Montessori Glossary
A sensitivity in the child’s mind that can absorb knowledge, experiences, relationships, and images quickly and effortlessly into its subconscious mind and this enables him to adapt himself to his society. Only the child from birth to six years has an absorben...
The root of the word abstract means something pulled away or drawn away. In educational terms it means perceiving the essence of an idea and no longer needing a concrete representation of the idea. An example would be grasping the idea that 2 plus 2 equals 4, ...
Related to the idea of an absorbent mind is a special power of the young child that can be called the power of adaptation. This power is a process whereby the young child uses the environment to develop and, in so doing, becomes a part of that environment. The...
"Care of the Environment" in a Montessori setting refers to children learning to take responsibility for their surroundings, fostering a deep sense of respect and stewardship for the world around them. A well-prepared environment is central to the child’s deve...
Auto Education is self-education and is based on the belief that given the appropriate environment and materials with built-in control of error, children can educate themselves. (Boehnlein)
"Care of the Person" in a Montessori setting refers to the development of a child’s ability to care for their own physical, emotional, and social well-being through purposeful, self-directed activities. The concept emphasises the importance of fostering indepe...
The practices, manners, or conduct of humans as they relate to one another characterised by distinctive personality traits of moral consciousness, obedience, unselfishness, purposeful activity, mental focus, independence, orderliness, and helpfulness to others...
The action or power, working with exactness, attention, and absorption in completing a task and learning something new or repeating actions and developing awareness of the action or knowledge. Concentration engages the whole personality through deep attention....
The quality of being aware of something, having internal knowledge. Being alert and recognising ideas and/or objects. (Boehnlein)
A method or means of providing instant feedback when the learner is engaged in using an educational material or device so the learner can correct his errors independently and allows the learner to use his reason, critical thinking capacity and his increasing c...
The cosmic task of humans comes from a close relationship between living beings and their environment: their adaptation to its more rigid features and their contribution to maintaining the conditions necessary for the existence of their species. This is what M...
The use of the imagination or original ideas to produce objects or ideas that are new. Creativity is a product of the imagination and results from the mental recombining of imagined ideas in new and inventive ways. Both are dependent on mental imagery formed t...
Repeating an activity which might require multiple sequential steps, and which interests the learner who repeats it many times for no apparent reason, stopping suddenly only when the inner need which compelled the activity has been satisfied, (Haines)
“The Montessori approach to education follows the lines of developmental psychology and differs sharply from education as normally understood, where the emphasis is on the ends pursued and what is felt to be important to the ultimate career or occupation.” Rat...
The four planes of development are an overall vision of Montessori’s developmental psychology and provide a framework or structure for understanding her theory of human development, ages 0-3,3-6, 6-12, 12-18, 18-adulthood. (Kahn, D., 2022). Each plane has its ...
In Montessori pedagogy, the "First Plane" refers to the developmental stage from birth to around six years of age. This period is characterised by rapid physical, cognitive, and emotional growth, during which the child is seen as an "absorbent mind." Maria Mon...
The Fourth Plane of Development (18–24 years) represents a period of maturity in which the individual consolidates their identity and seeks meaningful contribution to society. Building on the experiences of earlier planes, the young adult refines intellectual,...
In Montessori pedagogy, the Second Plane of Development spans from approximately 6 to 12 years of age and represents a crucial stage of intellectual and moral development. During this period, children experience a shift from concrete, sensorial learning to mor...
In Montessori pedagogy, the Third Plane of Development encompasses the age range of approximately 12 to 18 years and represents a pivotal period of transformation in which adolescents undergo significant physical, emotional, and social changes. The third plane...
In the Montessori classroom children and adolescents develop within an evolving framework of freedom and limits (0 to 3), freedom and self-discipline (3 to 6), freedom and responsibility (6 to 12) and freedom and contribution (12 to 18). They are free to choos...
In Montessori pedagogy, "Going Out" refers to an educational experience where children leave the classroom to explore the wider world, allowing them to apply their learning in real-life contexts. Unlike traditional field trips, which are often teacher-directed...
In Montessori pedagogy, "Grace and Courtesy" refers to the intentional teaching of social behaviours that promote respect, kindness, and harmonious interactions within the classroom and wider community. These lessons focus on helping children develop manners, ...
