When a child works, he does not do so to attain some further goal. His objective in working is the work itself. –Maria Montessori
One of Maria Montessori’s most noted quotes is, “Play is the child’s work.” We’re sure you have heard your child talk about their work at school by now. Dr. Montessori preferred the word work rather than the wordplay to describe the learning process children are constantly undergoing. Work conveys the amount of effort that children put into their physical, social, emotional, and academic growth. As adults, we have a very different definition of work.
Children are driven by a strong, unconscious internal growth process to seek out experiences that will meet their needs. Our role as Montessori teachers is to provide a well-prepared environment that encourages children to be independent and learn at their own pace. The children are free to choose their work and to use it repeatedly. So, while they are ‘working’, each child also builds independence, coordination, self-discipline, and concentration.
We asked the children what their favorite work to do at school was, and below are their responses.
- Arya- The 100 Board
- Connor– Make things with Playdough
- Ella– The Red Rods
- Hadley– The Red Rods
- Hannah– Drawing rainbow pictures
- Haroun– The Pink Tower
- Harper– The Moveable Alphabet
- Jacob– Building the rainbow puzzle.
- Jaxxon– Painting pictures
- Joseph– Slicing an apple
- Melina– The Rainbow work
- Morgan– Pumpkin scrubbing
- Oliver– The Trinomial Cube
- Reagan– Painting pictures
- Remi– Pouring water works
- River– The Brown Stair
- Ryan– Picture story
- Tommy– Picture story
- Wilder– Painting pictures
- Zaki– The ABC Puzzle
- Zion– Apple spooning
Enjoy your work!
Michelle & Maria