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Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. — Cicero In the Montessori community, the lessons of Grace and Courtesy are integral at every level. From young infants to adolescents, children are taught to live together in community. Grace and courtesy goes beyond the common social niceties of “please” and “thank you” by demonstrating the value of courteous and empathetic behavior and communication as a vital life skill. Gratitude and Thanksgiving in the Montessori Environment Gratitude is one of the lessons of Grace and Courtesy. We teach children to say “thank you” as a rote habit. But to truly understand the value of being thankful builds character through “generosity, humility, wisdom, joy, integrity and trust.” (Arrien) To help children learn to value gratitude, we can incorporate it into our daily Montessori activities. With younger children, we can learn to talk about what we appreciate. We begin by modeling, using our words and tone of voice to...

…no one acting on the child from the outside can cause him to concentrate. Only he can organize his psychic life. — Maria Montessori The Absorbent Mind, p. 222. I have been involved with Montessori education for over 13 years. When I talk to prospective teachers or parents, I find that they always ask the same questions. They want to know about the materials, the idea of mixed age grouping, the ideal class size, the amount of adult involvement, and the concept of freedom. In chapter 22 of The Absorbent Mind , Dr. Montessori addresses all of these questions. The Absorbent Mind, Chapter 22: Social Development How were the Montessori materials chosen? Although the materials used in the environment were developed by Dr. Montessori, it was the children who chose which ones were important. “We started by equipping the child’s environment with a little of everything, and left the children to choose those things they preferred.” (p. 223) It seems that the children were partial to certain mater...

What is the difference between redirecting and distracting children from unwanted behavior? The biggest difference is in the approach. Redirection involves guidance; distraction merely diverts attention. Let’s look at a few examples and see if we can tell the difference: 1. Baby Sarah gets upset and cries when Mommy leaves for work. As Mom closes the front door, Sarah’s caregiver gives Sarah a toy and says, “Look at this pretty toy.” Redirection or distraction? This is distraction. There is no acknowledgment of Sarah’s feelings, and the toy is unrelated to the event. Redirecting Unwanted Behavior Versus Distracting in the Montessori Environment 2. Miles likes working with the small hammer that he uses with his peg board. He starts to use the hammer on his puppy. Mom says, “Miles, you may only pound your peg board with the hammer. You may not use it on the puppy.” She guides him back to the peg board. Redirection or distraction?  This is redirection. Mom takes the t...