Cresa Montessori Cluj Acreditata de MEN

Children need reality now more than ever, because they cannot understand the world they live in without engaging with real, factual information.

Throughout this entire first plane, the child learns through their senses, which is why Maria Montessori called them a “sensorial explorer”. The things they explore must therefore be rooted in reality, because they do not yet have enough information to distinguish between what is real and what is fantasy. They need reality because they are building themselves.

Every child is born with 100 billion neurons, and during this period they create everything that is specific to being human from the cultural and social environment they come from. For example, they learn how to move, how to speak, good manners, a sense of humour, and so on.

Alongside the period of sensory exploration, we can also talk about the “what” stage, when the child constantly asks, “What is this?” At this stage, children need to learn the name of every object and all the words they can. If they pick up an orange, they want to see what it looks like, feel it, smell it, learn what it’s called, and so on.

Another important characteristic of this first plane is that all children possess what Maria Montessori called the absorbent mind. We are also talking here about incarnation, the process through which the brain is open and ready to absorb unlimited experiences and information, creating permanent neural pathways that remain imprinted throughout life.

A child’s brain can absorb any kind of information it receives; it just needs a little repetition. A good example is language learning: a child picks up their mother tongue simply because people speak to them in that language. Later, when they want to learn a foreign language, the process is more difficult and the information is stored in a different part of the brain.

When a very young child (> 2 years old) uses art materials, we say that they are scribbling. Since the child scribbles on their own, without anyone having shown them how, this is called self-taught art. Children do not need lessons for this activity, just as they do not for language.

In a prepared Montessori environment, children can use a chalkboard to draw with coloured chalk and/or an easel to paint with tempera paints. Working with clay is also encouraged, with children provided with the necessary tools: modelling clay, a work surface, a rolling pin and a damp cloth.

The way music affects memory is very important. Mozart’s music and Baroque music both activate both sides of the brain—simultaneous activity in both hemispheres maximizes learning and information retention.

In the Montessori environment, singing is part of every day and can be done as a group activity. Singing and movement are a great way to learn songs and develop children’s motor skills. Children are also introduced to musical instruments that are easy for them to use, both in size and in level of difficulty.

Although most activities are individual and the lead adult works with each child one-on-one, there is an unconscious network of interconnection within the community. Montessori calls this connection “society by cohesion.” A child cannot be part of this social cohesion as an individual if they are not consistently present.Th

The nursery at Fundația Motessori 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.