Freedom and Responsibility in Montessori

8 months ago · Updated 7 months ago

Freedom is a very important concept that leads to the nurturing of independence. However, freedom is also one of the most misunderstood aspects of Montessori.

Many people assume that when we describe freedom, we mean that students can do whatever they wish. This is not true.

Young boy selecting educational materials from a shelf in a Montessori classroom, showcasing self-directed learning. — Self-directed Learning: A child independently selects materials, demonstrating the Montessori value of encouraging autonomy in choosing learning activities.

Freedom means choice within limits. Freedom has a counterpart - responsibility. They are inseparable; they go hand-in-hand and work with one another.

Content

Choices Within Limits
1. The Hallmark of Montessori Education
2. Freedom of Movement in the Classroom

Choices Within Limits

We always give choices within limits, for example, we do not just ask a wandering child or a child who is disturbing another child to not disturb or go work.

We would instead redirect her by asking her whether she would like to pick a work to do, or she would like the teacher to pick one for her.

Children respond well to this, because they feel that they are not being forced to do something but are given choices; they would respond by picking a work from the shelf, or they will ask the teacher to show them a work.

The Hallmark of Montessori Education

Freedom to choose one's own work is an essential hallmark of Montessori education. Freedom is the route to self-discipline.

Mother and son conducting a plant science experiment in a Montessori classroom, highlighting parental involvement and hands-on learning. — Engaged and Guided Exploration: A teacher facilitates a science experiment, supporting a child’s exploration within a safe, structured environment to foster curiosity and responsibility.

But, the freedom also comes with responsibility. Children in a class/home are accorded more freedom of choice as they demonstrate higher degrees of responsibility.

Responsible behavior includes respect for the materials and using them for their intended purpose, the ability to concentrate and be engaged in work, and to work within reasonable time frames on an activity or follow-up from a lesson.

Freedom of Movement in the Classroom

Young children need a lot of movement; confining them to a fixed seat is unnatural. In a Montessori classroom, a student has freedom of movement within the prepared environment, as long as he is able to move responsibly.

Toddler boy engaged with art supplies in a Montessori setting, exemplifying independence and choice in learning activities. — Creative Freedom: Illustrates a child freely engaging with art supplies, emphasizing the importance of providing opportunities for creative expression within clear boundaries.

In fact, there is a lot of movement within the classrooms. Students move around when they are ready to choose new work, when they are finished with some work, when they want to talk with someone, or when they go to the bathroom or get a drink. In our environment, these are choices that the students make, not choices that the teachers make.

Video about Interactive Learning: A video still showing a parent and child together, discussing the balance of freedom and responsibility.

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Hi! I'm Chris Palomino, a B.S. in Psychology, and a mother of a precious one-year-old girl. Over the past eight years, I've been guiding children, particularly those aged 3 to 6 facing developmental and learning challenges, with a special focus on autism and ADHD.

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