Tag Archives: Montessori education

The Absorbent Mind and the Sensitive Periods

by Vesna Gornik, Early Childhood Head Teacher
(edited by Tori Inkley)

“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 nourishment, where everything is disposed to welcome, and nothing to harm it.”
(The Secret of Childhood, p. 35)

Dr. Maria Montessori, in The Absorbent Mind, describes the human being as having a “double embryonic life” – one prenatal and the other postnatal. This dual life sets humans apart from animals who rely on instincts, while humans are born with an inner, unseen personality that requires a special environment to flourish. The term “Absorbent Mind” refers to a child’s remarkable ability to absorb effortlessly everything around her, from culture to customs, ideas, ideals, sentiments, feelings, emotions, and religion, especially during the first six years of life.

The first stage of a child’s life is one of adaptation. Unlike adults, who can never fully adapt to a new environment, children are highly adaptable to their surroundings. While adults of various cultural backgrounds will most always prefer to eat food from their native countries… even after relocating to a different country… children will generally embrace the food that is put in front of them. As adults, whether you choose to use plates or bowls, forks or chopsticks, etc., usually depends on your childhood experience. And children don’t just adapt to time and place; they also absorb the local mentality. Dr. Montessori believed that, regardless of the country in which a child is born, he is endowed with an “absorbent mind”.

According to Montessori, a child develops in stages. The first stage, from zero to six years, is a period of transformation and is subdivided into two phases. From birth to three years, the child has an unconscious absorbent mind, where she constantly absorbs impressions from the environment without awareness or will. From three to six years, the child’s absorbent mind becomes conscious, and the child becomes intentional in her actions and begins to exercise her will. During this critical period, intelligence and personality are formed as the child begins consciously interacting with the world around her.

A child absorbs knowledge from the environment effortlessly. He is like a sponge and has a capacity to learn by himself through observation. One of the most impressive demonstrations of this is in children learning foreign languages. You might not be able to tell whether someone speaks with a native accent or not, as children exposed to foreign languages early on tend to speak without an accent. If children have the chance to be exposed to multiple languages, they can easily master them. As an adult, I cannot distinguish tones in Chinese, no matter how hard I try; likewise, I have never spoken English without an accent even after years of practice. Similarly to language, a child also absorbs behavior. For instance, I once read about a young child who was raised in a home for the elderly. By the age of 15, he moved and walked as slowly as the seniors who resided there and had adopted their posture. After enough exposure, children have also been known to replicate how the adults around them interact with each other.

Through her work, Maria Montessori observed that children pass through various “Sensitive Periods” during which they are more receptive to learning certain skills effortlessly, such as walking and talking, and even more refined skills like reading, writing, and good manners. During those periods, children want to do particular activities (practice skills) themselves; they often cannot get enough of an activity and want to repeat it over and over again. These periods are transient, and if not capitalized on, opportunities to perfect specific skills may be lost for good.

The Sensitive Period for Language begins much earlier than most realize. By 10 to 12 months, monolingual babies have already lost the ability to distinguish certain sounds from a second language that is not spoken at home. Children absorb sounds, words, and grammar from their environment. In language acquisition, the social environment plays a crucial role. Infants need to interact with people to learn language; they cannot do it simply by listening to a radio or TV. The best advice for new parents would be not to underestimate a baby. Parents should talk to a baby as much as possible, describing every action they take (e.g., “I’m going to bathe you now”, “It’s time to change your diaper”, “Do you want to wear the blue pajamas tonight?”, etc.).

Introducing books early and using fabric books so the child can engage with them using different senses (sight, touch, and even taste), is a wonderful early step toward language and vocabulary development. Later, parents can provide hardcover books that children cannot destroy. Parents should read to the child, point to the pictures, and patiently repeat words so long as the child is interested. Parents, grandparents, and even older siblings can ask young children to point to objects in a book as the adult or sibling names them. One should also remember that children absorb not just vocabulary, but actual language, tone, and phraseology, and will use those later on as well. Therefore, it’s important to be mindful of what you say. I was surprised when, at two and a half years old, my own daughter ended her first phone conversation with me by saying, “Have a good time.” – a phrase I often use with others.

