Stimulation of Auditory Perception in Children Using Maria Montessori’s Developmental Materials

Auditory perception is an important area of a child’s cognitive development because it determines the development of speech and influences writing and reading skills. Irena Polewczyk defines it as “active reception of auditory stimuli scattered around a person, based on the ability to differentiate speech sounds and their analysis, synthesis and interpretation in accordance with the knowledge, memory and experience that a person has” (Polewczyk, 2017, p. 149). The human body is adapted to receive impressions from the outside world; it segregates, processes and interprets them in the mind. In this way, a person acquires experiences that determine the development of subsequent, more and more precise skills. In the process of developing auditory perception, an important role is played by the child’s immediate environment, which, through appropriate interactions, influences the process of shaping auditory functions. The aim of this article is to present theoretical assumptions regarding the development of auditory perception and the possibilities of stimulating auditory development through the use of Maria Montessori’s teaching aids. The first part of the article describes the development of auditory perception in children. Then, theoretical assumptions regarding Montessori development aids and the possibility of using them in developing auditory skills are presented.