Gradinita Cresa Montessori Cluj Acreditata de MEN

This can be seen when the child says “I”—they are indicating an awareness that they are a separate person, can make decisions on their own, and can say what they want. This is also the stage when the child says “no.” That doesn’t mean they don’t want to do something; they want to be asked. They have discovered this new person and want to exercise their will—to have the opportunity to decide.

Children go through many physical changes at this stage, as well as changes in their nervous system. Changes in their surroundings and the more they experiment lead to more connections being formed in the brain. The more often each experience is repeated, the stronger the connections in the brain become.

Children aged 3–6 want to do everything by themselves, and need to do so in order to learn. They develop an understanding of the world through their own activity. A child will become frustrated if an adult tries to persuade them to do something they do not want to do. They may become upset when an adult does things the child could do independently. When adults recognise these “I want to do it myself” reactions, conflicts can be greatly reduced.

The child is determined to learn and needs plenty of time. Whenever we do something for the child, we do not give them the opportunity to learn on their own and impose our will on theirs. We must listen to this need for independence and support children as they learn.

When we are with young children, we tend to repeat ourselves often. Through repeating activities and seeking order and reassurance, children can explore the world with their senses. Children need to do many hands-on activities, which is why they enjoy taking part in family activities, helping prepare food, cleaning, and so on. Adults should give children the opportunity to engage actively with their surroundings.

The conscious absorbing mind is present from ages 3 to 6. We call the child in this period the “conscious worker.” The child is aware of what they are doing and what they want to do; now they need to revisit all the impressions they received during the first period. For example, between ages 0 and 3, the child absorbed many colours from their surroundings. Between ages 3 and 6, they consciously work with these colours to learn their names and explore different facts about them (for example, mixing blue and yellow makes green).

Although most activities are individual and the lead adult works with each child individually, an unconscious network of interconnectedness exists within the community. Montessori calls this connection “society by cohesion.” A child cannot be part of this social cohesion as an individual unless they are consistently present.Th

The nursery at Fundația Montessori Cluj is open Monday to Friday throughout the year and offers children aged 1–3 a program from 8:00 to 16:00, and in exceptional cases until 18:00.