Dr. Montessori believed that scientific words should be taught to children between the ages of three and six years, and that writing can only be learned with joy and enthusiasm before this period ends. I observed the process of repetition firsthand when my own daughter insisted that I repeat the names of objects in a book countless times, pointing at them with her finger. Once she mastered those words, she lost interest and moved on to her next task. The case of Victor, the “Wild Boy from Aveyron”, who never learned to speak, is an example of a missed sensitive period for language acquisition. Victor was discovered in the wild in 1800, when he was about ten or eleven years old. Developmental disability was ruled out, and his case provided evidence that there is a critical period during which spoken language must be learned.

The Sensitive Period for Order occurs in a child’s first year and continues through the second. Everything in the child’s environment should be kept in its proper place, and the actions of the day should follow a regular routine. This sense of order extends to both time and space. This can be clearly observed in young children, who need regular meals and sleep times to avoid becoming fussy. An ordered environment leads to order in the mind. To help children the most, we should maintain order and routine, stability and a general rhythm in their environment and their lives.

Among other things, Maria Montessori noticed a young child’s fascination with small objects, particularly beginning in the child’s second year. E. M. Standing wrote that this period is somewhat connected to the Sensitive Period for Order. “Children are drawn by a peculiar fascination to tiny objects in their environment – objects so small that adults often overlook them.” In today’s world, this interest is often overlooked because small objects are generally removed from environments where children under the age of three are present.

Some sensitive periods are not necessarily easy for the adult to determine, other than a general age range. Some periods, however, are very easy for adults to recognize, such as the Sensitive Period for Walking. There is also a Sensitive Period for Toilet Training, and when introduced at the right time, some say children can become trained in a week.

The Sensitive Period for the Refinement of the Senses lasts from 2 ½ to 6 years. This period coincides with the Sensitive Period for Learning Good Manners. Dr. Montessori used the Sensitive Period for the Refinement of Movement to introduce children to Practical Life exercises. “If,” said Montessori, “this perfecting of movement is introduced at the creative moment (2 ½ – 4 years), it not only tends to the normal development of the mind but also affects the whole personality, bringing contentment, concentration, and inner nourishment.” Skiing is a good example of a skill that is easily learned in childhood but becomes difficult to learn as an adult. Even if an adult does learn, his movements would not be as graceful or natural as those of someone who learned at a younger age. Similarly, we observe that athletes in gymnastics or ice skating can truly excel only if they begin practicing before a certain age.

In summary, the concepts of the “Absorbent Mind” and “Sensitive Periods” underscore the importance of creating a nurturing environment for children. During the early years, children have an incredible ability to adapt to whatever environment they were born into. To succeed in this task, a child absorbs everything in her environment. Because of the child’s absorbent mind, it’s crucial that adults be mindful of our behavior and actions. A child becomes a mirror of the adults in his life, absorbing not only positive behaviors but also negative ones. The Absorbent Mind and Sensitive Periods are closely connected. Dr. Montessori used the knowledge of Sensitive Periods to help children learn easily at the right time. By understanding these periods, she was able to support children in refining their senses, movements, and manners with ease, and the results were permanent. Montessori used individualized lessons, knowing that children experience different sensitive periods at different times. We must be observant when a child is going through a sensitive period and offer the right support.

Montessori’s recognition of Sensitive Periods gives us a framework for understanding how children learn best. We need to offer them the right opportunities to develop, to allow them to follow certain interests, to not interrupt them, to prepare the environment (making materials accessible so that when the time comes, the child will notice them and start using them independently), and to provide only the necessary help, as any unnecessary help is an obstacle to the child’s development.

As it would be unrealistic to expect an adult to change, Maria Montessori believed in the power of a child to achieve peace: “By taking the child into consideration, we touch something common to all humanity. We cannot achieve world harmony simply by attempting to unite all these adult people who are so different; but we can achieve it if we begin with the child, who is not born with national and racial prejudices.” (Her Life and Work, p. 157)

Works Referenced
“Hearing Bilingual: How Babies Sort Out Language”. New York Times, 11 October 2011.
Lillard, Paula Polk. Montessori: A Modern Approach. Schocken Books, 1972.
Montessori, Maria. The Absorbent Mind. Henry Holt, 1995.
Montessori, Maria. The Secret of Childhood. Ballantine Books,1966.
Standing, E.M. Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work. Plume, 1998.

