Art
Within the Montessori materials there is a direct aim and indirect aim. The indirect aim of art is: • Preparing the hand by developing control. • Gaining use of new tools, skills, techniques. • Creative problem solving. • Understanding a rich heritage through styles, themes, artists, periods (art history). • Forming evaluations on aesthetics – what is beautiful in value, form, color. However the direct aim is self expression. Within a Montessori environment, children use their hands spontaneously and without intervention to satisfy the inner drive for self-expression. Through the hand the child’s ideas and feelings can take shape. As Maria Montessori said: “The hand is an organ of the mind, the means which the human intelligence uses to express itself.” Art allows this to happen!!
– Karen Koch, Lead Teacher