What do these Montessori terms mean?
Dr. Maria Montessori introduced many new terms and concepts to describe how children grow and learn. The definitions below explain some of the most widely used Montessori words and phrases you may hear at The Montessori School of Hamilton.
Common Montessori terms, simply explained
What does the word Montessori mean?
The word may refer to Dr. Maria Montessori, founder of the Montessori Method of education, or to the Montessori Method itself.
What is the absorbent mind?
From birth through approximately age 6, the young child experiences a period of intense mental activity that lets her absorb learning from her environment without conscious effort, naturally and spontaneously.
What is Casa dei Bambini?
In Italian it means Children’s House, and it was the name Dr. Montessori gave to her first school.
What is the Children’s House?
In many Montessori schools, the Children’s House is the classroom for children ages 2.5 or 3 to 6 years. Some schools call this classroom Casa, preschool, or primary school, while others use the term for the entire school.
What does concrete to abstract mean?
It is a logical, developmentally appropriate progression in which a child comes to an abstract understanding of a concept by first encountering it in concrete form—for example, learning the decimal system by working with Golden Beads grouped into units, tens, hundreds, and thousands.
What is control of error?
Montessori materials are designed so the child receives instant feedback while working, allowing him to recognize, correct, and learn from his mistakes without adult assistance. Placing control in the child’s hands strengthens his self-esteem, self-motivation, and learning.
What is cosmic education?
For children ages 6 to 12, cosmic education offers a vision of the universe—from galaxies and our solar system to planet Earth—so children see how all parts of the cosmos are interconnected and interdependent. It develops respect for everything that came before their birth and awareness of their roles and responsibilities in today’s global society.
What are didactic materials?
Didactic means designed or intended to teach. These are the specially designed instructional materials, many invented by Maria Montessori, used in Montessori classrooms.
Who is the directress or guide?
Directress was the historic term for the lead teacher, and some schools still call that role guide. The instructor directs or guides each child to purposeful activity based on observation of that child’s readiness, while the child builds knowledge through hands-on learning with didactic materials he chooses.
What is an Erdkinder?
German for child of the earth, Erdkinder describes a Montessori learning environment for adolescents ages 12 to 15 that connects them with nature and encourages a society of their own, often designed as a working farm school.
The 3-period lesson
Introduction or naming
The teacher demonstrates what this is, saying, for example, “This is a mountain” while pointing to it on a three-dimensional map.
Association or recognition
The teacher asks the child to show what was just identified, such as “Show me the mountain.”
Recall
The teacher asks the child to name the object or area. Moving from new information to passive recall to active identification reinforces the child’s learning and demonstrates her mastery.
Normalizing event: the basic work cycle
Choosing an activity.
Completing the activity and returning the materials to the proper place.
Experiencing a sense of satisfaction.
Keep exploring
See how Montessori principles guide daily life at our school.