The science of peace, were it to become a special discipline, would be the most noble of all, for the very life of humanity depends on it. So, also perhaps, does the question of whether our entire civilization evolves or disappears. ~Maria Montessori, 1932 When you enter my Beginning Toddler class room, you will see [...]
When reading about Montessori education, you will occasionally see reference to the “Montessori three year cycle.” Unless you are a Montessori educator, it is unlikely that you have thought much about the Montessori method and its nuances. As a parent of Montessori ‘kids’ whose ages range from 21 to 4 years old, I can assure [...]
Practical Life is the first area in the classroom that any new student will explore. The shelves are arranged with the top shelf having the easiest works to complete with the level of difficulty increasing as they move to the lowest shelf. One might see examples of pouring, spooning, tong works, polishing, water transfer with a pipette. [...]
Last month, my husband and I executed an unplanned cross country move from Arizona to Illinois with our two children, ages 3 and 5. Each of our kids began Montessori school at 14 months in Arizona. Over the last few years, it has been a pleasure to watch each of them embrace the Montessori philosophy [...]
The science of peace, were it to become a special discipline, would be the most noble of all, for the very life of humanity depends on it. So, also perhaps, does the question of whether our entire civilization evolves or disappears.
~Maria Montessori, 1932
When you enter my Beginning Toddler class room, you will see my favorite word, “Peace,” in Chinese characters in a silver frame. This is a high priority in my teaching philosophy.
It is truly eye-opening after completing my Montessori teaching education. Having seen the Montessori approach, I strived to make my life more peaceful so that I can pass on this Montessori philosophy.
As a Montessori educator, I must have respect for myself, respect for others, and respect for the environment, as well as responsibility for my actions and words.
The essentials for peace education are inherent in every level of the Montessori curriculum.
From an early age, children can develop a sense of fairness and unfairness, of justice and injustice. Children can be helped to understand that violent solutions carry harmful consequences and that problem solving leads to friendship and community.
Children have possibilities and potential in many different ways. Their humanity will rise up in all its creativity, wisdom, beauty, love, and kindness. When we teach towards the spirit of the child and educate young hearts and minds for peace. A child can, in fact, concentrate for an extended period of time, love silence, appreciate simple beauty, be joyful and full of wonder, and appear to experience inner peace.
Children easily pick up on hypocrisy around them. If we teach peace in our classroom, we must strive for peace in our lives, in our home, and our workplace. We are the models of peace. We are teaching and nourishing the peace keepers of the future.
About the author, Yuriko “Yuri” Ferrell:
I was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. Since I was very athletic, my undergraduate major was PE. I loved to dance and practice martial arts when I was young, and now I practice Yoga and Tai-Chi for my health.
When I was living in Japan, I was also interested in acting and theater. I graduated from Art Specialized School (Theatrical Performance Department). I was an instructor at a sports club teaching aerobics to adults and swimming for children. I also taught acting at a school for children. I moved to the United States in 1992 and have been working at Mansio Mens Montessori since 1998.
When reading about Montessori education, you will occasionally see reference to the “Montessori three year cycle.” Unless you are a Montessori educator, it is unlikely that you have thought much about the Montessori method and its nuances. As a parent of Montessori ‘kids’ whose ages range from 21 to 4 years old, I can assure you that it is a core tenet of Montessori education.
Dr. Maria Montessori invested years into the scientific observation of children. The Montessori method has been adopted globally and is a testament to the universal truths institutionalized in her program. I remember very vividly the conviction with which I was first ‘told’ about the three-year cycle in the context of Montessori education – the enthusiasm was a little overwhelming. After watching my oldest children grow into young adults, I would offer nothing other than Montessori education to my youngest children.
The context within which the Montessori three year cycle is understood falls within the concept of planes of development. These are the greater stages of development as defined within the Montessori method.
| Plane | Ages | Phase | Construct |
| First plane | 0 – 6 | Early Childhood | Construction of the Physical Person |
| Second plane | 6 – 12 | Childhood | Construction of the Intelligence |
| Third plane | 12 – 18 | Adolescence | Construction of Social Self |
| Fourth plane | 18 – 24 | Adulthood | Construction of Self Understanding |
Dr. Maria Montessori also believed that the needs of each plane of development must be fully satisfied in order for the individual to pass into the next stage of development. The 1st and 3rd planes are considered to be periods of creation, while the 2nd and 4th planes are periods of consolidation. Needless to say, there have been books, dissertations and theses written about each aspect of the different planes.
According to the Montessori method, each plane of development is associated with two (2) three-year cycles. The cycles continue to repeat within and between the different planes of development. Within the first plane of development, there are two (2) Montessori three-year cycles:
Both are characterized as sensitive periods of development, which include intense needs for order, language, refinement of the senses and movement.
My personal observations of the Montessori method as far as three-year cycles are concerned are rooted in a layman’s explanation of what happens during the second three year cycle.
Children ‘shop around’ during the the first year of the cycle by observing the older children in the classroom. During the second year, they attempt new things. By the third year, they have mastered materials and demonstrate their expertise by helping younger children learn those materials.
The prepared environment of the Montessori classroom is something to behold. It enables physical independence in children that enable them to claim that “I can do it myself!” To parents, the squeals of joy will justify any sacrifice that may have to be made to pay tuition.
