Walking with great care, the young child brought the stamp game to the table, gently placed it down, and opened the lid. Smiling shyly at me, she carefully began laying out the first and second addends, in horizontal rows, one under the other, carefully aligning the thousands, hundreds, tens, and units by place value. A scene from any lower elementary classroom in the world. In this case, however, the school was Kiara Karitas, and it was located on the other side of the world from me, in Jakarta, Indonesia. The girl, Hee Youn, was a first-year student in their lower primary classroom. A few years back, the larger Montessori community of educators and parents and administrators and children celebrated the centennial anniversary of the first Montessori school. That milestone spoke to the lasting power of a profound pedagogy; one that has truly stood the test of time, allowing children to learn to their potential, to gain an insight to knowledge that is both integrated and internalized, and to develop loving hearts and inquiring minds. In my role as a school board member for my local district in southern Maine, where math curricula, literacy programs, and science textbooks shift with the vagaries of educational reform, I see firsthand the disadvantages of moving from one Newest Thing to the Next Newest Thing, and the expense and learning curve it requires for teachers and children alike. But what struck me in Jakarta (and Seoul, and Nashville, and Sarasota…) was how the span of Montessori not only reaches back 100 years, but also across the world. What does it say of an educational system, that it can speak so forcefully, with such profound results, to parents and children in schools from New Hampshire to California to Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond? What does it say about the Montessori method, that can unite so many schools in a common model, using the same Montessori materials and same prepared environments? What does it say about this worldwide and historical community of teachers, students, and families, who wear different clothes, write in different languages, give and receive lessons spoken in different tongues, but are united all the same? I wouldn’t have bothered to ask Hee Youn. She was too busy, and wouldn’t have cared. And frankly, my Bahasa is lousy.
Tag: parenting
the role of familiarity in a montessori classroom
Many Montessori schools have the great benefit of a full complement of programs. Toddler students, as young as 18 months old, will stay at their school for as many as thirteen years before they graduate as 8th graders. A lesser few Montessori schools may even have programs for infants on one bookend and high school at the other. The familiarity with the building and grounds, the people, and certainly the pedagogy, is of great comfort to both children and their parents. But familiarity is also of great benefit in an educational sense. Piaget, himself the president of the Swedish
Montessori Society, did a well-known test called the “mountains study.” He put children in front of a simple plaster mountain range and then asked them to pick from four pictures the view that he, Piaget, from where he was sitting, would see. The test was initially used to show a child’s development in visual-spatial awareness, namely that children younger than age seven were egocentric and unable to see another’s viewpoint. However, a follow-up study using a scene familiar to children, the setting and characters from Sesame Street rather than the completely foreign Swiss Alps showed that the familiarity of setting had a dramatic effect on the child’s learning.
A Montessori environment makes use of this principle in a myriad of ways. A most visible example of this concept would be the “hierarchical colors.” In Early Childhood classrooms, for 3-6 year olds,, an arithmetic material introduces a mnemonic color-coding to place value. Units are green. Tens are blue. Hundreds are red. Thousands? They’re green, because thousands are still units; just units of thousands. These hierarchical colors are then used as a constant device as the child moves towards more complex and abstract math. The Stamp Game, for all four operations, utilizes wooden squares, “stamps”, to solve in all four operations. The bead- frame (for addition, subtraction, and multiplication), the checkerboard (multiplication), and the “racks and tubes” (division) all use the same identifying colors. The colors of the short and long chains, the colors that correspond to each part of speech, all serve as a conceptual grounding for the child, a link to the concrete experiences that preceded it, and a guide to further exploration. The material is new, the concept is more complex, but the familiarity of color (or shape, or timeline, etc..), isolates the difficulty, and frees the mind.
fast-forward, please
Dad – I’m making a little baby box about Lyra’s birthday with some of her hospital stuff. I wanna include a paragraph from you about remembering when she was born or when you first met her. Skip the trauma part.
