Category: Montessori Theory

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: L2/3 Scenarios

4/1/2026

Several new 1st graders in a mixed age L2 group of thirteen children visibly react when you tell them that the work in the L2 Atrium is “work with words.” How can you help them engage the reasoning mind when they constantly say “I can’t read” or “I don’t know how to write.”
A new 2nd grader in a mixed age L2 session of fourteen children began the year well, engaged in work, and was excited to begin and finish big work, adding words without much resistance. About halfway through the year his attitude changed. There is now a constant spirit of defiance and opposition leading to power struggles. His most constant refrain is, “You can’t make me.” Not only is this child struggling, he is also preparing for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. At this point you are not even sure he desires to continue preparing to receive these Sacraments. What are some ideas that you could try to help him engage once more in the Atrium? How do you continue to help him to discern his readiness for First Sacraments?
Several children in both L2 and L3 are always excited to start a new work to follow-up on a presentation…but never seem to go back to any of them. When you look in their folders, they consistently have multiple “projects” started and nothing finished. Is this a problem in L2? Is it a problem in L3? How would you address this in L2? How would you address it in L3?
During a single-aged 3rd grade Atrium session of eleven children (only four of them are girls), three of the girls frequently work together, leaving out the fourth girl. Several times these three girls have made comments that are hurtful towards the fourth who mostly seems to ignore them but has also seemed, at times, affected by them. How can you help these girls navigate the social challenges they are facing in a way that is fitting to the Atrium?
In a mixed age L3 group of fifteen children you have noticed that one 4th grader is very good at asking questions not related to the presentation which move the conversation off topic. How do you discern when to follow this child’s lead and when to redirect the conversation? What are the boundaries for pondering? When is a question important to address in the moment and when / how could you help a child discover an answer for herself?
A 6th grader in a mixed age L3 session of sixteen children is rarely engaged in work. Most of the time she is either drawing or staring out the window. During presentations she rarely contributes, and she does not return to any work that she began previously but prefers to just sit during work time. What do you do? What if this child was a 1st or 2nd grader instead of a 6th grader? Would that change your approach?

Self-Reflection Questions:

How could you make time for brainstorming with fellow catechists as you finish out this school year?
What two scenarios from your own Atrium experience could you bring to such a gathering?
How could this type of “CGS support” gathering become something that is done on a regular basis in your community next year?

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: L1 Scenarios

3/25/2026

When working with children who have particular challenges, one of the best supports we have is one another. Over the next two weeks I will be offering you the opportunity to enter into the “experimental” part of our work by “meeting” a new child, discussing ways of assisting him in his growth, and then talking through possible outcomes. While there can be a benefit in looking at these on your own, they are best addressed in community. Maybe you will find one of these scenarios especially pertinent to your community. If so, perhaps you and another catechist could discuss it by text, by phone, or even in person.

A new 3yo often speaks disrespectfully with the children and adults in the Atrium. He speaks loudly and quickly saying things like, “Stop talking.” “Go away!” He has even thrown things on the floor when asked to restore a work or roll up a working mat. In what way might you help him to enter more fully into the peacefulness of the Atrium both for himself and for those around him?
A new 3yo will only respond to the catechist, not the assistant. She prefers to sit near or next to the catechist and does not listen when redirected by the assistant. She struggles to choose work even when invited to work near the catechist, preferring only to receive or observe new presentations. How could you, as the catechist, help this child? What recommendations could you give to your assistant so that she could also be of help in this situation?
A new 4yo is constantly touching materials he has not been shown. When he does take out a work, he struggles to sit with it for more than 30 seconds before wandering. In presentations, he is constantly distracted and moving. The only focus he shows is when he is able to take out a material he has not yet been shown before being asked to return it to the shelf. What are some ideas for helping to strengthen this child’s self-control and focus.
A returning 4yo is often seen misusing the materials he takes out to work with even when he has just been shown that material. Sometimes he uses them violently. Sometimes he seems to be making up a story with them unrelated to the Scripture or liturgical moment. At times he builds towers with them and at other times he has parts of his work spread out far beyond his table or mat. When would you step in to redirect his work and how would you do so. At what point is a material no longer available to a child?
A new 5yo is peaceful when working on her own but disruptive when part of a large group, particularly when all are gathered at the end of the Atrium session for communal prayer. She struggles to keep her hands to herself, is often turned the other direction, and is talking about unrelated things to those near to her. What could you try to help her and the group?
A returning 5yo is struggling to engage with materials. He is often heard saying, “I’m bored,” “I’ve already done everything,” or “There’s nothing to do.” He does not interrupt other children’s work but can frequently be found sitting in the prayer table area. His most frequent question is “When is it over?”

