Movement, Intelligence and Independence

P. Donohue Shortridge/Children/Montessori/Movement, Intelligence and Independence
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Movement, Intelligence and Independence

Children are born with the innate drive to become
independent. This unconscious life force called horme drives
the child to incarnate or develop himself.¹ From the moment he is
born the child uses his senses to understand his environment. It
is through the sensory input that the synapses in the brain
multiply and actually build the child's mind. To fully engage
with his environment, to acquire the necessary sensory input, the
child must be free to move. "Only through freedom and
environmental experience is it practically possible for human
development to occur."²

It is man alone among all the animals that walks on two legs,
thus freeing his hands to do what only man can do, use his mind
to make free choices to work and create. Indeed, it is through
the acquisition and refinement of his movements that man develops
himself. " . . .(M)ovement has great importance in mental
development itself, provided that the action which occurs is
connected with the mental activity going on."³

The young child's development of movement occurs on two
tracts simultaneously; that of equilibrium and walking, and that
of the hand.

All development is cephalocaudal, that is, from the top down.
Thus for equilibrium and walking the control of the head that
comes first. By seven weeks he can hold his head erect when
upright and by about two.five months the child can hold his head
steady when he is upright.⁴
By six months, he can sit by himself.⁵ This is an extremely
important milestone because for the first time he no longer needs
his hands to prop up his body. The hands now are free for
exploration while he takes in his environment from a new point of
view, that of his body in an upright position. He cannot as yet
get to the objects of his desire, but if they are brought to him,
he can fully explore them with both his hands.
Next, he begins to move his lower body. The calcification in
the bones of the legs occurs around six months.⁶ By about
eight.five months he pulls himself to standing and in another
month he can also sit down!⁷ And by nine months he begins to
crawl.⁸
But it is the next phase that truly welcomes him into the
family of man. He can walk upright. This occurs somewhere
between twelve and fifteen months.⁹ Now, he truly is independent
to seek out the world. He can motor on over to any and all
objects of his interest. And everything is of interest to him.

The development of the hand occurs consistent with the
proprioceptive growth of the body, that is from the inside out.
Thus, he can elevate his chest (at two months) before he can
grasp a one inch cube (at three.seven months)¹⁰
At first, the hand movements will be uncoordinated and
seemingly disassociated from his body. Indeed, he doesn't even
know he has hands till he intentionally grasps objects at about
six months.¹¹ Prior to that he may instinctively grasp objects,
such as the palmer grasp reflex where the hand closes around the
adult's finger.¹² He may study his hand or unintentionally
grasp something.¹³ However, once he can choose to grasp objects,
his mind can command his body to do his will.

Movement requires the coordination of the brain, the senses
and the muscles.¹⁴ It is through movement that the child
develops his intelligence and gains his independence.

End Notes

1. Montessori, Maria. The Absorbent Mind (New York: Holt,
Rinehart and Winston, 1967) 83.
2. Ibid 90.
3. Ibid 142.
4. Rosenblith and Sims-Knight. "Bayley Infant Development
Tests" 1985.
5. Montessori, 149.
6. Sue Kennedy, "Infant Physical Development", Montessori
Education Center of the Rockies Lecture, Boulder, 29 June, 1998.
7. Rosenblith.
8. Devine, Monica, Baby Talk: The Art of Communicating with
Infants and Toddlers (New York: Plenum Press, 1991.)
9. Montessori, 149.
10. Rosenblith.
11. Montessori, 149.
12. Kennedy.
13. Montessori, 149.
14. Ibid 136.

Works Cited

Devine, Monica. Baby Talk: The Art of Communicating with Infants
and Toddlers. New York: Plenum Press, 1991.
Kennedy, Sue. "Infant Physical Development." Montessori
Education Center of the Rockies Lecture. Boulder, 29 June,
1998.
Montessori, Maria. The Absorbent Mind. New York: Holt, Rinehart
and Winston, 1967.
Rosenblith and Sims-Knight. "Bayley Infant Development Tests"
1985

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