Freedom

Freedom

Montessori saw freedom as the single most important factor in allowing children to develop as spontaneous, creative individuals.

She recognised that from the moment of birth children are constrained by social bonds that limit their natural activities. She saw the role of education as providing environments in which the children could be set free to follow their natural impulses - to be allowed to 'unfold' their unique selves.

She saw that free choice was a higher activity - linked to the child's innate spirituality and it was only by allowing the child free choice that its spirit would be free to expand and express itself to its full potential.

By freedom, however, Montessori did not suggest that the child should be free to do whatever he chooses, whenever he chooses.

She saw that the child was part of a larger society and therefore needed to develop consideration towards others.

She saw that the immaturity of the child rendered him extremely vulnerable to the actions and emotions of others. She recognised that the child relied on a sense of order within the environment and that by carefully preparing the environment adults could allow children to move freely, working with those objects that most attracted them.

She saw that the child had an innately loving and caring nature and that freedom from external pressures would allow this nature to be expressed.

The Montessori Freedom is, therefore initially a structured freedom, but one that then allows the child to connect to the true freedom of self-knowledge, self-respect and self-worth.

Freedom in a Montessori classroom

Freedom of Movement

Freedom of Choice

Freedom of Speech

Freedom to Concentrate

Freedom to Love

Freedom to Share

Freedom to Explore

Freedom to Take Time

Freedom to Laugh

Freedom from Competition

Freedom from Danger

Freedom from Pressure

Freedom to Grow

Freedom to Unfold

Freedom to Be

Quotations

"The school must permit the free, natural manifestations of the child. This is the essential reform."
The Montessori Method p.14, Chap I

"The fundamental principle of scientific pedagogy must be the freedom of the pupil."
Ibid p.28, Chap II

"The method of observation is established upon one fundamental base: the liberty of the pupils in their spontaneous manifestations."
Ibid p.80, Chap IV

"The liberty of the child should have as its limit the collective interest; as its form, what we universally consider good breeding ... We must, therefore, check in the child whatever offends or annoys others, or whatever tends towards indecorous or impolite acts. But for all the rest - every manifestation having a useful scope - whatever it may be, and under whatever form it expresses itself, must not only be permitted, but must be observed by the teacher."
Ibid p.87, Chap V

"We cannot know the consequences of suffocating a spontaneous action at the time when a child is just beginning to be active; perhaps we suffocate life itself."
The Discovery of the Child p.50, Chap 3

"A child's liberty should have as its limit the interests of the group to which he belongs ... We should therefore prevent a child from doing anything which may offend or hurt others ... But everything else, every act that can be useful in any way whatever, may be expressed. It should not only be permitted but it should also be observed by the teacher. This is essential."
Ibid p.50, Chap 3

"An educational method that shall have liberty as its basis must intervene to help the child to a conquest of liberty. That is to say, his training must be such as shall help him to diminish as much as possible the social bonds which limit his activity."
Ibid p.95, Chap 5

"No one can be free unless he is independent: therefore the first active manifestations of the child's individual liberty must be so guided that through this activity he may arrive at independence."
Ibid p.96, Chap 5

"The secret of the free development of the child consists in organising for him the means necessary for his internal nourishment ... it is in the satisfaction of this primitive impulse that the child's personality begins to organise itself and reveal its characteristics."
Spontaneous Activity in Education p.70, Chap III

"Freedom in intellectual work is found to be the basis of internal discipline."
Ibid p.108, Chap III

"Discipline in freedom seemed to solve a problem which had hitherto seemed insoluble. The answer lay in obtaining discipline by giving freedom."
The Absorbent Mind p.184, Chap 19

"Freedom is understood in a very elementary fashion, as an immediate release from oppressive binds; as a cessation of corrections and of submission of authority. This conception is plainly negative, that is to say, it means only the elimination of coercion. From this comes, often enough, a very simple 'reaction': a disorderly pouring out of impulses no longer controlled because they were previously controlled by the adult's will. 'To let the child do as he likes', when he has not yet developed any powers of control, is to betray the idea of freedom."
Ibid p.187, Chap 19