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: The Role of the Adult and the Environment

3/18/2026

Perhaps the most essential statement on normalization, a statement applicable to the entire Montessori Method, is: "We do not normalize the child, the child normalizes himself with our help" (Maria Montessori). Here we begin to realize the place that we offer to the child in his development. We must provide the child with the means needed for normalization. This consists essentially in providing an environment which gives the child ample opportunity for concentration. Practically, we prepare and facilitate the environment in the following way:

We look, then to the environment, but also to ourselves!
We observe objectively, take time to reflect and process, then draw a conclusion.
We then act upon those conclusions and begin the process again.
- "Judgment follows repeated, pure observations and prudent, ever-renewed testing of our interpretations or observations"(A.M. Joosten, “Observation”).

Mr. Joosten, a close collaborator with Dr. Montessori, says that "the history of normalization is really the history of the Montessori method itself." Normalization is a process, not a goal. "Normalization cannot be assumed as a phenomenon which, once achieved, is permanent; it needs to be maintained and developed at every single moment of (developing) life. This requires, obviously, an environment which continues, equally dynamically, to respond to the needs of life and development, and an attitude of assistance offered by the educator" (A.M. Joosten, “Deviation and Normalization”). By continually providing an environment which respects the true nature of the child we, as adults, fulfill the calling we have been given in regard to children. We cannot reach the inner workings of the mind in trying to heal deviations, but we can feed the periphery (edges) and through this help provide a pathway for nourishment to reach the soul, so child can return to his normal state.

"If we make a place for the child at the center of our existence and every effort is given (not as someone we have to mold, but as someone we have to help mold himself according to the eternal laws of growth), not man, but God the Creator will be restored to the place He alone has a right to occupy. We then become his conscious servants and cooperators in His most glorious work: the creation of man. We shall open ourselves to Him exactly where we have always kept Him away: in the education of the child. Then instead of pride and presumption, love will be the driving force of our evolving existence. We shall then really heed the warning pronounced 2000 years ago: 'Let the children be, do not keep them from Me; the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these'" (A.M. Joosten. “The Child the Unknown”).

Self-Reflection Questions:

If it is helpful, make a copy of the three steps listed above to place on your clipboard in the Atrium. This can serve as a practical reminder to you of the way we are called to prepare and facilitate the Atrium environment.
How are you growing in Normalization? How are you allowing God to lead that growth?
How are you facilitating the children’s growth in Normalization? How are you allowing God to lead that growth?

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: Principles (the Adult)

3/11/2026

Within the prepared environment, the adult has a primary role; we are called to both prepare and facilitate the Atrium space. A key to our work is to recognize the importance of observation. We hear in #32 of the 32 Points of Reflection that “CGS has an experimental character.” Thus, as we observe each individual child we ask the Holy Spirit to help us to help him grow in relationship with God through particular materials, offered in a way which serves that individual child. It is our job to see each child as “not yet” but “becoming. (Don’t we desire that others that might see us this way?!) Each child is beloved by God, by his parents and grandparents. We can ask, “God, how do you see this child?” And then, “Lord, help me to see him as you see him.” We speak softly and sparingly, move slowly and deliberately. We offer repetition in may ways, including Grace and Curtesy. Everything we do in front of the children is a presentation. We offer many Direct Presentations…but even more Indirect Presentations in which our daily habits in word and action speak even more clearly!

Having prepared the environment, we are also called to facilitate it. We invite each child with love, lifting up points of interest, isolating difficulties. We remember that the child who misbehaves is not ‘bad;’ he is unhappy, misguided, discouraged. We must work to provide an uninterrupted work cycle of 90-120 minutes. Within that time, 2/3 to 3/4 of their time in the Atrium must be offered to the child for his own freely-chosen work. For the youngest children, purposeful movement is as important as purposeful work. Returning trays, the silence activity, an orientation game (“Please walk over and stand next to a box of tissue.” Gesture to return.), and walking on the line allow for this type of purposeful movement.

