An Expansive Experience: Music in Montessori
May 27, 2024

In Montessori, music is both interwoven into the curriculum and its own area of study. Like with the other subjects in Montessori, music begins sensorially, isolates difficulty through key lessons, and engages children in spontaneous forms of expression.


Sensorial & Connected Experiences


In our Toddler and Children’s House classrooms, we first offer sensorial experiences and impressions related to music. We encourage listening and awareness, perhaps hearing the snap of the snaps of the dressing frame or noticing the delicacy of the sound when placing a glass vase on a tray. The sound cylinders also help children distinguish fine gradations of softness and loudness. In the Silence Game, children become attuned to the many types of sounds around them when they sit quietly and listen.


Children are also able to link music and movement through the rhythm work in walking on the line activities, as well as simple activity rhymes, chants, and a wide repertoire of songs. In fact, we sing with the children every day because singing together is a powerful community builder!


We also offer children opportunities to listen to the music of various cultures. They love the challenge of identifying instruments by the sounds that they make, too. 


Keys to Music


We use the bells in our primary programs, and the tone bars in our elementary classrooms, for music literacy (the reading, writing, and playing of music), as well as music theory, including notes, scales, chords, rhythm, melody, harmony, and form.


With the lovely Montessori bells, children begin to discriminate pitch by first playing individual bells, and then pairing and grading according to pitch. Next, they move on to naming the pitches and matching the pitches with their notes. Eventually, children learn the placement of the notes on the musical staff, as well as how scales and melodies can be written with notes on the staff.


In elementary classrooms, the work continues with the tone bars, as children learn about the degrees of the scale, intervals, the sequence of major scales with sharps and flats, key signatures, transposition, and the naming and notation of minor scales. 


In Montessori, music is not a separate subject, only to be taught in a separate room by a specialist teacher. We want music to be an integral part of the daily life in the learning environment. As such, the Montessori music program provides keys to music that can be presented by any trained Montessori teacher regardless of musical background.


A Form of Language 


Ultimately, music is a language of communication. Because music is a language, we think about music development as we do children’s language development and honor both the “spoken stage” and “written stage.” 


Within the spoken stage, we may observe children picking away at bells or tone bars, striking notes without any apparent purpose. We treat this activity with respect as it represents the babbling stage of music. 


The children eventually sing and play (on the Montessori’s bells and tone bar materials, as well as other instruments) and later they write and read music. Just like with the moveable alphabet for language, children can use a moveable alphabet for music notation to be able to write their own compositions. At this point, we often see children explode into music performance and notation, just as they explode into writing and reading.


While the bells and tone bars are used for many purposes, including work with music notation, they are first and foremost musical instruments and children love incorporating songs into classroom performances and sharing.


Expansive Program


In our primary and elementary communities, the music program is vast and includes music appreciation and history, singing, movement/dance, rhythm, pitch, intensity, timbre, form, style, listening, instrumental work, music theory, and the science behind the music. 


By isolating difficulties and providing various preparation of skills, even our young children come to extemporaneous and spontaneous composition.


Music is part of culture and thus we want to ensure that our children have contact with the world of music. The future musicians among them will connect to their life’s path and their life’s work at an early age! Even those who don’t go on to study music develop an appreciation for and understanding of this important part of human culture. 


We’d love for you to hear this harmony for yourself! Please reach out to schedule a tour!

