"The more the capacity to concentrate is developed, the more often the profound tranquility in work is achieved, then the clearer will be the manifestation of discipline within the child."

~Maria Montessori

The Montessori Philosophy and Curriculum

The ultimate goal of Montessori education is to help children become self-motivated, independent and life-long learners. In order to do this Dr. Montessori developed some cornerstones for the Montessori environment: concrete materials (the work), multi-age classrooms, freedom with responsibility, recognition of sensitive periods for absorbing knowledge, recognition of the child’s absorbent mind, individual lessons or presentations, the prepared environment, and the role of the teacher as facilitator, preparer of the environment and observer.

Montessori Materials
Dr. Montessori observed that children learned best by manipulating materials where information could be gleaned and discoveries made by the child himself. As parents, we recognize the child’s excitement when they come to us saying, “Look what I found!” or, “Look what I can do!” This is always an energetic time full of joy and wanting to share what they have learned with others. Manipulating materials designed to help the child make these discoveries are enticing to the child. Children enter a Montessori classroom and look around as if to say, “Is this all for me?” They want to learn how to use the materials. As the child makes these discoveries for herself, they become a part of her and the child actually uses what she learns to, in effect, create herself.

Multi-age Classrooms
Montessori classrooms are multi-age groupings of children. Children’s House consists of mostly three to six year olds. Lower Elementary is made up of mostly six to nine year olds. Dr. Montessori discovered that these age groupings encouraged independence in children and also encouraged older children to aid the younger ones by setting an example and by showing how to do a work. In a Montessori classroom, it is not uncommon to find an older child who knows how to tie shoes doing so for a younger child. And what a wonderful opportunity for the younger child to see how it is done. For the older child who has learned this skill is still working at it slowly so the younger child can and will watch each step with fascination. This is so much better than watching the adult’s flurry of hands where the steps are not clearly seen. It is also common to see a younger child sitting patiently and watching an older child to do a work that the younger child may not be able to do yet. What a great motivator that must be for the younger child! The older children gain a great amount of self-confidence in being able to show the younger child a work or to aid them in some way. What a sense of accomplishment they must feel knowing that they have now learned to do things they once could not do, and can now help others.

Freedom with Responsibility
Montessori classrooms encourage independence. Children are allowed to make choices in the classroom. They are free to get snack when they are hungry, but they must clean up after themselves. They may choose what work they want to do, but they must do the work properly and pout the work away when they are done. They are free to ask for presentations or lessons, but may not take a work off the shelf to which they have not been introduced. As such, children learn they have great freedom within the classroom but also great responsibilities. Once children are ready to do things for themselves, every attempt to help becomes a hindrance. Dr. Montessori quoted a child, “Please help me to do it myself!”

Absorbent Mind
From all of her observations, Dr. Montessori came to the conclusion that the ages between birth and six were the most important in the child’s life. Montessori called this time of development, the “absorbent mind.” Montessori’s concept of the absorbent mind describes the mind of the young child, between the ages of birth to six, as open to the receiving of impressions from the environment into the unconscious mind. She determined that the young child, even as an infant, is not simply an inert being waiting for the adults in his life to fill him with knowledge and experience. She claimed that this period of the absorbent mind is one of “inner development” during which the child’s unconscious mind is building complex formations and creating the personality. Essentially, all of the impressions and information taken in by the absorbent mind is actually forming the mind itself. This then is an age of transformation where the impressions do not merely enter the mind, they create it.

Sensitive Periods
Through her observations of young children, Dr. Montessori was able to postulate that children at certain ages were “sensitive” to acquiring particular developmental functions. A sensitive period is a limited time in which the child is peculiarly sensitive to a trait acquired with the aid of the environment. It is often described as an “irresistible impulse” the child feels towards certain environmental elements. It is as if the child cannot restrain herself from an object, activity, or observation. A child in the sensitive period for small objects is enamored of tiny items; the smallest ant crawling across the floor, a tiny scrap of colored paper, can hold her attention and focus for quite a length of time. Whatever the sensitive period, the urge it creates in the child is strong and undeniable. It can be described as “nature’s creative force” in ensuring the proper construction of the child’s intellect. In the sensitive period, the manner in which the child learns is intense. The child makes amazing acquisitions of functions or characteristics without effort or fatigue. Once the function is acquired, the intensity and sensitivity is gone. However, if this sensitive period is missed it creates in the child a lack of love for these elements in his environment. She may establish a working relationship with these elements but will never have an intimate understanding of them. Then the child must learn in a forced manner that which would have been absorbed naturally into the mind.

Presentations
The teacher, through observations of the children, plans for presentations. These presentations are usually done one-on-one and can be given as often as the child needs. Most children require one or two presentations before they feel comfortable in completing the work independently. During the presentation, the teacher’s focus is on the work and the student while the assistant monitors the other children. The teacher demonstrates to the child how the work is done and allows the child to complete the work as he or she shows interest. The teacher may sit or stand out of the way and observe the child to make sure the child understands the procedure in using the work. Then the child is shown how to put the work back on the shelf where it was found. At this point the child is free to choose the work as often as he or she wants. The teacher now observes the child completing the work to determine if the child is ready to do more complex work.

Prepared Environment
The prepared environment provides the opportunity for child to develop intellectually, physically, emotionally, and socially. Each day before the children enter the teacher prepares the basic environment by replenishing supplies such as paper and pencils needed for art or filling the pouring pitchers with water. However before all of this preparation, comes the initial preparation for the classroom: choosing the right sized tables and chairs, having rugs for floor work, providing kneeling tables, using natural materials. Then there is the ordering of the materials such that the children know where to look for a work and where to return it when he is done. Material should also be grouped according to subject matter. Materials should be attractive and placed on trays or in baskets to make it easier to carry. Materials should be kept on shelves where they are clearly visible and easily accessible by the children. There should be nothing in the environment that is not needed or that is inappropriate. The relationship between the environment and the child is crucial. Children should have dependable and firm ground rules for working in the environment. The young child should have limited and specific tasks at the beginning. When the child is ready for an increasing level of difficulty, tasks can be extended and made more complex.

Role of the Teacher
The child is linked to the environment by the Montessori teacher/facilitator. The teacher’s first role is to prepare the environment for the child. Part of this is to develop materials to further the child’s interest and encourage the child to choose different works. Next, the teacher must serve as the link to the material. She must show the child how to use the material or do the work in order for the child to receive maximum benefit. The teacher observes the child to see how he uses the material, or if he needs another lesson. The child may indicate that he is not ready or has already mastered a skill and is ready for something more challenging. But the teacher will miss these messages if he does not take the time to observe what the child does. The final job of the Montessori teacher is to “get out of the way,” that is to allow the child the freedom to do the work without interruption, physically or verbally. How terrible is it for a child when just as he becomes interested in something or is figuring things out for himself, and adult comes to say, “You must now come to the table with all your friends so I can teach you this work.” Perhaps it is even worse, for the adult to come along and tell the child what he is trying to figure out in his own mind. For then it has been taken away from the child and has become the adult’s discovery. The child’s focus and concentration have been broken and his desire to discover for himself has been dampened. So the teacher’s goal is to allow the child the freedom to work in this environment created especially for her, with materials her size and of interest and fascination to her developing intellect.

Dr. Montessori would say, “The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.’ ”