Never help a child at a task at which he feels he can succeed.
— Dr. Maria Montessori
As Montessorians, we are looking for every opportunity to empower children to be independent. A child’s self-confidence arises when she genuinely masters a challenging task. In the last week we have seen many beaming faces showing us deepening self-confidence and independence. From the new child who overcame her fear of climbing the two big steps to the sink, to the returning learner who composes new words independently with the moveable alphabet, to the kindergartener who counted all the way to 125 on the bead chain, all showed the same pride when they realized they could accomplish something they couldn’t do before!
When we set up the studio before school starts, we are always thinking about how the environment sets learners up for independence. Are the towels to wipe up spills available in an accessible place for a child? Is the paper on the top shelf within reach so a child can get it himself without asking for help? The underlying question we are always asking is: are we setting up children to be dependent on us or independent?
Taking care of one’s own possessions and one’s environment are skills that we are focusing on this month so that learners can start developing their independence and confidence in the studio. We are expressing our confidence in the learners by saying things like, “I bet you can do that by yourself!” when a learner asks an adult to do something he is capable of doing himself. Learning how to manage their own belongings frees children from dependence on adults (especially during transitions such as getting out of the house) and sets them up to feel confident and capable in their environments.
Children need more time to finish tasks, and one of the greatest gifts we can give them is time—time to struggle with that shoe to put it on the right foot, time to figure out how to zipper their backpack closed, time to finish their sentences as they search for a new word. We help them acquire new skills by coaching, for instance saying, “I pull the broom towards me when I sweep” and demonstrating rather than doing it for them. Taking off backpacks, snapping buttons on a rain jacket, sweeping crumbs off the floor—these are daily activities that children are gradually learning to master. As children struggle with achievable tasks, they develop the “muscles” to do it by themselves and the confidence that they can master the next challenging thing. Their beaming faces tell the whole story!