There’s a picture of a baby on the kitchen windowsill at my daughter’s house. It’s small and round and cropped in an outline of Lyra’s six-month-old face. Her eyes are scrunched closed. The photograph itself is attached to a popsicle stick, and this allows it to stand in a clay pot, sharing space with an aloe plant. It is just one of a couple dozen shots of Lyra, spanning her first year of life, still to be found, now over two years later, in odd spaces around their house. Lyra looking surprised, Lyra mid-laugh, Lyra in sunglasses. Lyra with a small teddy-bear bandage holding tiny oxygen tubes as small as new stems of grass, onto her blush cheek. There are no photos of the feeding tube, none showing the nickel-sized electrodes dominating her small chest, none taken at the NICU.
All of those photos, all of those Lyra-adorned cupcakes, had once been frosted and laid out on a fold-up table along with the other party food, the pizza and cookies and cake. The birthday cake had a single candle that day, marking a year, a tally of emotions that come with a first child, for Amarinda and Brendan, and a first grandchild for Sandi and me. Gathered that bright and lush September Saturday in Maine, which was bravely holding onto the last of that summer’s warmth, were Lyra’s uncles and aunts, cousins and friends, all there to celebrate an infant turned one. She sat on a dozen different laps, sampled most of the food, and was generally unaware of the fuss and festivities unfurling around her. Every first birthday party is for the adults after all, to see each other, to catch up, the how’s the new job and I can’t believe he’s almost a teenager conversations, and the common question of, “can it already have been a year since Lyra was born?” And if there were thoughts of a year prior, when she arrived eight weeks ahead of expectation, well, those past emotions had healed and changed and grown right along with her.
If we had known, those first fraught hours and days of her life, that in twelve short months we’d be eating Lyra-cupcakes and helping her open the many birthday presents she received from us, her devoted legion, it would’ve been less scary. We could collectively have said, “Oh, THAT’s how this works out.” But life doesn’t work that way, does it. The Buddhists tell us to stay in the moment. To be mindful and dwell in the present. Be now. But in some cases, being able to glimpse just a whisper ahead, would be good for the soul.
Dedicated to Flor, who says I shouldn’t just write about Montessori.
the role of imitation in a montessori classroom
Everyone knows that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. While this may or may not be true, it is certain that imitation is also a powerful learning tool. Studies abound illustrating the human tendency to mimic, both consciously and subconsciously. Participants watching a video featuring rude exchanges between actors are liable to be rude themselves when put in social situations immediately afterwards. It is clear that as a species our behavior profoundly influenced by the people that surround us, and this can impact both our actions and our learning.
How does this manifest itself in a Montessori environment? One clear component is the multi-age classroom itself, an aspect that holds many advantages for students, parents, and teachers. Children enjoy the security and comfort of staying in one room for three years. Parents don’t have to reintroduce their child’s strengths and challenges to new teachers each September; knowing his or her teachers will gain a deeper understanding of a child’s needs given a three-year cycle. For teachers, the variety of ages and developmental stages in the same classroom allows children to move more freely through a scope and sequence of study, as the so-called “shotgun” approach, requisite to a single-aged classroom, is not necessary.
As important as these elements are, Montessorians have known all along that there are also clear pedagogical advantages to a multi-age classroom and the opportunities it affords to use imitation as a tool for learning. Younger students watch older students, hear the language of the lesson given on the next rug over, observe the use of more complex learning materials, and mirror their behavior. This is why we often hear Montessori teachers emphasize to these older students their role as models and peer teachers. And, of course, the teachers
themselves give lessons in such a way, with great care and exaggerated movements, as to stress key elements in any given lesson. For example, the forty-seven steps to washing your hands. We can see how Montessori’s use of the phrase, “the absorbent mind” reflects her understanding of the importance of imitation.
the role of interest in a montessori classroom
Most adults observing a Cornerstone classroom are quick to notice its strengths. The use of manipulative materials, the small group lessons, the beauty of the prepared environment, the freedom of movement, all form an impressive tableau. A more in-depth observation would also clearly reveal the integration of subject areas, the social interaction, and the element of choice. Within that structure, students move with purpose (most of the time) and ease, seemingly without adult compulsion. Children voluntarily seek out activity, come to lessons willingly and happily, work with peers of their own accord, and, with guidance, take responsibility for their education. The structure for this drive does not come from a draconian adult or some other extrinsic force. Instead, the children appear to have an intrinsic urgency to act upon the environment. Why?
