To a child the world is full of sights and sounds which appear chaotic. From this chaos the child gradually creates order and learns to distinguish among the impressions which assail the senses, thus slowly gaining mastery of self and the environment. Among its features is an ordered arrangement of sequential learning materials, designed to be developmentally appropriate and aesthetically appealing. The years between three and six are not only the prime time for laying an academic foundation, but most importantly the years when a child learns the ground rules of human behavior most easily. Dr. Montessori recognized that self-motivation is the only valid impulse to learning.
Children move themselves toward learning.
But it is the child who learns, motivated through the work itself, to persist in a chosen task. The Montessori child is free to learn because of having slowly acquired an inner discipline from exposure to both physical and mental order. This is the core of the philosophy. Habits of concentration, perseverance and thoroughness established in the early years will produce a confident and competent learner in later years. Montessori introduces children to the joy of learning at an early age and provides a framework in which individual and social discipline go hand in hand.