If the first-plane child uses his absorbent mind to take in all he needs from his surroundings (which is why we prepare the environment for him), the second-plane child must actively, consciously choose what she wants to learn. When we prepare a Montessori environment for an elementary child, what we are trying to do is to find those “sparks”, sparks that will arouse his interest, ignite his imagination, make him curious enough to explore interrelated topics.
This week, I have been closely following my 6.5yo. It all began quite accidentally, when I was trying to stave off pre-dinner hunger pangs during a taxi ride, and I told my children a verbal story of Leonardo Da Vinci, the artist and inventor. The hunger pangs were temporarily forgotten. His imagination had been sparked.
The next day, I left out a package of a model bridge that I had bought. It was originally designed by Leonardo da Vinci, which needed no nails or tools to fasten.
My younger child put herself in charge of distributing the crosspieces and grooved pieces. My older child read instructions and assembled that thing faster than I could read each step.
Done!
To test it, you are supposed to apply weight to it to make the bridge even stronger.
He repeated this work in the coming days, but his attention was also briefly drawn to this random wooden automata when we were at the bookstore for some one-on-one time.
He attempted to make simple machines out of our Lego simple machines kit, which has things like wheels, axles and pulleys.
He got interested again in building and specifically, patterning, sparked by a Castles book handed down by our relative…
Which led to more books on buildings…
And books on adventure and castles… and the question, “why don’t we have kings and queens in Singapore?”
The Tintin comic above generated an interest in the comic strip genre, so I casually mentioned that I had another comic book that I had bought years ago and had been saving. And that is how the Marvel-illustrated version of Pride & Prejudice became our bedtime reading this week.
This spark lights a fire in the child. He actively seeks out knowledge related to it. He doesn’t grow tired or bored when it is something that enthuses him to his inner core.
From Da Vinci to engineering to Victorian literature, all in a week.
This love of learning, this intellectual hunger that educators often speak of… it’s right there in the child. We just have to know how to spark it.
I run a 6-12 online course on the Montessori elementary child, drawing on my AMI 6-12 Assistant training, translated into practical, actionable tips for parents. I am a Montessori elementary parent and former mainstream educator myself, and my course has been described by clients as “mindblowing” and “best decision I made”. Course outline and testimonials here.
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