A crucial aspect of any Montessori classroom is perhaps less discernible due to its conspicuousness. The driving force in the child’s interaction and progression through the curriculum is deep interest. It is the tree that can’t be seen for the Montessori forest. This passion is created through creative and impressionistic lessons, the presentation of grand concepts, the use of large numbers, the emphasis on the power of imagination, and the liberty to choose a compelling activity for one’s self. More than a natural incentive, interest further serves as a powerful tool for learning. Studies clearly show that we are much more likely to assimilate information if it holds strong interest. One such study had participants list a series articles in terms of their interest. Not surprisingly, comprehension scores on these readings mirrored the ranking given. Areas of higher interest naturally hold our attention, heighten our focus, and compel us to iteration and practice. Consequently, the learning that takes place is more meaningful, more profoundly held, more deeply understood, more logically connected and synthesized.
And need we mention joy? So, at the end of the day (the metaphorical day, not 3 o’clock dismissal), it is the child’s likely response that speaks volumes in its simplicity. “Why do you like going to school?” “It’s fun.”
learning in context in a montessori classroom
A Montessori education provides a rich and integrated curriculum that stresses learning in context. The study of geometry includes a study of its Latin roots, a study of unlike denominators in arithmetic includes the writing of the rule, a study of an ancient civilization coincides with a study of rivers, ph studies evolves into soil testing. Specific Montessori materials can also reflect this sense of context. For example, the Detective Triangle Game, located on the language shelf, consists of a box of triangles of different types (scalene, isosceles, etc…) in different colors and of different size. Labels accompany the work: “Find the large, red, equilateral triangle.”…etc; geometry as a grammar work. Speaking more broadly, the concept of Cosmic Education, unique to this pedagogy, is the overarching theme of a Montessori classroom. It holds the fabric of a Montessori experience together and places everything the child learns in context. Cosmic education states, grandly, that a human developmental process underlies all growth, and further, that education has a role to play in this development. It is a belief that theoretical structures, in all areas of study, should find practical use within our classrooms. Simply put, Cosmic Education presents three concepts; that all things are interdependent; that humans have a role in the universe; and that each of us has a cosmic task.
One aim of Cosmic Education is the development of the whole human being. It would follow then that academic achievement is not the only goal of a Montessori classroom. The child will realize their full natural potential, learning that involves the physical and emotional being, not only the intellect. A second aim is the formation of relationships. By building a sense of marvel and respect for the vast scale of things and appreciating the dignity of all things, we show a relationship between the child and the universe. A third aim is the realization of responsibility, to all life, to the human species, and to the child themselves. And a last aim is one of independent action. In broad terms to take, but to give in return, to share willingly and with compassion, and to appreciate both the conscious and unconscious service of those plants, animals and humans that have come before us. Cosmic Education then, is not a singular area of study, but rather a connective web that unifies the curriculum, providing both respect and responsibility to the child throughout their school years.
toddlers and teens
When teacher-education is done right, a bond is formed between the presenter and the group of adult learners. If both parties are open, engaged, attentive, and respectful, the dialogues are more meaningful, the practice sessions are more energized, and it’s common for everyone to experience a “flow experience”, a concept developed by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who studied how Montessori education can be structured to achieve it. I’ve found, in these decades of teacher-education, that the same is true for quality training course. “Where did the afternoon go?” This trusted relationship continues after the course is over, when these adult learners have questions once they are in their first months of teaching. If passion has been sparked and that flame nurtured, it remains. Last week, an email from Via, in Bandung, was in my inbox. What does it mean that the first stage of Montessori Development and the third stage are the same?