In Montessori pedagogy, the Great Stories (also known as the Great Lessons) are a series of five impressionistic, narrative-based stories presented in the Elementary years (ages 6–12) to awaken the child’s imagination and provide a broad, interconnected unders...
In Montessori pedagogy, Great Work refers to a significant, self-directed project that arises from a child’s deep engagement, curiosity, and growing mastery of a subject, often inspired by the Great Stories or other classroom experiences. Characterised by inde...
Typically, in traditional education, one who instructs but, in the Montessori, schools the teacher, referred to as guide, is one who aids the unfolding of life. The Montessori teacher’s role is to observe the learner and meet the learner’s developmental needs ...
Human Development is the process of becoming; the process one goes through after birth to reach maturity. It is both physical and psychological and is directed by an energy which has been called the Horme, defined as an irresistible drive which is inherent in ...
A central tenet of Montessori philosophy is that human beings exhibit certain predispositions that are universal, spanning age, cultural and racial barriers; they have existed since the dawn of the species and are probably evolutionary in origin. 'Montessori s...
Is the faculty of forming new ideas, or images, or concepts of external objects or ideas not present to the senses. Imagination is the true form of intelligence in humankind according to Montessori. It is imagination that brings the human mind to abstraction. ...
is not depending on another‚ but able to act and live by one’s own effort. Normal developmental milestones such as weaning, walking, talking, etc. can be seen as a series of events which enable the child to achieve increased individuation, autonomy, self-regul...
Indirect preparation is a process by which Montessori students engage in developmentally appropriate activities that provide a foundation for future learning. For example, each of the Montessori sensorial materials has an indirect aim;, the child grasps the kn...
All of humanity depends on a harmonious relationship-interdependence- of individual actions that benefit society as a whole and support an organized society. Interdependence is made possible by the bond between human beings which is their common intelligence a...
The Montessori materials facilitate a transfer of non-specific knowledge; that of a general idea or principle that can later be used as a basis for recognizing special cases or applications of it. Therefore, the material is limited to the essential idea or pri...
In a Montessori context, justice refers to the fair and equitable treatment of all individuals, grounded not merely in external laws or rules but in an internally developed moral sense. Montessori understood justice as something that must arise from interior m...
“A key lesson is a new experience, skill, or concept that orients or informs and allows the human being the possibility to integrate the experience into his or her existing schema after some related physical or mental activity which alters existing schema in l...
In Montessori pedagogy, lessons are carefully prepared, individualised instructional moments designed to guide children in exploring specific concepts, skills, or materials within a prepared environment. Rather than following a fixed curriculum sequence, Monte...
The Montessori materials are scientifically designed to awaken concentrated attention to a general idea or principle, helping the child acquire a concrete idea of a concept or idea laying the groundwork for an abstract idea of the principle or idea. Though a s...
“Among the tendencies common to all human beings there are some which are considered to be the essence of mathematics; they are the tendency to abstract, to investigate, to imagine, to reason, to create, to calculate, to measure and to use precision to be exac...
Maximum effort is the conscious exertion of power or hard work on a job requiring time and effort—going beyond expectancy of effort. Montessori believed growth depended on the opportunity to expend maximum effort. (Boehnlein)
In Montessori pedagogy, meaningful activity refers to purposeful work that arises from the child’s natural interests and developmental needs, engaging the whole person through sustained activity and effort. Montessori understood that development, independence,...
One of the hallmarks of the Montessori method is that children of mixed ages work together in the same class. Age groupings are based on developmental planes which are birth to 3, 3-6, 6-12, 12-18, 18 to adulthood., Because the work is individualized children ...
The Montessori material when used properly serves two main purposes. It furthers the inner development of the child; specifically, the indirect preparation that must precede the development of any new ego function. Secondly it helps the child to acquire new pe...
Montessori defined her method as an influence of the whole life of the child with its aims to be the total development of the personality, a harmonious growth of all the potentialities of the child, as well as the physical and mental development according to t...
Movement is essential and is the basis of the human’s growth and acquisition of independence. Through the child's own effort, she wills herself to refine her muscular coordination and consequently acquires increasingly higher levels of independent functioning....
