Montessori Philosophy

Much of Montessori is not imaginative play. That's what I thought, too, based on what I knew of Montessori preschools in my area. I discovered that they use the Montessori name, but don't follow the philosophy, to the point that one girl in my care a few years ago had gone to a Montessori preschool, yet she had never laid eyes on any of the Montessori materials I had.

Maria Montessori actually believed that imaginative play had no place in a classroom for kids 6 and under. Not that imaginative play was wrong, as she expected it would be done by the children when they weren't at school, but that it didn't meet the needs of the 3-6- year old in an educational setting.

For Montessori, the really important stuff for 3 to 6-year olds is learning practical skills (which they have a blast with—pouring water, learning to cut bananas, cheese, pour juice, spray the window and wipe...) and developing the senses. So, instead of pretending to clean and keep house, the kids are actually allowed to do it; instead of pretending to cook, the kids are actually cooking; instead of pretending to shine shoes, they are actually shining shoes. Sensorial activities are like games to them; so are all the language, math and culture activities. It's fun, but not delving into the realm of fantasy!

Games for Learning: Ten Minutes a Day to Help Your Child Do Well in School - From Kindergarten to Third Grade