A Deeper look at the Montessori Philosophy

At the heart of Montessori philosophy lies the idea that children are eager to learn, develop skills, and become competent. Children learn best when working at their own pace on something they are deeply interested in.

The architect of the Montessori method was Maria Montessori, a woman with a brilliant vision of how children learn and the incredible attention to detail necessary to plan exactly how to bring that vision to life in a classroom. Born in 1870 in Italy, Maria Montessori became Italy's first female doctor as well as an educator working with children with special needs. While working with children with special needs, she developed new methods and materials to facilitate their learning. Soon these children were scoring higher on standardized tests than public school children. Eventually Dr. Montessori became the director of a day care center in a housing project because she was curious to see how "normal" children would respond to her unique approach. The outcome surprised many observers. These children, formerly destructive and bored, blossomed in an environment that encouraged learning and self-discovery. Dr. Montessori articulated tenets of child development that are universal to all children.

Children peer at shells through a magnifying glass.

Maria Montessori's philosophy is driven by the notion of the child as an individual who is on a journey of self-discovery, creating the adult she is to become. An integral part of the child's journey is the desire to learn about her environment. The child has what Montessori termed "an absorbent mind." The child is capable of effortlessly acquiring knowledge of her surroundings. The child's acquisition of language is a good example: she is not taught her native tongue through the conscious effort of an adult. Given this "absorbent mind," it is easy to see why a stimulating environment can have such an impact on the child. The child is naturally interested in her environment and has an intrinsic desire not only to learn about it but also to achieve competence in it.

The Montessori classroom: A prepared environment

Montessori’s recognition of the child’s “absorbent mind” led her to rethink the approach and structure used in the educational environment. She prepared an orderly setting, one in which the child could sort through and make sense out of the chaotic stimuli she was receiving from the world. Montessori arranged materials in sequence to challenge the child without overwhelming her. Montessori created an atmosphere that fostered self-education based on intrinsic motivation.

The learning materials in our classrooms are enticingly displayed on low,
open shelves. Each child scans the shelves and decides which materials
to choose to work on.

The Montessori classroom structure differs from the traditional classroom in several ways. The classroom is divided into distinct areas — daily living, sensorial, math, language, geography, science, art, and music. The learning materials are enticingly displayed enticingly on low, open shelves. All children in a Montessori classroom are free to choose the activities which interest them, and they usually start with concrete experiences and move gradually toward the more abstract. Montessori’s approach emphasizes “hands-on” or manipulative activities, since book work and “lectures” generate a minimum of interest in young children. Children focus and learn best when they can tackle a problem in a hands-on way, and this hands-on approach also provides an outlet for their abundant energy.

The learning materials in the Montessori environment are referred to as “work,” not toys. The child works with the materials rather than plays with them. This terminology gives the activities added dignity. The child enjoys calling her activities “work” as she can identify with the work her parents perform. In addition, the child sees that purposeful work can be enjoyable.

This child has just built stacks of glass
beads to represent various numbers.
The glass beads help children develop
an intuitive grasp of just how big
different numbers are.

The child finds the work gratifying because she determines what she wants to do. The child is not subjected to materials for which she is not ready or in which she has no interest. Through her choices she reveals herself. By observation, the teacher can determine the children's interests and abilities. She can then tweak the environment to make it better suited to the child's growing and changing learning needs.

There are no external incentives for the activities. The child receives no grades, stars, or disproportionate praise. The joy is in the doing rather than in the end product. Many times a child works hard on a project only to forget to take it home at the end of the day. Moreover, the results of much of the child’s work are intangible.

Our Montessori cylinders

The Montessori materials are self-correcting. This means that the child can correct a mistake she may make. For example, if she fails to return all of the cylinders to the correct holes in the cylinder block, she will have one that does not fit. She then can figure out how to overcome this difficulty without needing the teacher to intervene and help her. She develops confidence when she finally places all of the cylinders in the correct holes, and realizes they all fit.

Discipline is closely allied with constructive work in the Montessori environment. When the child is involved with an activity, she is not interested in causing a disturbance. Also, when a child is forced to participate in a group activity in which she has no interest her, she rebels. Removing this obstacle removes the need to rebel. In addition, since children are working at their own pace, they do not feel the need to act out due to boredom or frustration.

The role of the Montessori teacher is to help the child create the adult she is to become. The teacher prepares the educational environment and directs activities. (In fact, Maria Montessori suggested that the teacher be called “directress” instead of a "teacher".) She is not the center of the activity, rather, the child is. She familiarizes the child with the materials that are available and works with the child when she needs assistance.

