MONTESSORI LEARNING
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Montessori learning is a child-centred educational approach developed by Dr Maria Montessori. It supports independence, self-directed learning, and a lifelong love of learning through hands-on experiences within a carefully prepared environment. Children are encouraged to learn at their own pace, guided by trained practitioners who observe, support, and facilitate rather than direct. The Montessori approach emphasises holistic development, nurturing children’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive growth. Specially designed Montessori materials help promote concentration, intrinsic motivation, cooperation, and the development of real-life skills.
What is the Early Years Foundation Stage?
The EYFS is a framework for the care and learning of all children from birth to the age of five years or until the end of the Reception year at school. The EYFS Framework describes how early years practitioners should work with children and their families to support their development and learning. It describes how your child should be kept safe and cared for and how all concerned can make sure that your child achieves the most that they can in their earliest years of life. Children do best when parents and professionals work together, therefore, staff at Footprints will work with you to achieve this and will be asking you about your child and sharing information with you about your child’s progress. It is important to remember that you know more about your own child than anyone else does and understanding what your child is doing when they are with others will help you to notice how well they are developing and learning. The part you play in their learning and the choices you make will make a difference to their future.
Why are the years from birth to five so special?
The years from birth to five are a vital period in a child’s development. During this time, the brain develops more rapidly than at any other stage of life, forming millions of neural connections that lay the foundations for future learning, health, and behaviour. These early years influence every aspect of development, including social and emotional wellbeing, communication and language, physical growth, and cognitive skills, with effects that last a lifetime.
At Footprints, we recognise that early experiences, responsive interactions, and nurturing relationships are key to building strong developmental pathways. Through warm, secure attachments and carefully planned environments, children develop essential skills such as self-regulation, confidence, curiosity, and communication. This critical window of development highlights the importance of early support and intervention, ensuring every child is given the best possible start in life.
How does the EYFS fit with the Montessori Philosophy?
The principles of the EYFS are expressed in terms that are very familiar to Montessorians: that each child is unique; that positive relationships form the basis for personal respect supporting learning; that the learning environment is important in extending learning and development; and that children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates. The Montessori approach is at one with the EYFS view of learning and both see observation as the key to promoting children’s learning and development.
Sensitive Periods
Sensitive periods are times in a child’s development when they show a deep fascination for learning particular skills or characteristics, such as climbing up and down steps, putting things in order, counting, or learning to read. During these periods, learning happens naturally and with great ease, as the child is especially receptive to acquiring that skill. In a Montessori-inspired environment, these sensitive periods are carefully observed and supported. At Footprints, children are given the freedom to choose activities that match their current interests and developmental readiness. By following the child and providing appropriate, hands-on materials at the right time, we help children make the most of these important learning windows, fostering confidence, concentration, and a genuine love of learning.
The Absorbent Mind
Dr Montessori wrote that the most important period of life is the period from birth to the age of six years. “For that is the time when man’s intelligence itself is being formed. But not only his intelligence; the full totality of his psychic powers….At no other age has the child a greater need of an intelligent help, and any obstacle that impedes his creative work will lessen the chance he has of achieving perfection.”
Recent research has confirmed these theories of Dr Montessori showing that 50% of a child’s mature intelligence is developed between conception and four years of age and another 30% from the age of four to eight. This would suggest the very rapid growth of intelligence in the early years and the possible great influence of the early environment on this development.
