Montessori 'teaches' the concept of number 1 to 10 to every child

When parents come for admission to Montessori, they often proudly claim that 'My child can recite 1 to 10'. I cannot tell them that the child is just remembering these numbers by rote. I find it difficult to disappoint them by saying that with the child's prodigious memory, he can recite a lot by rote. When the child remembers the number by rote, he does not understand that the symbol '5' stands for quantity of 5 items, or 8 stands for quantity of any 8 items. 5 is a concept, not a concrete number. The number 5 can stand for 5 bananas, 5 chocolates, or 5 Rupees. 

Montessori however manages to 'teach' this concept of 'number' by using these 6 steps:

Step 1: Help the child count the number 1 to 10 using 'number rod'

Before the introduction of numbers, the child is already introduced to 10 long rods, ranging from 10 cm to 100 cm. The child has learnt to align these long 'red' rods. See this picture below. 

Long rods done by a child 

Photo courtesy: Sapience Montessori 

But now, instead of red color rods, number rods are marked as 'red' and 'blue' which the child uses to count a number. Smallest rod is 'rod of 1', second rod of blue and red is 'rod of 2', and so on. While counting the rod, the child often loses patience. Sometimes the child keeps on 'counting the number by his mouth', but his hand is 'stationary'. He often takes long time to count rods beyond '6'. If a child gets distracted while counting, he often forgets and counts it ahead without noticing that he has missed the count. 

Long number rods 1 to 10

Step 2: Child traces the symbols 1 to 10.

These are sandpaper numbers. They help the child to remember the symbol of number. Observe the big numbers. Numbers 1 to 5 are kept on the mat, while the box of number is showing the card of '9'. Here the child's muscle memory is used to remember the 'symbol'.

Sandpaper numbers 1 to 10.

Step 3: Number symbol is 'associated with rod'.

In this step, the child associates the 'rod of 3' with symbol '3' and so on. This step is often the trickiest step. He either forgets the name of symbol beyond 6. Or he may forget the counting of number. To test the child's memory, he may be asked to pick a rod randomly, say rod of 5, then rod of 8 and so on. Some children at this stage find it so challenging, that they undergo performance-anxiety. They are reluctant to come to Montessori. In Montessori, lot of space is offered to the child to assimilate and resolve this. 

Association of symbol of 1,2 etc with the rod of 1,2 etc

Step 4: Using small number rods for counting

If the child is doing long number rods well, he moves to counting of small number rods. These small number rods are smaller in size and can fit on a small mat. Child finds it more difficult to count small number rod. Sometimes we have also observed that the child goes back to long number rods and counts. This facilitates repetition of the counting.

Child counting small number rods and associating them with numbers

Photo courtesy: Sapience Montessori MHC

 Step 5: Counting of spindles 0 to 9

Until the step 4, the child is counting contagious numbers. Now he starts counting discrete spindles. He may even ask a question 'What is zero'. This shift of discrete counting is more drastic for a child. He may start counting either from number 5 or from number 9. At this stage, his 'number association with symbol' is further strengthened. Therefore, at this stage, child's memory is tested. They often confuse 6 with 8, or 6 with 9, and so on. If the confusion persists, he has to be given the sandpaper number to trace once again. His patience and focus also gets tested. 

Counting spindles with Spindle box 0 to 9

Step 6: Count the 'counters' and associate it with 'card'

This is the last stage of counting 1 to 10, where the child's capacity to associate symbol with quantity is tested. Using this foundation, he is later introduced to decimal system of units, tens, hundreds and thousands to count 4-digit numbers upto 1000. 

Child counts 'counters' and associates it with number card 

Summary

Step 1 to step 6 ensures that the child associates the symbol with the exact quantity, be it the quantity of bangle, or banana. A child takes about 2 to 3 months to go through these six steps. When I tell this to parents, they are often surprised. They cannot imagine that a child takes 2-3 months to 'understand' the concept of 1 to 10. If you observe these six steps, these six steps not only test child's memory; but it also tests his ability to keep focus and maintain patience. Even if the child tries to memorise in any of the step, his mistake gets spotted easily in the next step. He is almost 'forced' to 'understand' the number.

And because the Montessori method is child-centric, every child gets the concept of 'number' in Montessori. Some child get it early, some get it late. Some children may undergo performance-anxiety and will take more time to overcome this anxiety. During this period, the child could also be reluctant to come to Montessori. In Montessori, space and time for emotional-resolution is offered to every child. Emotional-resolution plays an important role in learning. In the traditional method of schooling, where children are taught in group, it is often easy to miss a child who 'does' not understand the concept of number. But in Montessori, this never happens.  At the end of six steps therefore, every child gets the concept of number.

When curiosity becomes an enemy of a child, what can you do?

I had presumed that 'fear of failing' is visible late in Higher secondary school and later ages. I was therefore surprised, when i noticed in young children of 3-4 years age in a Montessori.

