We’ve seen many parents moved to tears as they discover how capable and independent their children can be, and how our approach has empowered their child’s healthy development. We’ve had the privilege of learning from former Montessori students, now adults, as they reflect on the positive impact Montessori had on their lives. We’ve also witnessed countless fellow Montessori educators tenderly guiding children on their individual journeys, recognising each child’s readiness, anticipating their needs and challenges, and responding with grace and kindness. And as parents, experienced the transformative power of Montessori in the lives of our own teenage children.
But we’ve also noticed how easy it can be to misunderstand Montessori principles or to over-index or over-emphasise one aspect or another. We’ve observed classrooms that were either extremely quiet, or some too busy and loud, some where children were very quietly working or some where they were constantly being interrupted with long large group lessons or “circle time”.
As Educational Leaders, we focus a lot on how to maintain harmony and balance between concentration, silent work, spoken language and joyful social cohesion. Let’s look at a few crucial aspects together:
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Silence, Concentration, and Private Speech
When we first began observing children we noticed how children often talk to themselves while working with Montessori materials—whispering or describing their actions as they are deeply concentrating. This curiosity led me to the work of Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget, whose theories offered profound insights that resonated with Maria Montessori’s philosophy.
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Vygotsky’s Private Speech
Vygotsky emphasised the importance of “private speech,” where children talk to themselves to regulate their actions, solve problems, and focus. This self-directed language, particularly common at a young age, is crucial for developing concentration and cognitive skills. Over time, it evolves into internal thought and it only occurs when working individually.
Even as adults, many of us rely on this strategy when tackling challenging tasks. How often do we catch ourselves talking to ourselves while trying to focus on something difficult? I know I do, especially when I’m struggling to stay on track. It’s a resource we instinctively return to, even if it’s just a quiet whisper under our breath.
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Piaget’s Egocentric Speech
Piaget viewed this phase as “egocentric speech,” where children verbalise their thoughts aloud to process information.
In other words, spoken language strengthens focus. Our brains, particularly in the frontal cortex, integrate language and concentration. Spontaneously verbalising thoughts out loud—whether counting the beads in math, singing a song while writing it with the Movable Alphabet or even narrating softly and quietly the steps in a Practical Life activity— maintains the flow and helps solidify learning.
These findings reinforce Montessori’s concept of the “inner teacher”—a child’s natural ability to self-regulate and guide their own learning through concentrated and meaningful effort. They also highlight the importance of providing a time and space for children to work individually and independently.
In Montessori classrooms, children are often observed working independently practicing “private speech.” And after completing a challenging task, they often break into smiles, radiating joy and a sense of accomplishment.
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The Importance of Silent Presentations
In the Cycle One Montessori classroom, silent presentations are a cornerstone of our approach, particularly in Practical Life and Sensorial.
When a guide demonstrates how to polish wood, wash a table, build the trinomial cube, or even walk on the line, the focus is on graceful, deliberate movements and minimal words. The children absorb these actions because they have absorbent minds. They do not need an explanation; they observe, and they can internalise the details.
We’ve seen this magic unfold countless times. Recently, when presenting the ‘Wringing a Cloth’ lesson silently to a three-year-old, I noticed how he leaned in, captivated by the movements of my hands and the gentle folding of the cloth. This very active boy was captivated for several minutes as I transferred water from one basin to the other. Later, when he took his turn, he repeated the steps with such precision and focus—it was as if he was recreating the presentation in his mind.
Silent presentations guide children with mindfulness, concentration, and grace. They create a calm, purposeful environment where children can connect deeply with their work and practice flow and “private speech.”
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The Importance of Joyful Spoken Language
I have seen that at times we leave spoken language aside because we over-index on delivering silent lessons that focus solely on movements as described above.
But children also need opportunities to verbalise their experiences, whether they are sharing what they did over the weekend, what happened to them in the playground, or working with the Bank Game, counting, “one unit, two units.” Spoken language is something that the guide needs to cultivate.
At times, children working with language materials where they are diligently copying from cards, such as writing puzzle words or phonograms with the movable alphabet or on pieces of paper, without even reading the words. Speaking, reading aloud, and sharing is essential. Sometimes children may look focused and engaged in their work, but at times they are only doing mechanical work and may not be able to explain what they are doing or to understand the language that provides them with the true learning experience that helps them abstract the concept.
An example, a child that is is manipulating the Exploration and Memorisation of Tables materials and the Stamp Game. They may be completing the steps mechanically, but if they do not practice the language, they probably will not internalise the hierarchy of the decimal system or truly abstract and learn the process of the math operations.
It is crucial to inspire children to use spoken language as they work with more math and language materials. We can do beautiful “Bring Me” games or Memory Games, where we always ask, “What did you bring me?” If we are working with the Bank Game with the golden beads, they might say, “I brought six thousand,” and the child would count, “one thousand, two thousand, three thousand…” until they get to six thousand. We, the adults, also model counting aloud to guide the children and help them absorb the language.
The same applies when we are exploring language materials, such as the Movable Alphabet, Three-Part Cards, Reading Labels, Word Study, Puzzle Word, etc. Reading or even speaking aloud not only reinforces their learning but also makes it fun, brings joy and self-expression to the process.
Some activities are more silent than others, and there are some where verbal language is a cornerstone of the lesson, but in most Montessori exercises, a portion of the experience is most beneficial to experience with silent concentration and another portion (often later in the child’s exploration) verbal language solidifies the learning for the child.
This balance between independent, silent, concentrated work and active verbalization fosters both concentration and confidence. As guides, we model this balance by engaging children in conversations, greeting them warmly, and creating an environment where language flows naturally, reinforced with a busy hum. And when children find confidence in their own learning through verbal expressions to themselves, they naturally find confidence in communicating with others.
Cultivating a Harmonious Environment
We believe that as Montessori educators, parents, and advocates, our goal is to strike a harmony and balance. We must honor the child’s need for individual and independent focus while also creating a space for joyful communication and collaboration. Through this balance, we prepare children not just for academic success but for a lifetime of meaningful connections and contributions.
Maria Montessori expressed this beautifully:
“The secret of a happy life is congenial work. Work is purposeful activity. Man is the foremost worker in creation. Man’s work has changed the face of the earth.”
—What You Should Know About Your Child
Independence and interconnectedness, silence and spoken language, concentration and expression—these are the foundations of a Montessori journey that leads to confident, capable, and connected human beings.
Article Source: https://higherground.substack.com/p/friday-note-balancing-silence-and