Montessori said that the first essential for the child’s development is concentration, that the child who concentrates is immensely happy.
As Montessori guides our greatest satisfaction is when we observe a child deeply absorbed in work.
We spend hours upon hours arranging our environments, perfecting our presentations, observing and introspecting so that our spaces have ample opportunities for the children to make contact with a work which will bring this about.
We also know that children who have experienced deep concentration repeatedly, are able to choose it for themselves after a while.
So, it came as no surprise when I read about the findings of a group of Harvard researchers, looking to find the secret ingredient of happiness. They found that a wandering mind is an unhappy one and on the flip-side, a mental presence – the matching of thought to action was a much better predictor of happiness.
Here is the article – A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy One
“When walking, walk. When eating, eat.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
contemplating montessori 