Susan Mayclin Stephenson

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Even with the very best intentions Montessori teachers often feel the pressure to revert to the traditional TTI (teacher-text centered, adult scheduled) teaching rather than CC (child-centered, free choice) that is essential in authentic Montessori practice. This means giving group rather than individual lessons, gathering children in daily adult-led circle time, teachers making assignments rather than issuing invitations, and, at the 6-18 level, forgetting that the Montessori teacher’s role at this age is to assist the student in learning to create one’s own individual academic path, make one’s own work plans, and meet both state/country and personal goals. Montessori is not about learning to obey and let others do one’s thinking.

Thanks to my Montessori teacher trainers and mentors (Silvana Montanaro and Judi Orion (0-3), Hilla Patell and Muriel Dwyer (2.5-6+), Margaret Stephenson (7-12), Margot Waltuch who was my official AMI primary and elementary consultant, and our 6-12 course examiner Mario Montessori) I have enjoyed many years teaching 0-18, and consulting/lecturing in over thirty countries.

In the book Please Help Me Do It Myself, Observation and Recordkeeping for the Montessori Primary and Elementary Class, successful child-centered, concentration-protected practice is explained in great detail.

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CONCENTRATION
The “new” human, that Montessori saw revealed in true Montessori environments depends, more than anything else, on deep concentration on an activity suited to the age and stage of development of the child.

Included in the book are eight graphs that teachers use at the primary level (and elementary students use as a tool when they are not meeting their own self-created work goals) illustrated and explained. They are adapted from those created by Dr. Montessori in her book The Advanced Montessori Method, Vol. I. The chapter “My Contribution to Experimental Science.” When I was a primary teacher, I plotted the graph of at least one child each day. Here is an example of the graph I created.

A quote from the book (page 35):
In my work consulting with teachers, I have seen this often, and here are some of the reasons for the situation:
(1) Too much distraction in the environment, too many materials, visual distraction on the walls, teacher’s desk, etc.
(2) Non-Montessori materials which do not lead the child further and deeper into work and concentration. Examples: mindless transferring activities and duplication of “key” materials.
(3) Scheduled interruptions such as specialist teachers, scheduled groups, which teach the child that there is no sense in starting to concentrate because it will be interrupted.
(4) Children not having been taught how to respect the concentration of others, so an attempt at concentration becomes futile.
(5) Too many adults in the environment, so the child is not able to act for himself. Montessori recommended one teacher, and one non-teaching aide for 30-35 children. We often found that the larger the number and the widest the age range, the better, but only if the teacher is prepared.
(6) Incorrect use of materials.
(7) Expectations of how many exercises a child should do in a three-hour period. We look for quality, not quantity, of work.

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BOOK CONTENTS
The Primary Class, Age 2.5 to 6.5
Introduction; Materials and Lessons in the Primary Class; Typical Day Schedule; An Error and an Experiment; Supporting Concentration; Weekly Lesson Plan; Mastery Charts (Introduction, Steps to Freedom, Practical Life; The Culture Subjects; The Sensorial Work; Language; Math); The Teacher’s Journals or Diaries; Recordkeeping Schedule by the Day, Week, and Year.
Additional Primary Class chapters: General Knowledge Book; Formal Language Book; Beginning a New Primary Class; First Six Weeks of a Continuing Class; Moving to a New Environment; Parent Communication; Human Needs and Tendencies List

Note: the elementary teacher will benefit from scanning the primary class pages before reading the pages focused on age 6-12.

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PRIMARY WEEKLY LESSON PLAN
There are details in the book that help a teacher make a weekly plan for individual lessons for each child, and an explanation of how it changes over the week because, even though we give a 1:1 lessons to each child on our list, a child has the freedom to choose and concentrate on something else, receive a lesson from another child, or learn from watching someone work. The weekly lesson plan changes constantly and is, by the end of the week, the basis for making the plan for the following week.

