How does Montessori address the development of the imagination?
The basic components of a Montessori curriculum are essential for developing creative as well as critical thinking because these materials order the child’s sensory experience. “The environment must itself be beautiful, harmonious, and based on reality in order for the child to organize his perceptions of it. When he has developed realistic and ordered perceptions of the life about him, the child is capable of the selecting and emphasizing processes necessary for creative endeavors.” (Paula Polk-Lillard, Montessori, A Modern Approach, p.45.) Imagination is an intellectual capacity that is a natural part of the child’s development. Our guidance for dealing with exercise of the imagination is the same as for other areas of intellectual/developmental growth. We observe the child, act as a guide to connect the child to the tools needed, and stay out of the content. Imagination for the young child will relate to that child’s experience, and should come from the child, not the teacher. The s
