Because the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd training begins with Level 1, for 3-6yo children, catechists often are immersed in and come to deeply know the needs and capacities of children in what Maria Montessori calls the first plane of development (ages 0-6). When moving on to Level 2, I have noticed that even after hearing in training about the needs of children in the second plane of development (ages 6-12), catechists often expect their elementary Atrium to look and function much like their Level 1 experience. However, children in the second plane of development are entirely different children and their Atrium environment needs to serve them as such. While there are new materials in the L2 Atrium to meet the second plane needs of these children, it is primarily the way the catechist establishes expectations for the space and supports the children in reaching these expectations that will determine the efficacy of the children’s transition into and engagement in the Atrium during this new plane of development. In my notes from my Elementary Montessori Training, it is said in the following way: “The second plane has its own set of psychological characteristics which differ vastly from the characteristics of the first plane child. For that reason, the second plane child cannot be reached in the same manner as the first plane child was. Instead, there must be a new approach to meet the needs of the second plane child. Moving from primary to elementary age, then, requires a change of mindset for the adult.” Thus, over the next few weeks our focus will be on the L2 child, the L2 Atrium, and how to create and sustain a space of work, study, and prayer for these children. Elementary children are social beings. They are interested in other people, other cultures, and ways of living in community. Dr. Montessori said that they have a “herd instinct” and seek out peer acceptance and friendship. They also have an expanded capacity for compassion, empathy, and service to their own community. Right relationship among persons becomes a focus, and they are interested in the underlying principles behind the rules they are asked to follow which contribute to these relationships. Dr. Montessori also called this the “age of rudeness” as the children often question the decisions and directions of adults in their lives in their quest to discover the deeper reasons behind guidelines and actions of the community. At times this growth in the social realm will manifest through aggressive or rebellious behavior and at other times the same child will appear hesitant. indecisive, and worry excessively. The orderly first plane child seems to have disappeared when, in reality, their sense of order has shifted from an external order to an internal order. Instead of being concerned about “everything in its place” on the Atrium shelves, they are focused on placing new ideas and concepts into their proper spot within the great amount of information building up in their minds. Their minds themselves are changing. The “absorbent mind” of the L1 child which takes in information from the environment simply by existing in it has shifted to a “reasoning mind” more capable of abstract thought which must be engaged for learning to take place. Where this child was previously content to hear the name of an item from the altar area, he now desires to know where its name came from, why it is used in the way it is, the history of its development and its relation to other items or its use in other areas of the faith or in life in general. This desire to look at the broader or “whole” picture led Dr. Montessori to speak about the elementary child’s need for “cosmic” education, an education which takes into account the interconnectedness of information and the development of a framework into which new knowledge can be placed and ordered. They are exploring the mystery of time, asking “Who is God? What is His Plan? Where was I at the beginning? Where do I fit into His Plan? They are also beginning to recognize and appreciate the vastness of God’s gifts and the gifts of other people throughout history, responding with gratitude towards God and also through finding people worth emulating, seeing them as heroes worthy of following. All of this can be summarized by saying that the L2 child needs a different type of Atrium environment both in its physical arrangement and layout (as these children need larger and more communal work spaces) and in its expectation and facilitation. It will be a louder, busier, messier space with small groups of children discussing Scripture, Liturgy, and their work (which will likely be spilling off of their tables or chowkis!). Rarely will a child be working alone for very long and it would be unusual to see a child going back to a material and working with it in exactly the way in which it was presented. The soft, slow, careful style of speaking and moving in L1 changes to an excited, engaging, and yet controlled conversation which may pull in opinions and thoughts of nearby children while not interrupting those deeply focused on other work. Instead of the silence of a library, the L2 Atrium should have the busy but focused hum of a laboratory. “The Atrium is a place of prayer in which work and study spontaneously become meditation, contemplation and prayer.” The work and study of the second plane child is not the same as that of the first. But it is only through work and study appropriate to their age that the children will truly be led into meditation, contemplation, and prayer. Next week we will continue this conversation by focusing on the work which best serves the characteristics of the L2 child.
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Carolyn Kohlhaas
CGS Catechist and Formation Leader (Levels I, II, and III) Categories
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April 2024
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