If
you have ever had the opportunity to observe children who are part of a program
at a Montessori school, you will find that all the work they go about doing has
the defining characteristics of play rolled into it. Experts have found
primarily five important characteristics that define the importance of play in
a Montessori education program. A child who experiences these characteristics
of playing while learning is expected to have a better knowledge intake than
otherwise.
What does “Meaningful Play” entail?
Montessori classroom management in many schools often focuses on the aspect of
“meaningful play” that can act as an encouragement for the children to learn. There
are five important characteristics to this.
Giving the child a choice of what he or she would
want to do
Anything should be fun and enjoyable for the child
Spontaneous evolution rather than a scripted act for
the kid to follow
Intrinsic motivation should be the driving factor
for anything the child is keen to do
Creation of a risk-free environment that allows for
experimenting and execution of new ideas
Creation of a
risk-free environment that allows for experimenting and execution of new ideas
Children
are made to be active participants in meaningful play. Rather than be passive
consumers of lessons, they take on roles alongside their peers and respond to
what other children do as per the rules of the play that have been created.