On a day in February I arrive at the Montessori kindergarten with Christel when the children have already started working. The atmosphere is relaxed, it is quiet and most of the children are sitting at a single table concentrating. They look up briefly when we enter the room, but can then get back to their work. I start by observing things of “practical life”: transferring water from one container to another with a sponge, measuring rice and sorting bowls or spoons by size.
And there’s more to it: wiping up the spilled water, sweeping up the fallen grains of rice with a dustpan. When a child has finished, it stands up, pushes the chair to the table with both hands, or even better, lifts it up with both hands and places it quietly at the table. The material is returned to the shelf in its fixed place.
A teacher sits down with a child and shows it what to do with the material, either at the table or on a mat on the floor, which is fetched specially and rolled out. Something interesting is demonstrated. Some of the children join in and want to see. They are allowed to watch. A tower is slowly dismantled and the individual cubes are spread out on the mat. Each individual piece is taken by the child between both hands and placed on the mat.
There is a look of anticipation on their faces and something flashes in their eyes, many of them are completely absorbed. They are happy that they can repeat something correctly and expect a small, new insight. After the arrangement, the tower is returned to its place piece by piece, the mat is rolled up and put away. Thumbs up for what has been achieved!
Some children are more interested in making contact with other children or the visitors. They are looking around, daydreaming or moving around. The teacher tries to draw them back into a task. And again and again, attention is paid to silence or new material is explained. What else is there? Matching animal pictures, a number puzzle, sorting cylinders by size and putting them in the right gap, maybe finding the same colors or drawing lines in the sand on a tray?
There are so many things to learn if you put your mind to it. One child is rubbing her eyes, another girl can’t be stopped and is already picking up another material. The atmosphere is relaxed. Tomorrow there will also be something to repeat or rediscover. Each child can take the time it needs.
Britta Kühn