Spotlight On: Dr. Timothy Purnell

This past summer, we had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Timothy Purnell to discuss all things Montessori. Not only is Dr. Purnell the Chief Executive Officer of the American Montessori Society (AMS), but we are proud to say that he is also the parent of an alumna from The Montessori Children’s Academy. With vast experience in the field of education as a teacher, superintendent, professor, public speaker, and current CEO of AMS, Dr. Purnell continues to be driven and determined to promote the best practices in education for children today and for future generations to come. Experiencing his high energy and an array of engaging stories, we came away from our visit with Dr. Purnell enlightened and eager to share his passion for education, and especially Montessori education.

MCA: Can you tell us a little about how you were introduced to education as a career?

Dr. Purnell: I actually started out studying medicine. But as I got deeper into it, I realized it wasn’t for me. My father—who is himself a doctor—suggested I study teaching instead. I said, “No way!” My own experience had been that much of school was a nightmare, and I couldn’t imagine replicating that for others. But my father responded, “Exactly! Change the things you do not like.” And that really impacted me. So after college, I took a job as a guide in a Montessori summer program; and that fall, I accepted a position in a Montclair public school. To my surprise, I discovered that education was really my calling and that I wanted to create an environment for children that was contrary to my own experiences.

Dr. Purnell eventually became a professor in higher education, and he shared how Montessori resurfaced in his life during his experiences in the university setting.

Dr. Purnell: At Georgian Court University and Fairleigh Dickenson University, I asked the students to explore different pedagogies and to report back about what interested them most. They responded with many ideas about different theorists they were eager to learn more about in class—such as Dewey, Erikson, Piaget, Vygotsky—and, quite often, Maria Montessori. I am grateful to my students for “resurfacing” Dr. Montessori in my life!

Montessori did, indeed, find Dr. Purnell, and the Montessori Method further became the inspiration for his work as Superintendent of Schools in Somerville, NJ, where he launched a high school program incorporating Montessori values, which has since become a lighthouse for best practices.

Dr. Purnell: In Somerville, during my second year as superintendent, my team and I were doing data analytics at the high school and our metrics showed the dropout rate to be increasing. We realized if we didn’t take decisive action, the graduation rate would continue to decrease. So I assembled a team of like- and unlike-minded individuals—students and teachers, along with input from a local resident and professor from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Dr. Randall Westbrook—and my team came up with an idea to launch an inspirational, non-traditional learning space in the public sector, designed for students who were metrically at risk for dropping out, such as students who had been incarcerated, were struggling with school anxiety, were exploring sexual orientation, and/or just didn’t fit into the traditional mold.

Although it wasn’t strictly Montessori, it would include such Montessori tenets as uninterrupted blocks of work time, the opportunity for self-paced learning, teachers who served as guides rather than “masters,” and classes with multi-age groupings. The program was set up to be rolling, allowing for graduation mid-year.

The program was specially equipped with its own non-Child Study Team School Psychologist full time for support. Students were greeted every day with food, and eventually they started a small farm, growing crops and giving them to a local restaurant. The program became a smashing success with credit recovery escalating rapidly, students progressing greatly—some were even graduating early—and enrollment and graduation rates improving. The program won awards, and we became a top school district for approaching learning in a differentiated way. The strength of the Montessori pedagogy approach allowed for these students who did not fit the traditional mold to achieve success.

Dr. Purnell’s great success as the Superintendent in Somerville, led to him being selected as NASS Superintendent of the Year in 2016. His reputation spread, and Dr. Purnell later became the CEO of the American Montessori Society, where he has been advocating for Montessori education and working internationally on initiatives to promote high quality Montessori programs through teacher education programs, conferences, podcasts, keynote addresses, and TEDx talks.

Dr. Purnell is currently leading an initiative at AMS to ensure that there’s emphasis on quality Montessori schools over quantity of Montessori schools. He is especially proud of the increasing number of AMS member schools that are pursuing AMS accreditation—the gold standard of Montessori education—as well as those that are taking advantage of a resource called the AMS Pathway of Continuous School Improvement.