What is the purpose of Montessori education?

The Montessori approach is geared to the child’s total development. Emphasized in a manner which lays the foundation for adulthood are four areas of development: physical, emotional, social, and intellectual.

Physical: The daily living and sensorial activities are especially designed to hone the child’s sensorimotor skills. In this way, the child develops her fine motor skills, particularly those necessary for writing. In addition, the Montessori approach understands that children have great energy and, therefore, a need to move. The structure of the class, with children choosing the jobs they desire, allows the child to move comfortably throughout the session; not confined to a desk, chair, or a particular area for a lengthy period of time.

Emotional: Maria Montessori was one of the first educators to recognize the importance of fostering a positive self-image in the child. As a result, she sequenced activities, eliminated overt competition, allowed the child to progress at her own rate, and treated the child with respect. The Montessori teacher helps the child develop her abilities and grow in self-esteem. The teacher encourages the child to expand her capabilities and not to feel dependent and incompetent.

Social: Of equal importance are the child’s social skills. The child has an opportunity to socialize with her peers in a natural way. She joins the other children in activities both in the classroom and on the playground. Relationships develop spontaneously. The child is encouraged to solve her own conflicts. As the year progresses, the child usually needs less help solving conflicts, and her friendships deepen.

Intellectual: Finally, the child has numerous opportunities to develop her cognitive skills. As a younger child (ages two and three), she usually focuses the daily living and sensorial materials, developing her hand-eye coordination, small muscle control and attention span. Then, at age four, she begins to express an interest in language and math activities, and as a five-year-old child she will spend most of her time on these materials. All of the children work with the geography and science materials on some level. The materials both help the child learn and provide her with specific information. Her involvement with these learning materials lays the foundation for future cognitive growth.

Montessori education works hand-in-hand with child development

Furthermore, Maria Montessori believed the early years were crucial in the child’s development. She was an early proponent of the idea that each child has sensitive periods for learning.

A sensitive period is one in which the child has a natural desire to acquire a particular trait or skill. During a sensitive period for learning, a child occupies herself with certain activities with an interest and concentration she will never again display for those activities. After the sensitive period, she would still be able to master that same still, but her efforts would lack the fervor and zeal with which she would attack it during the sensitive period.

Some examples of sensitive periods follow:

Age 2 - 3: Sensitive period for order

The one-and-one-half and three-year-old child is generally in a sensitive period for order. If certain objects are not in their usual places, a young child will rearrange them until they are. Some speculate that humor originates from this sensitivity. For example, if an adult put a vase on his head and called it a hat, the young child might be confused. She has recently learned, in the order of our universe, that vases are for flowers and hats are for heads. However, a four- or five-year-old child might find it amusing because the adult has deviated from the order the child knows well.

Age 4-5: Sensitive period for writing

A sensitive period in the four- or five-year-old child is one for writing. Parents have reported that during this particular time their children will go through reams of paper printing numbers and letters. Their children really want to perfect that skill. The length of this period varies and it is a transitory one. Once it is over, children will still want to print numbers and letters but not with the same fervor of the original period.

Other sensitive periods

Teachers have also observed children who were in a sensitive period for learning the sounds of letters. Each day some children would come to school and want to work on the letter sounds to the exclusion of other activities.

Montessori education capitalizes on sensitive periods

The Montessori classroom makes the most of a child's sensitive periods by allowing her to pursue a task at the time when she is developmentally primed to learn it. A parent or teacher cannot create a sensitive period in a child; however, the adult can help the child to develop her interests. The Montessori classroom aids the child by providing her with the time she needs to accomplish the tasks which are important to her at a given time. A traditional school, with time blocks for subjects and a curriculum into which each child must fit, often directs children away from their exploration and stifles their developing interests and sensitivities.

Montessori schooling is a positive experience for children

Sometimes parents are reluctant to enroll their child in school before age six. They remember their experiences in school which may have been unpleasant and are not sure they want to subject their child to a “school” experience before it is absolutely necessary. Yet the parents feel their child could benefit from association with other children and from a specially prepared and stimulating environment. A Montessori preschool is neither a babysitting service nor a regimented place where the child is forced to achieve. A Montessori school offers the child the opportunity to develop individually within a carefully defined structure. School is a natural and enjoyable experience.

About Us

A Children's Habitat Montessori Preschool & Kindergarten
801 W. 73rd Street
Attn: A Children's Habitat
Indianapolis , IN 46260-4150
Phone: 317-726-5584
E-Mail: info@childrens-habitat.org
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Indy's Best Montessori Toddler Program, Preschool & Kindergarten