Montessori Movement

Montessori, Movement and Independence: an excerpt from Cosmic Education.

"Watching a child makes it obvious that the development of his mind comes about through his movements.

"Movement helps the development of the mind, and this finds renewed expression in further movement and activity.

"It follows that we are dealing with a cycle because mind and movement are parts of the same entity.

"For example: once a child is able to lift its head, it will soon lift it intentionally in order to see more. Or once he is able to will his hand to be in front of his eyes he will do so purposefully for hours on end, and watch them move until he discovers he can actually grasp with them, which in turn leads in many more new discoveries which need to be studied and mastered. Key experience--the child realizing he can grasp. Once he does it willingly and consciously, he is grasping difference objects with different textures, which all lead to many different directions.

"Each movement brings a new challenge--the challenge to his entire being. It starts at the center and goes through the whole system along the main channels of command.

"Each challenge brings with it a new experience and each experience leaves an impression which strengthens and enriches the substance of impressions which are engrams, and which make up subconscious.

"In animals movement is established at birth. Not in man. The human newborn is inert. Movement has to be formed and perfected by the child's activity in the environment. However, unlike the animals, man is so richly endowed with muscles, that there is hardly any movement which he cannot learn to make. He achieves it through coordination of the movements of his muscles.

"At birth all the muscles are uncoordinated, and then, nervous arrangement for all the movements he learns have to be built up and perfected by actions initiated by his mind. The stimulus always comes from the outside. Throughout his evolution it was man's feet which carried him all over the globe. But it was through his hands' activity that he really became man--thinking man, man using his hands purposefully for a purpose." (Movement and Independence, an excerpt from COSMIC EDUCATION by Ursula Thrush)

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This is part one of my new Large Motor Movement series, which will soon include 1) a blog hop, 2) "pinned" movement activities on Pinterest, 3) movement and music, and 4) non-Montessori movement activities. So stay tuned!

And if you missed it, read my Montessori large motor movement blog post about Montessori and Walking on the Line.

Posted also in the Outdoor Play linky party!