Call Us: 410-321-8555 ignite@greenspringmontessori.org
Every School Year Begins with the Process of Normalization

Every School Year Begins with the Process of Normalization

Dr. Montessori coined the term “normalization” to describe children who are demonstrating independence, self-discipline, concentration, and joyful engagement. E. M. Standing, in his book Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work writes: “The crowning characteristic of a group of normalized children is joy. It pervades the little community like a perfume; and is as hard to describe as it is easy to perceive.”

At this time of the school year, students are working towards normalization. The multi-age classroom, the prepared environment, meaningful work, an uninterrupted work cycle, Grace and Courtesy activities, and adult observation all support the development of normalization in Montessori classrooms.

Montessori classrooms are multi-age, which means that in any given year, two thirds of the children are returning to the community. These “elders” in the community serve role models for their younger peers, easily folding them into the existing routines and culture of the classroom. Dr. Montessori, in The Absorbent Mind reminds us that children of varying ages work well together: “Our schools show that children of different ages help one another. The younger one sees what the older ones are doing and asks for explanations. There is a communication and harmony between the two that one seldom finds between the adult and the small child.”

Sra. Karla gives a lesson to a Toddler

A toddler sweeps the Outdoor Environment

Children’s House students gather together for a Beautiful Meal

The prepared environment is designed to call the children into work they find meaningful and engaging. The areas of the classroom are organized by subject area and hands-on manipulatives are arranged sequentially on the shelves. Offering many materials of interest at varying levels means that each student has work that calls to them. Guides invite children to lessons just as they are ready for them, ensuring that every child has work that is at a “just right” level of challenge. Practical Life activities in particular help the children build toward and prepare for work in other areas. These activities help children increase concentration, coordination, order, and independence, while also teaching care of self and care of the environment. A child carefully rolling a mat, carrying a tray, or scrubbing a table is building all of the skills needed for work in every other area of the curriculum.

A stretch of protected work time, called the uninterrupted work cycle, allows children to dive deeply into work that interests them. Dr. Montessori observed, “An interesting piece of work, freely chosen, which has the virtue of inducing concentration rather than fatigue, adds to the child’s energies and mental capacities, and leads him to self-mastery.” Dr. Montessori also observed that children work because they enjoy the experience, not the product. When a child finishes a painting, she may hang it on the drying rack and forget about it. After completing the Pink Tower, a child may choose to repeat the exercise many times, each time finding the work as thrilling as the time before. Children use these experiences to construct themselves. 

Upper Elementary teambuilding activity at Echo Hill Outdoor School

Upper Elementary students doing safety patrol

Adolescents during a Community Meeting

We also support the process of normalization through Grace and Courtesy lessons and activities. These activities can help the child become oriented to the prepared environment and serve as tools for functioning in the classroom, using the materials, and interacting with others. Some common Grace and Courtesy lessons at the beginning of the school year include greeting one another, rolling a rug, tucking in a chair, and asking to observe or participate. Grace and Courtesy activities are important for establishing respect for self and others, an important aspect of the path to normalization.
Guides use their observation skills to notice which materials the children are drawn to, what new lessons they are ready for, and what supports would help them to be more independent. Guides then make modifications to the environment and plan accordingly, so that each child is being met where they are.  

At this time of the school year students are working towards normalization. They are beginning to find focus and joyful work. For some children this occurs quickly, and for others it may take time to find their rhythm. The classroom itself also seeks normalization, not just individual children. Dr. Montessori wrote, “The greatest sign of success for a teacher… is to be able to say ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.’” Students who work independently, are courteous towards each other, focus on their work, and enjoy the work they are doing are all signs of normalization. These characteristics that are developed in the early years don’t just benefit them in school, but for life!

The Importance of Classroom Agreements

The Importance of Classroom Agreements

Classroom Agreements for the Mulberry Lower Elementary class (ages 6-9).

Peace education is a major component of the Montessori classroom. In our article titled “Peace Education for All Ages,” we have discussed how mixed-age classrooms, the prepared environment, community meetings, and role-playing all support the development of conflict resolution skills.