There are several similarities between children birth – 6 and 12 – 18. First, consider that the child in the First Plane is orienting themselves to this new world and environment in which they find themselves. They are learning new skills, certainly, but also observe them cognizant of being an individual, identifying themselves as part of a family, defining their relationship with their caregivers, and discovering their role. They are, at birth, nascent human beings. A teenager, on the cusp of puberty at the Third Plane of Development is also orienting themselves to a new world, the world and environment of adulthood. They are learning new skills, certainly, but they are now cognizant of becoming an adult, seeing their changing identification within their family, defining a new relationship with parents, thinking about who they are, what music they like, what books they enjoy, how they feel about larger societal issues. They are, at 12 years old, nascent adults.
How do we see these manifest in their behavior? There are similarities here as well, especially noticeable if you’ve had the opportunity to parent or teach children in both planes. Children in the first plane are highly egocentric; they are the center of their world. “What do I want right now?” “What do I need right now?” The child in the third plane is similarly motivated. “Everyone will be staring at me” “No one understands me”. Children in the first plane, especially in the second subplane, have a complex relationship with their caregivers. Observe the five-year old on the playground who runs to their father to get picked up only to immediately wiggle away to climb up the slide. Observe the 15 year old who wants to be independent. “Why can’t I go to the concert at the arena? You never let me do anything, I’m suffocating in this house!” but the next minute wants to curl up on the couch with mom or dad and watch old cartoons.
What’s fascinating to consider is that Dr. Montessori made these assertions well before science and medicine had access to brain studies. And yet, we know now that the first and third planes are both times of tremendous brain and neural growth. It’s common knowledge that from birth to six is the greatest growth, but less so that the second period of greatest growth is from twelve to eighteen years of age. First and Third represent growth. Second and Fourth represent consolidation.
follow the child
The phrase “follow the child,” used in Montessori terms, is an axiom in the truest sense of the word: it is a truth that is self-evident. Upon these three words a pedagogy was built, and this system continues to expand well past the 100th anniversary of its inception. The fact that the world continues to catch up with a model which has been established and successful for more than a century serves as confirmation of its validity. As is the case with so many concepts we encounter in Montessori education, “follow the child” exists as a literal exhortation while at the same time revealing a deeper understanding of child development. Follow the child! As teachers (and good parents), we are exhorted to dictate less information and to allow more exploration. If the child shows an interest in the sensorial materials, the adult gives a lesson! When a child asks, “How do I add these if their denominators aren’t the same?,” the teacher presents the fraction circles. Follow the interest! Follow the question! Follow the child.
In a larger sense, “follow the child” is also a reflection of two overarching themes. First, the adult’s role is one of preparation and guidance and as a facilitator of the natural process that marks each child’s development. Second, a strong measure of independence is both a more humane approach to education and a proven component of a more profound level of learning.
Following is riskier than leading. For one thing, you have to watch where you step. For the teacher, this means adopting a level of comfort with trust, yes, but a trust that is buttressed by experience. For the child, being followed also involves trust: trusting that the adult, whether parent or teacher, is there to point things out along the way, provide support in case of a stumble, and allow him or her the space to walk.
montessori’s living legacy
As part of the celebration of Dr. Montessori’s birthday last summer, I was asked to participate in a global, daylong series of webinars, sponsored by Montessori-Haus Asia that spanned five time zones: China, Australia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and my house in Berwick, Maine, United States. As a nine hour event, it was meant to reach an international audience with the question, “One hundred fifty-five years after Maria Montessori’s birth, what is her legacy?” The word legacy seems, at least for me, to connote something that is finite. It was accomplished, in the past tense, and it’s been left to a school, a community, the world. That doesn’t really fit how I see Dr. Montessori’s work, and that formed the basis of my session. I see the Montessori method as alive and current. What she initiated as supposition, has become accepted conclusion.
