The Secret Of Childhood

"It is the spirit of the child that can determine the course of human progress and lead it perhaps even to  higher form of civilization."  -- Dr. Maria Montessori

From these words, Dr. Montessori began her book, The Secret Of Childhood.  Wrapped up in this idea is one of the very basic tenets of Montessori philosophy.  If parents or educators are to begin (or continue) a Montessori journey, then it must begin from this point.  From here the yellow brick road unravels...

When Dr. Montessori coined the phrase "the secret of childhood," she was referring to the innate drive within all children.  She was talking about a biological impulse as well as a spiritual impulse; she was talking about the child's intuitive and instinctive need to learn and to create herself.   Most mammals are built to function within the world immediately; dolphins swim instantly and calves learn to walk within hours.  But the human child is different.  The human child must develop an intellect that is unlike no other mammal on this Earth.  That process is rooted within the child, follows its own instincts, and unfolds within the spirit of the child.

The secret of childhood is this: only the child knows where he will go or who he will become.  The child is the key to the future, and that key is hidden within him.  We cannot know what will unfold, we can only watch.  We may guide his endeavors, but we cannot control his desires.  The moment we try to transform him from what is inherently his, the moment he becomes lost.  Only when we trust the journey of the child, can he unlock his potential.  The journey is his, not ours.

Every year, children begin school and embark on their own private journey.  It is never easy for parents.  The journey of the parent is to protect and cherish the life they have brought into the world; the letting go of that is never easy.  It's harder when children are silent about the things that happen to them when they are on their own, or when they are processing sadness through tears.  But, it's all a part of the process of the transformation of the child.  The school is the child's opportunity to develop his own interests and follow his own desires.  It is the next evolution of the child's journey.

By choosing Montessori, you have chosen a path that believes in letting the child's journey unfold according to her own nature.  Her teachers will support her through this process by observing her interests and helping guide her to activities that inspire her.  She will become engaged, and through that process she will release her potential.

The child's Montessori journey is to learn to have faith in her secret and reveal it.  The parent's Montessori journey is to learn to have faith in the child's secret and watch it unfold.