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The Montessori Decalogue

Have you heard of the Montessori decalogue? They are essentially the 10 commandments of Montessori. I’ve tried to find online where they come from, I’ve crossed 2 different ideas: 1 that Dr. Maria Montessori herself wrote them and another that it was someone else that summarized all of her teachings. Either way, it gives us a lot to think about.

Do you have to agree and live by all of these? Absolutely not. These are written for Montessori guides that work in schools. As parents, we don’t play the exact same role as an educator even if we homeschool. The one rule that stands out to me right away is number 8. I think allowing my children to be bored is one of the greatest things I can do for them. Of course, my house has plenty of different activities for them to do but I will not always help them find an activity to do. That might actually hinder their imaginations and what they would come up with on their own if they had tried a little harder.

But don’t be too quick to dismiss them if they seem odd or too strict. Think about them for awhile. Consider why Dr Maria Montessori thought these were important for a guide and how you can implement them in your home environment as a parent. Remember, she worked directly with children for many years!

The Decalogue of Montessori

1. Never touch the child unless invited by him (in some form or the other).

2. Never speak ill of him in his presence or in his absence.

3. Concentrate on developing and strengthening what is good in him. Take meticulous and constant care of the environment. Teach proper use of things and show the place where they are kept.

4. The adult is to be active when helping the child to establish relation with the environment, and remain outwardly passive but inwardly active when this relation has been established.

5. The adult must always be ready to answer the call of the child who stands in need of him and always listen and respond to the child who appeals to him.

6. The adult must respect the child who makes a mistake without correcting directly. But he must stop any misuses of the environment and any action which endangers the child or the other members of the community.

7. The adult must respect the child who takes rest and watches others working and not disturb him, neither call or force him to other forms of activity.

8. The adult must help those who are in search of activity without finding it.

9. The adult must, therefore, be untiring in repeating presentations to the child who refused them earlier, in teaching the child who has not yet learned, in helping the child who needs it to overcome the imperfections in animating the environment, with her care, with her purposeful silence, with her mild words, and her loving presence. She must make her presence felt to the child who searches and hide from the child who has found.

10. The adult must always treat the child with the best of good manners and, in general, offer him the best she has in herself and at her disposal.

While searching for the origins of the decalogue, I stumbled upon a beautiful poster of the decalogue and a timeline of Dr Maria Montessori’s life. Go check them out!