When looking at how to best offer purposeful work to an individual child here are some ideas you might try:

Upon child’s entrance:
- Present to a particular child right away, one who has shown you that he will (otherwise!) wander for 30 minutes before choosing a work.
- L1: Invite a child work at a big EPL work right away such as washing a table.
- L2/3: Offer an opportunity for service to a child who struggles to settle like sharpening pencils.

Present near a child instead of to child if that child struggles to focus or refuses to receive a presentation.
Invite a child to stay near adult. There are “rings” of freedom that can be offered based on what the individual child can handle.
- 1st group: Those who are not yet normalized. These children must be kept in close proximity so that disturbances can be immediately stopped. Such children do not yet have the self-control to be given freedom.
- 2nd group: Those who are on the way to normalization. Such children are able to more independent and can be given more distance and freedom. They are able to work on their own, and when disruptions begin they can often be quelled with just a single word.
- 3rd group: Children who are quite normalized. They are able to work on their own and are basically self-disciplined. These children are the leaders or mentors in the group.
Consider allowing a child to leave early instead of transitioning to the Prayer Table at the end of the session if that transition is the trigger for this child’s frustration or inappropriate behavior.
When a child struggles when part of a large group but works well individually invite him to work at a chowki near the group that is gathered, perhaps with a tracing packet or an EPL work or consider inviting him to the assistant reset shelves, etc, as the remainder of the children end the session in song or prayer.

Self-Reflection Questions:

How have you seen or experienced the “experimental character” of CGS?
How could you offer purposeful movement to young children in your Atrium environment?
Ponder where each child in your Atrium fits when considering the three “rings” of freedom. How could you use this knowledge to better position yourself, your assistant, or a particular child in your Atrium?

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: Principles (God, the Child, the Prepared Environment)

3/4/2026

Further considerations in leading each child towards Normalization include looking to God and looking at the Child and the Prepared Environment.

GOD

The Catechism speaks of the Holy Spirit as the “new Law” placed in our hearts. The Holy Spirit takes on the role of the pedagogue, the one who, in Roman times, would accompany a child to school, ensuring they are able to focus, to learn, to receive what is taught. This is an internal work that we cannot do, but He can! We can only prepare or adjust the periphery which includes setting up and facilitating the environment, the materials, and ourselves. Our work is to prepare for the work of the Holy Spirit within each child.

The CHILD

Please keep in mind that “deviations” are often the result of a variety of factors, factors that we, as catechists, often do not have control over. The child also rarely has control over them. It’s good to know deviations exist but that must be balanced by not laying blame on any one person or even groups of people. There are many factors!
Particularly in a school setting, children, at times, come with “labels.” We need to be very careful in how we allow such information to influence our perception of the child. We need to look at the individual in front of us. After welcoming them, including them, getting to know them, looking for strengths and not just weaknesses, we may need to gather information in other ways. Consider speaking with the child’s previous catechist, classroom teacher, or parent. You might also invite a colleague in to observe (someone from your school, parish, CGS community, Diocese) and help you in brainstorming ideas for how to better serve this child.
Our work is to constantly observe, ponder and reflect, make a change, then gather information and begin all over again. Keep trying! Some things will work, others won’t. Some things will work this week but not next. Some things will not work today but they will in two weeks. Don’t take it personally! Continue to attempt and always return to God, asking Him for His help with the child in front of you!

The PREPARED ENVIRONMENT

In the prepared environment we can minimize distractions and noise, dim the lights, and close the shades. Be consistent in setting up and maintaining the space. Order is incredibly important, especially for L1 children. This includes the placement of furniture and materials as well as the maintenance of the materials so that they remain complete, accessible, and beautiful. Have individual tables in small cubby areas in all Atrium levels, but particularly in L1.
We also need to keep an eye out for what is “triggering” or an “obstacle” to the child’s growth towards normalization within the prepared environment and in ourselves.

Self-Reflection Questions:

How does the image of the Holy Spirit as the pedagogue resonate with, influence, or change your view of the Atrium and your own role within it?
How has knowing a “label” affected your ability to welcome, include, and get to know a child in the Atrium?
This week, look for obstacles in the Atrium environment which might be hindering the normalization process.