But Dr. Purnell also has another personal connection to Montessori, and that is with his youngest child, who attended MCA.

MCA: What drew you to MCA?

Dr. Purnell: When my wife and I were looking for a school for our daughter, we knew we wanted a Montessori environment that was not only high-fidelity, but a place where she would flourish—as it’s not just the pedagogy that makes for Montessori, but the entire look and feel of a program. When we entered MCA, we knew right away that this was going to be the right place. We quickly fell in love with the teacher, whom we recognized as an incredible educator and nurturer, the classrooms, the joy that we saw on the students’ faces, and their focused concentration; the everything. We agreed we could make it work with our schedules, even though it meant some tricky logistics for my wife, regarding drop off and pick up.

We wanted to know how the Montessori philosophy may have filtered into his own home life.

MCA: In what ways have you seen how an early Montessori education positively impacted your own child?

At home, we see it in how she takes care of the environment, treating things well and putting them back in their proper places. She speaks to us respectfully (usually!) and is helpful, especially when it comes to cleaning up, and is independent (and opinionated) about selecting her clothing. I can see her gaining confidence in herself and realizing that she doesn’t always need to come to me or another adult to solve things—she’s learning to draw on her own resources. On top of all this, she loves to go to school. What more could a parent ask?

MCA: What do you tell your neighbors and friends about Montessori?

Dr. Purnell: I talk about the independence of the Montessori child. I talk about the joy of the Montessori child. Of my Montessori child. About how she loves school, and loves learning—as do her classmates. Another thing I address is the focus on early learning, that is, is, birth through age 6, This is a period Maria Montessori called the “absorbent stage,” when children experience intense mental activity that allows them to “absorb” learning from their environment quickly and easily without conscious effort. It’s a critical time in their lives, and a Montessori environment is an ideal place to nurture and support it. As Dr. Montessori said, “Education must begin at birth.”

MCA: If Dr. Montessori were alive today, what would you want to ask her? What do you want to know straight from the source?

Dr. Purnell: That’s a tough question because there are so many things I would want to know! To start, I would like to hear her stories about teaching children who were dismissed because they were thought to be “mentally deficient,” to use the very un-PC parlance of the times, and what surprised her most. I’d also be interested to know her creative process in developing Montessori learning materials—the prototypes of the very same materials we see here in MCA.

I’d be fascinated to know about the “Glass Classroom” that she staged for the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. This was a glass-walled demonstration Montessori classroom where hundreds of visitors would gather round to observe children at work. The children, who had never attended Montessori school before, worked with such focus that it seemed they didn’t notice. How did Dr. Montessori have such confidence that this would work?

And I’d want to know about her experiences living in exile in India during WWII, and her development as a pacifist. Did you know she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize three times? And of course I’d want her perspectives on our world today: the use of technology in the classroom and beyond, strides made in women’s rights—she was also a feminist—teaching tolerance. and so much more.

MCA: It would be a great conversation! Finally, we’d like to ask, how do you see Montessori changing and benefiting our world?

Dr. Purnell: This is what Montessori is truly all about and actually the topic of my next TEDx talk in Delaware, “The Future with Montessori.” I’ll be talking about how by operating humanely, and by that I mean equitably, inclusively, respectfully, and kindly in all facets of our lives: professional, personal, familial, governmental, and especially with those less fortunate than we are, we can make the world a better place. And how the place to start is with our children. In her book, Education and Peace, Maria Montessori said, “The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.”

And speaking of making the world a better place, this past year I had the privilege of leading the AMS Board of Directors and AMS staff in rewriting our mission statement. It was an interesting process that derived from personal stories they told about individual experiences with Montessori and AMS. We eventually dissected all the stories and isolated key words that everyone agreed were impactful in describing the “what and why” of our organization—that is, our mission—and came up with these simple but powerful words: “Empowering humanity to build a better world through Montessori.” We are very proud of it, and even had it printed on T-shirts that we wore during a recent service learning project with Habitat for Humanity NYC!

