Understanding the Montessori Infant Environment

by Mike Brown

As I prepare to welcome home a new family member who will eventually spend time in our infant room, I have begun the process to better understand his learning environment at school. I am accustomed to walking into a classroom and seeing distinct work areas such as tables, floor mats, pillows, etc. However, a traditional work area seems hardly appropriate for a developing infant who is learning to adapt to his new environment.

After birth, the development of movement is a child’s first major skill gained. The growth from being completely immobile at birth to involuntary and later voluntary movement is typically done in a rapid progression. This is a process that we all have experienced and witnessed but far fewer of us have an understanding of why. Lacie Russell, our infant teacher explained it to me in the following manner; “Infants have an internal need to move. Their movements first start as reflexes and then become more voluntary. As they begin to explore their surroundings and become more comfortable, they learn to trust the way their bodies move and begin to explore new things. The need to move drives them so quickly, they want to see and touch everything. From learning to lift their head to crawling on all fours, they get great pleasure from movement, and this pleasure keeps them wanting more.” Christie Stanford, founder of Aid to Life Education, a company based in Vancouver, British Columbia that provides Montessori services to children between zero and twelve years old, further explains the biological development; “This happens rapidly during the first year of life as the Myelin Sheath coats the neurons in the body, which is essential in the proper functioning of the nervous system. This Myelination moves from the head to the feet and from the center of the body to the fingertips. Due to this process, the first part of the infant’s body to be Myelinated is the throat and neck, then shoulders, arms, legs, etc. until lastly the child has control of his or her wrists and fingers (refined grasp), along with ankles and toes (child can now walk).” *

This brings me back to the infant environment. Infants require a safe, comforting area for movement. This movement area offers an assortment of materials; pillows of various shapes and objects of multiple textures and sizes. Objects such as mobiles are also suspended above the mat. The point of reference provided by the mat inherently offers reassurance and security to the child. The freedom to explore not only gives him the opportunity to develop muscles required for voluntary movement but also confidence and a sense of independence.
Much the same as in an early childhood classroom, the infant’s mat or work area is carefully prepared by his caregiver. For the youngest child, he is given both tummy time and the chance for sensorial development on his back. Mrs. Russell explains in her infant environment, children are placed on their backs to give them freedom to truly move as they wish. Some infant programs use bouncy chairs or other commercial movement devices, however, when a child is placed in one of these devices his freedom is taken away and his movement is restricted. Additionally, he may not want to be placed in the position forced by the confines of one of these devices. Once a child is ready to sit up, only one material is given for exploration at a time. When the child becomes increasingly more mobile, materials are placed on a low shelf. This encourages the child to move on his own to not only get the material, but also make a decision as to which material interests him. By allowing him these freedoms, Ms. Stanford concludes, “we offer him the greatest opportunity for natural growth in an unrestricted environment.” *

Mike Brown is part of The Boyd School's Support Staff. Mike has been with the school since October of 2004 and has served the school in a jack-of-all-trades capacity ranging from Art Teacher to Director of Admissions to his current role as Public Relations Coordinator.


* Excerpts from MariaMontessori.com, “The Montessori Movement Mat - The Child’s First Working Table,” by Christie Stanford, January 2012

Creative Play in a Montessori Environment

Experts acknowledge that the loss of creative play has negative consequences. Imagination and creativity; cornerstones of higher math and science are developed through creative play. David Elkind, author of The Power of Play, writes "Creativity and imagination are like muscles; if you don't use them, you lose them,"

Aldie Kindergarten student's collaborative extension.

It is a common misconception that the Montessori method of learning limits creative play. This is far from actuality. In the Montessori learning environment children are often presented with materials that lay the foundation to traditional areas of education, such as the basic understanding of area and volume learned by working with the brown stair materials. However, once a child begins to grasp the geometry of these objects, an extension of this exercise allows for children to explore the possibilities of construction limited only by their imagination but grounded in a far better understanding of plane geometry. Perhaps a simpler explanation would be a comparison of two approaches to music education. Would you consider it the best method for a person to develop musical skills or to understand musical composition by simply providing a person with a set of bells without guidance or would an introduction to the chromatic scale to develop a sense of tone before doing so lead to a better learning experience and honestly, more fun? When children have a basic understanding of skills or concepts it allows for a heightened learning experience and improves a child’s confidence while playing.

Herndon students using loose parts for outdoor building.

Children have a natural and intrinsic desire to play, explore, adapt and cooperate, especially in the outdoors. The benefits of outdoor play are easily identified and the development of large-motor skills and social interactions are well documented. Although traditional playground equipment such as slides, climbers, balls, etc. provide children a great deal of benefit and avenues for development, true creative activity is somewhat limited. Providing children with materials and equipment (loose parts) that can stimulate, facilitate and enhance children’s play leads to a high level of ownership which is a powerful ingredient in providing a positive play and learning experience for a child. Jeff Hill of the Childrens Scrapstore, a UK business providing children with these loose parts for playground use since 1982 states, “Giving children the opportunity to experience higher levels of creative activity during playtime, makes a difference to them, to their relationships with others and ultimately to the whole school environment.”

Westfields children on board the train climber.