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: Practical Considerations

2/25/2026

In the next few weeks, I am going to try to apply these theoretical Montessori ideas to the practicality of the Atrium environment. In this, we are looking at how to serve all children in the Atrium, particularly those children who are struggling. One question we need to ask is, “What is possible / fitting for the Atrium Environment?” Here are a few “principles” which can guide our answers:

The Atrium is a place of prayer. It is purposeful work, fitting to the developmental plane, which leads to prayer (#3 of the 32 Points of Reflection).
In the Atrium we must balance the needs of the individual and needs of the group.
We must provide an environment that has a healthy balance of freedom and limits. (Destructive, Disruptive, Dangerous, or Distracting behavior must be limited.)

Tiers of Accommodation in relation to the Atrium:

There are some children who struggle in other settings, but in the Atrium, because of the peaceful environment, they settle in and function well.
At times, one child counts as several children in order to balance the needs of the individual with the needs of the group. Thus, while we typically have a limit of twelve children in L1, a particular child might count as three children so there are only ten in that group.
If a child is struggling primarily with transitions or who is fine for a while but cannot handle the full amount of time, a parent stays outside of the Atrium and is there to take the child when (or hopefully just before!) the child is “finished.”
There are times when an extra adult is present in the Atrium, possibly 1:1 with a particular child. It is typically best that this adult not be the parent of this child. You might consider inviting a teenager to take on this role.
As we move into children who have greater difficulty being present in the Atrium, another way of serving them would be to have just a few children along with several adults present in the Atrium for a shorter amount of time.
Finally, there are some children who are best served by time 1:1 with a catechist for a very short amount time, sometimes just twenty minutes or so.

The hope, particularly for the children who fit into the tiers mentioned later in this list, would be to move towards integrating them into the regular Atrium session. However, this might take months, years, or it might never be reached. In the meantime, truly following the child means adjusting the environment for their sake and this list provides some ideas for how to do that in a way that still offers the gift of CGS to the child.

Self-Reflection Questions:

Which of the first three “principles” do you find easiest to facilitate with the children in the Atrium?
Which of them is most challenging for you?
Which “tiers of accommodation” have you tried?
Can you think of a child who might benefit from one of these options which you have not yet attempted? How might you use this list to help serve him better?

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: Overcoming Deviations

2/18/2026

Within a Montessori environment overcoming deviations is the greatest and most important goal. But what does this look like in practice? The child entering the environment at the 3yo age has his physical and mental abilities operating independently of each other. This child will constantly flit from one activity to another. The link to normalization is purposeful activity, with freedom for purposeful activity and movement involving the hand. This is often first given in EPL. The work in this area is crucial for the youngest child.

There is a three-step cycle that that Dr. Montessori identified as leading to normalization.

The first stage is to spark the child's interest or to inspire the child. This comes as a result of much observation and experimentation. The adult must have faith that there is something within the child that will respond to attempts to arouse his interest. This stage constitutes a point of departure for the child.
The second stage starts when an activity involving some physical object is presented which begins to inspire the child to focus his attention on it. Signs of concentration include focused attention, control of movement, repetition, exactness and precision, and, when finished, a sense of satisfaction and pleasure. Through this process of movement, intellect, and action of the will, the body begins to serve the mind.
Rest is part of the third stage of this process. Here the child replaces the material to end the work cycle. He may engage in a time of wandering or a drink of water or, for an older child in L1, he may take out an EPL material which is below his ability. There is a sense of satisfaction and of closure as well.

The prepared environment must be orderly, calm, and not overly stimulating for the process of normalization to be best supported. The adult in the environment must show forth these qualities. Even when presenting, the adult must realize that his job is to focus the child on the material itself and so he must present in a manner that does not captivate the child's attention but directs it to the material. The environment must also provide authentic freedom, i.e. freedom within limits.

Normalization is constantly needing to be nurtured and maintained. The educator must be constantly seeking a new and clearer attitude and outlook, observing, examining, adjusting. Purposeful work must be provided. The adult must do all that is possible to avoid random, purposeless activity because it leads to distraction. "Only one lever is capable of raising the child from the chaos of deviations to the order of normality and that is concentrated, purposeful work which varies at each level of development" (Molly O’Shaughnessy).

Self-Reflection Questions:

In what way do you struggle to “show forth” order, calmness, and a resistance to over-stimulation?
When did you experience a moment of normalization this week?
In what way was there purposeful work present in that moment?
How could you help facilitate more purposeful work for a particular child who is struggling with normalization?