PRIMARY MASTERY CHARTS
The weekly lesson plan is made by looking over all the mastery charts where the teacher keeps track of what each child has been presented and what he has mastered. Above is an example of the first mastery chart, showing some of the first lesson a new 2 or 3-year old will be given upon joining the class. They are called steps to freedom (or preliminary exercises).

There are suggested lists of lessons to be given in each area of the curriculum of the primary class. The lessons given in the “culture” area can be found in the book The Red Corolla, Montessori Cosmic Education for Age 3-6+. For more information CLICK: Red Corolla

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BOOK CONTENTS
The Elementary Class
Introduction; The Elementary Class Environment; The Elementary Class Schedule; The Elementary Class State or Country Requirements; The Elementary Class Student/Teacher Planning Meeting; Teacher’s Work and Recordkeeping; Students’ Work and Recordkeeping

Final Chapters 
Becoming a Young Adult (age 12-18);
About the Author; Other Books in this Series

THE ELEMENTARY CLASS
In a Montessori 6-12 class it can be very difficult for a teacher to follow what she has learned during elementary training because of the expectations of what one should learn at this age to fit into society. But let’s think about what society is like today. Traditional academics that are memorized and forgotten after the test is not a good basis for academic knowledge that needs to be retained in order to support intelligent and responsible action. What is really needed today is social and emotional learning as a high priority. Then children are happier, observant, nicer to each other, helpful. They learn to make work plans and meet goals and, since they are allowed choices on what to research, they enjoy studying. As a result, they remember what they have learned.

In the book there are 50 pages of details about how to bring this about at the 6-12 level. Here are some of the topics: ideas on meeting the needs of students who need silence in order to concentrate;  the value of practical work at this age; the wider learning environment outside the classroom; the choice not to work; flow; concentration; meeting state or country required goals; education as preparation for life; individual planning meetings with the teacher in the first years of the 6-12 class; and student-initiated great work.

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CONCLUSION
Referring again to Montessori’s hope for the revelation of the new human, I quote from page 3 of the book Please Help Me Do It Myself, Observation and Recordkeeping for the Montessori Primary and Elementary Class (page 3):

Montessori in a Nutshell
Over the years many of us have been asked to explain Montessori in a Nutshell, or in a very few words. Here is one of my own attempts:

 “When Montessori practice is authentic, a child (or adult) will experience many opportunities of deep concentration on activities that are appropriate for that person’s stage of development, activities that have been demonstrated carefully, and then chosen by the child. Such deep involvement while carrying out meaningful activities, over a period of time, will eventually lead to the transformation of the person’s personality, exhibiting calm and more orderly behavior, greater interest in constructive activities and work and study, kindness, cooperation, affection, greater social awareness, and the development of inner discipline.
“The mastery of academic or other life skills, hfor which Montessori education is so famous, is a natural outcome when the inner guide of each human is in charge of the path, and the work enjoyed is also remembered.

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In ending this blog post I share a personal story. One of our children attended Montessori schools from age 2-12. Then she attended The Arts Magnet School that used to exist in Oakland, California. In this middle school every academic subject was combined with art in some way, a process that required planning and execution, time-management, and responsibility, just as in Montessori. The following year she began to study in a very good but traditional public high school where she had many friends. After a few days this usually very cheerful person was walking around with a concerned look on her face, and I asked her what was the matter.

Her reply,

“We are supposed to listen to someone talk and write down what they say and memorize it, or read a book and remember what it says, and then we get tested on what we remember. What kind of education is that!!!”

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Notes:
—The dates of the free download, October 11-15, 2025,  are schedule for the California time zone. Availability will depend on where you live.
—If you are tech savvy enough, and enjoy giving Amazon reviews—which would be much appreciated—I highly recommend that you wait till you have read some/most of the book, so your comments will be personal, unique, and helpful to others who would benefit from the information shared in this book.
—All of the books in this series support this kind of education in a variety of ways. To see them, CLICK: BOOKS

Thank you!

Blessings,
Susan

Home page, CLICK: Susan