I talked about the enormity of research, really over the last 50 years, be it educational or even neurological, that supports what Dr. Montessori somehow intuited over a century ago. They are too numerous to list here, but here are a few, just in the last 20 years, to highlight a small fraction. A study comparing Montessori and non-Montessori elementary students found Montessori children showed “superior outcomes in reading, math, executive function, and social problem-solving, suggesting the method supports both academic and social development.” (Lillard & Else-Quest (2006, Science) Research following Montessori middle school graduates into high school found they “performed as well or better than peers in math and science, indicating Montessori builds a strong foundation for later academic success”. (Dohrmann et al. 2007, Journal of Research in Childhood Education) An early difficulty interpreting Montessori studies was that it was conducted by Montessorians, which is of course, just bad science. There is much more rigor in these more recent studies. A randomized controlled trial of Montessori preschool programs showed “children had better academic outcomes, social understanding, and mastery orientation compared to peers in conventional classrooms.” (Lillard et al. (2017, Frontiers in Psychology) According to another study, using experience sampling (when subjects record their feelings and thoughts in real time), Montessori adolescents reported “higher levels of intrinsic motivation, interest, and engagement in learning than peers in traditional schools.” Rathunde & Csikszentmihalyi (2005, American Journal of Education) A similar study found Montessori students demonstrated “greater social cognition and positive peer interactions, suggesting the prepared environment fosters not only academic but also social-emotional growth.” (Lopata, Wallace, & Finn (2005, Journal of Research in Childhood Education). And last Spring, I read a fascinating study, reported in MontessoriPublic, titled, “Learning by Heart or with Heart: Brain Asymmetry Reflects Pedagogical Practices”, published in Brain Sciences (August 2023). This study used “neuroimaging to compare brain hemisphere asymmetry in schoolchildren educated in traditional versus Montessori settings.” On admissions tours at the Cornerstone School, I often joke, sort of, that, “Montessori kids are just wired differently”. I was right! Traditional‐schooled children showed “greater rightward asymmetry—linked with fixed, situation-specific memorization, but Montessori students showed left-dominant asymmetry, associated with semantic encoding and flexible conceptual connections.” As Montessori educators, we feel that our classrooms support not only in-depth learning, but also a deeply integrated experience that weaves knowledge in all curriculum areas into an integrated whole. A tapestry of understanding. It’s gratifying to know the concepts which Dr. Montessori felt were true, are in fact demonstrably true.
kindness in a montessori classroom
One positive aspect of the social media explosion is the ease of staying in touch that it affords. Alumni and their parents now share their post-Montessori school experiences more freely, because it’s just a click/send away. For some past students, their time in a Montessori school represents 12 years of their life, building a sense of ownership and home that is not forgotten by a mere change of address. In short, these schools commonly receive letters. The following is from a parent, a forwarding of an e-mail the parent had received from a high school teacher of a Montessori graduate:
“I just wanted to let you know your son ended the semester with one of the only A+ with Honors I have ever given. On that note while I know you know how talented he is, I want to throw in my 2 cents that he should take as many AP classes as possible next year. I have tried hard to keep him challenged in my class, but he is so far beyond other students that I don’t think regular classes are the place for him.”
Truthfully, this is not uncommon for Montessori graduates, but the parent highlighted the second part of the teacher’s e-mail as being more meaningful:
“The other thing I think is great about your son is that even though he finishes his work easily, he helps other students. There is one student in particular that sits next to him and she struggles every day. With the patience of a teacher he helps her ALL class. Sometimes I think she is going to wear on his patience but he just gently answers her questions.”
Can kindness, in fact, be taught? As Montessorians, we would answer, “No more than we ‘teach’ geography or arithmetic or science.” Rather, a Montessori school creates an environment, carves a space, and maintains a culture that allows a natural process to take place. And while it is not quantified on any conference report, the grace and courtesy aspect of our curriculum is an integral component of the fabric of our classrooms. This serves, strongly, as the tapestry on which our lessons are woven. It is so present, in fact, that a consistent comment I hear from prospective parents, even after a mere 20-minute observation, is the kindness they witness amongst our students, regardless of class level. Most Montessori teachers will relate similar comments from docents, waiters, park rangers, or other adults encountered on field trips.
One time, after an especially moving observation, a prospective parent sat with me in the hallway, asking me the hows and whys of our school. This parent enthusiastically embraced the peacefulness and kindness she saw that morning. “Does that happen every day?,” she asked, perhaps a little suspicious. At that precise moment, two 3-year-olds walked by, hand in hand, on their way to deliver a note to the office. “Yeah,” I said, “Pretty much.”
Follow the Child 