What is the difference between redirecting and distracting children from unwanted behavior? The biggest difference is in the approach. Redirection involves guidance; distraction merely diverts attention. Let’s look at a few examples and see if we can tell the difference: 1. Baby Sarah gets upset and cries when Mommy leaves for work. As Mom closes … Redirecting Versus Distracting in the Montessori Environment
Help me to help myself. —Maria MontessoriThe Child in the Family, p. 72. In her book Children Who are Not Yet Peaceful, Donna Bryant Goertz says, “We wisely welcome into our classrooms that small number of children whose behavior strikes us as eccentric, complicated, challenging, or confusing. These children are the indicators of how well … Guiding Children with Learning Disabilities in the Montessori Environment
The child is the spiritual builder of mankind, and obstacles to his free development are the stones in the wall by which the soul of man has become imprisoned. —Maria MontessoriThe Absorbent Mind, p. 221. When my son was a toddler, he was intrigued by the minutiae of his environment. Ants crawling along the pathway … The Absorbent Mind, Chapter 21: Children’s Possessiveness and Its Transformations
Children construct their own characters. —Maria MontessoriThe Absorbent Mind, p. 208. The Absorbent Mind, Chapter 20: Character Building is the Child’s Own Achievement Montessori tells us that the child’s sensitive period for character building is between the ages of three and six. This is the result of “a long and slow sequence of activities carried … The Absorbent Mind, Chapter 20: Character Building is the Child’s Own Achievement
To let the child do as he likes when he has not yet developed any powers of control, is to betray the idea of freedom. —Maria MontessoriThe Absorbent Mind, p. 205. Previously, we discussed how to add variety to the Montessori three-period lesson to help children learn to generalize, or transfer information. Behavior interventions will … Working with Executive Function Challenges in the Montessori Environment
Along with controlled error and freedom to choose your own work, nothing is quite as Montessori as the three-period lesson. The three-period lesson is a focused and precise way of presenting new vocabulary and concepts to children in a consistent manner, allowing them a sense of comfort and security. They know what to expect every … The Three-Period Lesson and Generalization: Helping Cognitive Processing
A while back, we presented a blog called What is Executive Function? Montessori Perspectives. In that article, we discussed that executive function involves working memory, inhibitory control, and mental flexibility. Executive function is important for cognitive, social, emotional, and moral development. It helps us understand, internalize, and fulfill the steps required to solve a problem: … Difficulties with Executive Function in Childhood Development
The transition from one state to the other always follows a piece of work done by the hands with real things, work accompanied by mental concentration. —Maria MontessoriThe Absorbent Mind, p. 204. The Absorbent Mind, Chapter 19: The Child’s Contribution to Society — Normalization In chapter 18, Montessori discussed two categories of character traits; those … The Absorbent Mind, Chapter 19: The Child’s Contribution to Society — Normalization
It was the children themselves who showed that they preferred one another’s company to dolls, and the small ‘real life’ utensils to toys. —Maria MontessoriThe Absorbent Mind, p. 169. Observing Sensitive Periods in Young Children Recently, a friend of mine and her two-year-old daughter came over for coffee. Because I was moving soon, I had … Montessori Parenting: Observing Sensitive Periods in Young Children
There are two main types of shelf work in the Montessori environment. The first is the Montessori materials themselves. The second consists of a series of cards known as command or task cards that provide follow-up work to lessons and activities. Students work with command cards to practice what they have learned. As the name … Command Cards for Montessori Elementary Students
