It is so amazing to watch the focus and concentration of even our youngest students when engaged in an activity. As each child can stay with and explore a work as long as wanted, he/she is able to fully experience each learning opportunity.

After watching our students wash their hands numerous times throughout the day, we felt convicted to make a conscious effort to keep our paper towels from eventually ending up in a landfill. Now MCLS uses washcloths to dry hands. Students fold the freshly washed cloths and take pride in cutting off loose strings, stacking by color and placing the cloths in the classroom ready to be used. Taking this skill from the classroom to home, a few parents commented how their children now offer to fold laundry at home. 

I recently observed one of our students repeatedly using scotch tape to tape numerous pieces of paper together. Continuing she cut even more pieces of paper apart; only to tape them back together. I was quickly reminded of Marie Montessori's observation of the Sensitive Period in a child. She said, "A sensitive period is a length of time - ranging from days to weeks to months - when a child's brain is urging him to focus like a laser on learning a particular skill, mastering a developmental milestone, or immersing himself in an experience."  Observing the child stay with the activity is a perfect example of why Montessori is so unique; it affords a child the opportunity to satisfy this calling. Also, I am grateful that in our school a child has this freedom.