{"id":522,"date":"2017-09-26T12:44:16","date_gmt":"2017-09-26T16:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/?p=522"},"modified":"2017-09-26T12:44:16","modified_gmt":"2017-09-26T16:44:16","slug":"the-language-of-montessori","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2017\/09\/26\/the-language-of-montessori\/","title":{"rendered":"The Language of Montessori"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/strong>
\nBy:\u00a0 Alex Chiu<\/p>\n

If your family is new to Montessori, you might think you hear your child speaking a \u2018new language\u2019 when he or she returns home from school each day. As the children are learning their new classroom routines, they are also learning some of the terminology unique to Montessori. In order to help you \u2018translate\u2019 some of the new phrases that might be coming home, we\u2019ve put together a brief list of common terms you may encounter as you begin your Montessori journey.<\/p>\n

The Prepared Environment<\/strong>: This is your child\u2019s classroom. However, the Montessori classroom is specifically and meticulously arranged in such a way as to provide teaching opportunities at every turn. Organized by areas of learning, your child\u2019s prepared environment at MCA includes the full complement of beautiful Montessori materials designed to facilitate learning and exploration in the areas of Math, Language, Sensorial, Practical Life, and Culture\/Science. Teachers thoughtfully place the materials, furniture, rugs, and adornments with the children\u2019s needs in mind. You\u2019ll notice that the furniture is just the right size for the children and that artwork is hung at the child\u2019s eye level. The classroom is set up to facilitate independent and group learning, and to offer children a safe, comfortable space in which to grow and learn.<\/p>\n

Work<\/strong>: This is the term used for the activities the children engage in at school. Montessori \u2018work\u2019 includes all of the meaningful, beautiful materials the children will receive lessons on and then may choose from the classroom shelves while they are at school. At home you might ask your child, \u201cWhat work did you choose today?\u201d<\/p>\n

Normalization<\/strong>: As defined on the American Montessori Society website, \u201cnormalization\u201d refers to \u201cA natural or \u201cnormal\u201d developmental process marked by a love of work or activity, concentration, self-discipline, and joy in accomplishment. Dr. Montessori observed that the normalization process is characteristic of human beings at any age.\u201d In Montessori schools, the beginning of the year focuses on the activities and skills that lead to a \u2018normalized\u2019 classroom in which students understand the expectations and are able to function in the classroom independently and successfully.<\/p>\n

Grace and Courtesy<\/strong>: Part of the \u201cnormalization\u201d process at the beginning of the school year involves a big focus on \u201cgrace and courtesy\u201d in Montessori classrooms. Teachers model and then have students practice using simple courteous phrases such as \u201cplease\u201d, \u201cthank you\u201d, and \u201cexcuse me\u201d. Students learn the polite way to ask for help or to get someone\u2019s attention. They learn how to walk around the work rugs of their classmates so as to not disturb them. They learn how to stand in a line or how to sit at circle without interfering with the physical space of their friends. These lessons are the fundamentals of a functioning classroom, and Montessori students learn them quickly and wonderfully!<\/p>\n

Work Rug or Work Mat<\/strong>: Students define their work space in the classroom by using a work rug or mat. This keeps the materials contained and safe, and it also designates the area for the child\u2019s activities. Other children learn to walk carefully around the work rugs or mats of their classmates. Your child may also use a special work mat at a table, especially when working with water or paint. The tablemat also contains the work to a specific area and helps in the cleanup of the work area as well.<\/p>\n

Three-Period Lesson<\/strong>: When a student is introduced to a new concept for the first time, he or she is given a three-period lesson.<\/p>\n

The first period<\/strong> is naming. Using the Montessori materials, the teacher first tells the child the name of or provides the specific vocabulary for the new concept. The teacher will say \u201cThis is a cube\u201d or \u201cThis is a circle\u201d.<\/p>\n

The second period<\/strong> is recognition after being given the vocabulary. The teacher next will use the material in some manner, and then invite the child to show what was just named. For example, the teacher might say to the child \u201cShow me the cube\u201d or \u201cShow me the circle\u201d. The child is required only to recognize and identify the newly learned item.<\/p>\n

The third period<\/strong> is when the child is able to provide the vocabulary spontaneously, showing mastery. In the third period, the teacher will ask the child to provide the vocabulary for the new concept. The teacher will ask, \u201cWhat is this?\u201d and the child is expected to give the name (e.g., \u201cThis is a cube\u201d or \u201cThis is a circle\u201d).<\/p>\n

Note that a child may not reach the third period right away\u2014a lesson may require several attempts over the course of time for a child to be able to master the third period and identify and provide the vocabulary of a new concept.<\/p>\n

