“We have over 1,000 combinations of cabinets for you to choose from,” said the salesperson at the kitchen cabinet design center.
“I already know what I want,” I replied. “Cherry cabinets with slab doors.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to look around for a bit? We have so many choices,” she said.
“Let’s just get started with the layout, since we know what the style will be,” I added.
“Honestly, I’ve never had someone come in and already know what they want.”
I laughed. “That’s what happens when you’ve lived in over 30 houses. You know what you like.”
The ability to make choices based on acquired knowledge—not simply on what looks attractive—is a powerful tool.
The problem is that it takes considerable experience to confidently know what you really want.
Choosing based on knowledge and experience is one of the abilities we look for in natural, healthy child development.
The guide in a Montessori environment offers children many experiences so they can make informed decisions about the activities they choose to do.
These experiences are called “lessons.”
Children’s initial lessons are simple: how to carry a tray, how to walk on a line, how to lay a rug on the floor, how to wash their hands, and how to clean up a spill.
Once children have been shown how to do an activity and return it to order, ready for the next person, they are free to select any of the activities that have been introduced.
The adult’s observations become significant at this point, as the child’s choices of activities reveal interests and areas of learning. These interests need to be followed and nourished with a variety of lessons.
The lessons of Practical Life and Sensorial give children opportunities to build the skills needed for everyday living, along with the experience and language to explore colors, smells, tastes, sounds, dimensions, quantities, shapes, forms, and much more.
When children have the experience and knowledge of how to do an activity, they walk into a Montessori environment with confidence and clarity—much like I walked into the kitchen design center.
Making decisions based on real choices, grounded in simple experiences, allows children to avoid the frustration of choosing something out of curiosity only to discover that it doesn’t meet their expectations.
This process of decision-making also allows children to tap into a natural cycle of success: choose—do—learn. In doing so, they build confidence and develop the ability to make increasingly informed choices, supporting their growth and development in powerful ways.
Please join me for a 20-minute complimentary workshop…