Another tool that we use in Montessori classrooms starting in the Children’s House (ages 3-6) is the practice of creating Classroom Agreements. Rather than an adult presenting a list of rules and expectations, the children collaborate to create a set of guidelines for how they would like the classroom to operate and how they will treat one another. The Guide and Assistant ask the children to envision what they will need to contribute to create that environment. They provide coaching so the children phrase things positively (such as “We will…” rather than “Don’t…”). Typically we work on this during the first week of school each year, as this is a beautiful community building opportunity and sets the tone for the entire year.

Classroom Agreements for the Willow Children’s House class (ages 3-6).

The children sign the finished product and it is posted in the classroom. Students are invested in these commitments in a different way when they help to create them. I have observed a Children’s House student say to a classmate, “Remember, in our classroom we use kind words,” and point to the agreements posted on the wall. Just another example of the classroom belonging to the children. Dr. Maria Montessori coined the phrase Casa dei Bambini in Italian, which translates to ”the Children’s House”.

Our Upper Elementary students call their Classroom Agreements a “Classroom Constitution” in order to connect it to our nation’s constitution, which is an evolving document – revisited, studied and revised as needed. The Upper Elementary students revisit their Classroom Constitution at the beginning of every community meeting. During these meetings, they discuss challenges faced in the classroom or on the playground, brainstorm solutions, and find resolution as a group. When the group decides that a change or addition is necessary, they amend their Classroom Constitution. 

Classroom Agreements for the Ginkgo Upper Elementary class (ages 9-12).

Montessori students build upon these early experiences of responsibility and ownership to become leaders, problem solvers, and involved citizens.

Read more in our article titled “Peace Education for All Ages”.

The Tactile Appeal of Sandpaper Letters & Numbers

The Tactile Appeal of Sandpaper Letters & Numbers

Children in Montessori classrooms learn to associate letter sounds with letter shapes using a material called the Sandpaper Letters. The shape of each letter is made with rough sandpaper, which incorporates the sense of touch to further reinforce learning. Children are encouraged to trace the symbol over and over again until the shape of the letter becomes a part of their muscle memory.

Similarly, children learn to associate numbers with their symbols using the Sandpaper Numbers. When each numeral is introduced, the Guide shows the child how the numeral is formed. Both the Sandpaper Letters and Sandpaper Numbers help prepare students for forming numbers and letters when writing with a pencil on paper.

Using the Sandpaper Letters and Sandpaper Numbers with the sand tray is another way to practice letter and number formation. For example, a child traces a sandpaper letter with their fingers and immediately writes that letter in the sand. Over time the child will associate the sound with the letter, and the proper formation of that letter becomes part of their muscle memory. The sand allows the child to write freely, without the pressure of holding a pencil. Mistakes are erased with a shake of the tray! 

Tracing letters in sand

Tracing numbers in sand

Using a chalkboard

When they are ready, children are ready to start forming letters and numbers on a chalkboard. Wall mounted chalkboards allow children to incorporate their gross motor skills, while smaller table-size chalkboards allow them to practice fine motor skills. When the time is right, children use the foundation they have built to make the exciting transition to pencil and paper!

For answers to your other language-related questions, please check out our blog post titled, “Why do you teach letter sounds rather than letter names? (And other good questions about language acquisition…)”

You might also enjoy this post titled “The Benefits of Learning Cursive Writing.”

The Power of Timelines in the Elementary Classroom

The Power of Timelines in the Elementary Classroom

Young children often have a hard time understanding the concept of time. In the Children’s House, children become comfortable with the days of the week and months of the year. They begin the study of measurement and telling time on a clock. And personal timelines that tell the story of the child’s life are used as a doorway into understanding the passage of time over years.

Illustrated as it must be by fascinating charts and diagrams, the creation of earth as we now know it unfolds before the child’s imagination.

Dr. Maria Montessori, To Educate the Human Potential

Children in the second plane of development, during the Elementary years, become fascinated by large numbers, including large measurements of time across generations or even eons. Elementary children are also emerging as social beings, seeking to understand their place in a greater context. For both of these reasons Elementary children are introduced to the structures of timelines, first as part of the Great Lessons and then in many other areas across the curriculum, including geology, geography, botany, zoology, anthropology and more. Here are a few examples of timelines used during the Great Lessons and corresponding key experiences:

The Clock of Eras

This chart represents the lifespan of planet Earth in terms of “cosmic hours,” so children have another way to grasp the concept of the relative amounts of time it took for Earth to form and for different types of life to develop.

