"The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence." 

—Dr. Maria Montessori

 

Maria Montessori placed significant emphasis on independence in childhood. By allowing children to act independently, they gain confidence in their abilities and develop a strong sense of self. In acting independently children develop a self-discipline, concentration, initiation and gross and fine motor skills.

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Montessori believed that a sensitive period is a building "block of time" that occurs throughout one's lifetime. These are the building blocks that act as foundations upon which we gather skills, and knowledge that promote natural development.

 

During a child's formative years, they experience moments where they are drawn toward specific actions, just like a light bulb suddenly turning on and lighting a pathway towards knowledge.

 

When a child is given the time to satisfy these sensitive periods and master these skills, they are left feeling content, purposeful, curious, determined and normalized. If their focus and natural path has not been disrupted, they won't feel distracted or fall into deviation. This is the natural process of education and life-long learning.

Children have a natural eagerness and curiosity to explore. Maria Montessori highlighted the importance of “following the child” and how inquiry based learning has such a special power to nurture the interests of the child. The Montessori environment is designed to foster self-directed learning and independence. Children choose activities based upon their interests and curiosity.

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Children are able to learn at their own pace while they delve deeply into topics that interest them without feeling rushed, timed or held back.

They naturally learn how to manage their own time, and take responsibility for their learning, which builds confidence, motivation and self-esteem. 

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Montessori materials are bespoke learning tools that the children have access to. The materials are specially designed to help children gain a concrete understanding of concepts -forming a solid foundation for all future learning.

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These materials are designed to incorporate a "control of error" which allows children to independently realise when they have made a mistake. This incorporation is important as it encourages children to reflect on their work, search for improvement, and view mistakes in a positive light as they are the ones discovering them.

The prepared environment refers to the careful organisation of activities in a Montessori classroom. Every activity that is on the shelf has been curated to further the child's development, capture their interest and allow learning to occur naturally and effortlessly. All of the materials are designed for the child: in the correct size, placed so that they can be easily accessed and even colour graded. 

 

This design, along with the prioritisation of freedom of movement ensures that the children can work independently in the environment, directed by their natural curiosity and interest. This allows concentration to develop naturally, along with a sense of intrinsic satisfaction, stimulating a love of learning.

We interact with the world through our senses. Montessori believed in the importance of activating the six human senses in learning, so that they may be refined; allowing the child to gain a better understanding of the world around them and how they fit into the world. 

 

As a result, Montessori developed special activities that target each of the child's sense (visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile and stereognostic).