by Regan Becker

“Let us give the child a vision of the whole universe… for all things are part of the universe and are connected with each other to form one whole unity.” – Dr. Maria Montessori

The Montessori Primary classroom contains children from two and a half to six years old. Dr. Montessori said that the Human Tendency for Order is essential to a child’s development. This need for order peaks in the first 3 years of life and internalizes by age six.

Love of order is honored in the Montessori classroom through The Prepared Environment. By definition, Montessori classrooms contain self-correcting, beautiful didactic hands-on materials placed in sequence according to lessons in each curricular area. These materials live on shelves that are set at the child’s height and contain trays, small objects, and tools which are child size. Tables and chairs are also child size. In the Montessori Primary classroom, materials remain in their consistent place longer than they do for children in a Montessori Elementary classroom, where materials may be rotated and refreshed more frequently.

The reason for this is developmental: children under the age of six rely upon and thrive with routine and structure. Disruptions to routine cause stress and confusion at this age. A consistent schedule – including arriving on-time each day – as well as consistent staff and learning environment builds trust and security within children. These people, places, and things become a spiritual and physical ritual, wherein the child organizes their world. Order and consistency support executive functioning skills, such as: task initiation, working memory, planning, and time management.

“Seemingly simple acts of unrolling a rug, carrying a work on a tray, keeping all material within a space, and replacing items at the end of a work are practices not only in diligence but in coordination and concentration.” – Dr. Maria Montessori

Within the social realm, children also express their love of order through self-control, flexibility, and emotional control. Between the ages of three and six, children are learning to negotiate, compromise, stand up for themselves, and persuade other people to see their point of view. They learn to keep their hands to themselves (respect for others’ boundaries), wait their turn (patience), and participate as a member of a community (self-monitoring and inhibition control).

“The (Montessori) materials, in fact, do not offer to the child the content of the mind, but the order for that content.” – Dr. Maria Montessori

At home, love of order can be reinforced when children see that there is a place for certain things – such as toys, clothes, and utensils. Children feel most at ease when the family honors consistent times for going to bed, eating meals, and getting up in the morning. Without consistent sleep schedules, humans often display low concentration and emotional dysregulation. As adults, we disrupt a child’s sense of order mainly by changing the child’s environment and by not giving the child enough time to explore and orient to their surroundings. Lack of time and inconsistency prevents children from tapping into their innate sense of order. Brain research shows that during the first six years of life, neural pathways grow at a rapid rate, created by sensory information the child is acquiring. Being taken from event to event or being distracted from exploration through television or computer use are some of the ways we disrupt children’s sense of order.

*Sensorial: Puzzle Map of the United States*

Children feel safe knowing what they can expect from their environment and the people in their lives. A disorderly environment and inconsistent routines increase levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that can be detrimental to learning and development. With structure and order, children are able to freely choose what they want to do. This helps to build self-confidence and love of learning.

Love of order is especially important because this Human Tendency is unique to this age range. By age six, the internalization of order takes its place upon the foundations set during the three prior years. Conversely, the attempt to impose order on children after age six can be met with greater resistance if this Sensitive Period is not honored.

Order helps children recognize patterns of behavior, cause and effect, and steps in a sequence.
Order allows children to make predictions and assumptions based on experience.
Order strengthens a child’s reasoning ability.
Outer order creates inner order.
Children love order, because it reveals beauty.
Order feels safe, calming, and soothing.

Love of Order

by Regan Becker

The Whole Child

Hands-On Learning