KNOWING

Knowing is more than knowledge; much more than the regurgitation of facts and instilled opinions; more than memorized time-tables or lists of spelling words. Knowing happens when one is free to work on a task independently until he feels content that it is done, and free to do it over and over until the work and materials become incorporated in his being. Knowing happens at a time of unknowing.

I remember the excitement and joy I felt the first time I watched one of the children contentedly work with the blocks of cylinders, concentrating as she lifted each cylinder, experimenting as she attempted to place the cylinder in the right hole, in the right block. I sat silently. Not once did she look up for approval—not even when she had all the cylinders in the right holes. Instead, she carefully took each cylinder out of its block and lined them up randomly and began again. She knew and felt the joy of learning. An hour passed before she felt satisfied and returned the material to the shelf. Smiling with a big sigh, she came over and hugged my legs. We both experienced joy.

Maria Montessori tells us that, “The child becomes a person through work.” Please read my book: “Montessori—Living the Good Life,” and check out some of the websites recommended on my website and blogs: www.montessoritheory.com, connieripleylujan.com/blog. We are living in the Age of Montessori. The children are calling you to get on the bandwagon.  www.ageofmontessori.org