If you’ve ever watched a 3-year-old flit from one activity to the next, you know that sustained focus doesn’t come naturally to most young children. So it can be startling to walk into a Montessori classroom and find preschoolers quietly absorbed in independent work for long stretches — no hovering teacher telling them to sit still or stay on task. That self-directed concentration is a hallmark of Montessori education, and it’s one of the first things that catches parents off guard when they see it in action.
Montessori learning is hardly novel — Maria Montessori’s first school opened its doors in 1907. But a growing emphasis on mindfulness in education has renewed interest in this approach, and an expanding body of research continues to show how this type of learning benefits young minds.
Mastering Mindfulness
Over the past decade, organizations like Mindfulness in Education Network,
Association for Mindfulness in Education, and Mindful Schools have sprung
up, training teachers, hosting conferences and producing research aimed at
helping children become more focused, motivated and intentional in the
classroom.
Just what is mindfulness, exactly, and why does it matter?
MindfulSchools.org paints mindfulness as a deep, in-the-moment focus,
characterized by self-awareness and internal motivation. In a world filled
with chaotic distractions, advocates of mindfulness say it can be a salve
for the conflict, impulsiveness and stress plaguing modern students and
schools.
Steven J. Hughes, Ph.D., a pediatric neuropsychologist specializing in
attention, concentration, planning and organizing – a set of traits known
as executive functions – defines mindfulness as “sustained positive
engagement.” Other scientists refer to a “flow” state of prolonged,
energized work that produces both calm satisfaction and profound joy in
learning.
Whole Body, Whole Mind
Maria Montessori didn’t coin the term “mindfulness,” but she was an early
advocate for sustained focus and internal motivation. Her methods
deliberately encourage intense concentration as the best context for early
learning.
‘Montessori’s approach to motor development actually stimulates cognitive
development and deep concentration,” says Hughes. When children begin
Montessori education at three or four, they work on motor-skills activities
like sweeping, polishing silverware and pouring. These aptly-named
“Practical Life” activities prepare kids for greater independence and
self-reliance in daily tasks, and also help them develop higher cognitive
functions essential to concentration and attention.
“Montessori tasks like wiping a table or washing dishes develop not only
fine motor control, but they also activate areas of the pre-frontal cortex
essential to executive function, which paves the way for greater
concentration and focus,” he says. “Dr. Montessori wrote about the close
relationship between cognitive development and motor development in 1949.
Fifty years later, scientists made the same connection. This whole-body
approach is part of the reason numerous studies show that
Montessori-educated children have an academic edge over children educated
in traditional classrooms,” he says.
Happy Work: Environment, Schedule and Shared Focus
One way Montessori promotes focus is through a carefully prepared
environment, a key component of Montessori learning. In Montessori
classrooms, specially designed materials – from child-size brooms to lacing
cards to counting beads – are prepared to be aesthetically appealing and
accessible for young children; simplicity, beauty and order are paramount.
“Montessori environments are designed to be attractive and appealing, and
to allow children to make a choice. Children get to look around and choose
what they want to do,” says Feltin.
“This important act of choosing one’s own activity promotes sustained
engagement,” says Dee Hirsch, president of the Pacific Northwest Montessori
Association and director of Discovery Montessori School in Seattle.
Montessori-taught children choose their own work from a palette of
developmentally appropriate options that grow progressively more complex
and challenging.
Montessori schools incorporate concrete learning goals into a child’s
educational plan, and children are free to choose when and how to complete
their work within a specified time frame. “That act of choosing is what
allows a child to make a wholehearted commitment to their work. It’s what
makes Montessori education child-centered,” says Hirsch.
When children are motivated by their own interests, deep concentration is a
natural result. Hirsch says, “Kids are choosing what they want to focus
on.”
During a 90-minute work period, children can take their work through its
beginning, middle and end. Working through this natural sequence promotes
competence and mastery; children can repeat the activity as many times as
they want without being told to hurry up and move on to something else.
Though the terms focus and concentration conjure up images of a child
working alone, mindfulness is not always a solo pursuit. Montessori-style
learning helps kids learn the fine art of shared concentration by
encouraging them to engage in tasks with a classmate or two – a critical
skill in the age of teamwork.
Mindful Together
How does this Montessori-style mindfulness benefit children? Greater
confidence, longer attention spans and natural self-motivation are a few of
the rich rewards, according to Feltin. “What’s so wonderful is the
confidence they gain. Their attention spans are lengthened. They’re going
to meet their academic goals, but they’ll do it more naturally because
their motivation comes from within.”
“But mindfulness isn’t something teachers can achieve for students. Like
every other outcome in Montessori learning, students have to work toward it
themselves. They’re not going to reach that state of mindfulness unless
they get there themselves,” says Hirsch. “We can’t take them there, but we
can go there with them.”
Frequently asked questions about the Montessori method
What is the Montessori method of learning?
The Montessori method is a child-centered approach to education developed by Maria Montessori in 1907. It emphasizes hands-on, self-directed learning in a carefully prepared environment. Children choose their own activities from developmentally appropriate options and work through them at their own pace, building independence, concentration and internal motivation.
At what age do children start Montessori education?
Children typically begin Montessori education at age 3. Early activities focus on practical life skills such as pouring, sweeping and polishing, which develop fine motor control and lay the groundwork for sustained concentration and higher cognitive functions.
How is a Montessori classroom different from a traditional classroom?
In a Montessori classroom, children select their own work rather than following a teacher-led schedule. Materials are designed to be accessible and aesthetically appealing, and children work through extended periods — often 90 minutes — without being told to move on to the next task. Teachers serve as guides rather than lecturers.
What are the benefits of Montessori education?
Research has shown that Montessori-educated children often develop longer attention spans, greater self-motivation and stronger executive function skills such as planning, organizing and focusing. The method’s emphasis on self-directed learning also builds confidence and independence.
What is the connection between Montessori and mindfulness?
The Montessori method encourages sustained, in-the-moment engagement — qualities closely aligned with mindfulness. Children who choose their own work and complete it without interruption naturally develop the kind of deep focus that mindfulness advocates promote in education.
