Oak Farm Montessori

On the move...

Elizabeth Green, Primary 3 Teacher

Children love to move and it may seem that some children never stop moving! Maria Montessori noted this need for movement as she observed children and worked to develop the Montessori Method. But why is movement so important and how does it relate to learning and cognition?

Montessori found that it actually begins with educating our senses. She stated we must first “educate the senses, and only then, the intellect”. The Sensorial materials in a Primary environment are specifically designed to isolate and refine many of the child’s senses. A wellintegrated sensory system leads to more coordinated movement which ultimately results in higher cognitive abilities. For example, by discriminating the slight differences in the sound cylinders (a Sensorial material) it trains the ear to listen for the sounds at the beginning or end of a word. The development of writing and reading begins (in part) with this much earlier Sensorial work of the child.

Maria Montessori recognized the importance of movement in a child’s development. In a Primary environment, one might see children moving throughout the space carrying trays with their work, navigating around a friend’s work rug on the floor, pouring water to do cloth washing or walking on the line. Outdoors, children can be seen running down a hill, balancing on a fallen tree, hanging from a large branch and raking leaves into a pile. Movement is critical to their overall development.

As Montessorians we believe in educating the whole child. Through careful observation, we can better determine any individual needs our students may have. One student might need to carry something heavy or pound nails into a stump to regulate his system so he can then concentrate on a work that he’s been wanting to practice. Another might need to do push-ups, while still another might need to begin his day by listening to an audio book. Each student has unique needs that must be met in order to develop fully.

Maria Montessori wrote about the connection between mind and body, and she developed a method that supports the integration of the whole child. Children on the move are children doing purposeful work.

At Oak Farm Montessori School, the related arts have been an integral part of the curriculum from the beginning. As we look at the tie between movement and cognition, music is a relatable place to start. We may not all be musicians, but that doesn’t mean music hasn’t played an important role in our lives. Whether it is a favorite song that reminds you of high school, a special family holiday or that song that you find yourself tapping your toes to every time it is played, music is at the heart of many events in our lives.

For years, research has cited many studies that promote music for young children. In the Montessori curriculum music is not only integrated into the individual classrooms, but is also given as a choice during the work cycle. Toddler and Primary students can often be heard singing the blessing before a meal, the clean-up song before recess or listening to peaceful music as they complete their work. Our youngest students are immersed in melody throughout their day. As students progress through elementary and into the secondary program, music is integrated into cultural learning through folk dancing and other American traditions; as well as, those from around the world.

Students may begin learning about music through movement; however, their learning will evolve to where they are able to anticipate the music beats and rhythms on their own. By being able to anticipate the beat and move to it, such as with the scarf dance, students are also learning to work with others through spatial awareness.

Through the generosity of our donors, combined with the commitment of our leadership, the related arts remain an important part of the daily curriculum. At OFMS, our students are able to benefit from multiple creative expression classes from infants through 12th grade. The related arts include: Spanish, P.E., Music, Theater and Art; as well as, speech and reading therapy. Students at the secondary level have additional creative expression classes that are available within their weekly curriculum and are more varied to include cooking, sewing, woodworking and pottery to name a few. While many schools have had to make significant cuts to their related arts programming, we are grateful for our communities continued funding of these important resources.