A Parent's view of the Montessori Classroom

Sarah Notte
Apr 5, 2018
2 min read

My take on the Montessori classroom at Riverlands Montessori, Dayton WA......

Each child has an individual learning program which nurtures their natural interests and strengths.

There is freedom within limits, such as being able to choose how they learn and when they learn. Their classroom becomes a little community working together and the life skills they gain are amazing.

There is a teacher and aid in every classroom ALL day and the number of students in the class is quite small too.

Each child is giving an individual lesson on each piece of equipment which is self correcting. This means it's not the teacher saying "right or wrong", the equipment guides them to complete it correctly.

A child has a natural urge to learn and this is nurtured and their want to learn flourishes. They become very inquisitive, question asking beings and are able problem solve in all areas of their lives not just in maths!

Have you ever noticed your child "go through a phase" of something? Maybe they drew all over the walls week in, week out, no matter how many times you talk to them about it. Maybe they cut sheets and sheets of paper.

Maybe they are obsessed with the bathroom sink and taps?...

...This is known as a sensitive period. It's the developmental stage the child is going through. In a mainstream school the timetable is set by the teacher and the children don't have a lot of say on what they learn, when they learn it and how they learn it. So when they go through a sensitive period it looks as though they are misbehaving, won't pay attention, co-operate or listen!

My 5 1/2 year old LOOOOVES to draw. She can learn geometry, English, fine motor skills, sequencing, problem solving, imagination and the list goes on. Within reason, she can choose to bring in her creative drawing into these other subjects. She has some freedom in HOW she learns geometry and when. I know when I was at school at a desk and the teacher was talking to all the students there wasn't much flexibility in how I learnt something.

What if I wasn't feeling like learning English on a particular day? What if I was feeling more creative?

So many adults want to do something GOOD with their lives.

They are constantly asking what is my purpose? What are my strengths and passions?

My kids are natural following those right now! Their path may not be easier but I know it will be a little clearer as they continue to follow those gravitations to certain likes and desires 😍