In Montessori pedagogy, natural development refers to the child’s intrinsic and holistic growth as it unfolds according to the laws of their nature, unique potential, and individual rhythm. Maria Montessori emphasised that children possess an innate drive towa...
If young children are repeatedly able to experience periods of spontaneous concentration on a piece of work freely chosen, they will begin to display the characteristics of normal development: a love of work, an attachment to reality, and a love of silence and...
Obedience is an act of will and develops gradually, showing itself 'unexpectedly at the end of a long process of maturation.' (Montessori, Maria) While this inner development is going on, little children may obey occasionally, but be completely unable to obey ...
Observation is the act or process of looking carefully for prolonged periods of time to gain information and is a habit developed by practice. Montessori guides are trained in observation techniques as they provide the basis for the teacher to help the child f...
In Montessori theory order is inner order or being able to see meaning in one’s existence, to find one’s identity, to achieve independence, and to act in a meaningful, disciplined way. (Montessori, Mario Jr.) It is evidenced by equilibrium, serenity, and self-...
According to the dictionary it is freedom or a period of freedom from public disturbance or war. Montessori defined peace as the triumph of justice, love among humans and is revealed in the existence of a better world wherein harmony reigns. (Montessori, Maria...
These are exercises of daily life for the preservation of the environment such as dusting, sweeping, laying a table, and care of self- leading to coordination of the psycho-muscular system and resulting in the gradual development of character since they requir...
The Montessori classroom is an environment prepared by the adult for learners. It contains all the essentials for optimal development but nothing superfluous. Attributes of a prepared environment include order and reality, beauty, and simplicity. Everything is...
Montessori called the usual disciplines of knowledge the psychodisciplines to convey the idea that the study of the disciplines is not purely intellectual but also affects the learner’s psyche and the disciplines should be studied as interrelated systems provi...
Children were observed by Montessori to repeat activities with the materials until they seemed satisfied. She believed the education of the senses is acquired through repetition of an action and that children repeated an exercise because of an inner impulse fo...
A deep admiration for others’ abilities or achievements is a characteristic exhibited by Montessori children and is fostered in the Montessori environment with its mixed ages, by the modeling of the teacher who respects the child’s need for freedom of choice, ...
Is having a duty to take care of the environment and to care for others in the environment and is practiced in the Montessori prepared environment where the young children learn practical life activities to care for self and the environment and learn to use ma...
In Montessori education, scientific pedagogy refers to an approach grounded in systematic observation, experimentation, and the continual adaptation of teaching methods to support the child’s natural development. Maria Montessori based her method on scientific...
In Montessori pedagogy, self-construction refers to the process by which a child actively builds their own personality, intellect, and character through interaction with their environment and experiences. Maria Montessori believed that children possess an inne...
Sensitive Periods are time spans in which the child is sensitive to an incredible degree to a particular activity or interest. They are universal in all children and provide the child with powerful capacities to attain specific skills. Once the skill is obtain...
Social cohesion is building communities with shared values enabling people to have the realisation that they are engaged in common enterprise for the good the whole group The Montessori environment, with its mixed ages and freedom of choice within limits, fost...
Supernature is the term Montessori uses to describe the nature man creates by his work on transforming his environment, taking all that exists in nature and changing it, often to a higher plane. (Boehnlein, Montessori, Maria)
The Three-Period Lesson is a technique used to introduce and consolidate vocabulary and concepts through a structured process of association, recognition, and recall. Adapted by Maria Montessori from the work of Édouard Séguin, it involves linking a sensory pe...
The uninterrupted work cycle is central to the Montessori approach. In the prepared environment, this protected period of time allows the child/adolescent to choose work and engage deeply in purposeful activity. As they work at their own pace, following their ...
The ability to will, or choose to do something with conscious intent, develops gradually during the first phase of life and is strengthened through practice. The Montessori environment offers many opportunities for the child to choose. Willpower, or self-contr...
Work is activity involving mental or physical effort to achieve a result. Montessori believed human’s instinct to work was their most outstanding trait and that all work was noble, thus Montessori children learn to value and appreciate all workers. She stated ...
In the Montessori environment designed for adolescents ages 12 to 18, “Work and Study” refers to the balance of purposeful, hands-on work that serves the needs of the community and provides practical experiences that facilitate the development of essential lif...
