What’s Montessori + What Isn’t.

The Montessori method isn’t trademarked so any person, school or company can open up a program or make a material and call it “Montessori”. Just because something has Montessori in the name doesn’t mean it was created by Maria Montessori and it certainly doesn’t mean it would be supported by credentialed Montessori guides. So if you’re newly jumping on the Montessori-bandwagon, here are three things you want to keep in mind:

1. Montessori — promotes independent problem-solving and self-correction:

A Montessori activity needs to have a “control of error”. This is something that will allow a child to correct their own work so that you don’t need to be involved. For example: the Binomial Cube won’t close properly if the pieces aren’t placed inside correctly. That’s self-correcting. You can put the same colored sticker on the bottom of the Sound Cylinders so that children can check their own work. That’s self-correcting. 

Not Montessori — requires constant adult interaction, instruction, and correction:

An activity that your child constantly needs to ask you, “is this right?” or “am I finished?”, lacks the level of independence a true Montessori activity hopes to inspire.

2. Montessori — offers skills in isolation:

If you think of an activity as an opportunity to gain a skill, each activity should only be teaching one skill at a time. That’s why the Pink Tower teaches size discrimination and the Red Rods teach about length. It’s why the Color Tablet box #1 teaches primary colors and the Geometric Cabinet teaches shapes. This is not to say that skills cannot be scaffolded. A child who can pour water from one pitcher to another can be given a funnel to better experience how using a funnel will change their pouring, for example. But the skill there is pouring with a funnel, no longer just pouring. 

Not Montessori — mixing skills and concepts:

Busy boards. Busy boards are beautiful and typically, thoughtfully designed. Many homes have them because they keep kids, busy. Because they are often full of practical tasks (zippering, unlocking, opening, closing, snapping, etc.), they are thought to be Montessori. The thing is, they’re not. Usually, they offer tasks that are not connected at all to each other. They are totally separate skills and they should be kept separated. Montessori dressing frames isolate skills AND allow children to use their hands for learning. 

3. Montessori — reality-based play:

Montessori work is naturally based on things children have seen. That’s why children “play house” or “school”. They “go to work” or “on vacation” because these are real-life scenarios they have experienced or seen firsthand. Maria Montessori observed that children developed their intelligence, creativity and imaginations through hands-on experience. So, what’s the difference between real and imaginary? 

Not Montessori — fantasy-play:

Young children can’t distinguish between real and make-believe. In many cases, the idea is new to them. Really, think about how long they’ve been alive! Children will believe what we tell them, and really don’t begin to conceptualize until after the age of six. Myths, fables and fairytales should actually not be introduced to young children. Dress-up play and play kitchens come in here. If you want to turn these two popular outlets into something Montessori-inspired: dress-up as real people (fireman, doctor, vet, scientist instead of a dragon, or a cat, or a Disney character), and use the real kitchen with real tools (rather than a play kitchen that doesn’t really “work”.)

A Montessori activity should be active and engaging. So, no it doesn’t need to be wood (!) but it does need to be age appropriate, simple and thoughtfully prepared.