Every child has a invisible 'challenge zone'. If the new task is 'below' the challenge zone, the child is bored. This is why child dumps a toy soon after he buys it. If the task is 'above' the challenge zone, the child faces the fear of failing in it. His response to this fear 'determines' his speed of learning.  If he withdraws, his learning stops for the time being. If he engages with the activity despite failing, he will learn to do it sooner or later. When he responds to one such difficulty by withdrawing himself, it does not matter perhaps. But when he responds to these new tasks - as he encounters them again by again - by repeatedly withdrawing from them, he sets up a pattern that is harmful for his learning.

Repeated response to a new task therefore determines the child's speed and extent of learning. Child's curiosity always drives him towards new tasks and objects. But his ability to negotiate this 'challenge zone' influences his ability to learn. If he fails to negotiate it, he stops taking new tasks which in turn stops his learning. If he manages to negotiate it, he keeps on stretching himself and continues to learn. For a child, who is not able to negotiate this challenge zone, Curiosity becomes his enemy. 

Imagine a child for whom Curiosity has become his/her enemy. For such a child new activity, instead of excitement, generates anxiety in him. Instead of engaging in new activity, he discovers new excuses every day to avoid new task. Some children even boast of activities that they claim to have done earlier. Instead of engaging with friends who explore, he finds friends who do the same activity again and again. Besides expending his 'physical energy', such games and activity offer him little help in learning. When I met a 3-year old child, who refused to remove 'training wheels' of his bicycle, because he found it 'challenging' to balance without those wheels, I felt sad. If you meet such a child, you will do your best to help your child nurture his curiosity.

What can you do in helping your child nurture his Curiosity?

These seven rules will help you:

First, give activities that are just above the challenge zone of your child. Many parents, in the haste to help their child grow faster, offer new activities which are way beyond their challenge zone. For such parents, small exposure is better than no exposure. When a child is offered an activity beyond his challenge zone, World map for instance for a child of 4 years, he learns nothing from the activity. He just repeats the steps mechanically and tends to memorise it by rote. Infact, it gives him a false impression of knowing more than he knows.

If you are not sure about the activity to offer to your child, consult your Montessori teacher or use a Montessori book.

Second, your child is unique. Please do not assume that a difficult task for one child will be difficult for your child.

A child will find a seemingly simple task difficult, and the reverse. For instance, N ( One  child in Sapience Montessori) found that remembering color names like red, blue and yellow was so difficult for him that he started saying "I do not want to come to Montessori'.  Another child H, found it difficult to match cylinders with the holes in the block, if the cylinders were kept at a distance of 10 feet. She could match them when they were kept closer to each other. She cried when reminded to do that activity.

Not every child behaves in the same way when a new activity is introduced. Some children, when introduced to a new activity, will take long time to engage in it. Some do it immediately. For instance, one child in Sapience takes up new activity next day, while another girl child takes it after a week.

Third, give the child enough space and time to overcome his/her fear of failing. 

For instance, N ( the child mentioned above ) became so anxious that he did not take any activity for 3 weeks. In Montessori, this cushion is provided to the child to accept his fear and deal with it. On the other hand, H ( the girl child mentioned above) overcome her fear by talking to herself for a month. She kept on telling herself that " I will be able to perform the activity if I do the activity again and again'.

Fourth, do not help the child to perform the new activity.

Initially, you may show your child how to do the activity by doing it yourself. But, once you show it, never help the child while he is doing it. Remember, he has to go through his feelings of inadequacy himself. If the child is struggling to finish it you may help him by making comments, such as 'Try once again' or 'If you do it again, you will get it".  

Fifth, do not punish 'indirectly' for doing activities unsuccessfully.

Parents do not punish a child directly. But when a child does not finish an activity, Parents indirectly punish the child by saying " I will not play with you if you do not do this'. Or they may even tease the child by saying something like " If you are a superman, why couldn't you do it?" Unsuccessful attempts should never be discouraged. Here is a chance for us adults to let the child know that 'it is ok to fail'.

Sixth, do not praise the child for doing new task/activities successfully.

This rule is most often broken by modern parents. When the child does an activity well, they give 'High Five', or a chocolate, or praise like " You are a good child", or " You are a superman". When we praise the child for 'successful outcome', we unconsciously promote the idea that "Succeeding in a task is more important than Trying to do the task'. When you praise the child too often in this way, such a child stops taking new activities where the chances of failing are high. For a child, getting praise is more important than doing a difficult activity and failing in it. That is why, in Montessori, the rule of 'No Praise' works.

Seventh, if you observe him failing for a long time, offer him 'strategies' to negotiate the difficulty,

Do not offer specific help to the child. Offer him 'rules'. He should apply the rule in his specific situation. Never give specific instructions to the child. Type of new task however determines the strategy.The task may be purely cognitive ( such as remembering the names of fruits), pure motor tasks (such as jumping on a bar with both legs), or a mixture of both ( such as seeing the shape of cylinder and matching it with right hole).

For instance, rule like ' Put the needle in the cloth from the same side' is useful for a child to weave a button. Or ' Look at the length of the cylinder and hole before putting the cylinder in the hole' is useful to put cylinders in the right hole.  Sometimes the best strategy is to follow another child , such as for pure motor tasks.