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: The Process of Normalization

2/11/2026

Normalization is an active process. It is the process of change from the characteristics of deviations which have occurred along the way to the normal path of development. Dr. Montessori says, in fact, that "at three, when they come to us, almost all of them are suffering from some kind of abnormality which is nevertheless correctable" (The Absorbent Mind). In a prepared environment such temporary deviations can and will often disappear. The “cure,” according to Dr. Montessori, primarily resulted through purposeful work, freely chosen, done by the hands, with real objects, accompanied by mental concentration. The result is a peaceful, joyful child. “When the children had completed an absorbing bit of work, they appeared rested and deeply pleased. It almost seemed as if a road had opened up within their souls that led to all their latent powers, revealing the better part of themselves. They exhibited a great affability to everyone, put themselves out to help others and seemed full of good will." (The Child in the Family).

“Purposeful work…” The child’s whole being is focused on constructing themselves, seeking out opportunities to develop their minds and bodies. It is through work, purposeful work, that this construction occurs. I often wonder if this is one of our greatest issues; we don’t understand “purposeful work” and don’t know how to help them reach this.
“…freely chosen…” “Freely chosen” can be easily misunderstood. “If freedom is understood as letting the children do as they like, using or more likely misusing, the things that are available, it is clear that only their ‘deviations’ are free to develop” (The Absorbent Mind). What we mean by “freely chosen” is that the children have the knowledge, capacity, and opportunity to choose an activity that will best support their personal development. Limits to this freedom include choosing only what has been shown and using it in the way it has been shown.
“…done by the hands…” Particularly in L1, it is the child’s hands that are the instrument of the mind. This is why the L1 child must have the opportunity and even the limit of working primarily with sensorial, physical materials, not with paper and pencil until around kindergarten. Setting an Altar or moving sheep around the sheepfold behind the Good Shepherd connects pathways in the brain that coloring a picture will not accomplish. Moving into L2, the use of the reasoning mind necessitates bridging into using the hand as a writing instrument in connection with the sensorial materials.
“…with real objects…” Real objects focus the attention and necessitate control of movement. Carrying a glass pitcher filled with water is accompanied by the risk of spilling and breaking, something impossible when carrying an empty plastic pitcher with "pretend" water. The "reality" calls the child to concentration and care! The use of real objects lead to concentration, which is the key to it all.
“…accompanied by mental concentration.” It is not busyness or “occupation” but concentration. “The essential thing is for the task to arouse such an interest that it engages the child’s whole personality” (The Absorbent Mind). This includes the hand guided by intelligence, the uniting of physical and mental energy. For concentration to be reached, there must be interest, challenge, but also the potential for success. The right amount of interest and challenge leads to repetition and it is repetition that leads to mental concentration and focus.

Self-Reflection Questions:

When have you, personally, experienced this “cure” in your own life?
What work of the hand brought you to this type of mental concentration and focus?
Where have you seen this happen in the Atrium? With which children? Through which materials?

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: Hope!

2/4/2026

The behaviors which come as a result of these “deviations” are often so commonplace in children that we think of them as normal characteristics of childhood: overactive imagination, inattentive, messy, lazy, whiney, clingy, destructive, bored, selfish, aggressive, untruthful. While they may be commonplace, it is important that we recognize that these behaviors are not normal! Dr. Montessori herself described some of the first children she worked with as follows: “[They were] timid and clumsy, apparently stupid and unresponsive. They could not walk together and the mistress had to make each child take the pinafore of the one in front…they wept and seemed to be afraid of everything…they did not answer when spoken to. They were really like a set of wild children… (wild) in a forest of people, lost and beyond the bounds of civilized society” (The Discovery of the Child).

However, Dr. Montessori also, almost immediately, began to see a change. The personalities of the children began to be transformed. The negative behaviors and characteristics began to disappear and, in their place, the children began to show orderliness and care in their movements, focused, concentrated work, loving actions offered to one another with peaceful joy. This didn’t happen just in one environment, but, over time, it began to happen consistently across numerous Montessori environments over a great variety of cultures and socio-economic levels.

Dr. Montessori wrote, “The disorderly became orderly, the passive became active, and the troublesome disturbing child became a help in the classroom. This result made us understand their former defects had been acquired and were not innate. But all these disturbances came from a single cause, which was insufficient nourishment for the life of the mind” (The Absorbent Mind).
Led by the children, Dr. Montessori felt she had discovered their true nature. Through observing the process of “conversion” of the child, she found that the “normal” child is in no way “average.” We might, instead, say that the “normal” child is “saintly.” In fact, Dr. Montessori herself said, "[Normalization] is the most important single result of our work" (The Absorbent Mind). Instead of “conversion” to describe this phenomenon, “normalization” was used in order to indicate the child’s return to the normal, healthy course of development. "Normalization," for Dr. Montessori, was "the optimal functioning of the organism at its best" (The Absorbent Mind).

