The exploration into writing

" I can write by myself" - Baan Rim lao School

More than a century ago, a group of young children in the slum section of San Lorenzo, Italy revealed unexpected phenomenon – “the explosion into writing”.  Although at first Maria Montessori had never intended to expose these young children to any writing or reading activity but because their illiterate mothers began to beg her, she finally gave the four and five year old some sandpaper letters to manipulate and trace. What came next was amazing as some children spontaneously started to write and their example was at once followed by a great number of other children in the classroom.

In “The Formation of Man”, Maria Montessori described this phenomenon:

There was a real explosion of activity and enthusiasm. Those small children carried the letters of the alphabet in a kind of a triumphal procession with shouts of joy. They continued writing without any sign of fatigue or boredom. They covered the floor and walls with their unrestrainable writing. Their progress was really marvelous. 

This a kind of ‘miracle’ of children teaching themselves how to write, according to Maria Montessori  was evidently a revelation of psychological nature of children – the special forces that they possess that guide them in their own self-constructions.

It is a common scene to see children deeply engaged in teaching themselves how to write using any media available: black board, white board, notebook or any single piece of papers – and sometimes at home they cover walls, or any books with their writings.  In our classrooms at Baan Hswa Mu Taw, Mae korn and Rimlao in Mae Sot and Chiangrai respectively, we have witness this phenomenon happenining  recently. 

Baan Hswa Mu Taw School

At Hswa Mu Taw Montessori classroom, it started when one child was given one piece of paper to practice writing letters after he got the lesson with the Sandpaper Letters. Soon other children started to ask for the same papers and sometimes they prefer to practice their writing than do any other works in the classroom.   With their notebook, set of sandpaper letters, a piece of pencil….they write and write and write ….without any sign of boredom or fatigue….and continue to write….