We truly believe Montessori can change the world. It will happen through the children at MCA—and, if we are fortunate, with children throughout the world.

The Montessori Children’s Academy extends its deepest gratitude to Dr. Purnell for taking the time to share his thoughts and experiences with us. For more information about AMS and to access resources about Montessori for families, you may wish to visit their website at amshq.org. There you may also view Dr. Purnell’s impactful TEDx video presentation, “Truth in Leadership: #GetOffYourIsland”.

Summertime Reading Buzz

by Alex Chiu

Summer is a wonderful time for storytelling and reading together. Long car rides to the beach, lazy Saturday mornings in bed, and twilight evenings on the back deck are ideal moments to listen to books on tape, share memories and stories, or read with your children. But what types of books should you read? There are so many delightful choices available – both the familiar titles parents will remember from their own youth and many brand new and equally engaging options which seem to come on the market daily. Consider this quote from Dr. Maria Montessori: “Travel stories teach geography; insect stories lead the child into natural science; and so on. The teacher, in short, can use reading to introduce her pupils to the most varied subjects; and the moment they have been thus started, they can go on to any limit guided by the single passion for reading.” So, it doesn’t really matter what you choose!

As their children’s first and most influential teachers, parents are instrumental in opening up new worlds for their children, particularly through the sharing of books. As you read together, invite your child to ask questions and share thoughts and ideas related to the book. Ask open-ended questions or help your child discover connections between what is in the story and your child’s own experiences. Encourage active engagement with others by having your child relate the plot or information from favorite stories with friends, neighbors, and relatives.

With summer in full swing, we thought we’d share a few titles specifically related to geography (including maps and different places or experiences from around the world) and insects, as featured in Dr. Montessori’s quote. Geography and insect themes can promote many summer adventures. These certainly are two areas that lend themselves especially well to the summer months and often become a springboard for other points of interest. Adults may provide the first selection of books to enjoy together, and then based on the children’s responses, parents may offer more similar suggestions or veer off on a different path.

When diving into the ocean of books offered at your local library or favorite bookshop, follow your child’s lead as he or she shows a special curiosity about a character, topic, or genre. See where your summer reading adventures can take you this summer. It could be miles away to discover faraway lands and cultures, or right to your very own backyard where you can delve into the world of the creatures that crawl and fly about. Wherever you go, we wish you happy reading, happy exploring, and a very happy and safe summer!

A Small Sampling of Books Related to Geography and Culture

A Country Far Away by Nigel Gray
A Single Pebble: A Story of the Silk Road by Bonnie Christensen
Katie in London by James Mayhew
As the Crow Flies: A First Book of Maps by Gail Hartman and Harvey Stevenson
Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney
Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventures by Jeff Brown
Smart About the Fifty States by Jon Buller
Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey
Vanilla Ice Cream by Bob Graham
Where on Earth? by Helen Abramson

A Small Sampling of Books Related to Insects

A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Aston
Bee and Me by Alison Jay
Bugs A to Z by Caroline Lawton
How to Survive as a Firefly by Kristen Foote
Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni
Insect Detective by Steve Voake
Step Gently Out by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder
The Big Book of Bugs by Yuval Zoomer
The Disgusting Critter Series by Elise Gravel
We Dig Worms! By Kevin McCloskey

*Note: Several authors have used the same titles for different books, so pay special attention to the complete titles and/or author names above to ensure you find the right book!

Sewing Up the School Year

By Fiorella Benson with Alex Chiu

As the 2018-2019 school year comes to a close, we are delighted to share a special photo blog featuring a special end of the year project from one of our MCA classes which beautifully illustrates how skills gleaned from across the Montessori curriculum come together “seamlessly” with stunning results!

The students in one of our MCA classes have been working on a new extension of the Montessori Constructive Triangles, using a sewing machine and their hand sewing skills to make their very first quilt. The children deepened their knowledge of the different shapes they can make with triangles, while learning about symmetry, patterns, and how to design a quilt. This hands-on approach to geometry also gave the children the opportunity to work on a fiber arts project, improve their fine motor skills, develop a sense of order, promote independence, and deepen their concentration. It was an empowering experience for the class to work on this project as a team and to realize that each one of them could thread and operate a sewing machine independently.