A New Role: Adults in Montessori Adolescent Programs

By Jasmine Parks • May 23, 2025
Adolescents are in a new stage of development. So, how can the adults in their lives adapt? In Montessori adolescent programs, we open our hearts and minds to what is really happening for adolescents in their growth toward adulthood. We have enormous respect for adolescents and the growth that happens during this stage of life. In many ways, the early adolescent years are parallel to the first years of life. Adolescents are newly emerging adults. They are newborns, and just like newborns, they are gaining a great deal of learning, brain integration, and social/emotional equilibrium. Because what happens during adolescence impacts how our future adults will adapt and contribute to the broader society in adulthood, we are careful to model what it means to be an adult. We work to provide guidance and structure while respecting adolescents’ journey of self-construction. This stage of development is a period of reorganization, and we have the unique opportunity to positively influence and support this transformation. The Montessori Adolescent Environment Montessori adolescent programs vary in structure but typically include: ● Plans of study and work ● Different forms of social organization ● Micro-economy programs ● Work with nature and the land Within these activities, adults serve multiple roles in different settings, such as in the kitchen, through work on the land, in business operations, and more. However, it is essential to remember that the Montessori learning environment belongs to our adolescents. As such, we must ensure students develop concentration and independence through meaningful activities in an attractive and stimulating environment. Creating this prepared environment is a vital piece of the adult’s work! So we work to uphold the following characteristics. ● Designed for self-construction : Adolescents need an environment where their personal development takes priority over just producing a finished product. Whether running a microeconomy business or working on the land, we remember that the product isn’t the primary concern; rather, it’s the adolescent’s development and their self-construction. ● Developmentally appropriate : Activities and experiences should align with where adolescents are in their growth so as to ensure engagement and relevance. ● Supportive of human tendencies : We want the environment to support human tendencies, like orientation, order, association, and exploration, in a way that evolves with students’ age and maturity. This means the space and the work will look different based on what our students experienced during their elementary years! ● Includes materials/activities that provide appropriate challenges and opportunities for independence : Adolescents need access to tools, technology, creative outlets, and real-world applications of their learning, from garden tools to spreadsheets, from theatrical production materials to forms of publication. ● Provides Beauty and Order : While adolescents may not always maintain order, a well-organized and aesthetically pleasing environment still impacts their development and identity formation. Although adolescents experience organization as a convenience, order is necessary to operate in a microcosm of society and when you need to get things done, like cooking a meal for a group. ● Ensures Isolation of difficulty : We need to observe to know if our adolescents can use the tools at their disposal and also to plan for what lessons they need to be successful. Adolescents don’t want to be incompetent. They also don’t want to be ordered about by an adult. They need our side-by-side support. ● Is Scaled in Size : We want workspaces should be adaptable to accommodate the diverse physical and developmental needs of adolescents. Scaling still matters at this level because adolescents can be very different from each other in their development. ● Offers Limited materials : Too much choice can be overwhelming, yet the material needs to be obtainable when the task requires it. We intentionally ensure there isn’t one of everything for everyone because research shows adolescents are more productive when working with a partner. ● Encourages Care (of self, others, and the environment) : This is a beautiful thread in all of Montessori. As our young people approach adulthood, we support them in learning how to take of themselves so that they then have the capacity to take care of people around them and then their community and their planet. Encouraging adolescents to care for themselves, their community, and the world around them fosters responsibility and empathy. The Essential Role of the Adult Adults are an essential part of the prepared environment, acting as facilitators of human development. Our primary responsibilities include: ● Creating Conditions for Growth : Providing experiences that develop social responsibility, justice, and dignity. ● Modeling Respect and Civility : Demonstrating respect for people, living things, community spaces, and social norms. ● Fostering Engagement : Encouraging participation through invitations to work, short presentations, and meaningful activities. ● Encouraging Self-Construction : Allowing adolescents to take ownership of their learning while the adult remains in the background, blending into the work alongside them. The Power of Observation and Patience A fundamental role of the adult is to create conditions that naturally engage adolescents. This requires stepping back from unnecessary praise and criticism and allowing students to recognize their own successes and errors. Learning comes from experience, and we see mistakes as valuable opportunities for growth. Adults must also develop strong observation skills, practicing patience as adolescents navigate their developmental process. Our role is to guide, not dictate, allowing adolescents to take ownership of their education. Ultimately, we must be aware of and sensitive to adolescents' developmental needs and characteristics. We respect their potential and understand adolescents’ need to function in a social context and their drive to become independent young adults. Side-by-Side Work One of the most effective tools for fostering independence is working alongside adolescents. This allows them to: ● Observe real work in action ● Understand their role within a community ● Feel valued for their contributions The process begins with adults modeling tasks, ensuring students understand the necessary skills, tools, safety rules, and quality expectations. Gradually, responsibility shifts to the adolescent, allowing them to take ownership while we observe from a distance. Older students can take on leadership roles, further developing their skills and sense of responsibility. Preparation of the Adult The role of adults in a Montessori adolescent program is built on teamwork, respect, and humility. Adults must collaborate effectively, ensuring that the program serves the community of adolescents rather than personal agendas. By fostering a respectful and engaging learning environment, adults empower adolescents to become independent, confident, and socially responsible individuals. Facilitating adolescent development is a significant challenge requiring deep preparation. Montessori adults must be willing to evolve, accept change, and continually refine their approach based on observation and feedback. Montessori education is powerful for this age group because the adults are constantly exploring how to creatively meet adolescents’ needs, from designing the learning environment to preparing themselves to support these emerging young adults. Curious to learn more about how Montessori supports stages of development in our young people? Schedule a tour!

Stages of Development Series: Infancy

March 3, 2025
Discover how Montessori education nurtures children's growth from birth to six years old, fostering independence, exploration, and language development.