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Instead of dividing schools into nursery, primary, secondary, and university, we should divide education in planes and each of these should correspond to the phase the developing individual goes through. —Maria Montessori The Four Planes of Education, p. 1. Dr. Montessori believed that growth, development, and learning happen in waves. She determined that children go through four distinct periods of development, which she called the planes of development. The four planes occur from birth–6 years old, 6–12 years old, 12–18 years old, and 18–24 years old. In each plane, children and youth are drawn to different skills and activities, and Dr Montessori believed that they can make enormous progress if they have opportunities to explore and practice these skills. The first plane is a time of monumental growth and development as the baby grows and learns to move, balance, develop coordination, learn to speak, and exercise her own will. All exploration is done through sensory experiences ...

The teacher must not content herself with merely providing her school with an attractive environment; she must continuously think about this environment, because a large part of the result depends on it. —Maria Montessori Some Words of Advice to Teachers, p. 4. The Montessori environment is specifically and intentionally prepared for the child. Everything that is placed in the classroom has a purpose. When adding a material or an item to the classroom, it is important to ask, "How does this contribute to the child’s learning?" If it does not have a specific purpose, then it probably does not belong. Recently, there have been a lot of images posted online of classrooms decorated to look like vintage carnivals or circus environments. Bulletin boards and windows are decked out in bright banners and made to look like the “big top” tents. Red and white striped popcorn buckets are used for everything from pencil holders to bookends on library shelves. These classrooms are bright an...

In a previous blog , we discussed the value of inclusion and how Montessori’s tenet of following the individual needs of the child makes it inherently inclusive. The Circle of Inclusion Project (University of Kansas) and Raintree Montessori (Lawrence, Kansas) listed 11 specific ways in which Montessori education addresses the needs of all children, including those with disabilities. Included in this list is “ The development of organized work patterns in children. ” In today’s blog, Michelle kindly shares her classroom experiences to provide real-life examples of how Montessori meets that specific goal. Carrie entered my Montessori upper elementary classroom as a sixth-year student. Brand new to Montessori and unsure of what to expect, Carrie was quiet and, as one might expect, spent a great deal of time observing her new surroundings and friends. It did not take long for Carrie to settle in to her new environment, making friends and learning the routines of the classroom. She appeared...

In a previous blog , we discussed the value of inclusion and how Montessori’s tenet of following the individual needs of the child makes it inherently inclusive. The Circle of Inclusion Project (University of Kansas) and Raintree Montessori (Lawrence, Kansas) listed 11 specific ways in which Montessori education addresses the needs of all children, including those with disabilities. Included in this list is “ An emphasis on repetition. ” In today’s blog, Michelle kindly shares her classroom experiences to provide real-life examples of how Montessori meets that specific goal. Repetition is the secret of perfection… —Maria Montessori The Montessori Method, p. 171. Practice makes perfect. Ask any musician and they will tell you that they put in hours and hours of practice to perfect their craft. Being able to play an instrument, sing, or dance, requires hours of hard work, dedication, and repetition until those skills and abilities become part of you. Rouen Cathedral, Claude Monet [Public...

In a previous blog , we discussed the value of inclusion and how Montessori’s tenet of following the individual needs of the child makes it inherently inclusive. The Circle of Inclusion Project (University of Kansas) and Raintree Montessori (Lawrence, Kansas) listed 11 specific ways in which Montessori education addresses the needs of all children, including those with disabilities. Included in this list is “ Materials with a built-in control of error. ” In today’s blog, Michelle kindly shares her classroom experiences to provide real-life examples of how Montessori meets that specific goal. The didactic material controls every error. The child proceeds to correct himself, doing this in various ways. —Maria Montessori The Montessori Method, p. 171. Dr. Montessori’s words remind us of the significance of control of error in the Montessori environment. We give children the materials they need to use in a carefully prepared environment, and let the materials, not the adults, do the teach...

Montessori’s first plane of development begins at birth and extends through the first full six years of life. It is a time of immense physical growth, monumental brain development, increased physical coordination, body awareness, and movement, development of independence, and tremendous growth of language. The young child works constantly to create himself, finding his way in a complex social structure, developing his will, establishing his independence, and making his thoughts and desires known. All of this intense development is done joyfully through play and sensorial exploration. Through observation, Montessori found that even very young infants make an amazing effort and are able to concentrate greatly during sensitive periods of development. Sensitive periods, or windows of opportunity, are times when a child develops one specific area of interest to the exclusion of others, according to his individual needs. Sensitive periods begin and end abruptly, and are unique to each child....

Over her lifetime, Maria Montessori examined childhood behavior throughout various countries and cultures and during times of war and peace. Her discoveries in human development and behavior uncovered universal principles that apply across cultures and time. In the first chapter of Montessori Today, Paula Polk Lillard discusses key points surrounding the origin and theory of Montessori education. Following is a brief review of Lillard’s discussion, focusing particularly on human development and behavior as it relates to Montessori’s shift from science to education. [Montessori] believed that within the formative years of children lay the answers to humanity’s ability to renew itself in each succeeding generation. — Paula Polk Lillard, Montessori Today, p. 3. Human development is not a constant linear advancement but a progression that occurs during four formative planes Montessori noticed profound differences in what she described as the four planes of development. She recognized that...