We recognize that Montessori education has lingo that might need a little explanation. In this dictionary post, we’re going to focus on a few terms (some familiar, some perhaps not so familiar) that apply to both the early childhood years and beyond.
When possible, we’ve quoted from Dr. Maria Montessori, and we encourage you to look at her work. Dr. Montessori was a woman well before her time and her books, such as From Childhood to Adolescence and To Educate the Human Potential, can be a source of insight and inspiration!
Grace and Courtesy
Grace and courtesy are essential aspects of Montessori environments and support children as they develop social relationships. Grace is how we move through the space around us, and courtesy is how we treat each other.
At Wheaton Montessori School primary classrooms, grace and courtesy are considered one of the areas of practical life. For example, adults give lessons on how to interrupt, how to accept an offering, how to offer help, or how to introduce oneself. These lessons are offered in small groups and the technique used is role-playing. Social scenarios are acted out and provide a model for behavior that is situational. Like all other learning activities, grace and courtesy lessons are practiced and repeated. They provide a respectful way of learning expectations and aiding social skills before proactively supporting each individual and the community as a whole.
Dr. Montessori reminds us of this in The Secret of Childhood: “I have come to appreciate the fact that children have a deep sense of personal dignity. Adults, as a rule, have no concept of how easily they are wounded and oppressed.” We offer grace and courtesy lessons, give children a safe place to practice, and a community of models, and all students will eventually perform these skills independently.
Human Tendencies
Human tendencies are unconscious, universal drives that support our adaptation to our time and place. All humans are born with innate needs and drives and are wired to adapt to their environment. The human tendencies – to orient, explore, order, abstract, imagine, calculate, work, be exact and repeat, perfect oneself, and communicate and associate with others – help aid this adaptation.
Dr. Montessori alluded to human tendencies when she wrote about the inner drive she observed in children and how this drive helps individuals construct themselves to develop into maturity: “Their behavior led us to become aware of a fundamental truth, namely that the child works for his inner development and not to reach an exterior aim and that when he has done this work he has not developed a special ability but he has developed something in himself.”
Prepared Environment
The Montessori environment is carefully prepared so that children can satisfy their human tendencies and thus develop to their fullest potential. The prepared environment takes into consideration what children need at their particular stage of growth, and as individuals on their own trajectory of development. The prepared environment consists of the physical and psychic aspects of the environment, of which the adult is a key part.
Through interactions in a prepared environment, children can construct who they are as human beings. As they go through this process of self-construction in their environment, children learn, grow, adapt, and create. The prepared environment is part of the triad of the child, the beautiful and complete environment, and the professionally trained adult, all of which are interconnected components.
Sensitive Periods/Sensitivities
Dr. Montessori was first and foremost a scientist. She was interested in what was happening prior to observable signs of human development. She was curious about what was going on in the mind before the skill manifested itself. For example, she wanted to know what was happening during the many months prior to children speaking their first word.
Without the high-tech tools that neuropsychologists and psychologists now have to measure brain activity, Dr. Montessori had to rely upon observation. She watched children, took notes, and made charts about what they did. As a result, she discovered that a particular object or aspect of the environment would have an irresistible draw for children. This attraction would last for some time. Children would keep going back to the same activity or element of the environment and would be continually drawn to it. Then the day would come when it held no more interest and something new would be attractive.
Dr. Montessori observed this phenomenon over and over again, which led her to believe that there must be something innate in children that was driving this interest. Building upon the work of biologists, Dr. Montessori adopted the term, sensitive period, to describe transitory periods of psychic development. Beyond the Montessori world, sensitive periods are now referred to as critical periods or windows of opportunity.
What does Wheaton Montessori School look like focusing first on grace and courtesy, human tendencies, a prepared environment, and sensitive periods?
Current families with children of all ages and prospective families with children under 4.5 years of age are invited to attend our Open House on January 16, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. This event will offer comprehensive insights into our school, highlighting the benefits of completing our Primary, Elementary, and Adolescent Community programs, as well as providing a chance to interact with our dedicated teachers.
Current parents are also welcome to schedule a level-up observation to see what your next step is in our partnership.
In addition, prospective families, with young children can schedule a preschool tour and discover how from ages preschool to 9th grade engage in a lifelong journey of learning and discovery. Our waitlist is closed for students in kindergarten through 9th grade for prospective families unless your child is transferring from an AMI Montessori school with continuous Montessori experience.
