Montessori identified a number of “Sensitive Periods,” times when children’s development motivated them toward an interest in particular…
Theory
The Sensitive Periods
“At such a time everything is easy; all is life and enthusiasm. Every effort marks an increase in power. Only when the goal has been…
Difficult Conversations
Something is going awry. A parent has raised a concern about (enter any number of possibilities here: your teaching, your classroom, the…
Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk
Children’s talk inspires strong feelings in their parents, whether they think children should speak only when spoken to or they stop in…
Fantasy and Imagination
Perhaps the most distinct difference between traditional early childhood programs and Montessori classrooms is the absence of fantasy…
Grace and Courtesy and the Adult
“The vision of the teacher should be at once precise like that of the scientist, and spiritual like that of the saint. The preparation…
Wonder and the Child
“To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour.” -…
Chaos and Dancing Stars
When the classroom isn’t yet normalized but your teacher planner says it’s October.
The Sensitive Period to Movement
The Sensitive Period to Movement is evident from the first moments of human development… arms flail, muscles tense and relax. Even in the…
The Sensitive Period to Small Objects
Your infant, newly proficient at crawling across the floor and seemingly intent on breaking speed records for infant scooting, stops in…