Issacs, B.

(2012) Understanding the Montessori Approach London: David Fulton

Extract from Chapter 2:

Montessori’s views of children’s development

The reason why the Montessori approach continues to be a relevant pedagogy lies in
the fact that it is based on the development of children linked with observation.
Montessori’s view that children develop in stages, each with its own characteristics,
provides a foundation for the evaluation of observations and guides the adult in
providing a favourable environment for the child’s unique maturation process.

Following the biological development of human beings, Montessori (2007a) organised

children’s development in three six year periods: birth to six, six to twelve and twelve to
eighteen, and further determined these by the loss of, first, the milk teeth around the
age of six, and of molars around the age of twelve (Montessori 2007e). Each of these
periods is further subdivided into three year spans. Before we discuss spans in more
detail, it is important to point out that Montessori was one of the first pedagogues to
advocate the importance of the first six years of life. From her perspective, they were
far more important than the university years. They lay a firm foundation for the whole
future of the child, both in attitudes to social aspects of life and to learning. During
these formative years the child also establishes conceptual frameworks based on
sensory experiences, which, according to Montessori (2007a, 2007b) are essential pre-
cursors of all academic learning at school and university.

The Absorbent Mind (birth to six years of age)

“Impressions pour into us and we store them in our minds … the child undergoes a
transformation. Impressions do not merely enter the mind; they form it. They incarnate
themselves in him. ... We have a name for this type of mentality - the Absorbent Mind.”
(Montessori 2007a:24)

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Issacs, B. (2012) Understanding the Montessori Approach London: David Fulton

Montessori (2007a, 2007b) believed that we are born with human tendencies - genetic
predispositions which determine our unique human characteristics such as the ability to
orientate ourselves in an environment, the ability to communicate, gregariousness, and
creativity and imagination. She called the first stage of the child’s development the
Absorbent Mind because it is at this stage that children absorb information from their
environment effortlessly and with an ease which is not matched in subsequent
developmental stages. Montessori believed that this absorption was possible because
of the child’s inner drive, which she called the Horme, as well as periods of special
sensitivity to the environment which she termed sensitive periods. This latter term she
borrowed from the Dutch scientist Hugo de Vries (Montessori 1966), whom she met
during her time in Amsterdam between the two world wars. Montessori teachers use
their knowledge of the sensitive periods as the main guide for assessing and planning
for children in their first stage of development. The key sensitive periods during this time
are: sensitivity to order, movement, small detail and language, refinement of the senses
and sensitivity to social aspects. They are not sequential; instead they overlap and
grow in prominence as the child matures. If nurtured the sensitive periods blossom, and
when satisfied they subside. According to Montessori (2007a, 2007b), if the
opportunities to support these special times in the child’s first six years of life are not
met, the child will not be able to acquire these skills with the same ease in the future,
and chances for optimum development will be missed.

The Absorbent Mind begins with the Spiritual Embryonic Stage, from birth to
approximately three years of age, defined as follows: “The child …. is a spiritual
embryo which needs its own special environment. Just as a physical embryo needs its
mother’s womb in which to grow, so the spiritual embryo needs to be protected by an
external environment that is warm with love and rich in nourishments, where everything
is disposed to welcome, and nothing to harm it” (Montessori, 1964 SOF:34). Montessori
also referred to this stage as the Unconscious Absorbent Mind.full-stop During this

periods the child’s experiences are stored in the Mneme,comma a special “kind of

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Issacs, B. (2012) Understanding the Montessori Approach London: David Fulton

memory, which does not consciously remember, but absorbs images into the
individual’s very life” (Montessori, 2007a:57).
The key feature of this stage of development is the need for independence. Montessori
(2007a:96-97) states, “The child’s first characteristic is to carry out his actions by
himself, without anyone helping him.”
This stage is characterised by the child’s unfolding personality and emergence of the
human potential. The child’s actions are driven by the Horme (a vital urge which drives
the child in the first three years of life) and his/her experiences are stored in the Mneme.
The nature of the child at this age is egocentric, only able to see life from a personal
perspective.

Gradually, around the age of three, the Social Embryonic Stage emerges – the child
begins to demonstrate the ability to control his/her volition and becomes interested in
social conventions and aspects of his/her culture. Montessori (2007a:222) describes it
as “the embryonic period for the formation of character and society.” The social child
emerges at the end of this stage - the child capable of empathy, socially adept and
independent, ready for formal education.

Childhood (six to twelve years of age)

Montessori (2007e) considered this stage of the child’s development to be the most
productive and calm, during which the child embraces social life with enthusiasm and
new energy. At this stage, the child is ready for wider experiences and education needs
to satisfy not only his/her curiosity and keenness to acquire knowledge, but also the
need to belong to a group and exercise his/her growing moral awareness. The key
sensitive periods are those for acquisition of culture and morality. This stage is, once
again, subdivided: six to nine and nine to twelve. Montessori does not describe specific
characteristics of these sub-stages. However, in well-established primary Montessori
schools, children are divided into classes according to these two stages in order to
reflect their growing academic and intellectual ability.

