by Regan Becker

“If he is allowed to use his spontaneous activity in a tranquil environment without interference or unasked-for help, (the child) is indeed engaged in a most important work: he is building the [person] he will one day be.” — Dr. Maria Montessori

In Montessori schools, adults do not interfere with a child’s work unless asked or if there is a safety concern. Independence is practiced through repetition and freedom of choice within limits. The Prepared Environment – in which Montessori materials are set beautifully in sequence on trays or shelves that are accessible to children – encourages spontaneity. The Montessori classroom invites children to manipulate objects with their hands.

The word “spontaneous” derives from the Latin sua sponte, meaning “of one’s own accord”. Spontaneous activity occurs when an individual is free to choose and to follow their interests.

“In our schools we allow the children to use their spontaneous activity by offering them objects which call for movements appropriate to their stage of development; in this way they learn through doing. This is their work, and their concentration and perseverance is astonishing.” — Dr. Maria Montessori

Montessori materials are self-correcting to facilitate each child’s independence. The Montessori materials contain an inherent control of error and, through their use, reveal a child’s understanding. Humans learn by making mistakes. Montessori auto-education – served by didactic, concrete materials – facilitates the child’s power of knowledge. Children remember what they do with their hands. Spontaneous activity was such an important concept to Dr. Montessori that in 1917 she wrote a book entitled Spontaneous Activity in Education.

“The children must be free to choose their own occupations, just as they must never be interrupted in their spontaneous activity.” — Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Montessori said adults should “follow the child”. Knowledge acquired only through teacher-directed instruction does not allow for discovery. Adults often pride themselves in knowing The Answer or showing their child a “trick” or “short-cut”. This is like throwing water on smoldering logs. Learning that arises from a child’s interest encourages repetition to the point of satisfaction. A child repeats actions spontaneously – burrowing their neural pathways deeper and deeper – until the path of understanding has been established. It is a trail that, quite possibly, is endless.

"If an educational act is to be efficacious, it will be one which tends to help toward the complete unfolding of life. To be thus helpful it is necessary rigorously to avoid the arrest of spontaneous movements and the imposition of arbitrary tasks." — Dr. Maria Montessori

Adults are notoriously uncomfortable with children being either too active … or too still. An adult’s best intentions can become the greatest obstacles to a child’s learning. In traditional educational models, teacher and textbook convey information primarily visually, auditorily, and graphically. In traditional educational models, comprehension is gauged through rote memorization and standardized testing. This way of learning activates short-term memory but does not result in long-term retention and depth of comprehension. Psychologist and educator Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences identifies an array of learning styles that children may use:

Verbal-linguistic intelligence: well-developed verbal skills and sensitivity to the sounds, meanings, and rhythms of words
Logical-mathematical intelligence – ability to think conceptually and abstractly, and capacity to discern logical and numerical patterns
Spatial-visual intelligence – capacity to think in images and pictures, to visualize accurately and abstractly
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence – ability to control one’s body movements and to handle objects skillfully
Musical intelligences – ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch, and timber
Interpersonal intelligence – capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the moods, motivations, and desires of others
Intrapersonal – capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner feelings, values, beliefs and thinking processes
Naturalist intelligence – ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals, and other objects in nature
Existential intelligence – sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence such as, “Why is the sky blue?”

*Language: Sandpaper Letters — Phonograms*

Montessori education has an inclusive and inspiring attitude toward the diverse ways in which children learn. Montessori schools develop emotional, social, spiritual, and physical intelligences of a child – not only intellectual intelligence (aka “academics”). Practical Life and Sensorial materials in the Montessori Primary program for ages 3-6 aid a child’s burgeoning independence, self-belief, and wonder at encountering the simple sensual pleasures of the natural world. Children adore colors and shapes. Children thrive in the tactile, touching everything they can get their hands on. As Dr. Montessori said:

“What the hand does, the mind remembers.”

“The hands are the instruments of (hu)man’s intelligence.”

“The human hand allows the mind to reveal itself.”

Children contain sparks of creativity that ignite when allowed space and time. Within a well-prepared environment, the child feels free to explore functional objects. Children see adults working, and this appears to them as play.

"The children must be able to express themselves and thus reveal those needs and attitudes which would otherwise remain hidden or repressed in an environment that did not permit them to act spontaneously.” – Dr. Maria Montessori

Creativity thrives with order and beauty, key components of every Montessori classroom. Self-expression is a spiritual need that lives in us all, especially in children. Small details intrigue them. Children in a Montessori environment have freedom of choice within limits, and true choice inspires confidence and collaboration. Their curiosity is a fire that may never be extinguished!

“The child looks for his independence first, not because he does not desire to be dependent on the adult. But because he has in himself some fire, some urge, to do certain things and not other things.” — Dr. Maria Montessori

Spontaneous Activity

by Regan Becker

Control of Error

Mixed-Age Classrooms