So how do we get there?? That’s the big question, right?? As we continue, please keep in mind that, in a Montessori environment, what I am about to describe would have taken place more quickly than we might experience in the Atrium. The children Dr. Montessori was observing were in a prepared environment for a significant amount of time, with consistency. We typically have children for 90 – 120 minutes/week. Montessori had two to four times that amount in a single day, five days a week. Time makes a huge difference in this process. Still, we are here to look at how to help the children we serve, and what Dr. Montessori has to say about the process of Normalization is beautiful.

Self-Reflection Questions:

How have you grown (personally) in the process of normalization / sanctification?
How has CGS Training and your time in the Atrium affected your growth in normalization?
Name children whom you have seen move towards this type of "conversion."
What was it that influenced their growth?

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: Weak Characters or Wills

1/28/2026

Weaker children will surrender to obstacles and become passive. They are easily frightened and cling to adults. They may be lazy and bored, wanting others to entertain them. They may even lie or steal, resorting to sneaky behavior or they may be whiney, clingy, and cry to get what they want.

“Barriers,” according to Dr. Montessori, "form an inner wall that shuts in the spirit, hiding it to defend it from the world" (The Secret of Childhood). These walls are erected as a result of discouragement, mistrust, or hurt in certain areas causing the child to withdraw into himself to a point where he becomes unreachable. "A kind of curtain comes down over the child's mind, making him psychologically ever more deaf and blind. It is as though the subconscious mind were to say: 'You speak, but I am not listening; you repeat things, but I do not hear you. I cannot build up my world because I am building up a wall of defense so that you cannot come in!'" (The Secret of Childhood). This child may at first appear stubborn or unwilling to try, but eventually he may even become unable to do so, having convinced himself that he cannot learn. These barriers can continue into adulthood; just think of the adults who say, “Oh, I am terrible at math,” or, “I could never draw.” The intelligence and creativity once existed, but were derailed at an early age.
Attachment or dependence results in a child who is unable to resist separation from the adult and solves his problem by becoming dependent upon them instead. This is also called "adult substitution" as the adult substitutes his desires for those of the child, likely unknowingly. These children, in a very real sense, make the adult their servant. They ask questions continuously, not seeking answers, but using this process to bind the adult to themselves. The adult commonly sees this deviation as a virtue saying, "My child loves me so much he can't bear to be without me."
Inferiority is another deviation, according to Dr. Montessori. The child begins to dislike himself and compares himself to others, feeling inadequate and fearing rejection. "If the adult convinces the child that the incapacity lies in himself, then a kind of cloud covers his mind, bringing timidity, and a kind of apathy and a fear, which become constitutional. All these feelings together form the inner obstacle that psychoanalysis describes as an 'inferiority complex'" (The Secret of Childhood). If this child was yelled at for making mistakes, quite possible for the children Dr. Montessori was working with, he will constantly be wary of the adult, expecting a reprimand. In other cases, these children are "approval seekers" but cannot accept compliments as they feel unworthy.
Another category is that of lying. This vice often develops as a form of self-defense. When an adult is harsh or overreacts to a child, lying is a defense mechanism which kicks in to protect the child from the danger he senses. Sometimes, we encourage this behavior through our own example. It is important not to set up a child for a lie. Instead of saying, "Did you..." say, "I noticed..." so as to give them the opportunity to tell the truth.

Self-Reflection Questions:

Where do we see these weak-willed deviations in our own physical and spiritual lives?
How does such a self-examination help us to have new eyes and hearts when encountering children who are wrestling with similar deviations?
Where do we see these weak-willed deviations arising in the Atrium?

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Montessori’s Vision of the Child: L2/3 Scenarios

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: L1 Scenarios

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: The Role of the Adult and the Environment

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: Principles (the Adult)

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: Principles (God, the Child, the Prepared Environment)

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: Practical Considerations

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: Overcoming Deviations

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: The Process of Normalization

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: Hope!

Montessori’s Vision of the Child: Weak Characters or Wills

Carolyn Kohlhaas

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