Parents ask · The method
What does ‘normalization’ mean in Montessori?
It describes the calm, focused, self-directed state a child settles into after enough uninterrupted time with work they chose — not making children conform.
It is the worst-named idea in Montessori. Maria Montessori used the word to mean a return to the child’s natural state rather than an imposition on it: she considered the restlessness that precedes it the aberration, and the absorbed concentration that follows it normal.
If a teacher tells you a child is ‘normalizing’, they mean the child is settling in and beginning to concentrate. It is meant as good news.
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Other things parents ask
Do Montessori children do well in traditional schools afterwards? What does a Montessori school day actually look like? Is Montessori good for a very active child? Do Montessori schools give homework and grades? Should we stay for Montessori kindergarten or move to public school? Is there a Montessori school near South San Francisco?
Still deciding?
Call the school office at 650-616-9000, or come and watch a morning.