Normalization and Following the Child's Interests

Justification for "follow the child" - how and when to follow the child.

We can guide the child who is not yet normalized by controlling the environment and our interactions.

We can enhance the normalized child's experience by continuing to control the environment and our interactions.



From NAMTA Journal 23:3 Summer 1997

Maria Montessori did not base her goals on the expectations of parents, of society, or of the government. She looked at the children without compromise and strove for the best realization of their potential. 
To observe children successfully, you need a criterion for what is progress and what is not. Montessori found this criterion in the phenomenon of normalization, the primary mark of which is polarized, concentrated work. 
At the beginning, we make a lot of decisions for the children, but after they are normalized, their likes and dislikes can be trusted to reflect their developmental needs

(emphasis mine)



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