It is believed that it is at a child’s early age that the foundation for the rest of his life is laid. By the age of 8 years, you can form useful habits and qualities, such as curiosity, developed intellectual and creative abilities.

Many methods have been developed for the development of children at an early age. There are dozens, or even hundreds of them - in general, it’s quite difficult to figure out. In this article, YokoSun talks about the three most popular proprietary methods of early childhood development: who developed them, what the basic principles are, and the disadvantages.

1. Montessori Method

The method was developed by the Italian Maria Montessori. In 1907, she opened a class for low-income children, where she began to use educational methods that differed from the usual ones. In the "Children's House" Montessori paid attention to each child individually, creating individual educational plans. They were based on each child's strengths.

Over time, children began to independently show interest in learning, and two years later Montessori published a book in which she described her method. The book created a real sensation in the educational environment, and the methodology became widespread far beyond the borders of Italy. Today there are many Montessori schools, classes and kindergartens all over the world, and the methodology is also presented in Russia.

What are the main principles of the Montessori method?

The fundamental principle of the technique: “Help me do it myself.” Therefore, the teacher’s task is not to teach, but to guide the child, become a mentor, and create an environment for favorable development.

1. Mixed age groups. One group of students may contain children of different ages, but of the same age group. For example, the most common group consists of children 3-6 years old.

2. To teach using the method, you need a specially trained Montessori teacher, as well as developed materials. Classes are held in specially prepared classrooms, which are divided into zones. In them, each educational object is accessible to the child, located so that children can interact with it independently.

3. Students independently choose classes from those presented. There are no grades or exams during the course. This gives children the opportunity to motivate themselves.

4. Children gain knowledge on their own, through working with materials, and not through teacher lectures. Students are allowed to move freely around the classroom.

What are the disadvantages of the Montessori method?

It is believed that the methodology is based on the principles of freedom and respect for the child, when the teacher seems to stand on the same level with the children and helps them gain knowledge on their own. But it, like many others, has its drawbacks.

1. Availability. Training using the method requires a trained teacher, materials and classes. Such programs are expensive.

2. Not all regions of the country have Montessori classes. Even if finances allow, it will be impossible to find such a class in some regions.

3. Excessive freedom. Not all parents are mentally prepared for their child to learn at his own particular pace.

4. Difficult transition. It can be difficult for a child to return to a general education institution after training using the Montessori method, when he is free to learn new things.

2. Glenn Doman

Glenn Doman is an American physical therapist. His method includes techniques for children with developmental delays, as well as for all children.

Initially, Doman focused specifically on developmental programs for mentally retarded children. The doctor tried to stimulate the mental activity of the patients through training using cards with pictures, words and dots. Children were shown periodic cards for a short time, and later the number of cards was increased. After several months of such work, the children’s condition improved, they even caught up with healthy children in their development.

Over time, the method began to be used for the development of all children.

What are the main principles of the Doman method?

Doman is convinced that children learn best in the early stages of life - before the age of six. For best brain activity, a child should receive information before the age of three.

1. Previous training. You can start training even from 3-6 months. According to the methodology, by the age of six a child gains more knowledge than in the rest of his life.

2. Cards are used in training. Duman divided general knowledge into minimal units, and they are depicted on the cards. These are animal silhouettes, numbers, dots, colors and words.

3. You need to work with your child at least three to four times a day, and the material covered must be constantly repeated. New knowledge must flow and be logically connected with knowledge already acquired.

4. Parents can work with their child on their own; it’s even acceptable to prepare cards yourself.

What are the disadvantages of the Doman method?

The Doman method is available to almost every family - it does not require specially equipped classes and trained teachers. However, there are also some nuances here.

1. The method requires the constant participation of an adult. Daily and repetitive activities take up time.

2. Routine. Over time, repeating the same actions on an ongoing basis becomes an uninteresting and uninvolving process.

3. No creativity. During the learning process, the child does not have the opportunity to express himself or even participate in the process. In fact, he is just an outside observer.

3. Zaitsev

Nikolai Zaitsev is a Russian teacher who has developed several methods for teaching mathematics, Russian and English. However, the most popular is the method by which children are taught to read.

What are the main principles of Zaitsev’s technique?

The technique is based on dividing words not by letters or syllables, but by so-called warehouses. They consist of two letters that are easy for a child to pronounce. Zaitsev placed the warehouses on cubes for study in a playful way. After such training, children acquired the skill of reading fluently quite early.

1. Cubes are used for learning. They have different colors and sizes, they rustle and make other sounds when interacting. This way, several channels of perception are connected to learning at once.

2. Education can begin at the age of two, but always in a playful way. During classes, music is turned on, children can behave as they please. The teacher plays an important role; he speaks and explains his actions.

3. The cubes come with tables and audio materials.

4. The use of the technique is widespread in Russian kindergartens.

What are the disadvantages of Zaitsev’s technique?

The learning process presupposes the child’s freedom of action, he actively participates in the process and masters the material playfully. And the technique is widely available in Russia. What could be the disadvantages here?

1. You can get confused. Due to the fact that the cubes have different colors, weights and sizes, the child may get confused, associating the warehouses with colors or shapes.

2. Warehouse training can subsequently make it more difficult to master spelling skills. For example, write the letter “e” where the rules require “e”. It may also be more difficult for a child to divide words into syllables rather than clauses.

There are a huge variety of methods for early child development, individual methods aimed at teaching different skills. Each of them has its pros and cons. Therefore, it is important to approach raising a child responsibly and proceed not only from your own preferences, but also from the characteristics of your child.