THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILD’S HUMAN POTENTIAL, ACCORDING TO MARIA MONTESSORI

Abstract

In this study, with a qualitative and descriptive approach, the objective is to understand Montessori’s method and thought, related to the development of human potential. In the first phase of the bibliographic research, several works by Maria Montessori, translated into Portuguese and published in the country, are examined. Among these works, three were selected: To educate human potential (2014); The discovery of the child: scientific pedagogy (2017); The Child’s Mind: Absorbing Mind (2021). The corpus of analysis consists of twelve excerpts, taken from the three cited works and analyzed in the light of Montessori’s own thought, in dialogue with contemporary authors in the educational area. Supported by the Content Analysis technique, from the perspective of Bardin (2015), keywords are highlighted for each excerpt that attribute a unit of meaning to the text. For now, it is understood that the pedagogue who studies the Montessori method can benefit from the perspective of learning techniques and practices that promote the integral development of the child, helping to promote self-discipline and the independence of students in the classroom.