The Montessori Philosophy: A Brief Overview

Developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, the Montessori method is a child-centered educational approach. Montessori education focuses on nurturing the whole child. This includes cognitive, emotions, physical and socially. By hands-on, experiential learning in a carefully prepared environment. Guides and facilitators rather than traditional teachers. One of the core principles of Montessori education is allowing children to choose. Students have the freedom to choose activities that interest them and work at their own pace.

montessori student working independently at table with clay

The Importance of Choice and Self-Pacing in Montessori Classrooms

1. Fostering Intrinsic Motivation

When children have the freedom to choose activities they develop a natural curiosity. This intrinsic motivation is a powerful driving force, leading to more engaged learning. The student takes ownership of their education. Intrinsic motivation also promotes love for lifelong learning. A Child will develop a genuine interest in acquiring knowledge and skills.

2. Encouraging Self-Confidence and Independence

As children make decisions about their learning, they build a sense of independence. They trust their instincts, and follow their passions. Taking responsibility for their own growth. This prepares them for future success by fostering resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving skills.

3. Catering to Individual Learning Styles and Needs

Each child is unique, with different learning styles, strengths, and needs. Montessori children work at their own pace. Montessori education acknowledges and embraces these differences. This ensures that every child has the opportunity to progress at a speed that suits them. It also enables teachers to provide personalized support, further enhancing the learning experience.

4. Cultivating a Collaborative Learning Environment

In a Montessori classroom, children often work in mixed-age groups. This encourages collaboration and peer learning. They can learn from one another, share ideas, and develop essential social skills. This collaborative environment fosters empathy, communication, and respect. Qualities that are vital for success in an interconneced communities.

The Lasting Impact of Choice and Self-Pacing on Learners

The Montessori approach’s emphasis on choice and self-pacing has many long-term benefits. Fostering intrinsic motivation, self-confidence, and independence, children develop strong foundations. This effects their lifelong learning and personal growth. They become adaptable, resourceful, and innovative thinkers. Montessori children grow to be able to take on challenges of today’s complex world.

The Montessori method’s focus on choice and self-pacing. Which sets it apart from traditional educational models. Creating an empowering and engaging learning environment. By embracing each child’s unique interests, learning styles, and needs. Montessori education cultivates confident, motivated, and well-rounded individuals. Preparing them to thrive in all aspects of life.

It can feel a little overwhelming—maybe even silly—to try and introduce your toddler to montessori art concepts.

Some toddlers might still be learning how to talk and hold a spoon, so how are you supposed to have a full on art conversation?

Here’s the good news: How-to talk to toddlers about art making is not something you need to worry about.

You don’t have to use “art language,” proper terminology, or fancy words in order for your toddler to start appreciating and experiencing art making.

Art does have its own type of language, it’s called the ‘Elements and Principles of Design” but that’s way too advanced for toddlers to understand!

If you start using this strange art terminology, you’re going to lose your child’s attention, and likely get frustrated yourself.

When you talk to your toddler about montessori art—”Art Talk”—it’s really just describing what you see in artworks, like color, shape, and form, etc.

Before I get into how-to talk to Toddlers about montessori Art let me break that down an easy way your toddler will understand, I want you to have some basic knowledge.

How-to Talk to Toddlers About Montessori Art – By Spramani Elaun

The Basics: How-to Talk To Toddlers About Montessori Art

For a young child, exploring through art play is something natural.

Children gain a sense of their physical world by using each and all of their senses—seeing, smelling, tasting, touching, and hearing. This is how knowlege is first learned.

The enthusiasm a child feels while dipping a paintbrush into a paint palette, or creating brushstrokes across a blank paper is exciting!

It’s a curious mix of senses.

Learning montessori art is about discovery and exploration.

By allowing toddlers to explore art (without any expectations), is a natural way for you to introduce toddlers to art concepts.

Playing and experimenting can help them build confidence to start expressing art terms.

This type of art exploration can come in many art activities like: doodling, painting, color mixing, and clay modeling.

(For more detailed information on how to teach toddlers art, read this post.)

How-to Start talking To Toddlers About Montessori Art Images

OK, lets get started on how easy it is to talk to toddlers about art!

When you’re first introducing art talk to your toddler, keep things basic and simple. Start by describing what you see or what’s going on as you make art.

As your toddler starts exploring, art talk will become easier and easier.

More than likely, their inquisitive little brains will start making cognitive connections (like, “if I use this purple paint, with this paintbrush, it’ll come out like this”), and they’ll probably start asking questions (such as, “what color is this?” or “why did this do this?”).

You don’t necessarily need to use these exact terms, but let me share how simple this talk can be with toddlers.

Describe basic aspects of art:

Color
Shape
Texture
Line

Keep these concepts in mind as you talk to your toddler about art:

Examples of how-to talk sounds:

Here are some examples of how to start talking and describing what you see in montessori art activties: While reading story books you can point out colors like this:

“The bear is all brown, do you want to color something brown today?”

“Let’s cut out some shapes, like circles and squares, with scissors.”

“Hey, what about making some fun textures in our clay, watch me!”

“Let’s make squiggly and straight lines with crayons.”

“How many different colored lines can we draw together?”

“Let’s mix yellow and blue, what color did you make?”

Why Is It Important Toddlers Do Art Activities?

Toddler Art talk supports confience
Toddler art talk supports experimental curiosity
Toddler art talk can boost brainpower

Art talk—especially when it’s positive and encouraging—can be the foundation for building up your toddler’s creative confidence.

Remember that most artworks made by toddlers are just simply led by their own curiosity and art play.

For them, the point of art is just to have fun, and their finished pieces of art won’t look like anything realsitic.

If you encourage them and answer their questions, they’ll grow bolder in their exploration and will ultimately have the self-confidence to continue learning— even beyond art.

Art talk will stimulate your child’s imagination.

Art talk can boosts brainpower!

There’s a lot of neural wiring happening in the brain when children make art. Other branches of scientists like neuroscientists, science researchers, and art therapists, have also made connections to how early childhood art contributes to brainpower. Over my twenty years in process, studio-based observations, I have observed these same connections to how children get to improve their brains by creating artwork!

(For more detailed information on how art boost brain power, read this post.)

If you have any questions or get stumped on answering one of their art questions, please don’t hesitate to email me at info@Spramani.com

And for more ideas and tips for bringing art into your toddler’s life, sign up for my Montessori Art newsletter.

With practice you will get good at taling to toddlers about Montessori art.

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Visual Arts Teaching Guidefor 13 Months – 6 Years Old

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Choice and Self-Pacing in Montessori Classrooms