Little Corner House Montessori Nursery on Victoria

Just a reminder:
Children need repetition.

Sometimes there’s that child who continues washing their hands again and again at the sink. It’s easy to feel like it’s time to move them along—there’s water, potential mess, and other children waiting.

But before stepping in, pause and ask: why am I intervening?

If another child needs the sink, we can simply point that out and help them take turns.
If water is splashing, we can show them how to wipe up the water.
But to stop a child simply because we think they’re “done” misses the purpose.

There’s nothing wrong with repetition. Hand-washing offers so much: fine motor coordination, concentration, independence, and refinement of movement.

We can show points of interest—how to rub the soap, create a lather, rinse thoroughly, and dry carefully.

And if they choose to repeat?
That’s wonderful.

Maria Montessori and her many disciples believed that children are, in their essence, methodical, self-directed beings with a strong work ethic. Her prophetic pedagogy was developed in the early 20th century with the least powerful in mind—she worked with children who were poor, or traumatized, or who lived in Rome’s ghastly asylums. And yet, today, there are only a few hundred public Montessori schools in the U.S. “The obvious irony of Montessori’s crusade on behalf of the poorest and least powerful in society is that its most visible legacy is selective private schools for the élite,” Jessica Winter writes. Read about why Maria Montessori’s approach still resonates today—and how it became so exclusive: http://nyer.cm/oByVEAs?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dhfacebook&utm_content=app.dashsocial.com%2Fnewyorkermag%2Flibrary%2Fmedia%2F592940256