The Long Black Strip

This black strip represents the age of Earth, from its very beginning. A 1cm strip of white represents the whole time that humans have been on Earth. This impressionistic lesson is designed to give children perspective on how recently, in Earth’s timeline, humans entered the scene. 

Clock of Eras

Long Black Strip

Timeline of Humans

The Timeline of Humans

This timeline shows the story of the human journey from the end of the Pliocene (the emergence of our hominid ancestors) to the beginning of the Holocene, ending at the Bronze Age. Key events, such as the uses of fire and development of hand tools, are correlated with physiological development, such as the emergence of H. sapiens sapiens and the disappearance of H. neanderthalensis.

The Story of Language

This timeline introduces students to the development of communication over time and across civilizations. It covers the origin of human language: sounds, gestures, and pictograms of early humans, through the cuneiform of the Sumerians, the hieroglyphs of the Egyptians, and the first official alphabet of the Phoenicians. It explores derivatives of the first alphabet, which were created by the Greeks and Romans, and some additional ancient forms of writing, such as Chinese and Hebrew. 

The History of Numbers

This timeline introduces students to various forms and methods of counting and record-keeping, starting with the use of concrete materials, to the emergence of abstract writing systems, and eventually, more advanced number systems. 

BC/BCE Timeline 

The timeline begins from Prehistory and concludes to the Modern time period which is set off with a red background to represent the current time frame. 

Timeline of Civilizations

The timeline of Ancient Civilizations spans the period from 5000 BC to 300 AD. The timeline displays the empires that existed at that time as well as the factors that influenced their rise and decline.

Montessori timelines present just enough information to pique students’ interest. If too much information is included, the wonder of discovery is lost. When a student asks a question about something on a timeline, this becomes a springboard for further research.

Some students become inspired to make their own timelines. In doing so, they practice the precision of measurement. They also practice sorting and classification while deciding which information is most useful to include on a timeline. Students may notice examples of cause and effect and patterns that occur over time. They make connections between the content areas of the classroom, thus building a more integrated understanding of their world.

The Montessori Puzzle Maps

The Montessori Puzzle Maps

Creating globally minded citizens is a fundamental value of Montessori education. Puzzle Maps are a key component of the Cultural curriculum and are found in both the Children’s House and Lower Elementary classrooms. They are arranged intentionally, starting with the top shelf and working downward:

  • The planisphere: two blue circles with removable colored continents
  • A map of the child’s continent: puzzle pieces indicate countries
  • A map of the child’s country: puzzle pieces indicate states or provinces
  • Maps of the other continents of the world: pieces indicating countries

There is also a set of “control maps,” which are corresponding laminated paper maps that have the pieces drawn to scale and labeled.

A Children’s House student works with the Puzzle Map of South America.

The initial introduction to the work in Children’s House is presented as a puzzle. Children become aware of the relative position, size, and shape of the continents of the world and the countries of those continents. Because the 3 to 6-year-old is learning with an absorbent mind, the names, locations, and orientation of the continents and countries are easily learned and remembered. When they are ready, students begin labeling the countries. Students also have the option of tracing and coloring a paper map of the world or country they are studying.

Sra. Emily works with a Children’s House student to learn more about the flag of China.

The Puzzle Maps help students memorize continents and countries, but memorization is only one benefit. Montessori students use these maps to gain a deeper, more rich understanding of how countries relate to one another. The pegged puzzle pieces have indirect purposes as well. The knob itself is placed at the location of the capital city, subtly reinforcing this concept. In addition, when a child grips the pegs, their hand muscles are strengthened and the pincer grip developed, preparing the hand to use a pencil. When a child later begins tracing and labeling the puzzle pieces, this work also builds dexterity and writing skills. Work with the Puzzle Maps often inspires children to read and write about various continents or countries, serving as a launching pad for exploration of biomes, animals, culture, and more.

In Elementary, the child moves to the reasoning mind and wants to understand why countries have these shapes and differences, as well as additional details about the areas. This leads to the knowledge that landforms often create borders, that there are political and cultural differences in adjacent countries, and an awareness of how the geography and resources of an area played a significant role in the settling of that region. We encourage Elementary students to use an atlas alongside the puzzle maps. They are now building the skills to find answers for themselves.