At The Boyd School, we have enhanced our children’s outdoor experience through a number of playground extensions. Through the use of loose parts, children have the opportunity to construct on a larger scale than within the walls of the classroom using similar materials. Currently, children can build with custom designed, lightweight outdoor building blocks and small tires. The buildings, towers, and vehicles are only limited by their imagination. Additional and various loose parts are introduced to constantly provide children new materials in which to play. Children at the Aldie Campus have the opportunity to manipulate their playground experience through the use of a Snug Play system. The Snug Play system, generously donated by Van Metre to the school, is a series of lightweight, open-ended and moveable collection of play equipment. Children have the opportunity to create entirely new play environments and experiences through collaboration and the use of their imaginations. The Snug Play system at The Boyd School is one of the first installations in Virginia. Children at the Broadlands Campus have the opportunity to manipulate and build with natural materials creating paths, walls, and tunnels. The Boyd School - Westfields Campus offers children the opportunity to ‘travel’ as far as their imaginations allow on board an Amish built train climber.

Failure as a Learning Tool

Photo via (cc) Flickr user nicolasnova

'Failure is not an option' has become a mantra of sorts for parents as they push their children to reach their potential. However, new research in the American Psychological Association's Journal of Experimental Psychology: General concludes children might perform better in school if teachers and parents sent the message that failing is a normal part of learning.

"Acknowledging that difficulty is a crucial part of learning could stop a vicious circle in which difficulty creates feelings of incompetence that in turn disrupts learning," says Frederique Autin, one of the authors of the study. The findings challenge the cultural belief that achievement reflects students' academic ability. If we truly want students to excel, Autin says, teachers and parents must stop "focusing solely on grades and test scores" and emphasize progress instead.

The learning environment of a Montessori classroom and selected activities are prepared to interest and motivate the child and to protect him from unnecessary failure. Dr. Montessori said, "Never let a child risk failure until he has a reasonable chance of success." The Montessori materials develop basic problem solving and observational techniques. The child begins in the concrete with manipulative materials and gradually works toward the abstract. This provides children with the necessary tools to problem solve and actually think.

Will Wright, a former Montessori student and the developer of the computer simulation city building game SimCity was featured the New Yorker discussing the influence his early education had on his life.

Will Wright (Portrait by Julian Dufort)

"Wright flourished in the local Montessori school, with its emphasis on creativity, problem-solving, and self-motivation. ‘Montessori taught me the joy of discovery... It showed you can become interested in pretty complex theories, like Pythagorean theory, say, by playing with blocks. It’s all about learning on your terms, rather than a teacher explaining stuff to you. SimCity comes right out of Montessori—if you give people this model for building cities, they will abstract from it principles of urban design.’"

Wright then compares his experience in Montessori to traditional education: "The problem with our education system is we’ve taken this kind of narrow, reductionist, Aristotelian approach to what learning is.... It’s not designed for experimenting with complex systems and navigating your way through them in an intuitive way, which is what games teach. It’s not really designed for failure, which is also something games teach. I mean, I think that failure is a better teacher than success. Trial and error, reverse-engineering stuff in your mind—all the ways that kids interact with games—that’s the kind of thinking schools should be teaching. And I would argue that as the world becomes more complex, and as outcomes become less about success or failure, games are better at preparing you. The education system is going to realize this sooner or later."

SimCity game has arguably become the single most influential work of urban-design theory based on the shear volume of players that have become architects and designers.

As Maria Montessori expressed, to teach the child to say: “I am not perfect; I am not omnipotent; but this much I can do and know that I can make mistakes and correct myself, thus finding my way.”

Pedagogy of Worthiness: Cultivating Curiosity & Hope in the Montessori Classroom

Brené Brown, PhD, was one of the keynote addressees at the 2012 American Montessori Society Conference. Montessori teachers are committed to helping ground children in a deep sense of purpose. This feeling of worthiness is an essential trait in our increasingly anxious world. Dr. Brown discussed strategies that teachers and administrators can utilize to help children cultivate a spirit of hope, gratitude, and curiosity. She shared the latest research on hope as a cognitive behavioral process, the relationship between joy and gratitude, and how children develop curiosity, creativity, and a tolerance for disappointment.* Below is her TED Talk.






 * Source: American Montessori Society: Dr. Brené Brown Biography from amshq.org

An Example of Art in the Montessori Classroom.

 “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
~ Pablo Picasso

Children are naturally inclined to create art. They are drawn to the process and are curious to explore and work with different media.

Working with Third Box of Color Tablets

Art is integrated into the Montessori learning environment using various methods. Geometric and Metal Insets introduce children to shapes and invite them to create designs. Geography work, such as Puzzle Maps, and Biology work, like Botany Puzzles, are traced and colored. Children mix colors as part of their Practical Life work. Color theory and relationships are explored through the use of Color Boxes. These are but a few examples of the integration of fine art within the classroom. Children are exposed to the work of famous artists and their contributions through a number of means. Matching, categorizing, and identifying artwork is done using art cards. Artists are also introduced through individual and group projects, such as the example below of projects inspired by the German artist Gerhard Richter.

Richter was introduced to children through a brief life overview lesson and through examples of his work. The children discovered how Richter’s style has continued to change and evolve throughout his life. The children created two collaborative pieces inspired by his work.

Abstract Smear Painting

One of Richter’s abstract styles uses a process of smearing and manipulating paint to achieve or build flowing layers of color. The children created a piece inspired by this style of Richter’s work. Each child selected three colors and placed a glob of paint directly on the canvas. Using a plastic paint scraper, the children smeared the colors. This process was repeated until the children achieved the color combination they agreed appeared the best.

After viewing examples of Richter’s Colour Chart series, the children created a collage using paint swatches generously donated by Home Depot. The children decided it would be better to overlap the colors rather than arrange them in rows and columns when they discovered that each swatch was not cut exactly the same.

Gluing swatches

Color Swatch Collage