In a Montessori, the adult teacher devises customised strategies to negotiate the challenge zone that are unique for a child and his/her situation.

Summary

In a real Montessori environment, a child is offered hundreds of new activities where the child learns to negotiate his/her challenge zone again and again. From a single material kit like Cylinder block, 120 different exercises of varying difficulties can be offered. Child gets repeated opportunities to learn from one challenge and incorporate those learnings to negotiate the next challenge zone. Even if he fails in one, he still finds other activities that helps him regain his confidence. If he succeeds, he finds another challenge where he can test himself.

I think that this repeated pattern of negotiating challenge zones in a Montessori makes a Montessori child 'fail-proof'. This 'small' difference in his early age helps the child in taking tough challenges in his future life, which i think is a biggest gift that Montessori offers to a child.

Utilise freedom to inculcate discipline in the child

Generally, freedom and discipline are supposed to be opposites. This is because we have given our own meanings to these two words. While freedom is supposed to mean 'You can do whatever you want to', while discipline means 'do what adults say'.

Image Credit: Sapience Montessori House of Children

Dr Maria Montessori gave a different twist to these words and created a new method to help the child develop 'character traits' ( we also call them personality traits) such as patience, focus and independence. 

Discipline 

She classified discipline into two categories : Internal discipline and External discipline. Generally, we as adults are more concerned about external discipline which we can visibly see in a child - does he do whatever he is doing without getting distracted, does he disturb others, does he damage the material. She however asserted that this 'external discipline' behaviour is the consequence of 'internal discipline'. So instead, she urged teachers to focus on developing 'internal discipline' in the child. 

Freedom 

But how to achieve internal discipline in a child ? Her counter-intuitive answer was 'Use freedom'. She gave 'restricted' freedom to the child that is compatible to the nature of the child.

For instance, in Montessori environment, the child is given complete freedom to choose his own activity from the myriad of activities, every day. He has the freedom to move in the environment and observe anyone doing it . Child has the freedom to do her activity at her own pace and not do what the rest of the students in the class are doing.

But this freedom is not without restriction. For instance, child can choose his own activity, provided he has been presented earlier and provided it is available on the rack. If it is not on the rack, he has to wait for other child to finish. This is how he develops patience. Child can do any activity in his own way, provided she does not misuse the material. For instance, a child cannot use pink tower to play Lego. This helps her respect the proper usage of the material. Or the child can move in the environment freely, provided he does not distract other child. This helps the child to develop 'social intelligence'.

On the other hand, the child is given complete freedom in areas which matter to him a lot. For instance, he can eat at whatever time he wants. Or he can go in the outer environment at any time. Or, he can do 'nothing' if he is upset about something. He can refuse to take new activity and assert his independence. He can repeat an easy activity to feel good about himself.  

Outcome of using freedom for developing internal discipline

Dr Maria Montessori carefully orchestrated the freedom that suits the nature of the child. This leads to a child who becomes independent, self-learning, and observant. A child in Montessori, for instance, learns to do many 'blindfold' activities without cheating himself, because the child understands the benefit of learning.

Conventional schools, on the other hand, manage this freedom in a wrong way. By forcing child to do a pre-decided activity, they disregard the child's willingness to learn. By making every student learn at the 'same' pace, they force every child to disregard their own individual grasping ability forcing him to miss a lot. By restricting his movement in the class, they take away the child's opportunity to  learn from seeing others doing it.

How can you use this wonderful rule of freedom at home for a child age 3-6?

When we discussed these methods in a parent's meeting, following three ideas emerged:

1. Re-negotiate choices with the child while eating

Have fixed times to eat. If the child eats in between, he is not hungry at the food time and therefore refuses to have his food. If the food is new to him/her, give him the choice to eat or not. But once the child sits on the dining table, which should suit his small size, do not give him choice to move while eating. Do not use TV to distract him. Do not use mobile to let him play games. Make him sit with others until the food is over. Do not force him to eat, but he must sit at the table.  

2. Re-negotiate choices with the child while sleeping

Prepare him for bed. A good cue is to change his dress while sleeping, if possible. While going to bedroom, dim the lights. While going to bed, if possible, give him options like : listening to music, singing a lullaby, or telling a story. If you wish to tell him a story, restrict him to one story. Children often ask for many stories. One of the parent suggested a new method to restrict the story to one. If you ask the child to 're-tell the first narrated story',  he is not able to 'recount the story' at this age. This helps us to restrict the story to 1.

3. Give restricted freedom to the child in public places like roads, malls, and trains

In public places, safety is paramount. In these situations, do not negotiate the choices with the child. If the child is told to hold your hands ( as far as possible , do not hold his hand), he must hold it irrespective of anything. If the child refuses to listen, be stern. There is no need of raising voice. A stern look is good enough. But if the child refuses to listen, warn him. For instance, warn him that he will be taken back to home. And do it , if the child does not listen.

At the end, the child must develop his internal discipline, not external discipline. He should become independent in making his choices. It is easy to make the child listen to 'us'. But in a long run, it does not help. Because we do not want our child to depend on us to make his choices all the time.