Work Cycle<\/strong>: Montessori students are given a wonderful gift of time called the \u201cwork cycle\u201d during their school day. The work cycle is a long, uninterrupted work time during which the children may choose their activities and then spend time doing those activities for as long and as often as they wish. Montessori education understands that children need time to make choices, complete tasks, repeat tasks, and engage in their learning. During the work cycle, the child may complete many independent tasks, work with a teacher one-on-one, or do activities with a friend or in a small group\u2014all productive and important components of the school session.<\/p>\n

Practical Life<\/strong>: Especially at the beginning of the school year, the Practical Life area of the classroom is the most used and most popular. It is in this area that children learn the fundamentals used across all areas of the Montessori classroom. In Practical Life, they learn the steps for selecting work, taking the work from the shelf to the work space, organizing the work, performing the tasks, completing the work, and returning the work to the shelf so it is ready for the next person.<\/p>\n

Practical Life activities involve a great deal of fine motor control, concentration, patience, and motivation to complete. Each activity assists the child in developing necessary everyday life skills from dressing to cleaning to preparing food, etc. As adults, we often take these skills for granted, but in Montessori classrooms, we know they are learned skills that promote learning across all areas!<\/p>\n

Pincer Grip or Pincer Grasp<\/strong>: While not a uniquely Montessori term, children develop their pincer grip as they perform a multitude of tasks across the Montessori curriculum. The pincer grip is the combination of the thumb and forefinger working together to manipulate, move, or grasp an item.<\/p>\n

Sensorial<\/strong>: The colorful and inviting Sensorial area is where children develop a heightened awareness of their five senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Children also develop understanding of size, space, and sequence, and the Sensorial materials provide a foundation for the Math and Language academic areas. The popular Pink Tower, an iconic Montessori material, is just one example of the Sensorial work your child might choose, building the tower from the biggest pink cube (which is 1 cubic decimeter) to the smallest pink cube (which is 1 cubic centimeter).<\/p>\n

Control of Error<\/strong>: Because the child is encouraged to explore and learn at his or her own pace, the Montessori materials have a built in \u2018control of error\u2019 that lets the child know whether or not he or she has completed the work correctly. For example, if a child is learning to pour water from one small pitcher into another, the control of error is if the water spills. The child can see his or her success in completing the task without any interference from the teacher. If there is a spill, the child has learned already how to clean it up. Then, he or she can make another attempt at pouring, and another, until he or she pours without one drop spilled. Imagine the satisfaction felt after achieving that goal!<\/p>\n

Circle<\/strong>: Again, this is not a uniquely Montessori term, but one that often is used in Montessori classrooms. Circle time refers to the time of day when the entire class of children come together with their teacher(s) and sit (usually in a circle) to listen to stories, sing songs, observe a group lesson, or do some other all-class activity.<\/p>\n

Absorbent Mind<\/strong>: As defined on the American Montessori Society website, the \u201cabsorbent mind\u201d is the time when \u201cFrom birth through approximately age 6, the young child experiences a period of intense mental activity that allows her to \u201cabsorb\u201d learning from her environment without conscious effort, naturally and spontaneously\u201d.<\/p>\n

If you encounter a Montessori term that is new and would like to learn more, or if you\u2019re interested in gathering more information about Dr. Maria Montessori or the Montessori philosophy, you might enjoy reading some of the following books:<\/p>\n

A Parents\u2019 Guide to the Montessori Classroom<\/em> by Aline D. Wolf
\nMaria Montessori: Her Life and Work<\/em> by E.M. Standing
\nMontessori: A Modern Approach<\/em> by Paula Polk Lillard
\nUnderstanding Montessori: A Guide for Parents<\/em> by Maren Schmidt and Dana Schmidt
\nMontessori Madness! A Parent to Parent Argument for Montessori Education<\/em> by Trevor Eissler
\nThe Absorbent Mind<\/em> by Dr. Maria Montessori<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By:\u00a0 Alex Chiu If your family is new to Montessori, you might think you hear your child speaking a \u2018new language\u2019 when he or she returns home from school each day. As the children are learning their new classroom routines, they are also learning some of the terminology unique to Montessori. In order to help […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[28,69,3,87],"tags":[98,17,10,138,25,144,54,31,36,145,140,147,18],"coauthors":[13],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7icff-8q","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1414,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2025\/01\/08\/independence-in-the-early-childhood-montessori-classroom\/","url_meta":{"origin":522,"position":0},"title":"Independence in the Early Childhood Montessori Classroom","author":"Tori Inkley","date":"January 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Camilla Nichols, Senior Director of Montessori Development \u201cHow does he achieve this independence? He does it by means of a continuous activity.How does he become free? 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