The creative process involved the following steps:

Working with the Constructive Triangles and Extensions
The children first created different shapes and patterns with triangles. They worked with the Constructive Triangles and worked on different extensions, such as tracing, coloring, and gluing triangles made out of construction paper.

First Stitches
The children learned how to thread a sewing machine and practiced sewing a straight line, while leaving a ¼- inch seam allowance. They also practiced putting the right pressure on the pedal.

Patterns and Symmetry
The children explored the different shapes and patterns present in a finished quilt, and then proceeded to create their own design as a team. We talked about symmetry and how you can use the same pattern at the top and bottom, or at the right and left side of a quilt.

Sewing Half-Square Triangles
Each child learned how to sew a half-square triangle, which is a square made from two equal right triangles. Then they sewed them together following the pattern they created for their quilt.

Putting the Pieces Together
Once again, students used the sewing machine to put their half-square triangles together.

Hand Tying the Quilt
The students quilted their project by hand, using a tie stitch that runs through the three layers of the quilt and is secured with a few knots.

Topstitching by Hand
To give a colorful final touch to their project, the children topstitched the perimeter of their quilt by hand with running stitches.

Presenting Their Finished Quilt!

Applying the skills the children have developed over the school year to a project such as this is a wonderful way to keep those skills sharp when school is out while at the same time having some family fun and perhaps learning new skills along the way. We hope this photo feature inspires some of our MCA families to consider taking on a special family project that involves creativity, new learning, and fun this summer.

We wish you a happy, healthy, and rejuvenating summer season!

Celebrating Montessori Education Week at MCA!

By Alex Chiu

A sampling of MCA student projects on display at local libraries for Montessori Education Week

We at The Montessori Children’s Academy celebrate Montessori education each and every day, but for one week out of the year, we join together with schools from around the world to take part in extra special celebrations during a designated Montessori Education Week. This international commemoration of the life and work of Dr. Maria Montessori provides us with additional time to reflect on what makes Montessori education so special and to acknowledge the amazing aspects of this educational philosophy, which we see play out daily in our schools. While Dr. Montessori may have humbly stated that “It is not true that I invented what is called the Montessori Method… I have studied the child; I have taken what the child has given me and expressed it, and that is what is called the Montessori Method”, we must respectfully add that her observations of children and the development of her Montessori materials and philosophy have indeed created a remarkable educational path for children to follow.

For example, we observe how the multi-age classrooms allow children to work and grow together across abilities, levels, and ages, just as family members of varying ages work and grow together at home. We witness the process of discovery, challenge, repetition, determination, and satisfaction as students work on and come to master a spectrum of skills using the unique Montessori materials. We revel in the caring and empathy we see develop within our students as they work together and participate in various charitable endeavors to help those who need help. We take pride in the continuous growth and ongoing successes we see in our students, families, and staff, as we all know that learning never stops, especially when learning is so joyful! As Dr. Montessori herself said, “One test of the correctness of educational procedure is the happiness of the child.” We see the joy in Montessori learning every day in our children’s eyes!

Our Montessori Education Week festivities this year included student presentations of Montessori materials, public library displays of student-created projects, individual classroom lessons on Dr. Montessori’s life and legacy, studies about Italy (Dr. Montessori’s home country and the birthplace of the Montessori Method), and extensions of peace activities, including our annual ‘lighting a candle for peace’ tradition. As our students engage in these experiences, they bolster both their intellectual and interpersonal skills. Students continuously build upon their prior learning, finding new nuances to each subject studied, gaining new strengths, and uncovering new ideas. “Development is a series of rebirths,” said Dr. Montessori, and we delight in watching our students evolve and advance personally and academically as they progress and make discoveries in their Montessori classrooms every day.

Although Montessori Education Week has come to a close, our celebration of Montessori continues on among our vibrant MCA community! We are proud to uphold the incredible traditions of Dr. Maria Montessori and welcome all to come learn more about her enduring philosophy and to see what makes our Montessori schools so special!

“An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking; it involves the spiritual development of man, the enhancement of his value as an individual, and the preparation of young people to understand the times in which they live.” ~Maria Montessori