Question: What does Indirect Preparation mean in Montessori terms?
Answer: In her Montessori terms (published in Communications no. 2-3, 2002) Dr. Annette Haines gave this brief definition “Because of the absorbent nature of the young child’s mind, every action or event can be seen as a lesson. It is understood that children learn by watching other children work or by overseeing a lesson given to another. In the same way, they quickly absorb the behavior patterns and the language used by the family, the neighborhood children are even TV.”
In a 1927 lecture Maria Montessori gave a theoretical background to the concept, arguing that “The first thing to understand (about indirect preparation) is that the childhood does not always present a direct preparation for what is to follow; because the chil dis following the laws of life and these are not the laws with which we adults are surrounded. In every period of young life, we see an indirect preparation. The way the child prepares himself is individual, something which we have to consider separately. ”
“The important thing is not that the child should aim at the conditions of adult life but that he should completely and perfectly evolve in the present. That which is of value (…) is the complete evolution in the moment. Thus, the aid that we can give is to help the child to fully live his life in the present, without regard for the future. In order to become a perfect adult, there is no other way than to complete (all) the paths of infancy.”
In a 1946 lecture, Maria Montessori gave a more practical explanation: “Indirect preparation is the way of nature and of growth to prepare both the organ of the intelligence and the intelligence itself for the next step. It is done by indirect means. In every action there is a motive of interest. Through it the organs are prepared for something in the future. It is the conscious interest of the moment that prepares the intelligence and the organ for future development, though the individual is unaware of this.”
For instance, when a child of one and half years is interested in carrying a bowl of water from one room to another, it is the immediate interest (carrying out something very difficult) that enables him to acquire the coordination of the muscles needed for this movement. These same coordinations will be used for other movements that the intelligence may demand of him at a late rage.
The conscious interest of wanting to carry the bowl prepares the limbs for what the intelligence will later demand of the child. This indirect preparation takes advantage of the interest at this early age and is to prepare the coordinations, which would prove to be a tedious task in life for the fulfilment of an interest proper to the greater development.”
She gave a clear example: “To hold the knob of the cylinders with the first two fingers and thumb helps prepare indirectly the hand for writing.”
AMI Communications – 2005/4, page 42
