Many people who walk into a Montessori environment for the first time are amazed at how independent the children are. Our environments are set up so the child may succeed–child-sized furniture, the materials are prepared each day, and the teachers complete their own spiritual preparation. Dr. Montessori correlated the concept of the child’s independence with development in The Absorbent Mind: “The child’s conquests of independence are the basic steps in what is called his ‘natural development.’ In other words, if we observe natural development with sufficient care, we see that it can be defined as gaining of successive levels of independence” (1995, p. 84). Oftentimes, at school we see the child is more independent than they seem to be at home. That is because we expect the child to be independent. We expect each child to hang up their coats, keep track of their inside shoes, and pick out which activity they want to do. At home, you can expect your child of three to hang up their backpack and put their clean laundry away. What can you expect your child of four, five, or six to do? Having the expectation of independence not only helps the child become confident and responsible, but also takes away the need for you to do it. As always, reach out to your child’s guide if you have questions.

Montessori, Maria, Dr. (1995). The Absorbent Mind. New York: Holt Paperbacks.