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Issacs, B. (2012) Understanding the Montessori Approach London: David Fulton

Adolescence (twelve to eighteen years of age)

For Montessori (2007 From Childhood to Adolescence), this stage is characterised by
its volatile nature which requires, as in the case of the first stage of the child’s life, a
very understanding adult to support the young person. This is particularly so during the
first sub-stage, which Montessori termed puberty, when the child’s body undergoes
tremendous physical changes. During the second sub-phase, a young adult who has a
need to identify with his/her social group emerges. Montessori advocated a
revolutionary approach to the education of teenagers which is described in Chapter 2.

Partnership with Parents

Montessori was aware of the importance of parent-child relationships. When writing

about the unfolding of the sensitive periods in the child’s development, she highlighted
the role parents and carers can play in supporting the child’s optimum maturation. For
example, she advocated that babies and toddlers should participate in the everyday life
of the family and engage in shopping expeditions, family meals and outings. She
believed that very young children absorb all aspects of human existence, and that this
absorption nurtures their development.

For children to benefit fully from their Montessori education, it is important that parents
understand the aims of the pedagogy and support the holistic development of their off-
spring. The same focus on nurturing the child’s independence should be given at home
as it is at school. It is vital that children as young as twelve to eighteen months are
given time to feed, wash and dress themselves. They need access to their toys,
puzzles and books. These should be arranged on open shelves at home, as they are at
nursery, so that they can be reached when the child is ready. An essential aspect of this
access to activities and toys is the expectation that the child should put them back when
they have finished with them. In the early stages the child’s actions are not efficient.
However, opportunities to practice actions and time to perform tasks bear witness to a
gradual perfection of the skills, which can become second nature to a child as young as

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Issacs, B. (2012) Understanding the Montessori Approach London: David Fulton

two. The newly gained competence greatly enhances each child’s self-esteem and
belief in their abilities, giving them the feeling of control over their lives.

Many Montessori nurseries and schools offer parent education programmes. Their
main aim is to make parents familiar with the Montessori approach. This does not mean
teaching parents how to use the Montessori equipment - it is more a matter of adhering
to the Montessori principles as reflected in the discoveries Montessori made a hundred
years ago. This means that if we want to nurture the child’s true potential, we need to
trust and respect him/her. We need to provide an interesting environment which fosters
freedom and independence from which initiative will emerge as the child matures. We
also need to acknowledge that the freedom has to carry some responsibility in order to
protect the social aspects or our lives and support the emergence of the child’s self-
discipline. The benefit from this type of liberty is a fulfilled human being. Parents also
need to give children time and consideration in the planning of both school and family
routines and outings. All these elements contribute towards the child’s self-
construction.

The nature and level of partnership with parents in relation to Montessori settings varies
from country to country. During the past 20 years much has been done in the United
Kingdom to welcome parents into Montessori nurseries and schools, and to help them
engage with their child’s learning and development. Parents are invited to observe their
children or to contribute to activities. They also participate in the children’s learning by
providing information about home activities and contributing to children’s records and
learning journeys.

Children attending Montessori settings benefit from opportunities for self-construction

following the path of spontaneous development of each individual. For children to
benefit from this approach, parents and teachers need to work together by trusting and
respecting the child’s need to grow and learn in an environment favourable to individual
development. Therefore it is the role of parents and teachers to prepare such an

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Issacs, B. (2012) Understanding the Montessori Approach London: David Fulton

environment, one that offers activities and materials for engagement but also exudes an
atmosphere of calmness, politeness and respect.

Key Points
1. The Montessori approach is based on a recognition of the unique nature of each
individual.

2. Montessori’s medical background led her to establishing a universal pedagogy which

is designed to support the needs of each individual, whilst facilitating a social
transformation.

3. Children develop in stages (divided into three six year spans), each with its unique
characteristics and needs.

4. Children’s sensitive periods are key tools which guide teachers and parents in
organising appropriate activities to support learning and development.

5. Montessori’s approach is based on children’s active learning; movement is seen as

the key to cognitive development.

6. Children develop competence and independence and refine their senses by using
specifically developed activities and materials.

7. Social relationships unfold as children mature and grow in their knowledge of social
conventions and embrace the positive examples set by adults and older peers.

8. Freedom to learn combined with responsibility for one’s actions lead the child towards
self-discipline, social awareness and pro-social behaviour. For Montessori, these are
the foundations of the individual’s true liberty

9. Observation is the key tool for the evaluation of children’s learning and development
and guides the teacher in planning appropriate activities.

10. Appropriately trained and educated adults must trust and respect the uniqueness of
each individual child.

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Issacs, B. (2012) Understanding the Montessori Approach London: David Fulton

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