"Real freedom ... is a consequence of development; it is the development of latent guides, aided by education. Development is active. It is the construction of the personality, reached by effort and one's own experiences; it is the long road which every child must travel to attain maturity."
Ibid p.187, Chap 19

"The essential thing is for the task to arouse such an interest that it engages the child's whole personality... In our schools, this 'moment of healing' is not the point of arrival, as it is in the clinics for difficult children, but it is the point of departure, after which 'freedom of action' consolidates and develops the personality."
Ibid p.188, Chap 19

"The greatest help you can give your children is freedom to go about their own work in their own way, for in this matter your child knows better than you."
The Child, Society and the World p. 6, Chap I

"So long as a child is actively interested in what he is doing and there is no harm in its little activity, it is definitely at work on its own development."
Ibid p. 8, Chap I

"...all we have to do is set this energy free. It is as simple as that. This is not giving freedom to children in the common sense. What is the use of freedom to children, if it is freedom to develop their deviations? When we speak about freedom in education we mean freedom for the creative energy which is the urge of life towards the development of the individual."
Ibid p. 12, Chap II

"When we speak of free children we are thinking of this energy which must be free in order to construct these children well. We must aid this purpose. When we do, we find that children return to this urgent energy and become normal and when this happens all deviations cease."
Ibid p.12, Chap II

"When a child concentrates his character is changed. It is as though he had taken off a mask."
Ibid p. 13, Chap II

"We must not interfere with a concentrating child, because something is happening inside that child."
Ibid p.14, Chap II

"Gradually the children begin to concentrate. One day one child, another day two or three children. After they have concentrated the children are different... They become detached and work for themselves. The disorderly children begin to love order. They all become so orderly that disorder is an extraordinary thing."
Ibid p,14, Chap II

"The child orders his own life. This is an expression of childhood. Imagine what a wonderful thing it is. Freedom and discipline come together. This was a discovery because they are generally thought to be opposite things. Instead we find that there is no freedom without discipline. Freedom and discipline are a harmonious combination."
Ibid p.23, Chap II

Study guide

The Montessori Method - Chapters I, IV, V.

The Discovery of the Child - Chapter 3

Spontaneous Activity in Education (later entitled the Advanced Montessori Method Vol 1) - Chapter III

The Absorbent Mind - Chapter 19

The Child, Society and the World - Chapters I, II, III

Journal articles

Anrep, A (1985) 'Through the Eyes of Others: A Dialogue between Mario Montessori and A.S. Neill' The Montessori Society Journal, London, AMI.

Berliner, Michael (1975) 'Reason and Freedom in Montessori'. Educational Forum: 40,1,7-21, Nov 75.

Fernando, Chulanganee (1997) 'Integrating Csikszentmihalyi and Montessori'. NAMTA Journal; v22 n2 p117-121. Spring.

Kahn, David (1998) 'Mario Montessori: In search of a Deeper Freedom. A LifeÕs Journey of Educational Ideas'. NAMTA Journal; v23 n2 p1-6 Spring.

Montessori, Maria (1924) 'On Discipline - Reflections and Advice', The Call of Education Vol 1, No.s 3 & 4.

Montessori, Mario (1998). 'Claremont Claude... Montessori and the Deeper Freedom'. NAMTA Journal; vol 23 n2 p65-80 Spring.

Conference papers

Montessori, Renilde, (1988) 'The Timeless Human Spirit', AMI International Conference 'Education for the 21st Century', Washington DC. July.

Montanaro Silvano Q. MD. (1996) 'The Support of Montessori Education to Human Potential', AMI/USA National Conference The Relevance of Montessori Today - Meeting Human Needs; Principles to Practice, Bellevue, Washington, July.

Archive resources

Boyd, W (1917) From Locke to Montessori, George Harrap & Co London.

Culverwell, E (1913) The Montessori Principles and Practice, G.Bell & Sons, London.

Kilpatrick, W (1915) Montessori Examined, Constable, London.