Our family was confronted with the difficult choice of sending our five-year old to public kindergarten or remaining with Montessori to complete the Montessori three year cycle. Since our school district offers only half-day kindergarten, we ultimately split his day between public and Montessori.
The third year has been referred to as a capstone year for the Montessori three year cycle. I believe it to be true. I have observed my child’s tremendous frustration after a morning at public kindergarten, which seems to be cured only by an afternoon at Mansio Mens Montessori. All children are different, but do not discount the Montessori three year cycle when you are asked if your child will be returning to Montessori for kindergarten.
Concentrating on clean hands
Practical Life is the first area in the classroom that any new student will explore. The shelves are arranged with the top shelf having the easiest works to complete with the level of difficulty increasing as they move to the lowest shelf. One might see examples of pouring, spooning, tong works, polishing, water transfer with a pipette. Each has a direct and indirect aim well thought out by the directress.
The Montessori directress pays close attention to details in every presentation that they present to the child. I read an interesting comparison with the importance of details whether it be in a classroom or in the basketball arena. Coach John Wooden, who brought UCLA to 10 successful championships in the NCAA, indicated that at their first practice he has his players work on putting on their socks. He demonstrates just how to do it. He carefully rolls each sock over his toes, up his foot, around the heel and pulls it snug. He then goes back to his toes and smooths out the material along the sock’s length making sure there are no wrinkles or creases. His purpose is two fold: wrinkles can cause blisters, and blisters can costs games. The main point is to learn how crucial seemingly trivial details could be.
In a Montessori classroom, we call our environment “prepared” – preparing children for life. Our thrust is to break down each “work” into several simple steps so the child understands the need to concentrate and carefully carry out each step. Our goal is to engage the child in focusing on the specific steps or details to insure success in mastery of the task. The next time your child says “I washed my dishes,” think of it as a process of 10 details or steps, which is not easy for a young child. The purpose is twofold: eliminating dirt reduces germs and reduced germs creates a healthy life.
Last month, my husband and I executed an unplanned cross country move from Arizona to Illinois with our two children, ages 3 and 5. Each of our kids began Montessori school at 14 months in Arizona. Over the last few years, it has been a pleasure to watch each of them embrace the Montessori philosophy and incorporate it into the fabric of their person.
When we made the move, one of my first priorities was to find a Montessori preschool that was as much like their old preschool as possible. I knew that many other things in their life would change – new house, new friends, new teachers, new climate (SNOW!), etc. I wanted to make sure that when they walked into the classroom on the first day of school, there was a strong thread of commonality. The pink tower and the blue and red rods are same work across the country, and internationally as well.
I enrolled both kids in Mansio Mens Montessori sight-unseen, from Arizona, weeks before school started. It was a leap of faith on my part, but when I read the long list of teacher’s backgrounds on their website, each with decades of Montessori experience, I was sold. You see, being a good Montessori teacher is a gift and people that have this gift are not always easy to find. The Montessori setting and prepared environment are the same in the vast majority of Montessori classrooms, but the teacher makes those materials come to life for the child. Watching a good teacher introduce a new work to a child is sometimes like watching magic. One doesn’t do this for a decades unless they enjoy it and have the gift.
In Montessori fashion, I tried to help them be a part of as many elements of the move as I could. We studied maps and I let them pack their toys in color coded tubs and their own clothes according to season. They were well aware of what was being packed and what was given away. We talked about basements, seasons, new plants and animals, and new friends.
Moving was stressful, but by the end of the first week of school, it seemed as though the kids emotionally took a very deep breath and slowly exhaled the stress. My son’s only complaint was that I was picking him up ‘too early’. They are comfortable, they understand their responsibilities, their role in the environment and they knew they are ‘home’ in the classroom.
We are excited as Mansio Mens Montessori enters its 30th year. Since our humble beginnings in 1981, we recently have had the pleasure of our first alumni and alumnae enrolling their children in the same pre-school attended by their parents.
This summer, our Board of Directors agreed that a blog would be a valuable addition to our redesigned website and I am proud to be the first blogger to post! Our intention is to create a website that helps all parents better understand:
• Montessori education and its benefits,
• More about Mansio Mens Montessori ,
• About our experienced faculty and staff, and
• The ‘Montessori’ experiences of our alumni and community.
For those of you who are not familiar with Mansio Mens, we live and breathe our guiding principle:
For parents that need quality education and care for their children, Mansio Mens provides a loving atmosphere in which your child’s mind, body and spirit can flourish. More than 900 children have grown with Mansio Mens’ individualized instruction since 1981. We are certified by the American Montessori Society to strict standards.
It is our hope that our blog will demonstrate to you and the community that Mansio Mens can provide children an atmosphere where they can learn to love the process of learning. What greater gift to a child can there be than to provide them with pre-school education that prepares them to excel in all areas of life. 
In a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, a Montessori education has been credited as a success factor for some our country’s most noticeable entrepreneurs.
As Montessori educators, we know that Montessori education is a process that works. The name Mansio Mens is the Latin for “a children’s house of learning.” We invite you to learn more about Mansio Mens, Montessori education and our community.
Sincerely,
Janet Shanahan
Managing Director
Mansio Mens Montessori
email: janet@genevamontessori.org
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