessori (2018), The Discovery of the Child, Paris: Desclée de Brouwer