Fantasía, imaginación y juego simbólico
Fantasía : 1)Facultad humana para representar sucesos , historias o imágenes de cosas que no existen en la realidad. Idea, historia, cosa o percepción falsa de la realidad. Solo existente en nuestra mente.
Imaginación: Facultad humana para representar imágenes o ideas reales mentalmente.
Según las etapas del desarrollo en las que se basa la filosofía Montessori el cerebro del niño de 0-6 años aún está desarrollando la capacidad de entender conceptos abstractos. Montessori decía que no es recomendable exponer al niño menor de 6 años a fantasía ya que todavía6está intentando aprender del mundo que le rodea y su celebro, para decirlo de alguna manera, aún no está preparado para entender una idea abstracta.
En cuanto a la imaginación ,aunque no existe material Montessori especifico para fomentarla, Montessori creía que a medida que el cerebro del niño se va desarrollando empieza a tener cabida la imaginación.
Montessori observó que los niños de 0-6 están tan interesados en la realidad y en desarrollar su independencia que muestran una atracción natural para aprender actividades cotidiana; lavar platos, barrer, limpiar…
Fantasy, Imagination and symbolic play
Fantasy: 1) Human faculty to represent successes, stories or images of things that do not exist in reality.
2) Idea, story, thing or false perception of reality. Only existent in our mind.
Imagination: Human faculty to represent images or real ideas mentally.
According to the stages of development on which the Montessori philosophy is based, the child’s brain at 0-6 years old has not developed the ability to understand abstract concepts. Montessori said that it is not advisable to expose the child under 6 to fantasy because the child is still trying to learn from the real world and his brain is not prepared to fully understand a non real concept.
As for the imagination, although there is no specific Montessori material to work with it, Montessori believed that as the child’s brain develops, imagination begins to take place.
Montessori observed that children 0-6 are so interested in reality and developing their independence that they show a natural attraction towards learning everyday activities; Washing dishes, sweeping or cleaning among others.
Taking advantage of this sensitive period, natural interest towards a certain stimulus, Montessori adapted each one of these activities so that the children in the Montessori classrooms could practice them. If we observe a Montessori classroom we will see children writing, building or washing clothes.
There is the myth that Montessori doesn’t believe in symbolic play, on the contrary Montessori offers real learning with adapted material (washing dishes) to symbolic play with toys (to pretend that they wash dishes)
But what happens when the child wants to play dads and mamas?. If we look at the definition of symbolic play we will see that we speak of symbolic play when we refer to the type of game where the symbols are used. The objects that children use have an added meaning. The child can through the symbolic play project internal conflicts, channel tensions or express fears.
Personally I think that Montessori, and I am probably going to be criticized for it, does not specifically contemplate the symbolic play as an emotional work tool for the child.
Do not get me wrong, I would not change the Montessori practice area for the world with materials for children to learn daily activities, but I think it is beneficial to be able to offer children, especially 2-6 years old, symbolic play material to work with or channel emotions.
So I decided to Montessorize a Waldorf element.
I decided to buy Waldorf wooden peg dolls because they fit very well with what I wanted to achieve. By not having definite expressions the child can give the Peg doll the emotion that he wants to each doll allowing him to work his own emotions.
You can also introduce it in your classroom or at home.
You will need:
Tray
Green felt
Little house
Waldorf family peg doll
You can add other elements like stones, branches, little cushions …
The child takes the tray to a work mat, plays with the material and when he finishes he packs away and returns it to its place on the shelf so that another child can use it.
Here is a Linkwhere You can get this set of peg dolls with the house and the felt.
